Why I listen to Japanese Music
 

I listen to Japanese music because, honestly, I think it sounds better than American music today. Japanese music actually uses instruments, not just punching some stuff into a computer.

Plus, Japanese culture today is so interesting. Especially Visual Kei. Such amazing-looking outfits and makeup and hair~

I really love Super Fly and オレンジレンジ and 9mm Parabellum Bullet
:)

I'm not sure why I'm into Japanese music. In many cases I notice there are different melodies and vocal patterns when compared to US/European music, which has become very predictable. Instrumentally, Japanese bands aren't afraid to experiment and do their own thing, even within popular genres, where in the USA, popular bands are built from the same mold.

I got into J-Rock about 7 years ago through bands like Dir En Grey and Malice Mizer, finding their music online through music message boards and such. This was before YouTube and many J-Rock websites started being built, so it was difficult to find other bands. I latched onto the bands that I got limited exposure to, and didn't really discover a larger world of Japanese music until the past couple of years.

I wouldn't say that I openly tell people that I'm into Japanese music, but most of my close friends realize that I'm a bit of a Japanophile or have talked about/listened to Japanese bands around them. I'm not goign out of my way to hide it, but it's not something people can immediately tell about me. I'm a musician involved in death metal and other very inaccessible forms of music, and it's very uncharacteristic for someone involved with death metal to be into this music, much less anime and other aspects of Japanese culture. I definitely don't look the part of the typical J-Rock fan, either.

I think it's some kind of hypnotism. I can't go into any conbini or walk down the street without hearing "Gee" or "Heavy Rotation" playing. You just kind of get used to it. Not that it makes me like Japanese music any more, but I sure have built up a tolerance for it.

[quote=Bobbiedot12;844033]I listen to Japanese music because, honestly, I think it sounds better than American music today. Japanese music actually uses instruments, not just punching some stuff into a computer.
[quote]

That is why it continues to hold my attention, though most of what I listen to is probably not on most playlists of this group. Keisho Ono's CDs are a permanent fixture in my car along with several taiko recordings by Japanese and local artists. And one of my favorite DVDs is one of Versailles.

In contrast, I nearly abandoned JRock entirely after an anime convention where I was supposed to work as a DJ. Instead of a play list or being given free reign to play my selections, I was forced to play a poor quality videos of a Dire En Grey concert and D'espairs Ray. Worst of all, this was with Versailles in the house to perform live the next night!!! To this day I cannot stand Dire En Grey, and especially D'espair Ray. When the vocals aren't clear you will discover just how limited and repetitive their instrumentation is.

I think it depends on what your preference for music is.

The instruments are rarely a concern of mine with vocal quality and lyrics taking center stage, so dir en grey are a favourite of mine, purely because of the emotion that comes through in the singers voice. It's something that's rare and hard to capture, and I think it's the main thing that really saves the band and makes them worth listening to, even if it's just for that.

Well for me, it was watching anime and listening to all those OPs and EDs that got me into J-Pop in the first place. Since then I've loved the genre :D
What I hate though is when I play it for friends and they just laugh because they can't understand the lyrics.

I couldn't decide which of the first 2 options in the poll to select.

I am not ashamed of it and will tell anyone, but really do only tell friends because it doesn't often come up in conversation with say co-workers or other randomers.

Other than at forced ice breakers where you have to stand up and say something about yourself, I do feel I shoot myself in the foot and look a social outcast when I say my hobby is studying Japanese, and I listen to Japanese music and watch Japanese TV shows for fun as well as study aids.

I used to hide this, but these days I am more of a take-me-as-I-am kind of person and don't go to lengths to disguise it anymore.

Then again I also see it as a way to test if there are any other people with similar interests in the room, or at the very least the people around aren't the sort to judge and make-fun. If they are I find out straight away that there would be little to no point trying to make friends with them as they would not be the sort of people I want to talk to anyway :mtongue:

On the flip side of that, if anyone in an ice breaker ever says anything vaguely interesting or unusual I will use it to go talk to them and try be friends. Even if it is something I am not into myself I appreciate the fact they are not afraid to admit it and like something other than "football, shopping and going to the cinema/gym" and all the other corporate standard answers.

whats up? new to this forum and this seemed like a good place to begin.
I like Japanese music because i think it is way more creative than most american stuff. as for bands.

L'arc en ciel was the first japanese bandi listen to. i fell in love with driver's high even though i don't listen to them as much anymore they remain at the top for getting me into japanese music

The indigo was the 2nd Jmusic band i listen to. i first discovered them thanks to otakon a few years back where they were the musical guest.

DIR EN GREY was the 3rd and overtook L'arc as my fave Jrock band. I love everything about them. seeing them live still is one of the greatest things i have ever experianced in my life.

The GazettE actually is tied with DEG on my list of fave bands. i randomly came across the video for zetsu and was hooked

Miyavi i really don't remember how i discovered Miyavi but i am glad i did. saw him live during his US tour during summer 2010. definitely was the highlight of my year. hearing him play please please please live was amazing. plus his new album is amazing.
and finally

LUMINOUS ORANGE- i came across them on a message about a year ago. they won me over instantly. I would definitely reccomend listening to there new album Songs of innocence

There are a multitude of reasons behind why I listen to the bands that I listen to. I could do what so many others in this thread have done, and post an individual reason for each band I've listened to, but as I know a good hundred plus bands from Japan, it'd be ill-advised for me to do so, because the reply would take forever to read.

That being said, I'll just say what I'd say to anybody who put me on the spot about the subject: musicality. Compositional complexity. Technical prowess. Instrumental chaos. And just being plain nuts. You can tell when a nation of people has too much time on their hands, because some of the stuff Japan's come up with is plain out there.

Why do you like the bands you listen to?
'cuz they move my Japanese inner :happypika: XD
Neeee, I just like 'cuz they really sound so cool as they play the bass as the same time they sing. I sometimes that the bass is speaking to us in a human form :rheart:

What caught your eye in the begining?
That feeling, and vocals! I still amazed for this, specially for Alice Nine and Dir En Grey, and Aural Vampire such as I love a lot to Kanon Wakeshima :gkitty:


Was it their looks first, then you heard how well their music sounded...WHAT???
For Malice Mizer, it was their look :pompoms:

And how did you find them? Friends...Tv..Internet?
Friend and internet. My friend informed that actually I have heard a bit of it in some videogames; for example, one of Aural Vampire's songs was played for Mortal Kombat.

I pretty much listen to The Pillows, Morning Musume, Asian Kung Fu Generation, and Maximum The Hormone. My musical tastes are pretty diverse (ranging from pop to metal) so I like all of it. :D

I'm not sure how I was introduced to the music, possibly just because I wanted something to listen to that would help me practice... Oh, man, is it hard to understand what Maximum The Hormone is singing about... lol

Why do i listen to Japanese music you ask..well because its good... do i need another reason.. for me as long as something is good im going to listen to it whatever it is

before, sorry for my bad english :shy

hm.. Why i listen japanese music.. For sure, i dont know the lyric song, but i like to hearing it, the music of japan is interesting, i like to hear ikimonogakari, YUI, and the skatepunk band dustbox, ken yokohama, ellegarden(for skatepunkband usually using english lyric)

I listen to Japanese music for the same reason I listen to Spanish, French, and English music. They have a personality of the culture to it and it adds a variety to my playlist. I think what mainly got me interested in Japanese music was watching Cowboy Bebop even though it was more of a jazz sort of thing than Japanese but that was kind of my root for exploring it and all. My favorite right now has to be Tokyo Jihen.

*plooka plooka*

It's hard to say why I like Japanese music,it's just mostly better. The only english things I listen to are Busted,Power Rangers songs,there's a few select bands I can just about tolerate,I'm always up for Bon Jovi and on Eurovision there's always at least one song I like.

the first japanese band i got into was maximum the hormone. i found them by chance. i was on jumping from band profile to band profile on myspace and came across MTH's. the name caught my attention so i listened to koi no mega lover. then the rest of the songs on their player. then to every song i could find by them.

there's also a doom metal band called church of misery that i'm really into. nice and riffy. this is my favorite song of theirs. check it out if you're into that sort of thing.

YouTube - Church Of Misery - Badlands (Charles Stalkweather)

I listen to japanese music because I am Japanese..?wwww

I've been listening to rock music and metal since I was 5 years old. When I was about 14 years old, I discovered X Japan while listening around to some new power metal. I was not only captivated by their music, but the wacky hairstyles and their outfits. I asked myself "Wow, who are these guys? I wish to learn more."

This was the first site- besides looking up X Japan on other sites- where I started learning about and listening to the other bands in the visual kei scene. I started with X Japan, then I got more into the "founders" of the scene, like Lune Sea and Malice Mizer. From that point, I started finding my way to bands like Versailles, Matenrou Opera, the Gazette, Sadie, and Moi Dix Mois.

Apart from visual-kei bands, I listen to Galneryus and the Sex Machineguns. Kick-ass, fast, shredding metal from Japan. THROW THE HORNS!!! \m/