J-music reviews

Honor of the Otaku-Sama

2009-01-17T22:26:00.000-08:00

Written by: Chidori Assassin

"Otaku" is a word that traditionally means "for another's house or family" in an honorific way. Today, the term describes those with an obssession for certain hobbies such as anime. While the title of Lecca's fourth album might be meant for an honorable title, Otakus of this artist will flock to this album in their whim. Will new there be new Otakus lining up for this J-Reggae/Dancehall singer? That remains to be seen.

"Outsider" opens the listener's ears to Lecca's fluid, brisk style of lyric delivery. Voice strengh and clarity do not compromise for lesser vocals throughout. Lecca's hearty voice is what defines this album. "スタートライン (Starting Line)" is clean, displaying Lecca's talents for voice adjustments. "A~I!" is a festive song that may not appeal to all, done expertly regardless. The next two tracks show expertise in overall singing ability with healthy melodies.

"呼んでマイネーム (Say My Name)" is questionable, ripping off lyrics from a garbage American song and group called "Dunce's Child." Tsugumi's (Soulhead) rapping and Lecca's MC skills are doubtable in Track 7. The duo recover using rapid execution and Tsugumi's complimentary parts. "Otaku Girls no Utage" is energetic, a tad short at the end. The next few tracks show Lecca's singing ability with consistency.

"I Wish" sports robust vocals, rich for any mid-tempo song or ballad, utlizing Lecca's array of rapid lyrics. "Goddess of a Mountain" benefits from drum play, setting the mood and pacing. "Dreamland" ends the album, presenting a feel of Jamaica, convincing due to Lecca's crooning and accent. What seperates this album from most is the prescence Lecca commands from start to finish.

Overall, this album is a dark horse, more likely overlooked and underrated. While J-Reggae is not as popular to many, there is no reason not to try this album. More popular artists like Minmi do not compare, as Lecca is a class of her own in terms of versatility for this genre.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended Track(s) - "Outsider," "Otaku Girls no Utage," "Goddess of a Mountain," "I Wish"

Credits to GhostShell@Z-Degrees.net

About Visual Kei

2009-01-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Visual Kei (or Visual style) is one of the many sub-cultures in the Japanese music scene and is just as rich in history as the rest of Japanese culture. What started as a movement by one band has since evolved into the main stream stage act it is today, and has branched off into many sub cultures and sub-sects of Kei, including the Gothic Lolita look.

It's started from the band called X-japan.May be they are the founding father of visual kei. Basicly the genre of this kind of music is hardcore rock, metal,j-rock. Influenced by American rock star, Kiss with thier extream performance.

In the nearly 10 years of X-Japan’s reign as one of the top bands in Japanese music, scores of other bands appeared. Following the trends set by their idols, these bands dressed in drag costumes and wore over-the-top hair and makeup styles. The music itself was a mix of heavy metal, melodic metal, and pop metal with the most emphasis on the outward visuals. When X-Japan cut their trademark hair and began going for a more masculine visual look in the 1990’s many fans openly wept, and many bands followed that trend as well. What had started as a movement by one band, had expanded and encompassed an entire generation of musicians, and what had started as bright colored hair and makeup had split into several different visual styles, including brighter more fashion conscious styles and almost frighteningly dark and usually blood drenched theatrical styles.
The visual style of music evolved greatly in the 90’s, from big hair and garish makeup to almost stylish hair, though still strangely colored; and more tame, though still feminine makeup. Many bands were created in this decade, and many more still broke apart. It was during this decade that Japan’s music scene first became noticed in America, and many Japanese artists began laying plans to come overseas and gain even more popularity. Though much of the Japanese music scene has only achieved a cult following in America, a few bands are beginning to find more mains stream success.

Today’s Visual scene in Japan is much different then it was back in the early 80’s when X first exploded onto it. The differences between many of the styles of visual music have become even more pronounced, with Oshare Kei and the Gothic Lolita subcultures being in the forefront of the movement. Visual bands today dress in suits and ties, blurring the line between Oshare and Visual Kei, with many bands keeping the overly androgynous look to a bare minimum. Though there are bands, such as Phantasmagoria, that continue the traditions of their visual forefathers and clothe themselves in leather and androgyny, these bands are rare, and most are mixed, somewhat, with the darker Eroguro (Erotic-Grotesque) genre. A band’s visuals change with each single they release, going from tame, almost masculine styles, to almost traditional kimono depending on the mood of the band, it’s stylist, and it’s kei genre.

Types of Kei (Style)

Visual Kei Androgyny. Early Visual Kei was characterized by intensely feminine fashions, including big brightly colored hair, and extreme makeup styles. Men wearing women’s dresses and skirts were not an uncommon practice, and usually nail polish and jewelry were added to complete the look. The trend of almost homosexual stage interaction, called fan service became a trend as well, and this became an almost expected and anticipated practice among the many visual bands, and many still fan service today.

Visual Kei’s Evolution. Visual Kei artists of today wear suits and ties, or other stylish men’s fashion. Makeup is still worn, though more to accentuate already present features then to create new ones, and nails are still painted. Today’s visual band is still seen as somewhat feminine, even with the addition of more masculine clothing.
Oshare Kei Oshare is a sub-set of Visual that began appearing in 2001. Oshare means “fashionable”, and that’s exactly what those who are considered among this set are. Oshare is bright and colorful, and uses more “street fashion” then typical Visual Kei, and its music is usually pop-punk with themes of love and other happy things. The line between Visual and Oshare is constantly being blurred, as more and more Visual bands loose the outrageous feminine clothing in favor of more masculine attire.

Gothic Lolita Subculture Gothic Lolita (or GothLolly, pronounced Gosurori in Japan) is a culture marked by Victorian era children’s dresses either in soft, pastel colors or dark gothic colors. People of all ages and both sexes seem to be drawn to this subculture, made popular by Japanese guitar idol, Mana, who later founded his own clothing line that caters specifically to the culture. The magazine The Gothic & Lolita Bible has become a very popular resource both in and outside of Japan to keep the public up to date on the current fashions of the trend. Containing interviews with Gothic Lolita icons, pictures of the fashion worn by models, and store ads, The Gothic & Lolita Bible has become a staple of the sub culture.

Treatment of the Artists

Performers Treated as Idols Showered with Gifts. It isn’t uncommon at concerts in Japan (and Japanese concerts outside Japan) to find gift boxes placed for the artists prominently inside the venue’s door. These boxes are for items that the fans bring, usually for their favorite performers. Items such as jewelry, clothing, and an artist’s favorite collectables are common gifts, but sometimes stranger more expensive items are purchased. Several artists have confessed to never having to buy clothing or underwear, that their fans keep them well supplied with such things. Many Japanese performers are very forward about their likes and dislikes, and it isn’t uncommon to find such things as ring size, shoe size, and waist size listed in their profiles right beside their height, weight, and birthday.

Fans annoyance when bands evolve. Perhaps due to the amount of time, energy and money that the average Japanese (and non Japanese) fan puts into their favorite band, there is a certain amount of anger and discord when a band evolves, or changes. Such simple thing as a change in haircut or hair color can cause an uproar among fans, and this uproar can reach a deafening cacophony when a band has member changes or music style changes. Most fans treat their favorite bands almost as an obsession, and it isn t unusual for fans to have their favorite member’s profiles memorized. When a change in a band occurs, the fans will treat it as a major change in their family, and there can be many tearful moments involved when this happens.

Appearance as drawing point For many Visual Kei fans it’s a band’s appearance that draws them in. Once past that, most fans are able to find a happy medium between a band’s appearance and their sound. For some fans, it never gets that far, and they remained fixated on appearance. For many Visual bands, especially those who straddle the line between Visual and Oshare, this can spell disaster when they drastically change looks, and many bands have lost much of their fan base with such changes. The popular Japanese band Dir en Grey is one such. Dir en Grey or Diru to their fan base, started as a Visual band in the late 90’s and gained popularity throughout Japan. In the last five years their popularity has exploded world wide, and they participated in their first American tour in the summer of 2006. Just after that tour, they announced that they were no longer a visual band, and their musical style changed dramatically, becoming more Western in sound. The fans revolted, many of them lamenting the end of an era. Diru lost many fans to that change, and though they gained many more with their subsequent headlining tour, many of their old fans miss the old days of heavy makeup and lighter, more melodic music.

What happens when good artists die? Hide Matsumoto. Starting his career as the guitarist of X, hide (his name is never capitalized, and pronounced hee-day) was a brilliant musician. His career with X was only the beginning; as he went on to have quite a successful solo career, even performing with the American band Zilch as vocalist and guitarist. On May 2, 1998 hide was found dead in his apartment, of apparent suicide. His friends, former band mates, and family were shocked. Over 50,000 fans mobbed the streets of Japan the day of his funeral, there were countless injuries and several attempted suicides in the days following his death. The surviving members of X urged his fans not to follow him, to send him off warmly. During his wake and funeral fans could be heard in the streets screaming like banshees, and the crushing mobs were too much for many of the young fans, who had to be carried away to get medical treatment. His death caused his music to sky rocket on the charts, and suddenly his songs could be heard even in America. His fan base here mourned just as his fans in Japan did, though for many the news didn’t arrive until days after his death. Hide has gained many fans post-mortem, and many of those who are just finding his music are surprised to learn that it was created almost 10 years ago. The things he wrote about were timeless, as were his melodies, and seem to fans as if they were written just yesterday.

The effect of hide’s death on the music scene. Many artists were inspired by hide’s death, and several bands dissolved and formed in the wake of his tragedy. The ripples of his death were felt all over Japan, and the members of X-Japan were probably the most effected. Yoshiki, creator of X-Japan and one of hide’s closest friends openly mourned his friend’s death, and even today he is known to write on his web-site of his emotions concerning hide. Much of Yoshiki’s current work is inspired by hide’s death, and a reuniting of members of X-Japan, namely Yoshiki and vocalist Toshi, is being discussed, much to the fans rejoicing. Several new bands popped up in the months following his death, many listing hide among their inspiration, some band members even naming themselves after him.

Musical Languages

Japanese The Japanese language is differs vastly from the English language, especially sentence structure. The English sentence structure commonly uses Subject/Verb/Object, while the Japanese structure is more flexible. The only particular about Japanese sentence order is that the verb be at the end of the sentence. The Japanese language is more flexible with descriptions, as one Kanji (the letters of the Japanese alphabet), has both a sound, or many sounds, and a meaning of its own. Lyricists commonly use this duplicity to their advantage when writing and many lyricists will write a word with kanji meaning one thing, and sing another pronunciation of the same kanji meaning something completely different.

Use of other Languages for Emphasis in Lyrics The Visual Artists of Japan commonly use other languages such as English, German, and Russian in their lyrics to add emphasis to their songs, though not always well. It is common for the English in Japanese songs to be grammatically wrong, as Japan doesn’t have the same method of making words plural or the same sentence structure. Lyrics such as: “I will walk together, the future not promised It keeps walking together, to future in which you are” are the usual mistakes made, though hardly noticeable when sang due to the Japanese accent on certain letters. The use of guttural languages such as German are commonly used to emphasize anger or annoyance, and the French language is used quite often for song titles.
English speakers understanding of the lyrics Inspires fans to learn the language. Many fans use the Japanese music they listen to as an impetus to learn the language and increase their understanding of the lyrics. More and more Japanese music and anime fans are using the language in their everyday speech. Words such as “Kawaii” and “Sugoi”, cute and awesome respectively, are finding their way into the English language as more and more fans discover the media exports of Japan. This trend works both ways, as several of our words are used by the Japanese, some with such frequency that they are abbreviated for ease of speech.

Fans learn to sing along in Japanese. For many fans the fact that their favorite music is in Japanese isn’t a deterrent. They just learn to sing along in Japanese, learning every nuance of the language through the music with a speed and accuracy to be proud of. Kaoru, guitarist of the popular Dir en grey said in one interview, “It’s very amusing that fans in America will sing along with our songs, even though the lyrics are in Japanese, Japanese is a very difficult language.”

Sound of the music

Differences in the writing style The lyrics are more poetic. The Japanese language allows for greater poetics with fewer words, and nearly untranslatable puns. Emphasis isn’t on the rhyming scheme of the song verse but on the meaning behind the words themselves. Many Japanese music verses don’t even stick to the conventional verse/chorus/verse layout of most American songs. While Japanese songs almost always have a definable chorus, it isn’t uncommon to find them at the end of a song, or as part of each verse. The song titles aren’t conventional either; titles aren’t commonly pulled from a line in the song, but encompass the feeling or meaning of the entire song as a whole.

Concept Bands. Some bands choose to create music based on a concept to which all their music will relate. Once such band is 12012, a band formed in 2003. Their concept is “The Madness inside a human”. All of their albums and singles are written as chapters in a book which is based off an insane young man. The music follows him through his early childhood, through his insanity, and then out again, as he beings to regain himself. The story takes a twist as the band introduces a new character, Six, into the plot. The plot will continue soon, with their newest release, eagerly awaited by fans.

Individual bands not bound by genre It isn’t uncommon for music from one band to range through all the genres, from pop to punk, rock to pseudo-rap. The Visual style is a magnet for all types of bands, and though it’s only recently achieved mainstream overseas success, with bands such as Dir en grey and the Gazette, it’s sound continues to grow and expand. It isn’t uncommon to hear screams and growls on one track ascend into beautiful, almost operatic lyrics on the next. Driving guitars accompanied by electronic piano tracks are another mainstay of the visual style, and it isn’t uncommon for driving drum rhythms to accompany acoustic guitar riffs. Not being bound to any specific genre allows bands to experiment and find a sound all their own.
Solo projects more common Another thing common to Japan are solo projects. Many artists at some point in their career want to experiment in ways that their band does not. When this happens it’s common in Japan for the artist to create his own sound, with his own look. This may take the form of a few songs on a single, or many songs on a full length album. The solo career might last one release, or several, depending on the success of the solo music, and the drive of the artist. Sometimes these solo careers do lead to the artist leaving his band mates and continuing on his own, but more often then not, the solo career acts as a separate creative outlet that the solo artist has more control over.

Conclusion

Visual Kei’s Continued Rise in Popularity Dir en Grey.
The most popular Japanese act in America is the Visual-turned-Heavy Metal band Dir en Grey. With a spot on 2006’s Family Values Tour, and a headlining spot on their own tour in early 2007, they continue to gain popularity. Since leaving their Visual roots behind them, they have lost many Japanese fans, but gained American (and other international) fans that know very little of their visual past, and the band seems to like it that way. Dir en grey is currently touring Europe, before coming back to America to open for the Def Tones this summer. They have begun paving a road that will make it possible for other acts to achieve mainstream popularity in the states.

The J-Rock Revolution.

The brain child of Yoshiki, former X-Japan drummer, J-Rock Revolution is a two night showcase of Japanese Visual Kei. With some of the most popular acts in Japan heading the bill, this two night festival promises to be a major stepping stone in getting other act overseas for the American fans to see. Although the two night show is being held in Los Angeles only, the fans hope to see it elsewhere either this summer, or perhaps next year.
Growth and expansion of Visual Kei As Visual Kei becomes more popular outside of Japan there is sure to be more and more influence from American music evident in the music styles of Japan. Such growth is to be expected, and has already been shown in such acts as Dir en grey, who’s style has evolved to sound close to American heavy metal, but with their own unique twist. Other bands are sure to begin traveling the road paved by acts such as X-Japan and Diru, as everyday seems to see them closer and closer to playing to major audiences in America.

adopted from jrockvisual.com

Thelma Aoyama feat Soulja and Soulja feat Thelma Aoyama

2009-01-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

I dont know who's the first time but there is two version of this song, first is Thelma Aoyama feat Soulja with Sobani iru ne (by your side) , and the second one is Soulja feat Thelma Aoyama with kokoni iru yo. Both of them are great, i think that was the most romantic japanese song i've ever heard after Utada hikaru with first love.I recommended for listen to this song for a couple that far apart, hmm...., so touching.

Thelma Aoyama feat Soulja, Sobani iru ne

Lyric : Soulja, Thelma Aoyama
Music : Soulja

Anata no koto watashi wa ima demo omoi tsudsukete iruyo
ikura toki nagarete yukouto I’m by your side baby itsudemo
So donna ni hanarete iyouto
kokoro no naka de wa itsudemo issho ni irukedo sabishiin dayo
So baby please tada hurry back home

Baby boy atashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteru yo
You know dat I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteru yo

[Soulja]
nna koto yori omae no hou wa genki ka? chanto meshikutteru ka?
chikushyou, yappa ie neeya
mata kondo okuru yo ore kara no letter

[Aoyama Thelma]
sugisatta toki wa modo senai keredo chikaku ni ite kureta kimi ga koishii no
dakedo anata to no kyori ga tooku naru hodo ni isogashi kumisete ita
atashi nige tetano
dakedo me wo tojiru toki nemurou to suru toki nike kire na iyo anata no koto
omoi dashite wa hitori nai tetano

Anata no koto watashi wa ima demo omoi tsudsukete iruyo
ikura toki　nagarete yukouto I’m by your side baby itsudemo
So donna ni hanarete iyouto
kokoro no naka de wa itsudemo isshoni irukedo sabishiin dayo
So baby please tada hurry back home

Baby boy atashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteru yo
You know dat I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteru yo

[Soulja]
bukiyouna ore tooku ni iru kimi
tsutae tai kimochi sonomama iezuni kimi wa icchimatta
ima ja noko sareta kimi wa ALBUM no naka

[Aoyama Thelma]
ALBUM no naka osame ta omoide no
hibi yori nani genai hito toki ga ima ja koishiino
And now anata kara no denwa machi tsudsukete ita
keitai nigirishime nagara nemuri ni tsuita
doko mo ikanai yo koko ni iru kedo
mitsume aitai anata no sono hitomi
nee wakaru desho? atashi matteru yo

Baby boy atashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteru yo
You know dat I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteru yo

[Soulja]
Ore wa doko mo ikanai yo koko ni iru keredo
sagashi tsudsukeru anata no kao
Your egao ima demo fure soudatte omoi nagara
te wo nobase ba kimi wa

Anata no koto watashi wa ima demo omoi tsudsukete iruyo
ikura toki nagarete yukouto I’m by your side baby itsudemo
So donna ni hanarete iyouto
kokoro no naka de wa itsudemo issho ni irukedo sabishiin dayo
So baby please tada hurry back home

Anata no koto watashi wa ima demo omoi tsudsukete iruyo
ikura toki nagarete yukouto I’m by your side baby itsudemo
So donna ni hanarete iyouto
kokoro no naka de wa itsudemo issho ni irukedo sabishiin dayo
So baby please tada hurry back home

Credit : www.jay-han.com

Translation....

Till now I still remember about you
No matter how much time flows
I'm by your side baby all the time
So no matter how far apart we are
We are together in my heart but it still lonely
So baby just hurry back home

Baby boy
I am always here
I'm waiting here,not going anywhere
You know dat I love you thats why
You don't have to worry about me
No matter how far you go
This heart won't change
You know what I wanna say,right?
I'm waiting for you

[SoulJa]
"More importantly are you healthy?"
"Do you eat well?"
Damn it,I can't say it right
Next time I'll deliver another letter

The time that has passed won't come back
But I want to love you by near you,loving you
But to further myself away from you
I ran away by making myself busy
But when I close my eyes,when I sleep
I can't ran away from you
Remembering about you
I cried alone

Till now I still remember about you
No matter how much time flows
I'm by your side baby all the time
So no matter how far apart we are
We are together in my heart but it still lonely
So baby just hurry back home

Baby boy
I am always here
I'm waiting here,not going anywhere
You know dat I love you thats why
You don't have to worry about me
No matter how far you go
This heart won't change
You know what I wanna say,right?
I'm waiting for you

[SoulJa]
My feelings for you that are so far away
Feelings that I wanted to tell you remained untold
I said it
Now whats left is you inside the ALBUM

The album rose up those forgotten memories
during the days that can't ran away
Now I missing it
And now I continue to wait phone calls from you
I held my cellphone tight till I fell asleep
I won't go anywhere,I'm always here
I want to look at you in the eyes
You understand right?
I'm still waiting

Baby boy
I am always here
I'm waiting here,not going anywhere
You know dat I love you thats why
You don't have to worry about me
No matter how far you go
This heart won't change
You know what I wanna say,right?
I'm waiting for you

[SoulJa]
I won't go anywhere,I'm always here
Continue looking for your face
Everytime I remembered your smile
My hand reaches for you

Till now I still remember about you
No matter how much time flows
I'm by your side baby all the time
So no matter how far apart we are
We are together in my heart but it still lonely
So baby just hurry back home

Till now I still remember about you
No matter how much time flows
I'm by your side baby all the time
So no matter how far apart we are
We are together in my heart but it still lonely
So baby just hurry back home

Translation : aydashyera@multiply

And here is the version of Soulja feat Thelma Aouyama

Soulja feat Thelma Aoyama

Baby boy watashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteruyo
You know that I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteruyo

bukiyouna ore tooku ni iru kimi
tsutaetai kimochi sono mama iezu ni kimi wa icchimatta
ima ja nokosareta kimi wa ARUBAMU no naka
denba deshika aenai hibi takedo mienaize kimi no hohoemi
kimi no nukumori kami no kaori kono nodo no kawaki wa sono mama mitasarezu ni
sugiteku hibi no naka nandaka kimi no omokage hitasura sagashita
kimi to yoku aruita ano michi wa ima ore dake no ashioto ga hibiiteita
nna koto yori omae no hou wa genki ka? chanto meshikutteruka?
chikushou、yappa ieneeya
mata kondo okuruyo ore kara no Letter

Baby boy watashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteruyo
You know that I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteruyo

kawa no sunahama de mita kimi no sugata nami ni no mareta kimi ni iitai kotoba
nandaka MAJI setsunee otoko na noni nande…kotoba dekitekoneeya
oboetemasu ka? kimi to itta KARAOKE no naka
ore ga ireta kyoku no kotoba MONITAA ni ukanda mama
honto wa kimi ni tsutaetakatta
kimi to futari kiri de hajimete machiawase wo shita ano hi
marude guuzen ni atta ka no youni wa shigi
hohoemu kimi ga wasurerarenaitte
hanashi kanari sore chimatta ga wakaruyo na? ore ga iitai kotoba
Shit nokori kaku bashou ga nee ya
gomen tsugi wa zettai ni okuru kara

Baby boy watashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteruyo
You know that I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteruyo

ore ga motto kanemochi dattara motto matomona shigoto wo shitetara
moshimo subete gisei ni dekita no nara ore wa zettai ni kimi wo…
daga Please kanchigai dake wa sunna kimi ni sabishii omoi wa sasetakunee ga
isogashii naka anma hanasenee ga
baby believe kore wa all for our future
But shoujiki imasugu kimi to aitai imasugu dakishimeteyaritai
mukashi kimi ga ore no tonari de suwatteta seki ni wa mou daremo inaitte…
maa sonna koto wa iinda iitai koto wa sonnananjaneenda
imasara daga zutto iitakatta kotoba wo kome okuru Unsent letter

Baby girl watashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteruyo
You know that I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro
iitai koto wakaru desho?
anata no koto matteruyo

Baby boy watashi wa koko ni iruyo doko mo ikazu ni matteruyo
You know that I love you dakara koso shinpai shinakute iin dayo
donna ni tooku ni itemo kawaranaiyo kono kokoro ima nara sunao ni ieruyo
I don't ever wanna let you go

Translation...

Baby boy, I’ll be right here I’ll be here waiting for you
You know that I love you, so there’s no need for you to worry
No matter how far apart we are, this heart won’t change
You know what I’m trying to say, right?
I’ll be waiting for you

I’m a bit clumsy, and you are far away
While I struggled to tell you how I feel, you were already gone
Now, what remains of you is inside my albums
These days, radio waves are the only way we can meet
But I can’t see your smiles,

Your warmth, the smell of your hair—I can't quench this longing for you
in the days that pass, I desperately searched for traces of you
The road I used to walk with you just echoes with my footsteps now
But more importantly, how are you? Are you taking care of yourself?
Damn it, the words just won’t come out
I’ll send it next time, a letter from me

Baby boy, I’ll be right here I’ll be here waiting for you
You know that I love you, so there’s no need for you to worry
No matter how far apart we are, this heart won’t change
You know what I’m trying to say, right?
I’ll be waiting for you

The way you looked at the beach in Kamakura, how the waves swallowed the words I wanted to tell you
This is really difficult, even though I’m a man--- the words just won’t come out
Do you still remember? When we went to karaoke together
I wanted to say to you those words in the song I sang, just as they appeared on the monitor
I still can’t forget your smile
From the first day we spent, just the two of us – you were cheerful as if we had met coincidentally
I’ve gone on quite a tangent, but you understand, right? What I’m trying to say?
Shit, there’s no more space to write
I’m sorry, I’ll definitely send this next one

Baby boy, I’ll be right here I’ll be here waiting for you
You know that I love you, so there’s no need for you to worry
No matter how far apart we are, this heart won’t change
You know what I’m trying to say, right?
I’ll be waiting for you

If I had more money, or if I had a more serious job
If I could give everything else up, I would definitely, for you…
But please, don’t ever misunderstand, I hate to make you lonely, but…
While I’m busy, we can’t talk much, but baby believe, this is all for our future
But in reality, I want to see you right now, I want to hold you in my arms
The place you used to sit, next to me, is empty now, there’s no one…
Well, that’s not important, that’s not what I’m trying to say
This is coming so late, but I’ll fill it with the words I wanted to say and send you my unsent letter

Baby girl, I’ll be right here I’ll be here waiting for you
You know that I love you, so there’s no need for you to worry
No matter how far apart we are, this heart won’t change
You know what I’m trying to say, right?
I’ll be waiting for you

Baby boy, I’ll be right here I’ll be here waiting for you
You know that I love you, so there’s no need for you to worry
No matter how far apart we are, this heart won’t change
Now I can say it to you straight
I don’t ever wanna let you go

Credit:www.jpopasia.com

Profile of SOULJA

Source: Wiki.theppn

Since his childhood, SoulJa has been influenced by music. As a child, he learned how to play the violin, the cello, and the piano. Due to his family's occupation, SoulJa lived in Belgium, Japan, and USA. While living in the USA, SoulJa participated into freestyle rap contest at local clubs in Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and California.

In 2005, Soulja got his first break in the music scene with the song, First Contact. The sog was used as the CM theme song for Men's Beauteen. In November 2005, First Contact was released as a limited press single. Only 1,200 copies were released to the public. The single sold out, however, in January 2006, an second press of First Contact was released. The second press version included one new track, aother page.
In February 2007, SoulJa made his major single debuted with the single, DOGG POUND. However, it wasn't until his collaboration with then unknown R&B singer, Aoyama Thelma. The duo released the collaborative single, Koko ni Iru yo. The single became a long-charting hit, selling over 100,000 copies. The answer-song to Koko ni Iru yo, released as Aoyama's second single. Soba ni Iru ne reached #1 on Oricon charts, selling over 300,000 copies.

Profile of Thelma Aoyama

Trinidad-Tobago and a quarter Japanese.
Fall 2007, debut!!

At the age of 3, she had so much interest in Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" music video that she watched it until the videotape wore out.
She went to Osaka International School until the 6th grade. At age 10, her eyes were opened to the excitement of singing and she started training in Gospel music.
Age 12, she and her family moved to LA.
In the winter of 2002, she transfered to Tokyo. While going to Choufu American High School, she intensified her voice training.
Recently, while attending college, she has been collaborating on tracks with many artists including Douji-T, DS455, and SPHERE of INFLUENCE and getting a great response from critics.
Armed with cute looks and delicate, powerful, emotionally rich vocals over which she has superb control, she's definitely an R & B singer to watch out for!

[translated by hirukenzan from http://www.thelma.jp/ profile section]

L'arc~en~ciel

2009-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

Vocal : Hyde
Bass : Tetsu
Guitar: Ken
Drum : Yukihiro

ex drummer: Sakura (gone 1997)
Pero (gone 1992)
ex guitarist : Hiro (gone 1992)

Genre : J-rock
Official Site
L'arc ~en~ciel site
official my space
Tetsu
Hyde
Ken

L'arc`en`ciel, or their fan call them "Laruku" is one of the most popular j-rock star in my country, Indonesia. That because maybe they are the first j-rock band that known here.

PROFILE

L'Arc~en~Ciel started out as a visual kei band in Osaka more than fifteen years ago. Over the years the band has, in addition to assuming a more mainstream image, created songs with a wide range of sounds, from catchy pop-rock numbers to heart wrenching ballads, becoming one of Japan's top rock acts. Not only has L'Arc~en~Ciel's popularity held strong in Japan, but they've also captivated listeners and audiences around the globe, a true example of music being a universal language.

Author : Lacy (2008-03-04)

BIOGRAPHY

L'Arc~en~Ciel began in February of 1991 with tetsu, bassist and band leader, Hide (now known as hyde), vocalist, hiro, guitarist, and pero, drummer. The name L'Arc~en~Ciel, translated literally as "an arc in the sky", was chosen by tetsu after a movie he'd seen.

In 1992, ken, a childhood friend of tetsu's, who'd abandoned attending university to join the band, replaced hiro on guitar. December of the same year saw pero's exit from the band. tetsu invited Sakura to join the band after seeing him play, despite not knowing him very well. After agreeing to come see L'Arc~en~Ciel play first, Sakura joined the band in 1993. Their first album, Dune, was also released in 1993, making it to number one on the Oricon Indie charts and gaining the attention of major labels.

In 1994, L'Arc~en~Ciel signed with Sony's Ki/oon division and released their second album, Tierra. Their first major single, Blurry Eyes, was chosen to be the opening of Masakazu Katsura's anime "DNA²". Heavenly was released in 1995, and 1996 saw the release of the band's first million copy seller, True.

Early in 1997, at a high point in the band's success, Sakura was arrested for heroin possession. He officially left the band on October 4th. When Sakura's arrest was made public, L'Arc~en~Ciel's CDs were removed from shelves and songs like The Fourth Avenue Café, which had been used as a theme for the anime "Rurouni Kenshin", were quickly replaced. Despite this low point in the band's history and the release of The Fourth Avenue Café being postponed, True stayed on the charts for two years.

A few months of uncertainty regarding the band's ability to recover from the blow caused by Sakura's drug scandal followed. In addition to covering songs by Marilyn Manson and Nirvana, L'Arc~en~Ciel poked fun at their own songs when they created The Zombies, a self-cover band.

Their official return was marked by the Reincarnation '97 Live at the Tokyo Dome. With 56,000 people in attendance, the first show sold out in a still-standing record four minutes. This was also the first time that yukihiro (ex-Die in Cries, ex-Zi:Kill) performed as the band's new drummer, though Niji, their first single released following Sakura's departure, listed him only as a support member. Not long after the release, yukihiro was signed as an official member of the band.

Their next album, HEART, came in 1998 and in 1999, ark and ray were released at the same time, also becoming the first Japanese albums to be released simultaneously in both Japan as well as in other Asian countries. Each album sold over two million copies and topped the Oricon charts at number one and number two.

In 2000, REAL, which would be their last original album before a break for solo works, was released. Their last song, Spirit dreams inside, was used as the closing theme to the "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" movie.

During the band's lengthy hiatus, hyde released two solo albums and starred in the movie "Moon Child" with Gackt, as well as playing the part of Adam in "Kagen no Tsuki". ken formed Sons of All Pussys with Sakura, while tetsu transformed into TETSU69 and yukihiro became a vocalist for acid android. Their break also saw the release of Clicked Singles Best 13, which included twelve favorite songs picked by fans, and Anemone, the band's only new song during this time span.

After L'Arc~en~Ciel's three year hiatus and much speculation over the band's possible disbandment, they surprised their fans with the announcement of a series of seven concerts called Shibuya Seven Days, after which came the release of their first new single. Topping the charts and being used as an opening for the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime, READY STEADY GO went on sale in February of 2004. Following another single release, L'Arc~en~Ciel's much anticipated SMILE album went on sale on March 31st.

Previously, while Sakura was still a member of the band, they'd done some work under the name D'Arc~en~Ciel. However, with the release of the band's next single came the introduction of P'UNK~EN~CIEL, in which the members switched positions and re-recorded a previously released L'Arc~en~Ciel song. They've continued in this manner for most of their subsequent singles.

On July 31, 2004, L'Arc~en~Ciel appeared as guests before a 12,000 person audience at Otakon, an anime convention in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the band's first performance in the USA. Noting the incredible response the band garnered from the fans, Tofu Records, Sony Music Japan's U.S. label, signed the band in May of 2005 and released a DVD of their North American debut live.

Following the release of several singles and a new album, AWAKE, in 2005, the band went on a tour of Japan before embarking on the ASIA LIVE 2005 tour, which took the band to Seoul, Korea and Shanghai, China, before returning them to Tokyo for two final shows.

After closing out their tour, the band members' attentions were once again focused on solo activities. tetsu recorded several singles and an album with Creature Creature and released a single of his own, while yukihiro rejoined acid android, releasing a new single and joining MUCC for two performances in Shanghai. hyde composed Glamorous Sky, sung by Mika Nakashima, for the manga-based movie "NANA". He also released two singles and another album, FAITH, which took him on an extended tour of Japan and to California in the United States. Later in the band's break, ken released a solo single, Speed.

On November 25th and 26th, 2006, L'Arc~en~Ciel played two shows to celebrate their 15th anniversary. Titled L'Anniversary, the shows took place at the Tokyo Dome with the set lists being at least partially determined by fans via an online poll.

Since the celebration of their successful first fifteen years together, L'Arc~en~Ciel has released Seventh Heaven, their first single since 2005, in May of 2007. This was followed by three more singles before the release of KISS, their first original album in over two years.

In December of 2007, the band embarked on their THEATER OF KISS tour, taking them to venues across Japan until February of 2008. Their first single of the year, DRINK IT DOWN, was released just prior to the start of L'Arc~en~Ciel's TOUR 2008 L'7~Trans ASIA via PARIS~, which took the band to China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan in addition to Paris, the band's very first performance in Europe.

Amidst announcements of the releases of new live DVDs, another single and a photo book, the band stated they will be taking a break from performing live until their 20th anniversary in 2011. This is likely to give each member, tetsu having recently married and hyde being a family man as well, time for solo work and to spend with their loved ones.

hyde is already busy again with VAMPS, a new project with guitarist K.A.Z, while ken is said to be producing MUCC's upcoming single.

Having already proved their staying power, L'Arc~en~Ciel is a band that is sure to continue making waves in the Japanese rock scene for a long time to come. Carrying messages of love, peace, and a world where people can live as one without fighting, L'Arc~en~Ciel's music transcends musical boundaries and language barriers to make a mark and leave a positive impression on listeners all over the globe. Fans have but to wait and see what's next for this legendary group of artists.

taken from this source

YUI

2009-01-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

First of all, of course my favourite Japanese singer ever, YUI- sama. Oke here it is..

YUI's Profile

YUI is a Japanese J-Pop artist, born March 26, 1987 in Fukuoka, Japan. She sings and plays acoustic guitar, and writes her own songs. She is still relatively unknown outside of Japan, but her song "LIFE", from her single by the same name, was the 5th ending theme for Bleach, a popular Japanese anime series, which has brought her some international fame.

Her first full album, From Me To You, was released February 22, 2006, to great acclaim. Among it's 13 tracks, 9 of them were brand new, and these have been well recieved from her fans.

YUI began writing poems already in ninth grade. At an age of 16, by recommendation of a friend, she began studying singing, songwriting, and guitar at a private music school in her native Fukuoka. Aspiring to become professional, she carried her guitar around and sang at local places such as the seashore of Shingu and in the middle of the rice fields of Kaminofu.

In March 2003, at an audition hosted by Sony Music Japan, all judges evaluated her with the highest score, which caused a fierce scramble among labels. At this audition, she sang three songs - her first song "Why Me", which was later coupled with her debut single, as well as "It's happy line" and "I know", which was included on her indie single - as opposed to the audition rule that a participant could only sing two songs. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she strummed her guitar and sang. The judges and the others present claimed that "the performance created a tremendous aura from her heavenly voice, and captured the hearts of the whole audience".

Upon leaving her native Fukuoka for Tokyo, YUI wrote the song "Feel my soul". She was planning release on an indie label as a tribute to her hometown, when the song caught the ears of Fuji TV producer, Mr. Yamaguchi, who happened to see the demo video clip. He claimed YUI's voice haunted him so much that he went out of his way to visit the recording studio himself. He even made his channel's prime-time drama an extraordinary tie-in with YUI's debut track.

Although she is not the most comfortable when it comes to talking to people, she enjoys communicating with her audience at street performances in the Tenjin district of Fukuoka.

YUI Discography

[Indie Single]
===============
It's Happy Line

Release Date : 24 Desember 2004
Label : RAINBOW ENTERTAINMENT
Track List:
1. It's happy line
2. I know

[Single]
===============
Feel My Soul

Release Date : 23 Febuary 2005
Serial Number : SRCL-5880

Tracklist:
1. feel my soul
2. Free Bird
3. Why me
4. feel my soul -Instrumental-

Tomorrow's way

Released Date : 22 Juni 2005
Serial Number :SRCL-5929

Tracklist
1. Tomorrow's way
2. Last Train
3. feel my soul ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. Tomorrow's way ~Instrumental~

Life

Release Date : 9 November 2005
Serial Number : SRCL-6067

Tracklist
1. LIFE
2. crossroad
3. Tomorrow's way ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. LIFE ~Instrumental~

Tokyo

Release Date : 18 Januari 2006
Serial Number : SRCL-6222
Tracklist:
1. TOKYO
2. HELP
3. LIFE ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. TOKYO ~Instrumental~

Good-bye Days

Release Date : 14 Juni 2006
Serial Number : SRCL-6278

Tracklist
1. Good-bye days
2. Skyline
3. It’s happy line
4. Good-bye days ~Instrumental~

I Remember You

Release Date : 20 September 2006
Serial Number : SRCL-6421~SRCL-6422 (Limited ed.) SRCL-6423 (Regular ed.)

Track List
1. I remember you
2. Cloudy
3. Good-bye days ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. I remember you ~Instrumental~

Rolling Star

Release Date : 17 Januari 2007
Serial Number : SRCL-6468

Tracklist
1. Rolling star
2. Winter Hot Music
3. I remember you ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. Rolling star ~Instrumental~

CHE.R.R.Y

Release Date : 7 Maret 2007
Serial Number : SRCL-6511~SRCL-6512 (Limited ed.) SRCL-6513 (Regular ed.)

Tracklist
1. CHE.R.RY
2. Driving today
3. Rolling star ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. CHE.R.RY ~Instrumental~

DVD Tracklist
1. CHE.R.RY ~LISMO! Version~ (PV)

My Generation/Understand

Release Date : 13 Juni 2007
Serial Number : SRCL-6565

Tracklist
1. My Generation
2. Understand
3. CHE.R.RY ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. My Generation ~Instrumental~

Love and Truth

Release Date : 26 September 2007
Serial Number : SRCL-6633~6634 (Limited ed.) SRCL-6635 (Regular ed.)

Tracklist
1. LOVE & TRUTH
2. Jam
3. My Generation ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. LOVE & TRUTH ~Instrumental~

DVD Tracklist
1. LOVE & TRUTH (Closed Note Ver)

Namidairo

Release Date : 27 Februari 2008
Serial Number : SRCL-6636~6637 (First Pressing) SRCL-6638 (Regular Edition)

Tracklist
1. Namidairo (Tear-coloured)
2. I wanna be...
3. LOVE & TRUTH ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. Namidairo ~Instrumental~

DVD Tracklist
1. Namidairo (PV)
2. Umbrella (Live)

Summer Song
Release Date : 2 Juli 2008
Serial Number : SRCL 6817~18 (First Pressing) SRCL 6819 (Regular Edition)

CD Tracklist
1. SUMMER SONG
2. Oh My God
3. Laugh away -YUI Acoustic Version-
4. SUMMER SONG -Instrumental-

DVD Tracklist:
1. SUMMER SONG VIDEO CLIP
2. Laugh away ~YUI Acoustic Version~ VIDEO CLIP

[Album]
===============
From Me to You
Release Date : 22 Februari 2006
Serial Number : SRCL-6237

Tracklist
1. Merry・Go・Round
2. feel my soul
3. Ready to love
4. Swing of lie
5. LIFE
6. Blue wind
7. I can't say
8. Simply white
9. Just my way
10. Tomorrow's way
11. I know
12. TOKYO
13. Spiral & Escape

Can't Buy My Love
Release Date : 4 April 2007
Serial Number : SRCL-6520~SRCL-6521 (Limited ed.) SRCL-6522 (Regular ed.)

CD Tracklist
1. How crazy
2. Rolling star
3. It's all right
4. I remember you
5. RUIDO (Noise)
6. CHE.R.RY
7. Thank you My teens
8. Umbrella
9. Highway chance
10. Happy Birthday to you you
11. Winding road
12. Good-bye days
13. Why?

DVD Tracklist
1. feel my soul (PV)
2. Tomorrow's way (PV)
3. LIFE (PV)
4. TOKYO (PV)

I Loved Yesterday
Release Date : 9 April 2008
Serial Number : SRCL-6766~7 (Limited ed.) SRCL-6768 (Regular ed.)

CD Tracklist
1. Laugh away
2. My Generation
3. Find me
4. No way
5. Namidairo
6. Daydreamer
7. Love is all
8. I will love you
9. We will go
10. OH YEAH
11. My friend
12. LOVE & TRUTH
13. Am I wrong?

DVD Tracklist
1. Good-bye days (PV)
2. I remember you (PV)
3. Rolling star (PV)
4. CHE.R.RY (PV)
5. LIVE at BUDOKAN
- OPENING
- It's happy line
- LIFE
- LOVE & TRUTH
- RUIDO
- JAM
- TOKYO

My Short Stories

Release Date : 11 November 2008
Serial Number : SRCL-6899 (Limited ed.) SRCL-SRCL-6901 (Regular ed.)

CD Tracklist
1. I'll be
2. HELP
3. Last Train
4. Winter Hot Music
5. Jam
6. Skyline
7. Free Bird
8. I wanna be...
9. Oh My God
10. Cloudy
11. Driving Today
12. Understand
13. Crossroad
14. It's happy line
15. Why me

DVD Tracklist
1. I'll be [PV]
2. Understand [PV]
3. Jam [PV]
4. YUI 3rd Tour“oui”~I LOVED YESTERDAY~
- No way
- Daydreamer
- Street live at Sapporo
- Namidairo
- Am I wrong?
- Street live at Sendai
- Love is all
- Tomorrow's way
- Street live at Hiroshima
- Good-bye days

[DVD]
===============
Thank You My Teens
Released Date : 14 November 2007

Tracklist
1. OPENING
2. Rolling star
3. CHE.R.RY
4. TOUR DOCUMENT 1
5. Happy Birthday to you you
6. RUIDO (Noise)
7. LIFE
8. Highway chance
9. TOUR DOCUMENT 2
10. Good-bye days
11. TOKYO
12. TOUR DOCUMENT 3
13. Thank you My teens

[MOVIES]
===============
Taiyou no Uta (2006)
2006, as Kaoru Amane
~The Synopsis~
A girl who can only live at night and a high school student who loves to surf as the sun rises...

The two had nothing in common...

Kaoru Amane, 16 years old, did not attend school but instead sang herself away every night after dark at a square in front of a train station with a guitar in her hands. She led a lifestyle opposite the norm, sleeping during the day and active at night.

Kaoru was suffering from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), an illness, which also might be described as the allergy to the sun, and was not allowed to be exposed to sunlight. The only motivation in her life was singing, which also was the only connection to the outside world.

One day, an incident drastically changes her life...

Cast
Yui - Kaoru Amane
Takashi Tsukamoto - Koji Fujishiro
Kuniko Asagi - Yuki Amane
Eri Fuse
Gaku Hamada
Goro Kishitani - Ken Amane
Takashi Kobayashi
Magy
Sogen Tanaka - Haruo Kato
Airi Toyama - Misaki Matsumae