What is modern popular music in Japan?
The concept of modern Japanese pop music in a broader sense also refers to Japanese rock music, which is why many Japanese rock musicians rank some of their work as J-Pop. But basically, still this concept is used only in relation to Japanese pop music. J-Pop along with anime, etc. etc. became one of the cult elements of modern Japanese culture. Actually, one of the main reasons for popularizing this trend in the West was the use of J-Pop in anime and other Japanese screen products.
What is modern popular music in Japan?
Japanese rock music
J-Rock (Japanese rock) is a generic name for rock music styles that are common in Japan. Often confused with Visual kei, which is not true since Visual kei is a subgenre of J-Rock. It is often used to denote all directions of rock of Japan as a whole, but sometimes the designations J-metal, J-punk and J-ska are also popular for Japanese groups of these directions.
What is modern popular music in Japan?
History
A significant rise in Japanese rock began in the wake of the popularity of the metal band X-Japan, it appeared in the mid-1980s, when the entire music industry in Japan experienced a significant rise. In their music, X-Japan uses not only traditional rock instruments, but also others (for example, violin, piano). Hard rock also had a great influence on the BUCK-TICK team, which, along with X Japan, began to use makeup, and the first to show the now popular fan service in the clip.
What is modern popular music in Japan?
Influence and Origins
Such a great influence on the genre was made by such musical trends as jazz, alternative rock and metal. So very often in the works of Japanese rock groups you can hear moments or entire songs written in the direction of blues or jazz, regardless of the direction of the group. For example, Mad Tea Party (from the album “Yami no Kuni no Alice – Hamon” by metal group D), Kinebi (single by Aicle) and throughout the whole work – THE GOLDEN SPIDER, Sugar, D = OUT, Asakusa Jinta, Glacier. From alternative rock, J-Rock inherited experiments with sound and strong mixes of various directions, especially noticeable in groups such as the GazettE, DIR EN GRAY, Maximum the Hormone, etc. Usually groups experiment with sound, recording each new release in new directions or interfering in several directions in one song. It is also worth highlighting the influence on Japanese rock of such difficult directions as metal and hardcore, as a result of which most groups use more heavily tuned guitars than is usual for other national rock scenes. So the Japanese pop-rock group An Cafe has a scream in the songs and often heavier music than Western pop-rock groups. Basically, metal has spread among Western-oriented groups, such as X-Japan, Metal Safari and Galneryus, and among the visual kei – Kote kei. Hardcore and its derivatives are most popular among modern “youth groups” and Nagoya Kei groups.
What is modern popular music in Japan?
Division: Indis (English indie), Major (English major)
Of great importance for Japanese music in general, is the division into indices and majors:
Indis (English indie) – groups recorded on indie (independent) labels, or on their own. Unlike the majors of performers, they are more likely to attract listeners by appearance or music. Most bands start exactly like indie bands. Soon after gaining fame, many groups switch to major labels, often partially or completely moving away from the visual image.
Major (English major) – groups that have a contract with major record labels. These are mainly groups or individual performers who have already gained great fame and recognition, such as Miyavi or X-Japan. It is considered a great honor for a performer to get a Major’s status in Japan, but often with Indis fans, receiving such a status is perceived as a commercialization of the group. Most often, this view is common among fans of heavy groups.
The visual style has approximately 15-20 categories that differ not only externally, but also musically; in addition, it should be noted that some groups may be signs of 2 or more styles.
Visual key
A derived genre of Japanese rock and glam metal that appeared in the mid-80s thanks to the groups X Japan, Seikima II, etc. One of the main principles of the direction is a great emphasis on the appearance of the performers, which is based on the androgynous ideal of beauty. Another feature of the genre is the diversity of the groups. So most groups add elements of many different directions to their music and do not adhere to a clear single genre in music. Most of the bands play rock music, but it also has a developed stage of electronic (Adapter, Blam Honey) and pop music.
