/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>13104709
I'm a /mu/tant and I agree. They were also very close into turning this band into a meme and I'm glad they didn't

>>13104752
I was honestly so fucking terrified. It sounds pathetic but they're my absolute favorite band and I would not be able to handle the hordes of idiots just clamoring all over it. Take Death Grips for example. That fanbase is fucking horrid and a great example of how one can actually detract from a band.

Thank god /mu/ is so close minded.

>>13104774
Death Grips is musically shit though, it was a match made in heaven: /mu/, a bunch of retarded teenager tryhards that are unable to find music on their own and Death Grips, just a bunch of boring annoying shit sounds with a black man.

Netlabels are aplenty in Japan. If you browse /jp/ more often you'd see "NEET rock" everywhere.
One band I particularly like that's similar to Shinsei Kamattechan is HASAMI group, which I found through the Dousoukai net label a few years ago.

>>13104752
I haven't browsed that shithole in years. They finally discovered Shinsei Kamattechan?

>>13104836
>They finally discovered Shinsei Kamattechan?
It was actually a couple of years ago I think, around the time 8月32日へ came out. つまんね was being posted almost everyday.

What term should I use when searching for netlabels? Also, what about that one Kamattechan fan who always posted his stuff in the OC threads.

>>13104825
I think a couple of their songs are genuinely good, but god is that board one of the worst cesspools of discussion on the English speaking web.

>>13104836
They did for a bit last year, and I got scared it'll become "mucore". They've passed it though, thank fuck

>>13104774
Yeah i felt the exact same way

this doesn't answer your question, but on the topic of good things being spread to idiots
who here saw the "intro to japanese netlabels" article on pitchfork lol

>>13104894
I don't really go out of my way to find music, but somehow I stumbled on the dousoukai website, went through its releases to see if there were any bands I liked, and looked up those bands to see if they had any more stuff.
You can usually find other labels through links in label and artist websites. Often artists don't put all their stuff on one netlabel, so this is a good method. The dousoukai website in particular links to a handful of other netlabels. A lot of netlabels also post stuff on the internet archive. Keep in mind that 90% of everything is shit.
Shilling HASAMI group more: If you actually like what you hear, the album on dousoukai is a compilation album, and they have ~16 other albums on their website for free. Of these my favorites are #14 (Shika) and #11 (flower).

>>13104907
Not me and I don't want to look. Just seeing the response after Anthony Fantano gave favorable reviews to Kyary and Capsule made me sick.

I don't like to be one of those "muh secret club" people but I just can't stand how childish they are concerning anything to do with Japan until some critic lauds it and it becomes unique and must listen to.

>>13104836
>They finally discovered Shinsei Kamattechan?
/mu/ was into SK before most of /jp/, tsumanne used to be posted in Japanese music and share threads all the time. This was probably 3 years ago. The oldest posts about the band and links to album downloads are from 2012, and checking /jp/'s archive the earliest discussion/downloads were for their single for the anime series Denpa Onna a few months after.

Not to mention Noko's /jp/ thread that was actually deleted because the janitor didn't know who he was. Seems like /mu/ actually won this round.

>>13104968
>Not to mention Noko's /jp/ thread that was actually deleted because the janitor didn't know who he was
I still haven't been able to get over the heartache of missing that thread. Noko's responded to me on twitter a handful of times, and even retweeted my music, but fuck man.

>>13104968
Spoilered for blog.
To be honest I don't browse /jp/ that often either. I'm an /a/utist.
Let me be one of those one-upping faggots now and say that I've loved Shinsei Kamattechan since they put out Rock n' roll wa nariyamanai. I would not have been able to live through high school without them doing their thing along the way as well. I'm glad that they're having the success that they deserve now.

>>13105028
I discovered them two years ago but they've completely consumed my life. Noko is my idol, role model and my drive to continue living.

>>13105028
>>13105046
Ok, but you guys got to understand that they're a popular band. It's not a secret club group or anything even in Japan so don't get too rubbed that they're popular outside of a niche otaku audience.

>>13105028
>>13105046
神聖かまってちゃん is a great band, but tangentially related.. what's with the huge percentage of fags on /a/?

>>13105063
Oh I completely understand that. And I'm fine with them having mainstream success. I want Noko to be happy. It's just I know popularity in America would draw idiots who are into the band just because they're seen to the general public as fringe, or "weird" pop music. Or "that band with the crazy singer who cuts himself". The kind of people who'd get into them as fashion, as opposed to the music.

I relate to Noko and his lyrics, and his beautiful twisted music so much. I just don't want to see it become some shock novelty.

>>13105063
You're right. I'm not one of the anons who were bitching about them being popular though.

>>13105086
Their initial success relied on shock though. He cut himself and had mock arguments with the other band members on stage.

>>13105097
>Their initial success relied on shock though.
Right. I should word myself better. I don't mind them being popular. I try to get everyone I talk to into them, in fact.

But it's the kind of person; the average Death Grips fan, to bring up a previous example, that I fear. That kind of immature idiot just into them for their image.

I hope I've been a bit clearer.

>Their initial success relied on shock though. He cut himself and had mock arguments with the other band members on stage
What advice is there for someone who makes mutilated piano pop similar to Kamattechan in America? Do what Noko did early on in his career? Should I livestream?

I'm going to start playing shows soon. And even if nobody likes my music I'm absolutely sure it's going to stand out and people will talk about it.

>>13105591
Are you the anon who writes vocaloid songs and posted once on /a/?
4chan is probably the worst place to ask about success, and this anon in particular isn't. But I can say a little about what I, a gaijin who knows minimal Japanese, believe made them popular, at least with me.

-Of course there's the songs. Without them neither of us would be talking about this now.
Noko wrote and recorded a lot of songs and then released a lot of output very quickly. He put up a new PV every couple of months. (Aside: He was already ~21-22 when he started uploading to his channel, so I'm guessing that he started writing songs in middle/high school and saved them up.) Remember, they managed to put out _three_ albums in 2010, all of them solid, and then a _fourth_ album half a year after that. Although almost all the songs were previously released as demos on YouTube/NND/etc., the output rate made them seem very hardworking.

-Even though he's the frontman, every member has a public persona, which makes SKC feel like a real band, not a one-man thing. Before they got signed to a major label Noko didn't do magazine interviews, which helped add to their mystique/quirkyness.

-As already noted, they made their concerts spectacles to see. Singing, stripping naked, breaking shit, ranting, etc. with total confidence. The quality of their early shows are one of the things that hyped them.

-Streamed these shows and Q&As to keep a steady fanbase. High quality live PVs by a certain film director also helps give the band attention, since they're published frequently. Without the work done by his bandmates, the director, label people, etc. who wanted to support what he did, Noko wouldn't have been able to get as far as he has.

Keep in mind none of these things, even together, are enough for success. Noko was _lucky_ to release one song (Rock n' roll) that had virtually overnight success. However, persistant hard work and right decisions kept him from being a one-or-two-hit wonder.

>>13104968
>Noko's /jp/ thread
Archive link?

>>13106078
https://archive.moe/jp/thread/10648409/#10648409

There were less than 15 posts about the band on /jp/ when this happened

>>13106539
Oh and for some reason all the ghost posts with people having a shitfit about it being deleted are gone.

>>13105762
Yea, that's me. This response has really put it all in perspective, thank you. I remember reading how Noko started streaming due to the fact nobody was coming to their shows. I'd assume this was before the PVs and 2ch posts too. That's another thing, he used 2ch to really cultivate his fanbase with constant posting and tripping in a way one could never use 4chan. You saw my thread on /a/. Even if it went relatively well it was lucky to last that long, and I was lucky to not have been banned. There's really no board like the music generals on 2ch.
Also, yea. He started writing songs when he was like 14. Who knows how many hundreds he had written before he started releasing them.

I'm the same age Noko was when he started Shinsei, I really believe I can do this. I just need to keep writing, keep practicing, and slowly try to build a fanbase. Thanks for the motivation anon!

>>13106543
That's the warosu archive. >>/jp/thread/S10648409

Number Girl had a lot of songs about social alienation and disdain for society

On a sidenote SKC newest material doesn't really do it for me anymore. 躁鬱電池メンタル is a cool song though, I hope they return to that type of sound on the next album

>>13107642
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfkG6dFOkRE
This is going to be on their next EP. It sounds pretty similar to his older punk songs.

I personally love the more progressive, electronic pop route he's been going. 源氏蛍 and ハワイ are beautiful.

>>13107420
Wish you luck anon, I like listening to your songs. I've lost the time and ability to write songs, so I'm glad there are other people out there with similar tastes who haven't.

>>13107642
I agree. It seems like they've been confused about their direction ever since Aug 32. There were a few good songs on the album though, and it's good that they're experimenting with styles apart from three-chord songs.

>>13107725
Yeah I the recent songs on noko's channel, two of them could fit right on Minna shine and most recent one has a cool dream pop vibe reminiscent of Tsumanne.

>>13107725
Yeah I like the recent songs on noko's channel, two of them could fit right on Minna shine and most recent one has a cool dream pop vibe reminiscent of Tsumanne.

>>13107776
Those will be on the new EP as well. Here's a tracklist Noko gave in a livestream

緑の長靴
天文学的なその数から
犯罪者予備君
熱血インターネット
おはよう
お手紙
みっふぃーず
マイスリー全部夢

I'm very excited for マイスリー全部夢, that song is one of his best.

>>13107734
Thanks anon, I'll try to make us both proud.

>>13107725
>>13107942
I thought they broke up? What happened to that?

>>13108240
Noko just says things when he has breakdowns.

I really like the depressing yet ultra-poppy theme of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89hparQWqYQ

It reminds me of Kamattechan's melancholy yet slightly more electronic. (And vocaloid.)

Is there like a wiki site I can use to read up all about Noko's life?

>>13113701
There's a page on the Japanese wiki. But like everything on them, it's in Japanese.

I've read up on and translated a lot about his younger life if you have questions in specific.

He was bullied a lot in high school, to the point where he dropped out and became a NEET. I think this was around 2001, when he was 16. This is the same time he rented The Beatles' greatest hits album "1" from Tsutaya (this event is referenced in the lyrics to ロックンロールは鳴り止まないっ). It was upon hearing "All You Need is Love" that he really fell in love with music and became inspired to make his own. I assume that's what he spent the next six years doing; just writing music. (Which would explain why he's so skilled.) Eventually formed Vivaru Gevaru Shoten with Mono (who, like Chibagin he knew from school) which broke up and formed into Shinsei Kamattechan in 2007. Then came the onslaught of PV's, live streams and constant stream of music (which was all built up over years) that launched them into fame.

Other vital information is at some point in his life, Noko was in a psych hospital. (The song 聖マリア is titled after St. Marys Memorial Hospital in Chiba, Japan. A psychiatric hospital, this is probably where he stayed.) His institutionalization was likely caused by his mother's death. (The woman featured on つまんね's cover. It seems the whole album is dedicated to her and Noko's childhood.)
He stated he writes music as "revenge" against his bully. (Satou, who is the subject of 夕方のピアノ)
He was a NEET for awhile, but eventually got a job at a neighborhood convenience store. This is what used to save up for his expensive array of instruments. (In the demo for 晴天脱力 the opening sample is a recording of someone entering the store. The lyrics for 花ちゃんはリスかっ! also seem to show that he was picked on at his job for having cut marks on his arms.)

Feel free to ask anything else you want to know.

>>13114305
It's slightly off topic, but in the catalog of western music I can really only think of one song with a strong anti-bullying message and that is Michael Jackson's Beat It. I just started listening to J-pop and notice that no bullying is a pretty big theme. Is bullying really bad in Japan or am I just seeing a pattern that isn't there? I mostly listen to Phish, lol, so I could be way off base here.

>>13114383
I honestly would not know, though it seems like the Japanese are a lot more straightfoward about their feelings towards others when they aren't trying to be formal.

Just listened to them now. Absolute shit.

>>13117689
Could've sworn I put the tapes of your mother giving birth away.

>>13104774
What happened? Also this is my first time hearing about them, why are they considered NEET rock?

Kinda sound like that 22y olds's summer holiday band.

>>13118102
Holy shit I checked right now and it's actually them, uh

>>13118102
Nothing happened, it was just the worry of what could.

>>13118120
Haha yea, a lot of people have that same reaction.

You're probably already aware of them but I get a bit of that NEEtey (nostalgic melancholy) vibe from Kinoko Teikoku.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hehWmivkQpM

>>13118275
Yea, 夜鷹 is an amazing song. They're not a sugary poppy as Kamattechan though.

Does anyone know how they do this eerie vocal effect in 夜空の虫とどこまでも and bunch of other songs?

Sounds so good!

>>13104907
i did and shit made my blood boil. not only are they late, but this exposure means more retard /mu/ types who actually listen to things like pitchfork will start coming in.

>>13105028
spoilers, blogging, and crossboarding wow get the fuck out please.

>>13122675
I do and I'm not telling!

(It's a really expensive vocoder I'd love to have someday.)

>>13122822
i've seen people's music libraries, posted online and on filesharing programs, that just have a pile of p4kcore stuff with a few randomly picked shitty albums from netlabels mentioned in the article. hopefully those people will give up quickly.

https://clyp.it/1ax0qotk

Perfect music for dozing off too.

グロい花, ロックンロ, and 夕方のピアノ hit me so hard.

>>13123879
I love the early version of グロい花 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTuR_IBDtvI

>>13124689
God yes, that version is fucking amazing. I miss the lack of lush violins and the pitch-shift choirs but the whole thing has such a raw power, especially when the choruses kick in and he's screaming at the top of his lungs. It's such a genius song.

Also love this early song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7H-AS6R670

Have any of you heard the version of 算数の先生 off of Live History? It has easily the best outro Noko has ever written, it gives me fucking goosebumps.

>>13126330
This one? http://youtu.be/SWzL9mLRblA?t=32m50s

I watched that on stream but I haven't seen the DVD version.

>>13126400
Yes that's exactly it. The DVD is just better camera angles/much better audio and video quality.

But goddamn, I've heard the earlier versions where it just kind of tapers off, but the first time that outro hit my mouth was literally left agape. It was like I was listening to Tsumanne all over again.

>>13104825
ur a pleb my friend, death grips are amazing

Noko just tweeted me but I have no idea what he is saying: " ありがとー☆(´◦ω◦｀)こうゆーのぜんぶちぇきってます！☆"

>>13122880
dude pls...

Anyone got a d/l for their complete discography? Aside from their 6 albums and the stuff Noko released on iTunes podcast, I've gotten no luck finding links for the pre-2010 lo-fi stuff

>>13127541
I'm out right now but tomorrow I'll get you a link.

>>13127391
No that's it. He uses a $2,500 vocal modulation keyboard.

>>13127541
Most of his demos are available via the links on the music player of the singer's blog:
http://nekonekonekoneko.cocolog-nifty.com/

>>13128009
I've got a rar of a bunch of his stuff from before Shinsei I'll post tomorrow.

>>13127904
>>13128540
Thanks a ton anon

>>13127541
Here's some pre-SKC stuff

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/7otrnbcv0rzao/Vivaru

>>13128585
>>13128954
This was the link I was going to post, thanks. Is that you Lars?

>>13105121
Doesnt that make you the hipster though?