JAPANESE VISUAL KEI

JAPANESE VISUAL KEI

Visual kei (ヴィジュアル系 bijuaru kei, lit. "visual style" or "visual system") is a movement among Japanese musicians,that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its sound usually related to glam rock, punk rock and heavy metal. However other sources state that visual kei is only a fashion, with its unique clothing, make-up and participation in the related subculture being what exemplifies the use of the term.

Some sources state that Visual Kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of J-rock (a term referring to Japanese rock in general), with its own particular sound, related to glam-rock, punk and metal. However most insider sources state that Visual Kei’s unique clothing and make-up fashions, and participation in the related sub-culture, is equally as important as the sound of the music itself in the use of the term as while similarities can be drawn between some bands; most are from widely different genres including but not limited to Pop, heavy metal, power metal, classical, rap and electronic.

In the mid 1990's, Visual Kei's popularity began to increase and with that came new bands emerging. By the late 1990's, however, many mainstream Visual Kei bands have either broken up or opted for less dramatic attire. The early 2000's saw a new wave of Visual Kei bands, partly due to the increasing popularity of modern heavy music subgenres such as metalcore, hardcore punk, and alternative metal, as well as a renewed interest in the movement. Many bands in the new wave of Visual Kei perform a wide variety of music, from pop punk to death metal and even genres outside of rock such as synthpop and techno.

Recently, Oshare Kei has emerged,  Oshare Kei is a style of Visual Kei characterized by colorful attire, anime-inspired hairstyles, and a more mainstream approach; the style being a response to the dominance of heavy metal styles in the movement. Oshare Kei bands usually perform lighter, catchier music such as pop punk, dance pop, and alternative rock.

In recent years, Visual Kei has seen a sizable number of disbandments, partly due to the increasing popularity of mainstream Japanese and Korean pop acts. Despite this, Visual Kei is still a popular style of music and fashion, with many bands in the underground heavy metal and rock scenes embracing the style. Oshare Kei remains widely popular in the mainstrem scene and has seen a recent saturation of bands. Currently, Visual Kei has acquired a large international following among rock and heavy metal fans, with a handful of non-Japanese bands drawing inspiration from the movement.

While Visual Kei isn't bound to a specific music genre, the whole movement is generally associated with several styles of music, including, but not limited to, rock, pop, electronic music, neoclassical, industrial and heavy metal. More often, VK bands will draw influence from a number of disparate musical subgenres in order to create a distinct, experimental sound. Many VK bands revolve around a concept that guides their musical and visual approaches, a notable example being Versailles; with a neoclassical metal sound in line with their rococo-inspired visual style. It is rather common for long-running VK bands such as X Japan and Dir en grey to undergo numerous stylistic changes in terms of their sound, with the former example venturing into progressive metal and the latter eventually leaning into technical death metal.

The archetypal Visual kei sound, however, is more or less rooted in hard rock and heavy metal, featuring loud, distorted guitars, vigorous vocals, emphatic drumming, and melodic hooks. Guitarists would often employ melodic power riffs and palm muting, and solos are fairly common. VK singers often have moderate to high vocal ranges, with vocal lines sung clearly. A few bands, especially those in the Oshare kei and nu metal subgenres, employ distorted or auto-tuned vocals. Screamed vocals are very common in the genre and can range from faint, breathy vocals to inhuman shrieking. It is fairly common for drummers to employ fast rhythms using double bass pedals or, as with many bands, two bass drums. Metal-influenced bands such as X Japan play pounding beats and rapid bass drumming similar to thrash or power metal bands. Even more uncommon, but not unheard of, are blast beats.

source : http://visualkei.wikia.com/wiki/Visual_Kei