Le rock japonais féminin (essentiellement)

Très belle surprise au rayon pop, déjà sympathique à écouter en version studio, les jeunes CHILLI BEANS sont aussi excellente en live !
Première vidéo que je vois d'elles en condition live et franchement je suis impressionné, ça sonne super bien et en plus elles n'abusent pas trop des backtracks (contrairement à d'autres...). Le plaisir sur scène des membres du groupes fait plaisir à voir.

Sympa ! et leur premier album sort demain...

Salut,

Que des belles découvertes, surtout Chilli Beans, gros coup de cœur !
Les mélodies de la basse donnent envie de se mettre à la basse, elles sont trop trop bien !


Je vous fais découvrir ce que j'ai croisé dans les recommandations YouTube : Unwave. C'est un duo féminin ou un groupe plus ou moins mixte je ne sais pas. C'est un duo selon le site officiel mais on peut voir dans les clips d'autres musiciens (peut-être des musiciens de session je suppose).

Je mets ma préféré mais si vous aimez les musiques chills (celle que je mets ci-dessous n'est pas vraiment chill ) avec des pistes de guitares sympas, allez voir leur chaîne, ça vaut le détour !

Hé, pas mal du tout Chilli Beans! Etrangement, la voix de la chanteuse me rappelle fortement celle de Suzuka, la fantasque chanteuse lead d'ATARASHII GAKKO!
C'est chouette, y'a toute une (encore plus ) jeune génération qui se presse au portillon, dans tous les genres .

Je vous préviens toute de suite, la journée va être chargée en nouveauté !!

Je commence en douceur avec le tout nouveau KANEYORI MASARU, une ballade pop/rock à la sauce Brit-Pop. C'est un peu mou au début, mais je vous conseille d'aller au bout quand même. Il y a même un solo de guitare très OASIS à 2:21.

2ème vidéo du jour, le nouveau clip de BRAY ME ! Je suis raide dingue de ce groupe depuis que je l'ai découvert il y a quelques semaines. Avec ce nouveau titre, cette histoire d'amour va durer encore longtemps !
C'est vraiment un titre sympa, une ballade pop/rock pas forcément très originale mais c'est super efficace, toujours avec ces sonorités inspirées (à mon avis) du groupe américain Goo Goo Dolls que j'adore.

Les BRAY ME voient les portes du succès s'entrouvrir devant elles après des années de galère (je dois être responsable de 50% des écoutes du groupe sur Spotify ! )... si seulement elles pouvaient participer à une BO de série ou de film pour continuer à booster leur audience !
Je ne sais pas où le clip a été tourné mais la salle de répétition ou studio est vraiment grandiose !

Erreur de traduction auto, la 3ème vidéo que je voulais poster ne sort pas aujourd'hui... faut dire que le japonais c'est vraiment compliqué comme langage !


En attendant, HAZUKI (NEMOPHILA), notre "bibliothécaire des enfers" préférée, bosse aussi pour Ibanez et nous offre une démo de la mort pour une RG de la gamme J.Custom

"Bibliothécaire des enfers" (tu as oublié "fluffy" ) - j'adore ses personnalités multiples, entre la hardeuse blonde péroxydée de Disqualia, la métalleuse sexy de Nemophila et donc la bibliothécaire sage de Li-sa-X band, c'est à se demander combien elles sont dans sa tête .
Et moi qui ne suis pas très Ibanez, je dois reconnaître que celle-ci est splendide (au passage, elle nous montre qu'elle peut aussi jouer de "simple" six-cordes ).

Bray Me commence à me séduire, ce live en studio est prenant.

On n'a pas parlé des POLKADOT STINGRAY depuis un moment, un titre live sympa publié hier :

J'ai hésité mais bon pourquoi pas: une petite sucrerie chill-électro-pop pour le soir, au moment de l'apéro...



A+

... j'en connais une qui veut être devant dans les bacs à disques .

Blague à part, j'aime beaucoup! Et la vidéo est excellente aussi. Je vais m'écouter l'album ce soir.

A un jour près, elles égalaient Band-Maid . Superbe performance néanmoins, et qui prouve bien qu'Hitsuji Bungaku fait partie des groupes "tendance" ... et oh que c'est mérité, sans tambours ni trompettes, sans artifice, sans promotion acharnée, à la force tranquille du talent.

Beaucoup trop discrète depuis le concert du début du mois de janvier, les NEMOPHILA reviennent avec une reprise de LOUDNESS ! On remarque que Hazuki a gardé la Ibanez RG J.Custom dont elle faisait la démo il y a quelques jours. Saki nous sort une Killer à la forme bien pointue, il faut dire que c'est la marque de guitare créée par Akira Takasaki, le guitariste de Loudness !!

C'est fou le nombre de topic sur des vieux dinosaures (humour... je précise) qui sont remontés en moins de 24h, c'est rare de chercher le topic japonais si bas dans la page !


Un jeune groupe prometteur dans un style pop/rock gentil : PEANUT BUTTERS



TETORA tourne un clip dans un magazin TOWER RECORDS qui ferme à Osaka, le marché du disque "physique" est en plein bouleversement pour qu'une aussi grosse franchise que TOWER RECORDS soit obligée de fermer après 26 ans dans une ville aussi grosse que Osaka !?

C'est effectivement un peu interpellant, d'autant que j'ai l'impression (fausse peut-être?) que le marché du media "physique" est toujours très bien portant au Japon. Ne serait-ce pas la concurrence de la vente en ligne plutôt qu'une baisse des ventes de supports matériels? Ou autre chose qui nous échappe.

Une chouette interview de Murata Tamu (je l'ai peut-être déjà dit, mais si vous considérez que le "u" final ne se prononce pas, il est évident que son surnom a été soigneusement choisi pour évoquer un roulement de toms - son vrai nom est Murata Ay) dans Drums Magazine Japan - la traduction n'est pas toujours évidente mais si vous êtes habitué aux erreurs des traducteurs en ligne, ça devient assez compréhensible, et très intéressant: https://drumsmagazine.jp/playe(...)hila/





Une bonne traduction (par James Thomas sur Facebook):

Murata: I think my character and the way I think about drumming is a perfect match with the intense sound.
I think that's why it's a good essence of the band NEMOPHILA.
NEMOPHILA, a girls' heavy metal band formed in 2019, has released their first album "REVIVE". The band's first album, "REVIVE," was released in 2021. The band's powerful sound, produced by five members with solid performance skills, drew a lot of attention, and their one-man show at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA was immediately sold out. We asked Murata Tamu, who plays a dynamic drumming role in this high-profile band, to talk about the creation of their music and their awareness of live performance.
What do you pay attention to?
Murata: I'm careful not to do anything that's hard to understand.
NEMOPHILA started out as a heavy metal band in 2019. The reason why you formed the band was an invitation from vocalist Mayu to join a session band. I heard that you were not acquainted with each other at the time. ......
Murata: I wanted to start a band at that time, and I was also looking for members. I was looking for members, but I couldn't find anyone who could help me with a good balance. That's when I was approached, so I decided to give it a try. I went to the studio feeling like I was going on a sightseeing trip. I was excited to see what kind of scenery I would see. My impression of playing with the band members for the first time was, "It's fun to play together with other people. ...... I don't remember much about what we played together in the studio (laughs).
What was it that made you decide to start a full-fledged band with these members?
Murata: SAKI (g). At first, SAKI was supposed to join the band as a producer, but when I heard that she was going to join as a member, I said, "Then I'll do it! (laughs). Then there was the personality of each member. This was a big reason. I think this is a prerequisite for us to work together as a team.
Personality is certainly important. Now, your first album "REVIVE" is your band's business card. What was your mindset as a drummer when you started working on it?
Murata: Once we had decided on the song lineup, I thought about how much of what I wanted to do I could do in each song, and the overall balance. I was also conscious of the fact that I didn't want the atmosphere to be disjointed when viewed as a single piece.
I heard that Kensuke Akiyama was in charge of the main composition. How did you proceed with the drum arrangement and recording?
Murata: At the stage when the pre-production sound source came in, all of the songs were recorded with drums. Mr. Akiyama always says, "I'll leave it to you, Tamu-chan! So I listen to the pre-production sound source, get a general idea of the mood, and then organize it in my head, thinking, "Let's do this here, or let's add this here. I am careful not to do anything that is difficult to understand. Drumming that is easy to understand and persuasive is much cooler, so I keep that in mind. On the day of recording, I always start off by playing what I've finished. After listening to it, Mr. Akiyama will tell me what he wants me to do more of, or "Too much!"
The title track, M1 "REVIVE," is a song with Mayu's death voice and the members' aggressive playing. Murata's drumming, which involves double bass phrases, toms, and a lot of hand movements as if she is expressing with the whole body, also has a strong impact.
Murata: Thank you very much, I put all my energy into it in the recording, as if I was playing live. So I'm glad to hear that it has a strong impact on you. This song is a simple song, but the section at the end of the first chorus has a complicated order, and the fills are very packed, so I made sure not to go overboard with just momentum. Mr. Akiyama told me that it was a must to include a crash in the progression of the chorus.
M2 "DISSENSION Remaster" is a song rich in slow and rapid dynamics. The cymbals and metallic double bass phrases have a strong presence, and the snare sound is tight and quite powerful. Murata: This song is pretty wicked, and it almost kills my legs (laughs), but let's leave it at that. The snare drumming is the heart of the rhythm in this song, so I recorded it with my body's center of gravity low in my mind so that it would never waver. I wanted the chorus to be dramatic, so I deliberately played the A and B melodies as if I were a machine, and then became a human being in the chorus.
M3 "Hozuki" is a sharp song with rich development, and the unique rhythm pattern that accompanies the song's beat is also impressive. Did you decide on the phrasing of the drums at the demo stage?
Murata: It's a song where you can't let your guard down because the development changes really rapidly. The fills are all original, but the beat for the rhythm part didn't have a melody score in the pre-production stage, so I think Mayu-chan was inspired by the phrases I played and sang the lyrics. So that's what happened.
Is there any particular point that you tried to make this song more exciting with the drums?
Murata: The second " De De De De De De " in the intro is emphasized by the bass drum with three strikes in front of it. I often do that in other songs as well.
M4 "HYPNOSIS" has a heavy tone, but I think your drum solo and delicate cymbal work are good hooks in the song.
Murata: Thank you very much! I was conscious of the cymbal work, so I'm glad you noticed it. I'm glad you noticed it, because I was conscious of the cymbal work, especially in the A melody, which has a quiet atmosphere, so I concentrated on making it sound beautiful. As for the solo, I tried to keep the flow of the song uninterrupted as a part of the song, so that it would have a sense of unity with the music background. I watch not only the sound of the members but also the way their bodies move.
In M5 "GAME OVER", a ballad song, I was impressed by your melodious use of toms that seemed to accompany the song.
Murata: I designed the drums with the idea of accompanying the song. I think the pre-production included a combination of hand and foot fills, but I didn't dare to use them, instead using toms and snare fills with dynamics. It's an image of a past memory passing by.
You also wrote the lyrics for this song. Did the lyrics also influence your drumming?
Murata Yes, they did. I know how the story of the lyrics came to be, and that's why I can express it in my performance and make it more emotive.
Is there anything you try to do when you make a drum approach for a ballad song?
Murata: I think about the volume of the metal parts. Also, I research ways to increase the sound pressure without making it too loud. In this section, I'm more conscious than usual in ballad-type songs of what percentage of the body's limbs are at what volume.
In M7 "SORAI Remastered," the drumming around the six-part rhythm gives the impression of bringing a sense of dynamism to the song. The song ends with you keeping your explosive play. How did you think about the development of the rhythm's character?
Murata: I imagined them beating in a good mood while making a wicked expression. The drum phrase in the last chorus is my favorite. The guitar is also very cool. The bass guitar is also very cool and strong. The singing voice is also great!?In the outro, I play the drums as if they are gradually going crazy and "breaking down".
M8 "Rollin' Rollin'" is a song that would be a lot of fun at a live show. What do you pay attention to when you play it with the members?
Murata: Personally, this song has a lot of delicious parts, so I try to feel the space between the notes. There is a lot of guitar cuts, bass slaps, and rhythmic elements, so I watch not only the sound of the band members on stage, but also the way their bodies move. It's hard to sing without a sense of unity between the four members of the ...... instrument. I also make eye contact, of course.
In M9 "Change the world", I thought the open roll at the beginning and the sixteenth note phrase that runs parallel to the guitar riffs were some of the many ways to show off the snare. Is there anything you are conscious of when playing with a lot of snare?
Murata: I'm conscious of the volume of the sound. I like to play with nuance, as if I'm singing.
M11 "OIRAN REVIVE Ver." is one of the hardest songs on the album, and the bass drum sounds even more powerful than on the other tracks. Did you have to be creative in how you played the drums? Murata: I lean forward a little bit and put my weight on the drum. What was the most difficult song to record and arrange for this album? Murata: "HYPNOSIS". The tempo, the world view, and the groove were all quite difficult. The intro, B melody, and chorus grooves were especially difficult. I tried to express the rhythm with my whole body as I played, and was careful to keep the beat steady. This song originally didn't have a drum solo, but it had a percussion loop, and I thought to myself, "If I had a solo like this, it would fit the song," so I tried to play it (laughs). (laughs) Then, at first, I was rejected. (laughs) But when I tried to play it, it was rejected at first, and I was told, "It might work in a live performance, but in the recording, you should play it as it was originally intended. I guess you have to give it a try.
I heard that you have recently purchased a new drum kit. Please tell us the name of the kit series, the reason why you chose it, and what you like about it.
Murata: TAMA's Starclassic Walnut/Birch Drum Kits SAF. !!!!!!?The shell is a combination of walnut and birch, and it's really good. It has a deep, rich sound with an accomplished, determined feel and a clear attack, so it doesn't lose its presence even in a band sound full of heavy bass like NEMOPHILA. The other thing I like about it is the hardware. To put it simply, each lug is almost floating (laughs)! So when you hit it, it sounds great without interfering with the sound of the shell, which is nice to hear. It's also very comfortable to play. Now that I have the rack system installed, it has a much stronger presence, and I love how strong it looks! It's a reassuring companion!
Now, I'd like to ask you about your live performances. Going back a bit, what kind of inspiration did your experience as the opening act for NEMOPHILA's debut show, "METAL WEEKEND 2019" give you?
Murata: The show made me realize how cool METAL is. At the same time, when I saw the drummers of foreign bands up close, I realized that even if I tried to copy the drumming of such big men with full shots, I would never be able to match them in every way. It was a great time for me to think about how I needed to play in this band.
In January of this year, you held a live show for an audience at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA. How was the response to the show?
Murata: I can't speak for others, but I could feel the enthusiasm from everyone who came, and more than anything I was happy that so many people came. We still have a lot of work to do, but for our first solo show with a full band, I think it was not a bad start.
Is there anything that you kept in mind for the live performance?
Murata: I went into this show thinking a lot about what it meant for me to be the drummer for NEMOPHILA. I decided, "I won't do drumming that can be done by other people. So, I think it was different from the drumming of Muratatam in the past. I was also conscious of my performance. I like to swing my arms up high and hit the snare.
During the show, which parts of the other members do you mainly listen to, and how do you balance them?
Murata: I try to listen to everyone's sound. But I especially listen to the bass. I sometimes practice with Haraguchi-san, the bass player, just the two of us.
What songs do you find "fun" or "difficult" to play in your live performances?
Murata: In terms of fun songs, I would say RAITEI, Rollin' Rollin', SORAI, REVIVE, and OIRAN.
Do you play drums with a sense of addition or subtraction in the band sound? Murata: It may depend on the song, but I am conscious of subtraction, but I do add in parts. "I'll play this one measure by addition!" Or something like that. So I'm aware of both. But I also listen to the rhythm of the members' playing and singing, and try not to interfere with it. Since we are a band, I want to make sure that each member plays a role and has a strong presence.
What do you think is the role of drums in NEMOPHILA?
Murata: It's a role to raise the motivation and tension of the members and to inspire them to fight.
I see. Compared to your past band activities and session work, is there anything that you think is "unique to NEMOPHILA"?
Murata: I want to be cool in NEMOPHILA, so I'm conscious of that. Also, in terms of sound, the tuning is low pitch. Rather than playing detailed phrases and nuances, I tend to play fill-ins that make the combination of hands and feet sound crisp.
I think the reason why the band has a cohesive sound is because of your intense yet stable drumming.
Murata: Thank you very much. I believe that the best way to achieve balance is to be healthy. This may instantly sound super fake when I say this, but I think that when you are healthy both physically and mentally, this leads to good practice, good motivation, and good performance! It's true. Now that I have a zero-year-old and a one-year-old, I have much less time to practice and play the drums than before, but I've been told by many people that my power and groove have gotten better. I think this is because I have gained a new perspective that things other than practice can also lead to better drumming.
That's a wonderful story. As a drummer named Muratatam, what do you think you can make use of in NEMOPHILA, and what do you want to express in the future? Murata I don't know if I'm making the most of it, but I think my character and the way I think about drumming is a perfect match with the intense sound, but I think that's what makes NEMOPHILA new and a good essence of the band. I would like to continue to upgrade myself without wavering from the axis of MURATATAM. I want to keep my originality in mind.
?Profile
Muratatam was born in 1992. She started playing the drums when she was in high school, and studied under Katsuhiko Noguchi, Mur Rumi, and Mur Christian. After giving birth twice, she is currently active in the girl's heavy metal band NEMOPHILA, which she formed in 2019.

Ca vaut la peine d'être mentionné quand un media européen se donne la peine de faire un petit sujet sur un groupe japonais! En l'occurence, il s'agit d'Arte avec leur émission Tracks - sans surprise, c'est une des seules sur laquelle on espérer voir des choses sortant de l'ordinaire.

Ici en l'occurence il s'agit de BRIDEAR, interviewées lors de leur passage à la Boule noire à l'automne (même tournée où je les ai vues). Reportage qui serait quasi parfait sans le premier mot - on se serait attendu à ce qu'une équipe aussi pointue (?) que celle de Tracks évite de les qualifier d'"idols" . C'est à ce genre de bévue qu'on réalise que tout est encore à faire dans les mentalités ici, c'est assez désespérant.

Mais le reportage en lui-même, quoique court (5 minutes), est chouette et parfois hilarant: Haru se frottant pour la première fois de sa vie à un disque vinyle m'a fait mourir de rire (et le disque est probablement décédé aussi ).

Ca commence à 24:55 https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/(...)T9-DI