【LIVE】不条理なパレード【I.D.AndFlyLooM】

I don’t understand how over 1% of this video’s views come from me. I.D.And Fly Loom is one of my favorite idols groups. They don’t make generic idol music. Is that the problem or are they outsiders in idol circles? I just don’t get it. Or is it just that this kind of music appeals more to me than regular idol fans.

This is part of their professionally shot live videos from one of their shows. Production values are higher than live videos other idol groups release. Can’t understand why more people don’t watch their videos.

I.D.And Fly Loom released new EP late last year. It is as good as one I mentioned in one of the best albums of 2019 post. Hoping they release full length album this year.

NEMURIORCA - 君と融通する

Don’t Japanese have similar Christmas cool down as we westerners do? This is first end of the year I follow several Japanese people on Twitter. They seem to have Christmas but everything moves on like nothing special happened. One thing happening close to Christmas was Nemuriorca’s album release. After checking it on iTunes it won’t go to my best albums of 2019 but it could end up there with more listening.

I didn’t make this best thing at the moment post. It is too early for that, But there was something which made me want to share this here. I actually had another video I wanted to share but that has to wait. Nemuriorca has something interesting I can’t put my finger on. Something that needs more listening to reveal itself. Video and song feel quite basic idol group material but there is something there waiting to be discovered. It could be after few more listens it turns out Nemuriorca is like most generic idol groups but there is a change it is something better.

Best thing at the moment: BIS - Idol

I just can’t get enough of this video. When ever I need to be reminded idol groups can produce something great I can watch this video. I need that from time to time when I have seen too many videos like one on previous post. I have written earlier something about what big mess whole BIS is. But they can come up with really amazing song and videos.

The song is good but the video makes this amazing. Video is weird, dark and gritty. There is no dancing which is big part of idol group’s live performance. Haven’t read translated lyrics but I have understood this is anti-idol culture song. That explains the video. Good example who going all the way and not half assing makes amazing things. For someone into street photography or artistic photography the video has tons of interesting shots. It was hard to pick screen capture for thumb because the video is full of great shots. I put one example below.

星歴13夜 "愛し泡沫ト"

I have serious problems with this video. Youtube keeps pushing this video all the time. I like some idol group because I am music fan who likes weird music. There is plenty of that in Japan. Japan also has unhealthy obsession with young girls. Both overlap in idol groups. Usually is one dominant and other is almost non-existent.. All the bands and artists I have put best albums lists are concentrating on music. Usually ones concentrating on unhealthy obsession doesn’t make good music. And then there is this video.

I like the song but watching the video makes me feel like I am watching someone’s kink video without having obsession for the thing. I became sensitive to these things after reading long blog post of how living in Japan killed love for anime and manga. Post is in Finnish but if you want to check it is here. If you want to read about problems of idol culture you can check this Cracked post.

These videos with shy young girls dressing sexy make me want to stop following all idol groups. They just feel so wrong after knowing something about the culture they are made in. It is reminder some of the fans are not in it for the music. And it makes you thing if you want to be part of that fandom. Then I remember not everyone in business have this unhealthy obsession and they want their groups to stay away from that part of idol culture. For example Necronomidol kicked one of their member out of the group earlier this year when she posted too sexy pictures on her social media. She was told not to do it before doing it.

About that video’s group. This song is only song of theirs I found interesting. The song is one rare exception when group concentrating on unhealthy obsession can make good music.

My Favorite Albums of 2018: Idol edition

I made three posts of my favorite albums of 2018 at the end of the year. I said I might do one more. This is that one more. I joined Alternative Idols Facebook group and found few interesting bands from there. Some of those bands released good albums year 2018. First I though I add music from them to this year’s list mentioning their 2018 album I liked. But then I found group which hasn’t released anything on 2019. So it made more sense to have this post.

In this context Idol means Japanese idol culture where someone creates group of teen girls to perform music and dance to it. Sometimes results are just what you expect. But because this is Japan and band doesn’t make the music results can be interesting. Group could be based on weird idea which somehow works. Like Necronomidol which performs Lovecraft themed songs.

Necronomidol: Voidhymn

I had Necronomidol in original list and I wrote how they were best thing at the moment. I thought I never see them live. But then they came to Oulu earlier this week where I saw them. They didn’t play this song there which was bit odd since it is their latest music video. They played songs from their latest ep Scions of the Blasted Heat. That ep could be on this year’s list if they release music videos from. Their Oulu show was amazing. Venue was packed which I didn’t expect and audience liked what they saw.

Broken by the Scream: An Alien’s Portrait

This is first of the new findings. Broken by the Scream is good example what Idol group can be when done correctly. It mixes death metal with pop music staying more on death metal side. It could be good I don’t understand the words. Death metal parts could only style but it works when I don’t know what they sing about and they go full to death metal. Those parts could be on normal death metal song. I like how they mix two styles of death metal vocals.

Maison Book Girl: yume

This is the one non-metal group of the list. For someone new to idol culture most idol groups tend to melt together. Music is so generic and music videos look similar. Maison Book Girl doesn’t have that problem. Everything they do sounds and looks like Maison Book Girl. I almost like to say they are Radiohead of idol groups. Both give similar vibes. Yume has weird sound experiments in between songs. I had originally different video for this but changed it one which is now here because it shows better experimental nature of Maison Book Girl.

YukueshirezuTsurezure: exFallen

I could say almost same of YukueshirezuTsurezure as I said Broke by the Scream. YukueshirezuTsurezure is more sophicated than Broken by the Scream and less death metal like. Their other songs are closer to Broken by the Scream than this. YukueshirezuTsurezure use screaming parts more creatively for the needs of the song. Like in this one where screams are limited to one part. exFallen is YukueshirezuTsurezure’s second album. First one is good too but in exFallen everything falls in correct place.

There will be more Japanese music in favorite albums of 2019 list. I wanted to put these here so I don’t have to figure out way to include these groups because they released really good albums 2018.