Wagakki Band 和楽器バンド

So yesterday didn't have time to write anything, my apologize, today I don't have much time yet so quickly will write a music review, so today I will write about a Japanese band;Wagakki Band.

So who are they? They are eight members, who mix traditional music with modern rock.  The instruments incorporated are: Drum, Guitar, Bass, Shamisen,  Koto , Shakuhachi (Japanese flute), Wadaiko, and voice.

 

The interesting fact about this group, is that the songs they perform are covers from Vocaloid.

For the ones who are not familiar with Vocaloid, these are virtual idols with incredible popularity in Japan. The voice is entirely electronically, you may think there is a real voice behind a cyber idol but well no...is not like movies, the voice are cyber too, which was very surprising for me to listen and feels fake, my personal taste, Vocaloid is not my style...

Anyhow this band (Wagakki Band) are pretty clever indeed and created these amazing covers, giving the songs their style and are just wonderful!

The band has a single  or mini album as you wish to call it which is called  Joshou (序章), 

from there they released four music videos, which will leave for you to watch at the end.

Then on April they released their first full length album VOCALO Zanmai (ボカロ三昧) ,in which you can listen the song from before plus new songs as well which are different, I think they are all Vocaloid cover though but the style is different and also in some songs you can listen a male voice too, I don't know which member is singing with her but it is nice and gives a nice change.

Personal opinion they are an amazing new music proposition, if you like Vkei, Neo Japanesuqe or just a curious and open to anything new and creative, then give it a try and listen to them. In very aspect they are captivating, the videos are visually attractive, the sound that fusion of instruments just wonderful, the fast speed of the rhythm and the voice of the vocalist which is so unique, not the high pitched vocalist and the technique she posses it gives that traditional feeling too, if you are familiar with more traditional singing then you will understand too. Ah! and one thing I love at the end of some songs is that the Wadaiko player, I don't know how to describe it but we will yell in this particular way which is very traditional too, personally it just gives it that special touch, if you listen you will know what I mean. Now will stop my writing and will leave with you the videos.

 So what you think?

If you are interested I am leaving the links to the social media of the band, each member also has twitter account if you wish to follow them but I will only be giving the band social media links.
Random info but still quite relevant, Kurona the Wadaiko player is the vocalist of CrowxClass (I wrote a review on them previously)(^_^)
Official website:  http://wagakkiband.jp/
Twitter: @WagakkiBand
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WagakkiBand

[UPDATE] I was told on twitter that Kurona (Wadaiko player) and Michiya (Guitar player) are the ones who sing. So there we go! The mistery is over (at least for me) thank you to @liannerowepop for writing me on twitter :) And also adding a very interesting comment thatshe mentions that the expression sounds like Kabuki or Noh Cry, I don't know you but I found it fascinating. ^o^

CrowxClass

Because yesterday I couldn't write two updates, today I wish to write at least two updates, even though I cannot come up with nothing cultural related for this post, I decide to write another music review but this time instead of kpop I will focus in another genre such a music from japan and what can be called "Neo Japanesque" this movement can be understood as the fusion of what it is modern rock music with the traditional Japanese music,so we find bands that have your typical rock instrument plus their traditional instruments. You may think this mix doesn't work well here I am to make you change your mind (or try)

Today I will be writing about CrowxClass, they could be cataloged in the popular genre of Visual Kei but I will prefer to catalog them under Neo Japanesque (because of my good memories of that genre).
What is the cool thing about this group? All the members are professional Japanese instrument musicians!
They are quite new and so far they have released two music videos, if you try you can find some performances of the band or even of  some members with their respective traditional instrument.
The band has a YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter and each member has a personal twitter account.

Now I will leave you the videos for you to hear and watch.

Now time for my personal opinion (:p), well I do like them indeed, I think they are a very promising band in the music industry of Japan and even in general because it is quite innovative. The first song I thought it lacked some power, not from the instruments but from his vocalist. Please don't misunderstand me, I like his voice and I think he has a really good voice but the instruments go over his voice. The second song you can already notice the music quality progress of the band, his voice becomes more strong but still needs a bit more of practice.

There is just one thing I want to express,  I think what they need is more beauty. I don't know really how to express this, but I feel like there is something missing in the music and I am feeling is beauty or feelings.
I know my thought comes from comparison (another band's music) and I know is not good to compare one band with another because they are different. And also my comment it is just from the impression of two music videos and I haven't see them live (but will love to!!)
But as I mentioned early they are quite new and still have a lot to go through and while time passes by this band will become better and better, there is no doubt!
 

In conclusion this band offers good quality of music, a different proposal to your ears, so give it a try!

If you are interested I am leaving the links of the band on the social media :)

Official Website: http://crowclass.net/wordpress/
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/crowclass
Official YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/crowclass