The Law of Diminishing Band Members (#KN15YEARS)

In Economics, The Law of Diminishing Returns states that:

...profits or benefits gained from something will represent a proportionally smaller gain as more money or energy is invested in it.

I wonder if this is similar with musical bands? Let's find out together in another #KN15YEARS post!

So hey! Welcome back. I thought of a great idea I've been experiencing recently, and I wished I thought of this earlier writing the earlier posts, so maybe I should talk about it now after all. I know we are technically done with this so far but continuing from the posts earlier this year, I feel like I can slot this in so relevant, I sometimes wonder why this eventually is the case.

Heck, still better than full bands disbanding amirite fellas??? *silence*

A BAND BEING TOGETHER

So, in case you don't know what music bands and/or groups are, let me fill you in. I'll talk more about how they function, because compared to a solo artist, these guys obviously do not get the full cut of the pay check if they were to try to keep themselves alive, such as with indie bands, and most of them will still be doing regular jobs apart from having this side job. As you progress to major music labels, your pay check I assume should be more stable no matter the number of members you have in your gang, but in this case, with the power of major label breathing down your neck, you are *sometimes* compelled to do things different from your usual style which has its pros and cons, like when you have to write for an Anime or drama series. Still, we cannot deny that this is at least how bands function today in Japan, and that can only means better things going on... or does it? 

WHY THE MEMBERS KEEP LEAVING

I like to think many a times, members keep leaving ate due to a couple of factors, so let me explain. Firstly, moving to a major music label. Yep, what makes them grow is also potentially their own poison. If you have been a keen ear for music following artists from when they were indie to their success, one would realize no matter how subtle that change is, that bands will transit into being more song production-focused instead of  song writing-focused, meaning that quality of any song may not matter that much as long as we can slap a electronic programmer or wind orchestra into the set. You may think this is making the music better, but one can easily notice why this is not relevant for example on rock bands when they don't bring the whole accompanying instrument team to the next rock festival, the song won't sound as good anymore. And that can be a drug in itself; what makes the song better also makes it feel cheaper and less representative of the band's style. But of course, this is not talking about everyone as bands like SHE'S and Ryokuoushoku Shakai make good use of their transition to major label, making them excel. But for occult styles like LILI LIMIT, I'm afraid that might even be a block as they struggle to find an audience to associate or just deviate from their unique style trying to.

Next, there's the diminishing returns idea. Let's assume for a moment, that bands are essentially based on one person, a single composer and producer. *looks at FINLANDS* *laughs* To add more to the band means paying more for the same production level unless you totally do not deal with other instruments or musicians involved with the production of such material (look at the back of the booklet of any physical release to find out more) in which will function well as a full-fledged band, but that also means they can be replaceable at any time feeling their lesser in importance, for example when Chatmonchy had to deal with their drummer leaving as they switch roles and instruments all around and also collaborating with other bands to make their music happen. And with the music trends moving and changing over time, older bands tend to fade away due to lack of popularity, and that is normally a time where bands will think of whether to move on, whether they have the backing of major label or not, which is what I assume is the reason for my beloved 2000s band Aqua Timez.

Then, there's the personal reasons. A lot of the band members that just chose to leave - especially if they aren't even doing as well and that is a metric we won't know unless we are them - to focus on their personal life, whether it's another career or just family, such as with Ikimonogakari's "secondary" composer and producer Yamashita-san, AILA's departure which led to the end of Lil'B, and Tokyo Karan Koron on their mom-to-be female vocalist. Remember, we just never saw the above, we only know of this reason just because.

HOW IT AFFECTS BANDS

At least in Klassic Note, we have seen many take a variety of rather predictive approaches including and not a complete list of the following:

• Use of "non-organic" methods to change music production/display
• Replace with new members
• Downsize or even disband

As I mentioned earlier, music production scaling is always just a trap in itself, and I don't think it's just because band members leave that this will ramp up, and it can also be because of this ramping up that will make the music not as good as the members would have wanted, but considering music production decision normally is down to a few people *sometimes* not involving all the band members themselves I have no idea on this, then maybe that it what it will take to make the music the same quality as before or better, if that is to be heard by the audience in due time.

Replacement of new members is normally the easiest way to do so if the band has their own acquaintances, such as with the revolving cast with ORESKABAND and their brass members due to their niche Ska genre which isn't popular in Japan but is overseas, and the members of VELTPUNCH changing each other album apart from the two main vocalists which are producers and composers themselves. Also worth mentioning are how KANA-BOON dealt with the... erratic behaviour of their missing bassist, how HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR had to try again for a few more years with a new female vocalist and eventually stopped a few years later, and basically every other idol group because they are as replaceable as paper cups in a pantry since they don't have the "band" aesthetic which is why maybe I should not talk about these cases.

And if they can't do any of the above due to lack of support from major label, bands can also choose to live with lesser band members on their team, typically compensating by doing lesser instrumentals in their songs or multitasking as percussions can be more diverse and one can technically do without certain levels of instruments in a song, but that is song production talk. SpecialThanks sit on the streets of Akihabara today to live with two members despite being four-member band just a couple of years ago. In more extreme cases though, bands like Yogee New Waves may choose to go on hiatus to re-evaluate their position after their guitarist left which might as well lead to their disbandment but let's not say for sure. Or as they snowball, the dissociation of Kalafina producer Kajiura-sensei also gave opportunity for their 3 singing members to leave the group and pursue their solo music careers which, once again, gave them more freedom (and money) to choose the style they want to achieve and not be stuck with their previous self, even if it's not going to be as popular as they are before.

Of course, there are exceptions to this change, such as with rock "band" FINLANDS with the vocalist and producer Fuyuko-san holding down the helm along with her solo artist career, so what else is there to say about these? Some are also inevitable in its nature, with the first in Klassic Note being the departure of Kuso Iinkai's vocalist and producer (RIP) bringing the band to an abrupt end and with no other decision to make. Holding on to the craft is as hard as you think it is, people. 

As I continue to pray for the survival of bands such as Cocoro Auction and nano.RIPE, I cannot help but think of how much smaller they will get because all they wanted is to make more music, or whether just like ORESKABAND and Base Ball Bear, they will have to downsize their members in order to fulfil something bigger than themselves. But I can only be more optimistic on whatever their decision may be, that is to preserve or continue on the genre or unique style of music they so love and enjoy making and playing. Hopefully by then we do not have to deal with Suchmos' unfortunate end before we even get interested in them so that inversely, we can help to promote their music to those who care.

Watching Anime: The 3 Types of Anison Artists (#KN15YEARS)

And welcome back for likely the final time! For this special special #KN15YEARS Klassic Note 15th anniversary special where we talk about specifically, the artists themselves which made this song library of mine possible to have lasted this long. This time around, I'll talk about how watching Anime has influenced what I listen to, for this is not just a coincidence. We definitely all started with watching these Japanese-made animations and it changed our lives. Well, at least it changed mine.

So let me take you on a journey, and show you just how at this point to be frank, ANYONE can be an Anison artist, and I can define for you, three types of them. Let's see if we can wrap ourselves around this!

THE ANISON ARTIST AND WHY IT CAME FROM ANIME

So for starters, let's define what I will later describe as "Anison" or aptly known as "Anime song". Problem is, the industry recognizes this term as basically anything related to Anime. Yeah, if you as an artist sang a song for Anime you can be an Anison artist. And that is clearly not true. In my definition of this term then, it's to describe those artists/singers who have been created solely for the purpose of the Anime. Yes, you can then say Kalafina is made from Anime, but that can apply to many cases today. So as you can see, the lines to define this are blurring with every passing year.

We do not know for sure what constitutes the theme and insert songs for every Anime though, it doesn't seem like an absolute decision. If the voice actors have much talent or are even just newbies then getting them to sing might be a wise choice nowadays. If credibility is assure for the series then making sure mainstream artists take the helm might be better. And I guess everyone else can be just done by a solo artist, whatever. Regardless, it's what made Anime today, and it sure has influenced me into thinking what they represent so far.

THE THREE TYPES OF ANISON ARTISTS

[1] Mainstream Artists

This is basically the way we all knew of Anime when it exploded in the early 2000s. Horie Yui isn't exactly the most popular music artist out there, and I would assume song production for Anime is still kind of a high bar, so outsourcing (literally) to mainstream artists related to the associated (major, so never indie) music label (each Anime is normally tied to one) and let them draw on a canvas relevant to the theme. This obviously has its drawbacks as it's most suited for action series which can have a broader scope of theme especially for the endings, so Anime back then with a specific theme will not be able to capitalize on this power. When it does though, it would have a greater impact like none other, showing the flexibility of the artist to blend into the Anime's theme. Sometimes, even the artists define the theme. Nonetheless, it made many of our childhood, and brought us even further into some of their legendary music and what it means to listen to J-Pop or J-Rock back then.

Examples: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, SID, LUCKLIFE, Sayuri

[2] Anime Character Artists

I would normally like to bring to you guys the attention of not just single Anime characters, but groups of Anime characters, and even worse, were given names just because it sounded better for the theme of the Anime itself. I can list any number of them if I want, but you get the idea. This is probably what I refer to as the "actual Anison" because this is where all the acting happens: voice actors go out of their way to not voice in Anime they were casted in, but sing songs that have to sound like their characters. Blending those in (get it?) will give you a more immersed effect for music in the series itself, I would argue, and that's how it's also a great idea for genres and/or presentation not like the usual, and it easily represents Anime production trying to make this as much of a package as it is possible. Still, it likely depends on the compatibility of singing voices in the cast which in most cases will be interesting enough if given a variety of characters in the main work.

Examples (if you can figure their origin): denk!girls, Blend.A, STARTails, HOUKAGO TEA TIME

[3] Solo Voice Actor Artists

This is not just a recent trend, as it's more like it happens more than often, also more like a production decision where they can get any of the above to happen, and it's easier to promote a voice actor in the process on their solo music career, it's just smarter to let the relevancy of song composition be determined by the Anime music producers but let the voice actor artist sing them. It's a win-win situation especially in cases where the voice actor is in the cast of the Anime, making it more compelling usually for the audience to watch because of the theme song. This really depends on how you view Anime I know people who don't care about music in Anime, but nonetheless, as scheming as it seems, it has taken the industry by storm, and neglecting mainstream artists in the process. Still, they present the Anime producers' visions while further promoting the voice actors themselves. (Don't worry, I don't really give male idols here so rest assured the gender bias is heavy at this point. Not like it changed with respect to Anime character songs too but you get the point.)

Examples: Tomatsu Haruka, Amamiya Sora, Horie Yui, Uesaka Sumire

THE STATS

Okay, the following table only summarizes solo artists (because filtering people like yanaginagi and YUKI-san from voice actresses is a pain lol I don't have a condition for that tbh), but in general, this is what theme songs I've given over the years with the Anime I've watched, with respect to 2022:

(*Collaborations don't count if they belong in different types so "ToniKawa" opening is excluded, for example)

Year	[1]	[2]	[3]
2007	18		1
2008	5		4
2009	9	2	3
2010	10	5	1
2011	13
2012	7	2	3
2013	6	2	5
2014	10	2	6
2015	7		2
2016	8		1
2017	7	2	12
2018	10	4	2
2019	8	3	2
2020	11		4
2021	9	3	3
2022	6	1	4

Wow surprisingly still overwhelming in the mainstream artists- Maybe it's just me rejecting all the Anime artists haha I can tell you I am not fond of male voice actors which are counted in here which is none *laughs* and Anime groups so we did not include the single Anime characters in these which aren't many anyways. Again, I wish I can prove my point by putting the whole "K-ON!" and "OreImo" cast of character songs but then what is the point even. Shout out to 2017 though, proving my point. *giggles*

Well, at this point I could've concluded this week's talks about artists in Klassic Note by announcing a compilation or two, but instead, I'm going to leave you a little teaser on what I have planned next.

#KN[10+2+2+1=15]YEARS

Yes, I'm still referring to the compilations by the way, with relation to artists. Not necessary related to the posts I've done so far but find out what these mean NEXT TIME!! ON-

The Klassic Note Club Representatives (#KN15YEARS)

Welcome back! In my series to talk about artists in the #KN15YEARS Klassic Note 15th year anniversary special!!! This one is going to be rough, we shall talk about artist genre. Yes, not song genre. Because it's hard to recommend an artist that is purely something these days, so maybe through this, we can figure something out.

For starters though, yeah, this is where we can ONLY talk about mainstream artists because if you look at a solo artist and tell me they only focus on one genre I will-

So let's! Let's... see how many music genres I actually know after so long haha *shakes head*

THE SELECTION PROCESS

I mean, as I sit down and think about how this works, and I could not fathom if I could do this properly considering music genres in itself is kind of ambiguous these days, I will try to find those who stay true to their style... for most of the time, enough for me to not think of them as multi-genre artists, I suppose. Otherwise, it's just more songs the more chances it can be in this, right? Representatives are also selected based on popularity, after all. And if any genre is more gender biased than others don't blame me, I am still a male listener anyways.

THE CLUB REPRESENTATIVES

[*As of 2022, not full representation of all artists in Klassic Note]

The Ska Representative - ORESKABAND

Well as you can see, it's not a lot, I can't define all the in-betweens to be honest a lot of them are diverse in many ways than other if you listen to enough of them, and yes that includes solo artists so a lot of them aren't in this. But that's the point, to show the diversity in genre of music I listen to or you may potentially find out there in Japan's music industry.

Other Members: TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA, pe'zmoku

The Jazz Representative - PE'Z

I don't know about this genre to be honest it kinda crosses with Ska in my opinion, but yeah, if you want Jazz Jazz from like the Western side then this is not what you might find in Japan. I've only heard of actual Jazz bands I think the last time was from Audioleaf I forgot who they are lol, but yeah I've only heard of PE'Z and think they are the only ones who carry the feel and are still the most popular. Even when they moved on and formed H ZETTRIO the feels did not go away, and that's a good thing.

Other Members: H ZETTRIO

The Hip-Hop/Funk Representative - HOME MADE Kazoku

Well, it used to be them. This genre set has been around in Klassic Note too much and too often, but only appearing in and out too much that it has caught my attention. Little do I have the chance to encounter artists who sound good and sound entirely different from their Pop and Rock counterparts to allow them to have a place in the music industry. Maybe Rap has to be a genre in here too, since it's hardly anything if not combined with this genre set, in my opinion. I don't give Pop/Rock with Rap because it's kinda lame, and these guys are enough to make me interested. That's pretty much it.
Other Members: Kroi, Creepy Nuts, CLIFF EDGE, Suchmos

The Electronic Representative - NEGOTO

Ah, about this. I have to say Electronic music is around in my life probably as long as Klassic Note itself to make me notice, but that doesn't mean it's the most dominating genre out there. Many artists have suffered at the hands of dropping out of mainstream using this genre, and we have seen its repurcissions of artists who disbanded. Nonetheless, the best songs I've heard of often come from this genre itself, and more than ever they make a better impression than other genres will ever. 

Other Members: LILI LIMIT, Cwondo, LAMA, School Food Punishment

The Alternative Representative - VELTPUNCH

Ah yes, where all uncertainty exist. I mean, I look at the official genre list for ID3v1 specification and you can see that like so many of these "Alternative" genres are like they don't want to be with their main counterparts... I understand, genres that do not like popular mainstream? That's half the reason why Klassic Note even exists! Jokes aside, I have my selection of artists I like over the years also overlapping the Rock genre, no surprise, but to determine whether they stand out of their genre is another thing altogether, so I won't mention too much but touch only on the ones I know that are uniquely different.
Other Members: cinema staff, No Buses, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION

The Pop Representative - YUKI

Okay, we are at the most popular genres now, this is going to be rough. *ahem* In an attempt for me to talk about what J-Pop generally should be, and in between what Pop genre itself should be represented, I chose to not talk about the former because damn that's every artist in the list, but instead let's talk about artists who hardly use the fusions to other genres to achieve great music. From mellow tunes to the most hype of feels, not playing with drums is probably the easiest way to talk about how these artists stand out. It's hard to define, but it's all out there. What Pop music have you not heard of, really?

Other Members: wacci, RYTHEM, Eve, Miywaki Shion

The Rock Representative - SPYAIR

And because I'm old, here's the only music genre I can get behind: The drum beats, the guitar riffs, the strong feels of wanting to ROCK the genre itself has become a verb in itself... I can only define as much as talk about the many songs that came after it. Decades old as a genre, many artists in Japan have come back time and time to either relive the classic genre or add new feels to it while preserving what essentially makes it great, inside every song they sing. And that is what is truly in it for me to be frank, for now and forever. It's a timeless genre, isn't it?
Other Members: Sambomaster, nano.RIPE, KANA-BOON, SpecialThanks, SID

Up next, and this might be the toughest post to do yet, is talking about how watching Anime for the similar amount of time also influenced me listening to music in Japan. See you then.

There's This Artist, And There's Everyone Else (#KN15YEARS)

Welcome back to the series of posts where I will focus on the 15th year (#KN15YEARS) in Klassic Note theme: Talk about the artists themselves. The backbone of the song library I have. How they made me know I am not alone. But truly, there are ones that stand out and I swear that applies for every listener out there, so in the myriad of songs I've listened to, I would just like to point out on who they are, because subsequent ones will never be as good as what they have done.

HOW SOME OF THEM HAVE COME TO BE

The segregation of such artists exists for all of us for good reasons. They can be the first you have heard of they truly got you. They may have been a great memory in your life, say, when you watched that credited drama or Anime that came with it. For me though, I think it's mostly the same as the norm, just that because I take melody so much more seriously, whether a song is good or not truly depends who ends up having the good songs. And we know these cannot be controlled: Mainstream artists typically write their own songs and that defined their image, solo artists have songs written for them so it depends on whether the producers can understand their vocal range and/or style. 

The metrics below is just a summary of what the artist has contributed to Klassic Note: Releases reviewed or listened to, production-wise distributions ie. who did the songs themselves, singing voice preference, etc. I will base them on two main criteria - ability and quality - to show you the differences between mainstream and otherwise, on the objective and subjective opinions I have of them. So if quality goes over ability means my bias is heavy.

But yeah, overall this is still based on my personal bias, so if you hate what you see after the next paragraph you are free to come back next time where we talk about more of stuff I like. *giggles*

So! Let me take you on a journey... (which is basically just a summary of first 5 years again up till 2012 so don't mind me haha)

OUTSTANDING ARTISTS BY ARTIST TYPE

(*Up till 2022)

Singer-Songwriters

"There's YUI, And There's Everyone Else"

But me, this woman has already moved on since 2012 so her band and that wasn't doing too well, so why still her name in place? Well, because precisely that her name has been set in stone in Klassic Note, that it's still worth mentioning. I cleared the majority of her singles, quite a lot of albums including the best albums with my high minimum clearance of at least 85% songs in my library... what else is there to say? miwa may have already passed her in song count at this point in 2023, but that is not the point: She started my motivation to listen to more Japanese music, and I cannot thank her enough in this regard. She also taught me of listening to songs with just a guitar. Probably also what spawned me to take up guitar in high school (junior college) even if I didn't go as far as she did.

Independent Bands

"There's Aqua Timez, And There's Everyone Else"

They are not going to be relevant by the time we move on from here, but allow me to do this once more so I can actually be happy with this. So sorry to all the bands out there, yes even Chatmonchy and ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, because no one makes songs like these guys do. The fast-paced singing, the beats that will never die, the emotional feels of ballad songs but done their way... there are just too many classics to talk about even without comparing to anyone else. This is no longer about song count; This is just a matter of preference. I don't know if I can find an adequate replacement for these guys, and I don't even know if they will ever be replaced, but they hold a special place in my heart.

Anime Artists

"There's HOKAGO TEA TIME, And There's Everyone Else"

Yes, screw you "Bocchi The Rock!" you are just a carbon copy in my ears, because damn did this Anime series set an unprecedented power on the industry just them alone. Ask around and see if anyone will tell you this is their childhood; Chances are they had a great childhood. *giggles* Of course we should not forget other Anime characters who sang plenty of songs to remember and I think the record holder is still Kousaka Kirino in the crazy attempt to create outsource the laundry list of ending theme songs for Anime series "OreImo" (two seasons worth of it), not all of them are masterpieces, and not all are as well done as what PONY CANYON has set out to do with "K-ON!" from the start. That and how it changed the Anime music industry, is probably what made it stand out in Klassic Note. Every time I listen to one of their songs it just takes me back, for better or for worse.

Idol Groups

"There's sphere, And There's Everyone Else" 

You know there are idol groups in K-Pop? Yeah, this is pretty much the same, more honestly, my journey into them is more tame than I would have expected, and that is a good thing. I used to think these must set some heavy ground for example back then when SCANDAL was technically also just idolism and I disgust on that *pukes* but nowadays I can see the pureness on these unison of voices, and I must say that MusicRay'n has managed to do so in their first attempt to make this happen. It's not perfect, I did not like Takagaki Ayahi and her singing voice for years until I listened to her solo artist songs, but them together is what makes them different. With also an easy influence at the end of the 2000s when the industry in Japan isn't overwhelmed with such content, they excel and shine with every Anime credit they were in, it's hard to forget about them. They may not be what they are back then, but it's hard to talk about ClariS, TrySail or even Earphones without remembering who started this trend in the first place, in my little world of music.

Solo Artists

"There's Toyosaki Aki, And There's Everyone Else"

There's something unique about her singing voice that is as healing as it's soothing to my ears, or maybe it's because of her role in "K-ON!", and many who have heard of her might agree. She is also the highest in song count with respect to her overall song count which, of course with respect to her 2021 album has changed drastically since that album wasn't on my shelf, but regardless! *giggles* She still did a number on me, that when I went back to her 2021 album a couple of years ago, the urge to give her any number of songs is as great as it has been so many years ago despite the huge change in melodies and music style I forgave most of them. Many other voice actresses have done so too to me, but this might be the only one who has made me give up on Klassic Note's original motto and truly follow an artist like there's no tomorrow. To this, Aki-chan, I don't know what else can ever be better than you, in my opinion. (Hoshimachi Suisei get out of here lol)

Yeah, I feel like seniority plays a big part of the mentions above, but I gotta say that it's also because it has been this long, that I've not forgotten about my roots, even though I have already moved on from then. This is probably my final tribute to them all since many of them are pretty much done especially Anime and idol groups, can't expect them to be dancing forever. *laughs* We will proceed from here, and onwards we shall discuss about the only thing I did not care about after all these years: music genre. Yes, the only genres I have in my song library is just Pop and Rock, by the way. Okay maybe Jazz but still. *laughs* We will talk about proper genres in the Japanese music I listen to at length, next time!

TL:DR; Come on, many of these charts for most listeners out there is just one song and I love this artist until the day I die. Pft, please. I beg to agree, not without listening to more of them, and more that are like them.

Top Influential Artists of Klassic Note (#KN15YEARS)

Hey, and welcome back to another series of posts where I talk about Klassic Note IT HAS BEEN 15 YEARS!!! #KN15YEARS Haha no really, I have come this far, we need to talk about more of it!

First up, we will focus on talking about artists and how they influence me in the songs I listen over the years, and how some of them in particular have made great contribution to not just song count, but in making me view songs differently over time.

In the post below, I will talk about 5 artists of each "era" I define haha basically 5-year periods to talk about how much my music listening experience has been influenced by them, I was glad they pointed me in "the wrong direction".

Let's!

[*All links are to Apple Music Japan unless otherwise; You can listen to a preview of it to get the idea]

THE FIRST FIVE (2008-2012)

Ikimonogakari - The Ballad Song Veteran

I would accredit this to also YUI to be frank, but thinking back I think most of the time it was Ikimonogakari's albums from 2008 to 2010 (every year) that made me more than immersed into their melodies, and have a deep feel of what constitutes a ballad song. I can tell you, I hardly know how this works, the song structure, the tempo, into the lyrics especially when I hardly know Japanese at the time, but even so it attracts me to them time and again, I can't believe I can identify to a subgenre of songs in mention this well.

Lil'B - Duets Never Sounded This Well

When I started with Klassic Note, I never understood the appeal of rap duos, and I think these guys MIE and AILA-san showed me the way. From the rapping of AILA-san to the smooth transitions into melody for MIE-san, and every other song singing about love so nonchalant, it only makes its impact true and well when it's tied altogether nicely. Others like HOME MADE Kazoku also made me feel this way, to let me know about keeping pace in a song, and how the melody can be further enhanced by changing tempo.

AZUMA HITOMI - Starting Definition of Electronic Music

I hated electronics in music. Synthwave, technopop, you name it. They are very fake, they do not have strong expression in music as compared to using instrumentals even with the piano with key notes similar to how music was synthesized, but this singer-songwriter in 2011 showed me how through the simplest of melodies these can sound as powerful as they are touching. And of course throughout the next decade onwards I have softened my approach to music genres, which in turn brought me to more artists with great melodies to impress despite specializing in this genre of music.

QUATTRO - Quirky Meets Cool

I do not have much reason as to why I liked this band. Trust me, it wasn't until a bit later do I have the answer. But I truly believe these guys may have set the standards. From quirky melodies, beats to dance to almost to the extent of cool, and feeling gay (happy) in the process... It was hard to describe why I was drawn to this feels even back then. And this is still Rock music! Trust me, I've given my own taste of Rock music over the few years when I started with ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION and Sambomaster, but nothing comes close to this feeling. And that's why I think they deserve a mention. This will hit me back in many ways than other as I continue to talk about the ones below.

VELTPUNCH - My Alternative Rock Bias

Ah this, my favourite music genre back then. I was an emo person, not really now to be frank. But back then, I was definitely searching for something to be depressed or escape from, and VELTPUNCH definitely delivered on that. From their old classics to their 2010 album and 2011, they have only been making waves to be slightly that much different from others, they are as indie as they are masters at their game. A shout and a cry and suddenly all my worries have been blown away by music.

THE SECOND FIVE (2013-2017)

LILI LIMIT - Where Male Vocals Excel

We all have our stereotypes when it comes to vocalists in music. Our gender is already our first bias for admiring the singing of the other genre, so in my case I'm much into female vocals since I started. Not surprisingly, with Anime and the many solo artists out there this is far from what mainstream has to offer. Cue artists who try to break the line with songs to dance to... by male artists and vocals - Yoru no Honki Dance, THE ORAL CIGARETTES and SHE'S you guys are also a part of this - they make me utterly change my mind on what it means to like music. Yes, frantically twerking in the shower. Because it really doesn't matter. The potential of walking away from artists catered to the female audience is such a waste, and in the first time ever, the ratio of male to female vocals reached its highest in 2015 when I tried to search for more of these, and I was not disappointed. Many of them still are in my Collection too.

Yogee New Waves - The New Wave of Chill

Yeah, I finally learnt how to relax. Long songs filled with emotion to relax to, I had no idea neo city pop was this chill, I had to let myself go. Along with never young beach, these artists are a rarity in Japan, and boy do they make sure their style stays that way. It's the unwavering persistence in presenting these feels happy or sad that will make an impression, don't you think?

Tsuzuri Zukuri - Indie at Its Finest

With a female vocal and a cajon, these guys walked the dessert of indie artist music peaking on major debut once in a while with just so little, I had to listen to more of them. And as I know more of her, I also felt so much more from them: Their imperfections is the reason why they sound so good. Their melodies are simple and memorable, and their lyrics continue to catch my heart. It was hard to leave them only to listen to another of their albums and like them time and again.

Tokyo Karan Koron - The Definition of Never Giving Up

It all started with giving the one song for Anime. If I recall it took about a month to give that song? Probably the longest period of time from listening to it for the first time to putting that song in my song library, their mixed vocals is likely the only reason why I would give them another chance. But after that it was all history. They went from major to indie, I've given their albums time and again, and even till their end I've missed listening to how imperfect and simple these guys make their tunes. It hit on me real hard each time, even if it wasn't that impressive.

SCANDAL - Grown Up Independence

How can I not talk about these girls when I have to talk about their influence probably even outside of Klassic Note, I bet? Since 2014 they have chosen the path of writing their own songs, so guitarist MAMI-chan and drummer RINA-chan sat down to create their first impression of what it means to be a girls idol Rock band about 6 years after they relied on music producers, threw my mind into the abyss with each year upon year of songs to remember, and I can still recall how much I have liked what they have made, truly fantastic, my cousin even told me to buy a copy of their 2016 album for him. It's that real, seeing these girls grow up to what they want to be, even till this day. It's a growing up story any parent would be proud of. 

THE CURRENT FIVE (2018-2022)

ORESAMA - The Dance Pop Queen

No joke, ORESAMA was truly the ones that got me into giving more of Dance Pop genre, and what it truly feels. I would not have chosen another artist to understand this, and between PON-chan and her singing to what makes this band special in its own, I'm very sure they have influenced many just with their contributions to the Anime music industry. They may not have made grounds in their achievements, but to me they have produced so many songs for other artists like Ueda Reina, their style rubs off on me I can only wish for more, wherever they appear.

Ryokuoushoku Shakai - Typhoon of Influence

These bunch of teenagers were meant to break ground, and they were so keen on it, I can see their potential even when I started on their indie times. Not every song will hit, but with their major artist debut, suddenly every single song is a hit. People liked their music, I liked their music. There was no stopping them as they make ranks inside Klassic Note and in everyone's minds. Truly a new generation of influence, these artists make their music generic yet still be able to make grounds, it's truly a sight to behold.

Polkadot Stingray - Hype Overkill

Have you heard of Shizuku-chan? If you know of this band, she should be called the mascot than just the only female member and vocalist of this Rock band. What separates these guys from the rest is really the crazy amount of production value they use upon their major artist debut around the same time I knew of them, and I cannot express more. Music videos time and time again put Shizuku on the spotlight, the others are just part of the backdrop, and that is what makes this group stand out. They also made plenty of songs to remember, which is probably why they deserve a mention with my heavy female vocalist bias *giggles*

Tsuki no Michikake - The Quiet Stance

I've appreciated indie artists over the years, and I cannot emphasize why artists like Tsuzuri Zukuri will make me like them naturally, and these guys are not any different. Their compositions also have reached far and wide into Anime and mobile games, and it's hard to think what would have happened if I did not give them a listen just because I heard of them through Chatmonchy. They create songs like any other, but somehow I can remember theirs more.

Asakura Momo - The Unlikely Love (Songs) Master

Okay and we have our idolism solo female artist drop. *laughs* I feel like Mocho can be mentioned about in here mainly because it's ironically hard to find a theme with solo artists. Unlike the mainstream which are persistent in their style and as you can see some of them had to break themselves into an acoustic branch in order to differentiate away from their original identity, I feel like the production's focus of this particular voice actress in pursuit of romance songs over the singles leading up to her 2nd album and a little more beyond has been rather successful, at least, in my opinion. Without much Anime influence, she has single-handedly captured the hearts of many not by appearance I would say, but more of defining a set of feels about love only she has managed to capture. It did not last long because production saw through that and eventually changed direction, but boy was that such a trip.

Wow that was quite a list of artists to talk about, yes? Of course, this is not my entire opinion of all of the artists I've given songs to, but man, was touching on these a joy to think about after all these years, especially the early years too. Nowadays I don't even know whether I'm doing things right, or where my direction should be for Klassic Note moving forward. Maybe more of these posts will make me think of something soon. Next up, we will talk about artists who REALLY stood out among the others. Yes, this list of artists do not count. If they were here they are likely not the best. *giggles* Find out who they are in the next post then!