This is an archive from Klassic Note Web Reports
Tuesday, 02 May 2023Top 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!