concept of visual system
what is visual system? Judging from the live performance, Japanese visual music refers to something that can give a strong visual impact. Here, of course, not only for music, but also for visual effects. It requires that both the content of music and the meaning of lyrics should be expressed from their own makeup effects. The live performance, stage installation and lighting effect of a visual band are also different from those of ordinary bands. Many people will think that the visual department is a new music school in Japan in the early 199s. In fact, music similar to the visual department existed as early as the 196s and 197s, like gorgeous rock. Theoretically speaking, gorgeous rock can be called the predecessor of the visual system, because they have the same characteristics: rich and enchanting makeup, clothes beyond ordinary people's understanding, self-pity, provocative performance, and opinions related to artistic factions.
Visual Rock
English name is Visual Rock. Originated in Europe and America in 197s. Visual rock is based on the progress of the times, and people are no longer limited to the satisfaction of hearing and pursue visual impact. The development of science and technology and the popularity of TV sets, video recorders and DVD players have also promoted the arrival of visual impact. The visual department uses costumes and makeup to express music. Bands often dye different hair colors and wear unusual costumes. In these bands, one or two members often wear feminine clothes. From the musical point of view, VISUAL ROCK is the inheritance and development of ANDROGYNOUS, GLITTER ROCK and THEEATER in Europe and America. For example, X-JAPAN is deeply influenced by exaggerated rock KISS and bands, and SHAZNA's IZAM makeup is also due to the worship of ANDROGYNOUS BAY GEORYE. The representative figures in Europe and America are "boy george".
the visual department (Japanese: ヴィジュァル) is a type of orchestra developed from Japanese rock. The name "Visual Department" has nothing to do with any music type, but is used to refer to bands with exaggerated costumes and makeup. In Japan, almost all the fans of the visual department are composed of young girls. In other countries, the number of visual fans is relatively small, while the proportion of men and women is roughly the same.
Japan is the most fertile living soil in visual rock. Japanese visual department was founded in the late 198s under the influence of "GlamRock" and the new wave in Europe and America. It can be said that they have learned the essence of European and American visual systems, and their makeup is not only bolder and more charming, but also their music quality is by no means the level of picking up people's teeth. Whether it is orchestration, arrangement, creative spirit and commercial operation, the Japanese are superior.
members of visual orchestras usually have eye-catching makeup, exaggerated hairstyles and elaborate costumes. Although most visual orchestras are male, their costumes and makeup are often regarded as feminine. Clothing elements are very attractive to music fans, and a large number of girls will cosplay their favorite bands, especially in concerts in Japan or in American animation exhibitions.
because the visual system focuses on visual style, it is a type of orchestra rather than a type of music. Most visual orchestras take the route of Japanese rock (such as Luna Sea), pop music or light rock (such as GLAY, Rainbow < L 'Arc-en-CIEL > and GACKT < GACKT >). However, we can still see that some orchestras take the music route of heavy metal, industrial rock, Synth Pop, punk and so on. On a large scale, most visual orchestras take some kind of "rock music" route.
Western observers sometimes confuse visual orchestras with Gothic orchestras, because their costumes are very similar occasionally. However, most Japanese Gothic fans do not regard the visual system as a part of Gothic, and there is little cultural overlap between the visual system and Gothic, except for Godloli who is influenced by Gothic culture.
the rise of the trend of visual system is mostly said to have originated from X JAPAN. However, when X became famous, using visual shock to attract the masses gradually became a trend at that time; From this point of view, X is not so much the leader of the visual trend as they present the mainstream Japanese pop culture at that time. In 199s, orchestras such as Die in Cries, Luna Sea, ZI:KILL, Shazna and Baiser, together with the previous orchestras BUCK-TICK and X-JAPAN, contributed to the outbreak of the visual system.
Visual music
Visual music is not only rock music, but also very diverse. For example, pop rock, heavy metal, gothic rock, classical/baroque music and so on all have the shadow of visual system. Visual bands are not in the mainstream category in Europe and America. Although they are prosperous in Japan, many visual bands have gradually separated from the ranks of visual bands and evolved into mainstream bands after attracting the attention of major record companies, and the visual system has become a tool for them to grandstanding. Authentic visual music should be closely combined with clothing and music types, and the exaggerated modeling should not only serve music, but should be integrated. At present, HIP－HOP and R&B are the mainstream music scene, and the visual enjoyment is only a signboard, and it is most important to explore the beauty in its musical essence.
Visual system in Japan
Background
Visual system is ubiquitous in Japanese music, and few male singers do not appear in bold and androgynous visual system.
The reason is that, first of all, there has been a "demon worship" mentality and a "geisha" in Japan since ancient times, and the long-standing Nenglue art has inspired visual rock in Japan to be gorgeous and seductive, which has its historical roots in acceptance; Secondly, young people in Japan pursue novelty and excitement, especially young women. They are eager to buy fancy goods and dare to spend even ten dollars in their pockets. The seductive visual artists are self-evident. Imitating visual artists can make them the most dazzling and cool focus in Harajuku and Shibuya. Thirdly, the pressure of the Japanese ranks first in the world, and the pressure of the younger generation comes from schools, families, society and other aspects. Rock music is an ideal tool for them to escape and vent.
In the early days of Japan's development, the visual system was divided into "evil school" and "aestheticism school". At present, the orientation of visual rock Orchestra in Japan tends to be diversified.
Birth and development
Nowadays, Japanese rock bands, especially visual rock, are very popular. They express their views on music with exaggerated makeup models and wild and intense stage performances. Concert is the best occasion for those visual rock bands to interpret their music world.
at the end of 197s, "gorgeous rock" represented by DAVIDBOWIE appeared in Europe and America. Gorgeous rock and roll introduces visual elements into rock and roll, which is characterized by gorgeous dress and live performance. In the early 198s, a band called X-JAPAN appeared in Chiba, Japan. They inherited the style of heavy metals in Europe and America in 198s, and at the same time borrowed from the heavy makeup of European and American rock and roll, and developed it into a unique plastic aesthetics along with the nationality of Japan-from then on, the "visual system" was born. After that, the visual system gradually developed and expanded in Japan, and the genre became more and more diversified. The unique aesthetics and unconventional visual effects of the visual system became a bright color in the Japanese music industry, which won the favor of countless fans with great impact on the Japanese rock industry.
LunaSea, Malice Mizer, Diren Grey ... The emerging visual bands not only reach a high level in musicality, but also integrate their own personalities into modeling and dressing, showing deep ideas beyond the musical category. This makes the visual system occupy an unshakable position in the Japanese music industry. Similarly, in the early 198s, Europe and the United States also led the visual dress in "gorgeous rock" to another aspect, appearing in absurd, weird and even horrible and disgusting shapes. Visual rock represented by KISS, ALICECOOPER, MARILYNMANSON, SLIPKNOT, etc. was developed one after another, and later it was also called shock rock.
At present, the music orientation of visual rock Orchestra in Japan is: X-JAPAN and LUNA SEA are representatives of heavy metals, GLAY's music style is more POP, while L'ARC~EN~CIEL pays equal attention to English and psychedelic. They can be said to have learned the essence of big brothers in Europe and America, and their makeup paintings are not only bolder, more gorgeous, more charming and more enchanting, but also their music quality is by no means the level of picking up people's teeth and wisdom. Compared with some domestic ROCK, Japan is superior in orchestration, arrangement, creative spirit and commercial operation.
Characteristics
Generally speaking, in visual rock, during the underground indies period, the band's dress was bold, and the music paid more attention to ideas; After entering the mainstream, their clothes and music generally tend to be popular.
visual rock is not like "R&; Music nouns such as "b" and "Punk" refer to a musical form, and its musical forms are diverse. Therefore, according to the main music forms of a band, they are classified as follows:
wave sugar music: Shazna
pop rock: L''Arc en Ciel, Glay
industrial rock: Zlich, MACHINE
heavy metal rock: X/X Japan, Sex MACHINEGUNS
special rock: made gray'' ll, dir engry,
classical/baroque rock: Malice Mizer, LAREINE
there are also gentle bands, such as Raphael
At the same time, a band will be compatible with several music forms, and even rock and classical coexist (such as X Japan).
The characteristics of many bands are not only reflected in music, but also cover dressing, behavior, lyrics, playing methods and so on. Therefore, Japan distinguishes them by xx series: such as basement department, dark department (Dark Visual department) and soft department (Soft Visual department). Take the basement department as an example. This kind of visual rock band has thick makeup and is mostly black and white. The songs have a nursery rhyme flavor, and the lyrics mainly show feelings, death and loneliness; Musical skills vary from band to band. There are also regional classifications, such as Osaka School, Sendai School, Nagoya School and Kyushu School. But unexpectedly, although there are many bands established in Tokyo, few of them are all local bands in Tokyo.
non-mainstream
mainstream things should be said to be a relatively stable whole, and the internal movement may be intense, but they still follow the existing laws and rules, and the result is predictable. For example, if you travel through a travel agency, the tour guide will probably have a picture of the itinerary, scenic spots and tourists' reactions today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and there will be no major changes. If you travel by single horse, it is impossible to predict what you will encounter today: for example, there are a series of problems in social reaction, traffic regulations, horse material supplement, accommodation and so on. But in ancient times, horseback riding was a common way and a mainstream way. It has become non-mainstream today, which is also the result of changes in the world.
Non-mainstream is the reverse thinking of mainstream. It should be kept alive. This vitality does not mean whether it exists or is running, but its creative ability. Once many non-mainstream things lose their creativity, although their forms are still non-mainstream, there are only two endings: first, elimination; Second, be assimilated. For example, the hippie craze, once it lost its specific historical creativity and failed to develop its own ideas with the times, gradually degenerated into a fashion.
but it can't be defined exactly or there is no conclusion, which is a reflection of the creativity of non-mainstream things. For example, R& B style, at the beginning of its birth, is not the current whining about useless affairs. Also, because of its sharp and savage ancestry, it is full of tension and difficult to be accommodated by the mass society. Therefore, now R&; B-style is popular all over the world, which is something after transformation and processing, retaining its formal beauty, but cutting off the root of its development. Without realistic nutrition, it has become a part of the mainstream, a buzzword, commercialized, and then exhibited and sold in windows all over the world.
these are non-mainstream things that have been mainstreamed. More non-mainstream things are being produced, but they are unknown underground or in the corner. In a sense, the non-mainstream represents the development trend of society, the source of vitality for human progress, the mutated gene fragments in the social body and the creativity. Therefore, please don't regard non-mainstream as gossip news like recreation and anecdote. If you think the non-mainstream is shallow, it's a pity, which can only prove that you are really mediocre. Because I have lost my confidence and atmosphere, I have no courage to continue to create and accept things that I have never seen before, and exist in the world like a walking corpse. Isn't this the so-called hell?
psychologically speaking, the mainstream always wants to confirm, establish, delimit and keep what. However, the original image of the world does not exist because of people. Constantly discovering and rediscovering, creating and recreating, the deeper the understanding of the world will be, and of course it will be more complicated and profound. This is destined to be a good way to kill brain cells. Non-mainstream not only destroys itself, but also destroys the surrounding world. Therefore, most of the time, non-mainstream subjects are difficult to be accepted by the mass society. This is actually the case in history. The so-called history is often a popular version of history, rather than taking the truth of history as history.
non-mainstream is an experience, and as an experience, it must go through the feeling, thinking and behavior of the subject. Then, the more popular saying is that non-mainstream guys can always show a personality. This kind of personality must be strong, otherwise it will be lost in the * * * of all sentient beings. In fact, all living beings have their own personalities, but they are very weak. Most of the seeds of personality are not enough to break through their own chaff, let alone take root and sprout, and bloom colorful flowers that others can see. Therefore, not everyone has the performance of personality.
However, the so-called personality seems to be expressed by words and deeds. Words and deeds must always follow certain laws and rules. Therefore, it is possible to imitate and learn. The schemers with more developed IQ can then cheat the world by deliberately speaking highly, such as the Taoist priest in Zhongnanshan. These non-mainstream words and deeds are actually dead, and the buzzwords and commodities that cut off the roots of ideas are the secrets of martial arts that can be published and sold on a large scale, and they are doomed to not move on. That's why there are thousands of years of quotations and guards.