This week, I caught up on a Japanese web TV show, 『秘密のクロヲゼット』 (himitsu no kurowozetto / secret closet) which I keep missing due to it the time difference meaning it's broadcast at 10am here!
It's a monthly music program that features live performances, music-related news and a post-performance talk with the guest artist.
This week, through watching the episodes from May and June, I ended up continuing with my music goal, though the difficulty I found is that one of the new-to-me artists in question doesn't have any actual music videos...
ハウリング (Howling)
This act caught my attention immediately, as three of the band members appeared on stage with skull-like half-masks! I liked their sound and enjoyed the way the vocalist sang, so it's disappointing I can't find much information or any more music online! The band's homepage only contains a (non-music) video and the details of their next appearances, but hopefully more information will emerge eventually!
Due to the lack of media, I've embedded the web TV show above. The band's performance starts at 11:47.
ハウリング Official Website (Japanese)
SHAPE SHIFTER
I heard of this band via Twitter last year, before they even released any music, but had never got around to looking them up. So when they popped up on this month's himitsu no closet, I was glad to hear them!
The set on the web show was acoustic, but after watching I prodded at ye olde internets and found a few videos! I already knew what the vocalist sounded like, as I listen to a number of his previous bands. This band itself seems like a combination of several of them, with a hard, fast drumline and rock guitar alongside more classical elements such as the sound of strings!
When it comes to their style, this band is pretty typical of the visual kei scene, though the vocalist's style in particular really stands out.
I've embedded a live video rather than a promotional one here, because I want to share the sound of those live vocals!
If you want to hear the acoustic set I watched first, you can see it here (link should go straight to the band's appearance on the show).
SHAPE SHIFTER Official Website (Japanese)
Well, with this little bit of listening, I'm halfway to achieving my goal of listening to 2 new-to-me acts each week for a year!
...which also alerts me to the fact we're halfway through the year already. When did that happen? How?!
Check my goal 29 tag for other musical acts I've listened to for this goal!
I'll try my best to listen to some more bands that aren't Japanese... There have been quite a few of them so far, haven't there!
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