This is an article that's completely my personal taste. Recently, I've started listening to J-ROCK again. J-ROCK is something many people start listening to from their mid-teens to early twenties.

As usual, I also listened to it until my mid-twenties, but gradually my taste shifted towards club music, and I slowly drifted away.

However, when I happened to listen to it recently, it was actually quite good.

In the past, I used to research new artists on an SNS called My Space, but now with Youtube, Soundcloud, and Amazon Prime, it's incredibly convenient.

It's become a world where it's easy to casually discover new music.

I think there are people who criticize streaming in the Amazon Prime format, but honestly, for those who are trying to make a name for themselves now, the all-you-can-listen format is definitely better.

You can easily discover good artists. Moreover, artists don't need to distribute music for free. They can monetize it.

So, this time, after doing some research, I'd like to introduce some artists I personally found cool and good. Please do give them a listen!

04 Limited Sazabys

It's like the royal road of J-ROCK, or rather, melodic hardcore, with incredibly catchy melodies that stick in your ear, so I think it will resonate with those who like straightforward J-ROCK. I really love the high-pitched voice.

They released their 2nd Full Album 'eureka' on 2016.09.14, so please check it out. If you're subscribed to Amazon Prime, you can listen to it directly.

↓ Click below to listen to a preview.

Negoto

They're really cute. The sound here, where digital sounds are skillfully combined with charming J-ROCK, really hits you. However, are the songs with digital sounds and those without roughly half and half?

Digital sounds, including their rhythm, are easy to dance to, and the way they resonate deep in your gut feels good. In the past, I think there were many bands that incorporated heavy, electro-like sounds, but Negoto is more stylish, or rather, minimal and stripped of unnecessary elements. I like it.

↓ Click the image below to listen to a preview.

Mio Yamazaki

They're incredibly versatile. Seriously. While their eccentric lyrics and performances stand out, what I like is their versatility. From pop sounds to heavy rock, digital sounds, ballads, they transcend the boundaries of all genres, yet the individuality of the singer consistently comes through, creating a strangely addictive quality.

I think there are sounds that suit a song, rather than deliberately deciding on a specific genre or sound. That kind of theory, or 'how it should be,' is broken down, and I found that interesting.

↓ Click the image below to listen to a preview.

Summary

I felt that the fundamental aspects haven't changed much from 5 to 10 years ago when I listened to a lot of music.

Perhaps there was a period when digital sounds became widespread due to the influence of Yasutaka Nakata and club music, and bands suddenly started incorporating digital elements.

After that, sounds that were gradually intoxicated by digital or 'piko-piko' sounds returned to a more straightforward rock direction, and I thought that as a result, the digital and analog parts might be mixing in a good way.

Also, their English has generally improved lol.

This is just my personal impression, so I won't accept any 'that's wrong' or similar comments lol. Whether an impression is right or wrong is ultimately up to each individual, so I'll leave the judgment to you. I'm just a fan, not a professional.

By the way, what I'd like to hear in the future is, what would happen if 'minimal' music was incorporated into a band?

Why? Because I think the relationship between digital and bands is still developing, and there's still a lot worth researching. And it seems that what was popular in the digital world until recently was minimal.

By the way, EDM was before that. I heard the boom has long passed.

So, now minimal is also fading and it should be transitioning to the next type of music, but Asia still seems to be into EDM, so a band that incorporates minimal, which is the next trend, seems interesting.

In the first place, I haven't heard much of it.

For example, an artist like this one.

WAZNIAK, an artist who incorporates minimal and techno.

Super cool.

I'd personally like to hear something with stylish vocals and catchy melodies on this kind of sound.

So that's why I've recently started listening to J-ROCK again. For those who used to listen and for those who listen now, if you check out various things again, you might find many discoveries and it might be interesting.