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J-rock - Japanese rock is the Japanese form of rock and roll music, often
abbreviated to "J-Rock" or "jrock", as "J-Pop" and "jpop" are used as an
abbreviation of Japanese Pop. J-Rock is one of the most popular forms of music
in its native Japan.
History
Birth: Through Psychedelic rock (1960s)
In the 1960s American and British counterculture figures created Psychedelic
rock. However, in Japan, psychedelic rock took on a different flavor. While
psychedelic rock was known for the drug intake of its performers leaving an
impact on the hazy, drugged-out music, J-Rock performers tended to be
drug-free, or even adamantly against the use of drugs (for example, Kosugi
Takehisa, Haino Keiji, Nanjo Asahito).
Psychedelic rock first appeared in Japan in the mid to late 1960s. A few Group
Sounds bands, including The Golden Cups, The Tempters, The Mops, The
Dynamites and Jacks (whose "Karappo No Sekai" and "Marianne" were two of the
first psychedelic recordings from the country) imitated their Anglo heros.
Like in the UK and US, the psychedelic rock scene was linked to a political
movement involving young, spirited students. An economic boom brought many
young people to universities, where radical politics abounded. Central to this
movement, arising from the late 60s Kyoto student revolts, was the band Les
Rallizes Denudés and the Taj Mahal Travellers, followed by Lost Aaraaff (whose
lineup included notable avant-garde musician, Keiji Haino).
Evolution: Rise of Singer-songwriters & Progressive rock
In the 1970s, singer-songwriters like Kazuki Tomokawa and Kan Mikami became
popular. As in the US and UK, Japanese rock spawned a folk-rock scene, there
led by Magical Power Mako. At the same time, radical progressive rock was
evolving, with distinctly Japanese bands like After Dinner, Cosmos Factory, Bi
Kyo Ran, Kenso, and Ruins (band).
Emergence of Visual Kei (1980s)
From the late 1980s, popular rock bands such as X Japan helped define the
Visual Kei aesthetic in Japanese rock and pop music. "Visual kei" is often
focused upon in the West as a uniquely Japanese part of the Rock music scene.
A fringe movement from the late 1980s in Japanese alternative rock took the
form of noise rock, a sound popularised by bands such as Boredoms.
Japanese rock in more recent times
A book on J-Rock titled jrock, ink.: a concise report on 40 of the biggest rock acts
in Japan by author Josephine Yun was released in the autumn of 2005. The book
features profiles, discographies and illustrations of some of the most popular
Jrock artists of yesterday and today.
An English language print magazine entitled jrock ink magazine was announced
in January 2006, promising to continue the propagation of J-Rock in Western
countries.
abbreviated to "J-Rock" or "jrock", as "J-Pop" and "jpop" are used as an
abbreviation of Japanese Pop. J-Rock is one of the most popular forms of music
in its native Japan.
History
Birth: Through Psychedelic rock (1960s)
In the 1960s American and British counterculture figures created Psychedelic
rock. However, in Japan, psychedelic rock took on a different flavor. While
psychedelic rock was known for the drug intake of its performers leaving an
impact on the hazy, drugged-out music, J-Rock performers tended to be
drug-free, or even adamantly against the use of drugs (for example, Kosugi
Takehisa, Haino Keiji, Nanjo Asahito).
Psychedelic rock first appeared in Japan in the mid to late 1960s. A few Group
Sounds bands, including The Golden Cups, The Tempters, The Mops, The
Dynamites and Jacks (whose "Karappo No Sekai" and "Marianne" were two of the
first psychedelic recordings from the country) imitated their Anglo heros.
Like in the UK and US, the psychedelic rock scene was linked to a political
movement involving young, spirited students. An economic boom brought many
young people to universities, where radical politics abounded. Central to this
movement, arising from the late 60s Kyoto student revolts, was the band Les
Rallizes Denudés and the Taj Mahal Travellers, followed by Lost Aaraaff (whose
lineup included notable avant-garde musician, Keiji Haino).
Evolution: Rise of Singer-songwriters & Progressive rock
In the 1970s, singer-songwriters like Kazuki Tomokawa and Kan Mikami became
popular. As in the US and UK, Japanese rock spawned a folk-rock scene, there
led by Magical Power Mako. At the same time, radical progressive rock was
evolving, with distinctly Japanese bands like After Dinner, Cosmos Factory, Bi
Kyo Ran, Kenso, and Ruins (band).
Emergence of Visual Kei (1980s)
From the late 1980s, popular rock bands such as X Japan helped define the
Visual Kei aesthetic in Japanese rock and pop music. "Visual kei" is often
focused upon in the West as a uniquely Japanese part of the Rock music scene.
A fringe movement from the late 1980s in Japanese alternative rock took the
form of noise rock, a sound popularised by bands such as Boredoms.
Japanese rock in more recent times
A book on J-Rock titled jrock, ink.: a concise report on 40 of the biggest rock acts
in Japan by author Josephine Yun was released in the autumn of 2005. The book
features profiles, discographies and illustrations of some of the most popular
Jrock artists of yesterday and today.
An English language print magazine entitled jrock ink magazine was announced
in January 2006, promising to continue the propagation of J-Rock in Western
countries.