Ayabie is like the Zooey Deschanel of visual kei. They have the same sunny disposition and vintage Bohemian fashion sense. They also exhibit the kind of awkwardness that is endearing rather than uncomfortable to watch, because hiding underneath it is self-assuredness. At the end of the day they are still pros, as they proved to …
Tag Archive: Visual Kei
Jun 05
[live report] A Pleasant Nightmare Brought to You by Matenrou Opera
I had a good nightmare a few nights ago. A translucent, white sheet veiled the stage at Akasaka Blitz. Like demented shadow puppets, male figures writhed around a stock-still silhouette. The sheet lifted to reveal interpretive dancers covered in black soot as power metal guitars directed their bizarre and animalistic movements. No, I didn’t fall …
May 15
[review] exist†trace – VIRGIN
Veterans of the visual kei music scene, exist†trace are no virgins when it comes to churning out great songs. Though there’s not a lot of virgin territory on their third studio album (hint hint, it’s called Virgin); it includes five tracks from previous mini-albums. “WONDERLAND” starts out like the opening to a gothic horror flick; sliding …
May 02
[live report] La’Mule – My '90s Visual Kei Fantasy Realized
If a magical visual kei genie appeared before me right now, granting me one wish, I know exactly what I would want: to travel back in time to the mid-90s. I can give up the instant intellectual gratification of Wikipedia and the oversharing aspect of Facebook for a couple of days just to do a …
