Visual kei

Visual kei actually is not something that we call genre, but it do part of music. Visual kei are image of gothic, style and western culture that mirroring each band, which of each band have their own style of fashion, make up, colorful customs, how their elaborate their hair style and it shows what sub-genre rock music that they perform.

Visual Kei emerge in the late 1980s establish by bands such as x-japan. Visual kei are acceptable more at Europe and American market at first but around the middle of 90’s, their popularities increase and album sales reach record numbers.

Standard visual kei also known as kurofuku kei( black suit) coz they always wears suit and they are:
Malice mizer
X-japan
Dir en grey
Pierrot
Luna sea

There’s a few different type under visual kei such as:
1. angura kei

2. oshare kei

3. soft v-kei

4. decora kei

5. Kote kei

6. Kote-osa kei

7. Nagoya kei

8. Misshitsu kei

9. Chikashitsu kei

10. Denpa kei

1. angura kei

Angura kei are more to black, or darker and traditional. Normally, angura kei band wears kimono or something that more to Japan imperial. Their music’s contain rude and cruel language and suitable for under age. Angura come from word underground. Their songs often use in anime. Bands in angura category are:
Merry
GIRUGAMESH
kaggra

2. Oshare kei

Oshare kei is totally opposite with angura kei. A Japanese music and fashion style, translating to “fashion conscience.” The bands of the oshare kei genre, unlike those of visual kei, are bouncy and bright, their songs focusing on happy and positive messages like friends and relationships. Other than occasional eyeliner and colored contacts, they rarely wear a lot of makeup, also unlike the visual kei genre. Oshare kei started to appear around 2001, and was said to have been started by Ryo of Baroque in their PV “Anakuro Film. It Links Closely To Harajuku Syle. It Has A Mix Of J-rock, Lolita And Visual Style Thrown In To Make It Unique. Oshare Kei Is A Gorgeous Style And Looks Cute. Bands in oshare kei are:
Antic café (most popular)
Charlotte
Alice nine
SuG
Vivid

3. Soft v-kei

Soft v-kei are almost same as oshare kei, but different in decent suits fashion, light makeup, orthodox music. Bands in soft v-kei are:
Janne da arc
Ayabie
SID
Glay
Sophia

4. Decora kei

Decora kei are most heavier than oshare kei from fashion, make and customs. Bands under this type are:
Lolita23
Charlotte
Alibi

5. Kote-kei

Kote-kei is heaviest and darker than oshare kei and they perform loud and shout music. Their music divides into 2 parts which is black kei and white kei. Black kei is heavy and speeds melodies while white kei is melodious and transparent. They are:
DESPAIR’s RAY
Phantasmagoria


6. Koteosa kei

Koteosa kei is combination from kote kei and oshare kei. Examples are:
Vidoll
Eimy
12012

7. Nagoya kei

This type originally came from Nagoya themselves and they are:
Kuruyuma
Laputa
Deadman
Gullet
Deathgaze

8. Misshitsu kei

Misshitsu Kei, generally term used for bands that belonged to the label Misshitus Neurosis, means a room that is secret or cannot be entered. Their bands are:
Cali=/=gari
Mucc
Plastic Tree

9. Chikashitsu kei

Chikashitsu kei means basement. Terms come from concert at Tokyo chikashitsu around 1997, combination from angura kei and denpa kei. Bands are:
Inugami Circus Dan
guruguru Eigakan
Metronome

10. Denpa kei

Denpa kei is the music often uses squeaky female voices that have sometimes been pitch-shifted to sound more anime-like. Some of the voice actors actually can make those strange childish voices without the technology, which is quite amazing. I think they are similar like cyber kei. Artists are:
Cotton Panties
IOSYS
KIRIKO
KOTOKO

credit to: ai-chan sensei