January 27, 2009

Jrock Obsession...ONE OK ROCK

As religion is the opium of the masses, Music is my lithium and Jrock is my morphine. A lethal dose of ONE OK ROCK, a jrock band, definitely I would ask for more.

Their name sounds hilarious? I admit they have a strange group name, but it is not uncommon in Japan for a great band to have such funny name. Moreover, the Japanese pronunciation of ONE OK ROCK is 'wan.oku.ruckku', would somehow explain why such talented bunch of guys could allow mediocrity. As in Japanese Language there is no distinction between r’s and l’s, thus, it sounds like one o’clock, which is significant to the band members. One o'clock is the time they used to booked there practice session.


This jpop-rock band is compose of five members, namely, Taka in vocal, Toru in vocal and guitar, Alex as lead guitarist, Ryota as bassist and Tomoya in drums. Born entertainers no doubt they are talented, evident as Toru and Ryota used to be in a rapping breakdancing group, HEADS, Ryota was so KAwaii then. While the lead vocal, Taka, is a former member of JE jpop idol boyband, NEWS. The band was formed when Toru, Ryota and Alex started it in highschool. Then, Toru adamantly convince Taka to join them. It was just in March 2007 that the last member Tomoya had joined the band. A Fairly young band to be able to skyrocket in the jrock scene, eventhough not much member's profiles are in circulation.

Nevertheless, what's so amazing with the band are not their boyband backgrounds and looks but what they are able to create…great music and the ability to transcend it consistently with their live acts. In Japan, it is rare to find a rock band whose live acts are so energize, gripping and sounding better than the recorded audio. Check out the Naihi Shinsho PV, if this is already a great music, tell you the live act is way more better.




I can feel the energy and emotion pulsating across the concert hall even as I watched ONE OK ROCK for the first time in a Nihon Channel in Skycable. And can’t help but to google and look for them in youtube, immediately after their name flashed across the TV screen.

ONE OK ROCK has 3 albums and 2 mini-albums to their rack. Their music is similar to an American indie rock, I say they are the Japanese version of the Fall Out Boys. Technically, they are more then above average but hope to hear longer guitar solo and bass blasting. The lead singer's voice, Taka, is so damn crazy amazing (good for him that he divorced his JE family.) In addition, they incorporate a little rapping that made their songs contemporary and edgy.

The ONE OK ROCK songs I'm most obsess with are:

Naihi Shinsho from Zeitakubyou Album
Kagerou from Zeitakubyou Album
Yoru ni Shika Sakanai Mangetsu from Zeitakubyou Album
Borderline from Zeitakubyou Album
Karasu from the 2nd single Yume yume
Yume Yume from Zeitakubyou Album
Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Kupido from Kanjou Effect album
Crazy Botch from Beam of Light Album
100% from Beam of Light Album
And more…
(later there will be links)


Onegai Shimasu, I strongly recommend to check them out. Ja mata ne.
Official website go to
www.oneokrock.com

No comments: