Okay, now I'm regretting this. Pushing everything I want to do to be done within a night. Feels like my school project, but hey, who doesn't? Okay, feels like it's only me now, so let's move on.

[This post is going to be text-heavy. You have been warned.]

(From left to right, top to bottom) VELTPUNCH in 2007, 2011, 2015 and in 2017

Welcome everyone, to another installment of the #KN10YEARS series, where we I talk about various things I observed in general about the music industry and everything Klassic Note. As the title suggests, and I don't know how to phrase it properly, we talk about changes in artist structure mainly in its members, and how that has affected my experience in listening to their music over the years. I felt I've known enough at this point to give a perspective on this, so let's get started!

WHAT IS AN "ARTIST CHANGE"?
An artist change in this post shall refer to the changing of the artist - which mainly has more than one member - in its constituent members, hopefully not the main people who write the songs, and how this has changed my experience in listening to them. Over the many years in Klassic Note, I have seen drastic changes in the change of artist members, from reducing group size to replacing members like, every other year. Yeah, if you don't think this matters because they sound the same in studio recording or in live, think again. We hardly see any increase in members though (ORESKABAND is a good exception to this post), so that is not going to be covered in this post for now.

WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

I wonder why I'm missing the old than the new group lol

Good morning.
Listening to ClariS - Kokoro no Inryoku

— Kaineng (@KlassicNote) September 9, 2017

Since ClariS started this topic, let's talk about them first. In case you don't know of the infamous Anime duo who sang their way through recent years overseas lives and even revealed themselves even more recently (as in physically but not the faces), they actually started out as a different team, in case you didn't know. Their origins lie on posting cover songs on Niconico (YouTube in Japanese terms even though this is not the case now) and being picked up by production to produce theme songs for Anime, including Oreimo and Madoka Magica in their early years back in 2010. Their group name holds the essence of the good old duo of Clara and Alice (I guess it doesn't make sense in English but in Japanese it totally does), which is where it all started. Fast forward to 2014 where Alice announces her "graduation" from the group (in Japan that just means she's gone for good) and is being replaced with Karen who... actually has a more similar voice to Clara than to the departed member. Still, they continue to sing Anime songs and are still popular with the fans. For me? It has been a rough journey. Today, I stand happy with their new songs ever since 2015, and am still actively listening to their songs, including their new album and single up to April 2017. That may not mean much, but as a long time fan, something is missing. Aside from the obvious differences in chorus (which should be numb to me by now), but thinking back when they really sounded great together does bring me back. I don't really know how to describe this, but part of it is how each of them do actually sound different and coming together. And this? The duo today can never produce. Not that I miss Alice, but then again replacement may not be that much of a problem than it is a solution after all. Nonetheless, I'm still giving the songs, so I'm just thankful that it still exists today. But what does that mean for the brand name-holding production company?

I think watching the live performance, that I'm not a ClariS fan.

But if you are, you'll miss all they've sung. And love who they are now. pic.twitter.com/vAGXgIiXbN

— Kaineng (@KlassicNote) July 17, 2017

Another group worth mentioning and is a long time regular in Klassic Note is Chatmonchy. Before 2012, Chatmonchy consists of three girls, Eriko (the vocals and composer), Akiko (bassist) and Kumiko (drummer). In 2011 drummer Kumiko chose to retire from the group "on friendly terms" (according to Wikipedia) so we know there's no quarreling or whatever, but then it's sad. This had since then drastically changed the style of this group as Eriko continues to explore different possibilities for the group's new music style. They went from being an active duo in 2012 with Akiko picking up drums for the first time to being supported by different artists from 2014 to 2015. Today, they stand strong as a duo attempting to produce new melodies which are somewhat pop-rock and are very different from the good old rock band we know and love back then. So again, how much does that matter? To me, this had a huge impact back then. If you do hear their live performances or have before, not having the trio makes a big difference. Even getting others to replace the style of Kumiko in drums feels very unfamiliar considering they get to be part of producing the songs back then too. Nonetheless, we had to move on, and through learning more instruments on their part, Eriko and Akiko carried on the legacy in order to not disappoint their fans, and I like that. Their recent single did also catch my attention; it was as if the songs from one of those days had really come back.

Since we had to talk about changes, we can't have as many changes as regular Klassic Note J-Rock veteran VELTPUNCH. If I can name all the members that have come and gone for the past 10 years you should give me a medal for it. They started out with four members if I didn't remember wrongly, and has always stayed that way until 2008 where they changed their drummer, following their new mini-album and single where I started. Then on, the group has changed their guitarist in 2011, and had a partial disbandment and hiatus from 2012 to 2014, to come back in time for their 20th anniversary in 2017 under new members in their group. Composers and original members till date Hidenori and Aiko (who have been main vocals all this time) (I don't mean to forget the "shouter" but that changes along with the members too) still continued the band after so many years knowing that they can continue making awesome tunes we will love, and since the revival it has not been disappointing. Their album in 2016 last year was fantastic, placing half the their new songs on my list already. This is what will keep them going to matter what are the background changes, and this I will continue to enjoy. If you wonder whether everything else matters at this point, take note that with changes in people if the style doesn't really deviate we can still enjoy the music today compared to what is in the past.

Last but not least, forced group structures do cause a bunch of singer-songwriters to reach out to the sky to fly away more often than ever. Goose house was originally formed from auditioning for a group of solo composers so they could get together and write songs, and in recent years Anime theme songs. The first member that left was leader d-iZe who released his first solo album back in 2012 (I've heard that before) and left in 2014 following the group's first Anime credited single. Last year in 2016, Takezawa Migiwa announced her new mini-album followed by announcement of her departure in 2017 after their major album "HEPTAGON", which its title closely relates her to the now six-piece group today. Now, they stay united with 2 female and 4 male members, all struggling to keep the compositions work for all of us and at the same time, trying to juggle a life of solo music career in order to make a name for themselves. Most of them have at least released one or two solo works, and that is easy proof of them wanting to accomplish both at the same time. We don't know what's ahead of the group which may get too small to stay together or even hold it together for many years in the future as they get more international attention from the new audience of Anime. But I would say, there's always a thing to remember them by, and that is very important. Because each of them play a role in this group, it makes it even harder to tear them apart.

WHY TALK ABOUT IT?
As I anticipate the new nano.RIPE comeback and their new single with only half of its core members remaining, I think to myself what matters most in such change. It's inevitable, it's progressive, and yet it's ground-breaking, and it'll never be the same again. But isn't that what should be of music - the ever changing landscape, the search for something new - and what should be the vision of Klassic Note? I'm not complaining, and I'm most definitely not trying to sound like that obstinate old man who cannot get over the present and constantly reminisces the past, but to be honest, I miss those days. When they were still together making songs I liked, and their resolution to keep it together today brings a tear down my cheek. I don't know how many of these artists will I meet, or how many of them will last until I fill up the disbandment list (this will be covered in the near future don't you worry) every year and I cannot do anything but listen to their tunes again... maybe then, will seeing their change really matter.

-Kaineng, on the Klassic Note


This is it then, and stay tuned for the weekly series as I try to rush through two chapters of manga and write everything I've reviewed this week. That's... I think 3 singles and 2 albums. Geez. Getting tired already, doing all of this in one day. Well, I slept for half of it so whatever haha

P.S. I'll try to make it more readable by highlighting pointers and fix spelling errors (if any) very soon. Images may be in place if I have the mood to do it. We shall see.

P.P.S. I wanted to talk about groups like RSP but since they already disbanded before I could talk about their separation and technically that didn't greatly affect how the vocals have sung for the next couple of years (because the dancers d-RSP aren't singers in any way anyway), I shall not talk about it. I know there are more examples, but that'll be for #KN10YEARS then. I'll have to write everyone down by then so don't you worry I'll cover the s**t out of them lol