You know what. I was thinking about Phantasmagoria, and Under-Code and etc. Hell, 12012 too. And I was thinking about the goal I admired from the label originally. When you get right down to it, it's the goal of commericialized out and out visual kei. Without being major abandoning it's original intent. Recently I read something Go said, and he was right for once. With Phantasmagoria's last releases it's like Kisaki actually got people who knew how to compose music in there. But I think the real reasons that they were good is because the members didn't really care anymore. For instance, Kisaki wasn't dominating the playing field. ...Lost in Thought is something I actually brought myself to download and listen to, and I actually repeated playing it. I finally downloaded and listened to Under the Veil and Vain. Unknow Zero Distance still has that sort of half ass feeling to it. But the lyrics themselves kind of reflect the band's feelings in my mind. So I can feel the heart in it. The same with Vain.
But back to the intent of Under-Code and to what it's actually become instead. I feel like U-C had that very nobel original intent, and was on it's way to achieving it with line ups like Phanta themselves, 12012 and Vidooru. In fact, Pashya was begining to get good before they got rid of a member too. And I originally disliked them music wise.
I loved the idea, and thought it could be achieved. I have over time, liked a lot of visual kei bands with just the same feeling as 12012, Vidoll, and Phanta, and they always go major and something bad happens with the original feeling of the music, whether it's the stress from major, the lack of attachment to the audience, or their major producers making them stop using the type of music they used to.
Great idea, was U-C able to carry it out? No. I believe the bands really wanted to carry it out though. I just think Kisaki was too nuerotic to do it. He was unwilling to admit that his label needed help and wanted to do it all on his own, he commited tax evasion, and he dominated the playing field for Phantasmagoria. He sold out to Jrockhouse to get them to the US when they would have done fine without it.
12012 and Phanta alone were pulling interests to UC. If he had taken the slow road, right now the bands would still be popular, and UC would have had it's goal.
But because of a lot of things, anyone with the sense have fallen out of these bands. Even 12012, who tried hard and did not deserve the fate being on UC gave them when they too were working toward the same goal.
In short, for those of us out there who liked the idea UC promoted, and who are still rooting for new talent, and talent for those artists who want to stick with the livehouse scene, I reccommend we look to labels like Sequence Records and producers like Tomozo, who's taken the slow road and who's bands need and deserve our support.
Current Mood: 
contemplative
cheerful
loller
annoyed