{A 1st Impression of} NORD

NORD is a 7 member boy group from Sapporo. They released their first cd in december 2016. Back then they were still 8 members. However somewhere between end 2017 and beginning 2018 the member with the color "dark blue" left the group. I don't know his name nor do I know why he left. This left the group with the 7 members they are now, thought Nagasaki Yusuke was on hiatus for a few singles and that's also the reason he is not staring in their recently released live dvd.

I first got to know them because they were futured in a magazine I own but I wasn't really interessted in them so I didn't check them out. The reason I finally checked them out is a project group called "Love Harmony, Inc." which futures artists of different groups as well as solo artists. Shima Taisei is one of the artists in this group and his voice is very beautiful so I wanted to check out the group he is in and that happend to be NORD. 

So I watched the music videos they released so far and damn these guys are really cute and I really like the music, most of the time it's fun music that get's you in a good mood. Here are the videos of them you can find online.

"Boku = Kimi Heart Catch" is definitly my favorite song of them. It's so cute und so much fun to listen too and the video is freakin adorable. I love watching them being all dorky.

Starlit Sky is their most recent single. You can get nearly all of their music on iTunes. Their first 2 releases (the EP "NORD" and the single "Hajimarisuto") however are only availible on the japanese iTunes. If you have the chance to buy those two as well, I recomend doing so because there are some nice songs on them, my favorite one happens to be "Mirai".

Here are the members and their short profiles.

Takeru Funaki

Birthday：August 10th 2001 (OMG WHAT!!! He doesn't look so young!! XD)

Hometown：Sapporo

Height：180cm

Hobbies：Dance(Jazz, HipHop), Acting, Games, Guitar

Yusuke Nagasaki

Birthday：May 9th 1994
Hometown：Sapporo
Height：170cm

Hobbies：Snow Boarding

Ryota Hanaoka

Birthday：August 22nd 1995

Hometown：札幌市

Height：170cm

Hobbies：Songs, Driving, Sports

Takushiro Anbo

Birthday：April 8th 1997

Hometown：Sapporo

Height：178cm

Hobbies：Soccer, Manga, Listening to Music

Raia Edamoto

Birthday：June 5th 1999

Hometown：Sapporo

Height：180cm

Hobbies：Japanese Drums

Taisei Shima

Birthday：January 29th 1998

Homwtown：Fukagawa

Height：177cm

Hobbies：Karaoke

Hikaru Takihara

Bithday：June 12th 1997

Hometown：Sapporo

Height：167cm

Hobbies：baseball, singing when alone, listening to music

So far I think they are all kind of cute and my favorites so far happen to be Hikaru and Taisei. However since I just got into them my favorites might change pretty fast. 

They also have a youtube channel on which they upload videos of them doing all kind of things. It looks pretty funny but I haven't taken a serious look at these jet. If you might got interessted in them, here are all the links to their social media sites and the like.

Official Website

Twitter

Youtube

The members all have Instagram and Twitter, you can find the link on their website under profile.

So far I really like this group. The members seem cute und fun and the what I listend to of their music until now sounds pretty good. They have a new fan now.

What do you guys think? Do you like what you see and hear?

{A 1st Impression of} BLACK IRIS

Some days ago I came across this new group called "BLACK IRIS". It's a 5 member dance and vocal boy group. On March 22nd 2018 they were the opening act for "BUZZ-UP 2018 spring" which marks the beginning of their activities. By the way I was pretty stunned to see that they even had backdancers on their first ever live performance. That's nothing you usually see for indie groups.

So far I don't know if they are under a lable or kind of self-produced but it looks like they have quite some money to produce more of a high quality contant. Like for example the making of for the photo shooting looked quite professional. As for releases they already released two songs. Both have been released on a music card on May 2nd. Sadly these are only availible at their lives. However you can listen to a short preview on a video on their website. Besides having an official website and twitter account they also have an instagram account and youtube channel. I will link all of that at the end of the post. So here is some info on the 5 members.

Handa Gou

02.09.1994

from Fukuoka

blood type: O

favorite food: Ramen

favorite season: Spring

favorite movie: Harry Potter

favorite color: blue

a place he would like to visit: Hawaii

Saitou Hiroki

03.07.1995

from Aomori

blood type: B

favorite food: curry rice

favorite season:

favorite movie: Avengers

favorite color: red

a place he would like to visit: america

Hayano Rio

15.02.1996

from Fukuoka

blood type: O

Kawasaki Shouta 

29.01.1998

from Saitama

blood type: B

favorite season: Winter

favorite movie: La La Land

favorite color: purple

a place he would like to visit: South Korea

Sugimoto Takuya

08.07.1994

from Kumamoto

blood type: B

favorite season: summer

favorite movie: Greatest Showman

favorite color: orange

a place he would like to visit: New Zealand

*fromer member of AMAZO NIGHT*

The main reason of me writing about this group is because I was really supprised to see Takuya in this group. He once was a member of the indie group AMAZO NIGHT, which I love a lot. I was kinde sad when he left them however I kept followng him on instagram because I really love his voice. However I saw nothing about him joining a new group so I was kinde excited to find out he finally is in a new group. I am so much looking forward to what their way will be like. If you guys want to know more about them you can check out their chanel or twitter. They really post a lot on twitter and already uploaded a few videos to youtube. Here are the links.

Youtube

Official Website

Twitter

Instagram

By the way even thought my reason for getting to know them better was Takuya I found myself having a thing for Gou. That guys is cuteness overload and I always have the feeling I saw him before but I am really not sure. However I feel like for me there is no turning back from now on. XD

What do you think about them?

{A 1st Impression of} KAZ

KAZ (29.10.1992) is a japanese singer that didn't had a debut so far. He took/takes (I am not sure if he is still in this audition) place in the Saito Genki audition. Despite that he is active on both twitter and instagram. Also he seems to know quite some other musicans e.g. the UNIONE members.

However the reason I am writing about him is that he uploaded his first original song two days ago and I just came across it and really like it.

【拡散希望】

「ONE DAY」
の歌詞付き動画を公開しまーーす♬

14歳の時に上京してから、
変わらない夢について
書いたオリジナル曲です！

ショートver.ですが、

作詞作曲して歌っているので、

是非みんな、聴いて下さい♬#RT#イイネ

KAZ/ONEDAY pic.twitter.com/529DAkA2Sz

— KAZ (@kaz1029am) 6. November 2016

The song is really cute and his voice sounds soooooo nice!!
I wish him to get well known and therefor a label contract. I will take a look at him fom time to time.

What do you think about it?

{A first impression of} The Beat Garden

Rei, Masato, Satoru, U

The Beat Garden are vocalists U, Rei and Masato and DJ Satoru. The group has been formed in 2012 with the members U, Rei and Masato. Satoru joined them as a member in december 2015. They produce a mix of dance/electro/rock music and released their first indie full lenght album "Will" in february 2015. This album placed number 3 in the Oricon Indies Ranking. One year later the inide mini album "Air" was released and just recently they released their first major cd, the mini album "Never End". They released two music video on their chanel and I love both songs a lot. Take a look yourself.

I really love their voices, especially U's voice but they all sound good (thought you don't hear much of Rei) and they sound great together. I bought their "Never End" cd so I am looking forwar to see if I like their other songs too, but from the previews on Recochoku I can say I will properly like pretty much all of their songs!

What do you think of them?

{A 1st Impression of} G=AGE

Fumito, Vasa, Mahiro, Tasy, Roi

G=AGE is a 5 member group that had their debut on the 21th July 2016 with the single "Age of Future". The single has been released in 6 versions, 3 regular and 3 limited. The band has been formed out of two bands, G-Eye and New->Age. 

Asahi, Tasy, Hau, Vasa

Mahiro, Fumito, Roi

As you can see G-Eye has been 4 members before but Asahi and Hau left the band. I don't know if they had to leave or if they left on they own. However it seems that actuelly only G-Eye were to debut, with the exact same theme G=AGE debuted. Here is a teasers of G-Eye.

 As far as I know G-Eye was supposed to become a 7 member band but then Asahi and Hau left and the website of G-Eye has been deleted and the twitter account has been renamed to G=AGE. As for New->Age they have been formed in march this year and later have been announced to form G=AGE together with G-Eye. Sadly I don't know more in detail.
However as for the members they are very young, the oldest getting 18 this year and the youngest turned 14 this year. AlsoI read that two of them are ex-Johnny's Jr. but I only know of one for sure. I know Vasa has been a Johnny's Jr. and he was futured in some magazine. I am not sure who the other one is. If you guys know it, tell me.
Anyhow here is the music video they released in July.



The video looks so cheap and I don't like their hair styles but I can't deny that this song is pretty good and I keep playing it. I am looking forward to see them develope. I hope the next video will be better and they get a different hair stylist.

What do you think about them?

{A 1st Impression of} BACK TRICK

Riku, Masataka, Ken, Daisuke, Kittan

BACK TRICK is a pretty new group. They had their debut tour in may 2015, what makes the group not even a year old. In that short time they already created a sub-unit that is called DxM and is consiting of Masataka and Daisuke. Besides these two have been members of the band LUV before. Also just recently member Riku left the band, so now they are only 4 member left. It's not easy finding songs of them online but here is one of BACK TRICK and on of their sub-unit.

I like those songs. Their vocals are nice. If I would have the chance, I think I would like to see them live. However, I hope there will be a few more songs released on Youtube, That would be awesome. 

How do you like the songs?

Thanks for reading!

{A 1st Impression of} CLOWN'S CROWN

CLOWN'S CROWN is a 5 member band that didn't have a debut until now, thought they are active for a few years already. [Ok I just saw that they seem to already have released an album but it's only availible at their lives, I can't find it anywhere else! >-<] They often do street performances, you can find a good amount of them on youtube. Also they held a quite regular live event called "Jack in the Box". Despite that they have various gigs from time to time. Here is one their more recent performances.

I really like their music and I think their vocals are quite good. Sadly the quality of these videos isn't the best. I know they also released a music video but I didn't want to show it to you 'cause it's a really horrible one. Not the song but the video is kinde ugly! >-< However I am very much looking forward to their way and I honestly hope they will get a major debut someday. I will definitly support them if they do.

That's a picture of them together with f:ma one of my other favorite indie groups.

What do you think about CLOWN's CROWN?

Thanks for reading!

{A 1st Impression of} 龍雅 -Ryoga-

Ryoga will have their debut in april with the single "Live For You". The group consists of Yuta the vocalist, Takuya a back-vocalist and rapper and three dancer. I got to know them because of Reo who was a former member of Vimclip (and I LOVE Vimclip but they already disbanded). Then I saw that Takuya is in the band as well and I got even more excited, he was a member of the already disbanded band Cocoa Otoko (that I LOVE as well). With these two in the band I couldn't overlook them. So far they did performances of both songs that will be released on their debut cd. The songs are called "Live For You" and "Glory Days". Here is a performance they did.

Sadly I have to say I don't like Glory Days. I am not a fan of the heavy autotune Yuta uses. At the show Danzen Live you can hear that Yuta actuelly has a nice voice, not the most perfect and I think it lacks some power but much better then with this autotune sound. Despite his voice I just think this song isn't something memorable or catchy or anything. Well I just don't like it. As for Live For You I like it more. There is still the autotune but the song itself is more interessting, it's more ctachy.Then I also like the rap of Takuya in it.

So all in one I don't really know what to think about them. I don't see them getting very popular if their following releases will be as boring as this one. I know this is really harsh but with this release they don't stand out at least a little. I mean they have Takuya and Reo, who bring some fans with them but I think that's not enough. Then there is Goro who is know because of the dance battles he won prices at but again I don't think that's enough. Maybe their 2nd single will be totaly different, hopefully in a good way, but let's not talk about this one too much, since they haven't even released their first one. I am looking forward how they will do with the first single and to honest I pre-ordered it myslef but only because I like Reo and Takuya so much and thought I want to support them even thouh I don't like the music so much.

What do you think about them?

Thanks for reading!

{A 1st Impression of} MAG!C PRINCE

MAG!C PRINCE is a band from Nagoya. They have 5 members, each having his own color! Before their debut they already started a small tv an radio show that is airing around midnight on CBC.

They officially debuted on the 2015.12.23 with the single Zettai Aishiteru! The debut single comes in 7 different versions. I think that's kinde crazy for a first single. On the other hand I am sure that means they have already been popular before their debut. Here is the song!

I like the song quite a lot since I first listend to it. Also I came across them by accident but since I love to getto know new bands I was excited to find out about them. Of 'course they are pretty young,well at least for me, but I don't really mind. After getting to know so many bands I am used to the fact that especially new bands have members way younger then me. The oldest one is getting 21 y.o. in february and the two youngest (they are born on the same day and no they are not twins) among them turning 19 y.o. in october. The age is actuelly ok, it could have been worse, like if the  would be under 15. >-< However here is some other pictures.

What do you think about them?

Thanks for reading!

{A 1st Impression of} Hikaru Genji

So guys just three days ago I listend to my first ever Hikaru Genji (光GENJI) song sung by themself (because sometimes you hear songs of them being covered by Juniors or other bands of JE). This band debuted in 1987 with the song STAR LIGHT. They were one of the most popular Johnny's Entertainment bands, even though they only lasted for around 8 years. In 1994 two members left the band only one year later they completely disbanded. Within this one year the band changed their name to Hikaru Genji Super 5. However this is just a first impression and I don't know them very well so far anyway, so let's move on to the music.

Actuelly the songs I personally like the most so far are their 4 first released singels. STAR LIGHT, Garasu no Jidai, Paradise Ginga and Diamond Hurricane. Here they are.

I love these songs but of course I didn't listen to that many songs of them so far. To get to know their music a little more and to be able to listen to these 4 songs more, I already ordered an album of them. I am very much looking forward to recieve it and I will do a little review about it when I got it.

Oh my gosh, I had to laugh at this picture so much. Their clothes! XDDDDDD

But well it's the '80s early '90s, so I guess it can't be helped! XP

How do you like them?

Thanks for reading!