[Mazzy]

I'm not sure why I'm into Japanese music. In many cases I notice there are different melodies and vocal patterns when compared to US/European music, which has become very predictable. Instrumentally, Japanese bands aren't afraid to experiment and do their own thing, even within popular genres, where in the USA, popular bands are built from the same mold.

I got into J-Rock about 7 years ago through bands like Dir En Grey and Malice Mizer, finding their music online through music message boards and such. This was before YouTube and many J-Rock websites started being built, so it was difficult to find other bands. I latched onto the bands that I got limited exposure to, and didn't really discover a larger world of Japanese music until the past couple of years.

I wouldn't say that I openly tell people that I'm into Japanese music, but most of my close friends realize that I'm a bit of a Japanophile or have talked about/listened to Japanese bands around them. I'm not goign out of my way to hide it, but it's not something people can immediately tell about me. I'm a musician involved in death metal and other very inaccessible forms of music, and it's very uncharacteristic for someone involved with death metal to be into this music, much less anime and other aspects of Japanese culture. I definitely don't look the part of the typical J-Rock fan, either.