Hi there
Have you already heard of the german band Cinema Bizarre? Like many visual kei acts they try to combine rock and other influences with very stylish outfits and makeups. The little difference is that these guys don't reside in Asia and they use english lyrics. Their sound reminds me of other european (visual) acts like HIM or The Rasmus, but unlike them Cinema Bizarre tries to represent a visual kei band rather than a glam rock band. The artists use pseudonyms like Strify, Kiro, Shin, Luminor and Yu to emphasize that even more on top of the costume, haircut, makeup extravaganza.
As for now they have one album out, titled "Final Attraction" and released two singles from it, "Love Songs" and "Escape to the Stars". Check out the video for "Love Songs" and judge yourself if these guys are really visual or just a nice try.
Cinema Bizarre - Love Songs
Cinema Bizarre had some decent media coverage during the past weeks due to their application to the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Love Songs". The qualifiers for that event will be held on March 6th 2008.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest, let me explain. In a way that event is a battle between european bands. Each country is allowed to send in one band. And each country is allowed to give each band one vote, except of the band that country sent to the contest. In other words, all participating countries bring in the contesting bands and judge them. The event is widely known for alot of truly wacky acts. Winner 2006 was another pretty visual band, doing their show in zombie costumes. Check out their video to see what I mean.
Lordi - Rock Hallelujah live at Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Well, let's see if Cinema Bizarre will make it to the event representing Germany and if they have a chance against other european acts.
Hope you had some fun with this out of the frame visual kei news.
8 comments:
Cinema bizarre is NOT visual kei and will never be - that kind of music comes from Japan and Stays in japan.
I can only agree. I consider them to be a cheap try to surf on the visual kei 2.0 wave going over Europe. But I don't think visual kei is something that has to stay in Japan. The idea to open up and explore the markets outside of Japan isn't new for visu bands and many made their successful first steps outside of Japan. Hope we get to see more of them in Europe and the rest of the world.
Their name is more than a little
similar to Cinema Strange though.
Cinema Strange is even on a
german label along with Malice Mizer the Candy Spooky Theater and
Moi Dix Mois. All of whom have had european releases on said label.
They're so...big. Maybe I listen to some very specific visual kei, but I've never heard/seen a vk band that dresses like that or uses those kinds of vocals. I think it's the juxtoposition of delicate and brutal that makes visual kei what it is. This has nothing delicate; it just ends up looking like tacky power metal. I agree there is something to Visual Kei's base in Japan. I would imagine that the culture and the underground scene is very influential. Cinema Bizarre has never really experienced that, and is thus lacking the "secret ingredient" of VK.
Yeah I agree with that other person, they're german for gods sake! XO -gags-
While they may try to glam up for a VK look they lack something that japanese visual kei artists ooze from their very pores. I heard the members were die-hard fans of the vk scene. But still.. It hurts to look at them tell them to stop.
Well..At least they admit that they love Visual Kei and thats what inspired them...even if they're not Visual Kei type..I still think they are pretty good cause their songs/lyrics are so great...
u guys suck. CB is amazing. have u actually listened to them? we absolutely love them here. and they never said they were visual kei. they said they were INFLUENCED by VK. they mixed in their own style and i must say they are "bizarre" on a wonderful level. They are famous all over the globe. Im from tokyo and I know what VK is. They are not VK they are glam-VK-adrogyny-pop-new wave-electro-emo. Its a mixture and they know how to make it work as most wouldnt. If anyone wants to know anything about CB i can tel you just email me at esperanzasorrel@yahoo.com
I dont think yu people should be criticizing Cinema Bizarre just because they are not truly Visual Kei. They like the music and the style. If i were a VK artist i wouls appreciate them, because in dressing like VK and being fans of it themselves, they are spreading VK to the world. I love VK but i never would've even known that it existed if it weren't for CB. So i think they deserve some praise. (:
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