Jpop is Jsoul.

    About a year ago a friend coaxed me to see Puffy AmiYumi. I went for novelty’s sake and little did I know that I’d fall in love. A couple of Limewire downloads and CDs later, I no longer refer to the genre as Jpop but Jsoul. There is something pure, hip, and energetic about the music in comparison to the west. Listening to a dose of Jsoul made me realize, us westerners take ourselves really damn seriously. No matter how cool or avante garde we may be, there is always a slice of melodrama in our notes. Oftentimes the word “fun” or “party” are not adjectives to describe western music. And this Jsoul is not bubblegum (though that’s what the stereotype surface is), it’s sophisticated.

    Or maybe it all gets lost in translation.

    One of the first video podcasts I discovered a while back was Tokyo Calling. Scott Lockman is an American teacher in Japan who posts weekly to bi-weekly audio and video podcasts. He pushes the category of personal blogging or vlogging. Maybe it’s his setting, his situation, or maybe he’s just a great storyteller. He doesn’t get overly personal or opinionated. His videos show “I live in Japan and this is how I see it.” He has a gifted cinematic eye and his camerawork shows what someone can do on a budget. It’s not fancy nor tries to be.
    Lockman’s last video podcast from 5.27.07 shows an open cycle with a bunch of helmeted kids tooling around on their bikes through the streets of Meiji-Jingugaien. Classic. Innocent. Pure. It conjures up the best memories of childhood- chilling and rolling on the bike. The soundtrack he chose, Riyu Konaka’s “Life Is A Movie Theater With Lots Of Laughter” is sublime. I downloaded from Podshower.com and brought the experience for my automobile commutes on I-75. Podshower is a treasure trove of Japanese tunes. Be warned- you may fall in love.
    Also, the podcast from 5.27.07 is over three minutes. If you don’t watch the whole thing make sure you stick till Lockman turns the camera on himself. Awesome.

 

Comments

[scott]

What an incredibly nice review of the recent vlog. Many thanks, it is appreciated.