The 'ch' in Gacharic is like 'char,' not 'car' :0) Really enjoying your journey down what has become the J-metal/rock wormhole. It is a very Deep and Wondrous fall. You have (fortunately) only scratched the surface. Suggestions for the _Deep Dive:_ *Hanabie* - *_We Love Sweets_* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-G18yyvPCiTM.html , *Unlcky Morpheus* - *_Dignity of Spirit_* LIVE , ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x7W9DcUKY_U.html, *Nemophila* - *_Dissension_* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-26aMuahxz8c.html (w/CC) , *Trident* - *_Cry Out_* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OCgr08Q7A6c.html (w/CC) And of course more Lovebites, Band Maid, and Gacharic Spin.
Hey Nit Pic... I absolutely love these ladies. Angie, the front woman today is a fairly new addition to the band. The original was Ashetome Tahae (Arrmy when with the Band), who passed away kind of suddenly. If you can find her version of "Broken Lover," then compare it to Angie's version, you may agree that some of Arrmy must have been absorbed by Angie. The energy and stage presence are fabulous. Please try to find Arrmy singing, she had a great voice.
I can attest that they are an excellent live band, fine entertainers as well as musicians, with a great sense of humor that comes across in their lyrics as well as performances (on and off the bandstand), a mix of wry and ridiculous, distinctively Japanese and not unique to GS but they exemplify it so well. I saw Chopper Koga at Nemophila's recent Budokan concert, pretty sure I saw Tomo-zo too. Btw, Oreo Reona likes the Peanuts from Mothra.
These girls are one of the finest bands in Japan, they are so original and talented!! Their drummer at the time (Yuri) was not available for this video due to maternity leave, so Hana, their former drummer and one of their current guitarists took over drum duties temporarily. The girl with the pink hair (Angelina 1/3) is 19 years old in this video (she was recruited at 17, when she was discovered at a school festival). Please check out their full line up live, it's quite an experience: Gacharic Spin, "Tamashii": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jt7-GGRa3nc.htmlsi=agBdBnu8hxd25BqA It would also be great if you could check out their side project called Doll$Boxx... great too. Doll$Boxx, "Shout Down": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SpI4ZI71oXY.htmlsi=aKtm87BEJtuL3p1c
Band maid is good but Gacharic Spin is on a whole other level . you never know what to expect with them . they all can sing and all so amazingly talented with their instruments. And they are just as amazing and energetic live. You definitely need to watch a live performance . i would suggest I Wish I live performance.
They are beautifully organized chaos! I love F Chopper Koga, (bass player). She is one of my most favorite bassist. I am so lucky that I will in be Japan last two weeks of April and get to see them live! I am so blessed! This bands stage shows are very High Energy and so very entertaining.
Funk to the max!. Good job NittPicc!. Gacharic Spin is one of the most original and daring bands on the Japanese music scene. They are tremendously original and are not afraid of anything. Their live shows are a prodigy of energy and fun.
These ladies are phenomenal, you have to check out a live performance from them, Tamashii is a favorite of mine. Also I’d like to suggest East of Eden-Evolve.
I discovered them about 4 years ago. I saw them Live last summer at the Anime Matsuri Con in Houston last August.. I stood in the 2nd Row, and I got a CD, DVD, and a cool T shirt. They are in my Top Three of J-Rock/Metal bands (out of dozens I listen to). The other 2 are Lovebites, and Unlucky Morpheus. Fun Fact: Unlucky Morpheus' actual name in Japanese is 'Ankimo' (means Monkfish Liver😆). They actually got Unlucky Morpheus by sounding out the Kanji for Monkfish Liver and the closest Anglicization was Unlucky Morpheus. I had a great year - Saw Band Maid in Oct of 22, Nemophila in March '23, Hanabie in July '23, and Gacharic Spin in August '23. Not many years do you get to check 4 'must see' bands off your Bucket List.
Pick any other song by Gacharic spin and you will be blown away by styles. They play funk, progressive, rock, metal and everything else. Try "replica" or "I wish I"
I remember the first time I saw this video, I was blown away. Oh by the way, I love your comentary and breakdowns. You are alot of fun, and interesting. You are unique. I would love to hear, and see your reaction to " I Wish I " by Gacharic Spin.
As a four pc they were amazing . Whole concert here but Broken Lover at 56 min and the encore song will show you the raw power they delivered live. Definately one of my fave J-rock bands at the time. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V8kHwvxzYow.html
To quote some of what you said: Aah I like the drummer giggle - We all do 🥰 The bass was blissfully abused - That can be said for every GS-Song 🤠 The keyboard players outfit (chuckle) - You ain’t seen nothing yet 😄 The well planned and extensively organized section - We all experienced our very personal short-circuit to that section 😉 Small nuances to keep the listener engaged - Yeah, that it their MO 😁 All japanese bands have their character, but GS is sitting on top of Mount Olympus regarding genre bending Can't wait for your next reaction to GS
Your reaction is so cute!! And your analysis is also great, so please feel free to respond to this band's diverse songs (their sound is so wide that there are no genres). looking forward to it! !
I got into them when they were an amazing 4pc rock band. Sadly the singer Arrmy died of a heart disease at a very young age , and to me, they have never been as good. I will try to find some old live footage and place here.
Welcome to the marvellous musical chaos of Gacharic Spin (ch as in chick), Strap in and enjoy the ride. Expect the unexpected. Their line-up has changed several times, but in this video we see Angelina 1/3 (a.k.a. Angie) on vocals, Hana on drums and vocals, Oreo on keyboards and vocals, F Chopper Koga on bass, and Tomo-zo on guitar and vocals.
Glad you enjoyed them! They're really fun and talented bunch, and it's definitely worth checking more of them, whether it would be their latest single Let It Beat, one of their signature songs Sekira Liar or a moodier single from the same album (as Mindset) I wish I. Also did the drummer caught your eye? 😏
These ladies are all over the place in the best way possible. Years of struggling and keeping the dream alive, it's great that they are finally reaching more than their original niche audience.
Thanks for getting to Gacharic Spin, another gem of the J-Rock world. I had the great pleasure of seeing them live at an outdoor ampitheater in Tokyo back in November, and I can tell you they are extremely energetic and lively on stage ! I lterally thought pink-hair Angie was going to fly off the stage, and they all were having so much fun. I am sure someone else will mention that co-founder Hana on drums in Mindset, also plays guitar and often switches instruments during a song. If you really want to see what Tomo-zo can do on guitar, Oreo on keyboards, and all the ladies on their insturments (all the while dressed in some of the craziest costumes you've ever seen) check out Gacharic Spin - Instrumental -2018 !
I discovered them way back in 2014, when Babymetal blew up. Not directly, but their side project Doll$boxx (also worth listening to, best start with Take my Chance: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mu2z4Uf9Tgc.html) which then lead me to Gacharic Spin. And as great as GS's music videos are, you have seen nothing if haven't seen them live. Here's a great one, but to be fair, you can basically pick any random GS live video and will end up with a great one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eEFYh3WiybA.html
I discovered Gacharic Spin in early 2015 not long after I discovered Babymetal and BiS an alternative idol group and I researched them like I do any new music group I come across because I want to know what makes them tick I went back and listen to all of their early material with their original vocalist Armmy before she had left and everything afterwards to this day they remain one of my top favorite Japanese bands you never know what you're going to get from one song to the next I love that about them you would never find a band like them in the US but thankfully in the past year and a half Japanese music has been gaining ground in America with more Japanese artists touring America than ever before
Their album W from last year was the first album I've bought of any band in well over a decade. Granted, half the reason for that was to get hold of the live show that was packed into the pre-orders because their live shows are just absolutely amazing and I need access to as many of them as possible at all times. The other half is just because they are amazing and if they were to tour or play any show in this part of the world, I'd make sure to be there. But until that day, I'll just have to cope. ;D
Prior to 2020, the only Japanese bands I listened to regularly was Maximum The Hormone and SIGH. That changed when I discovered Band-Maid in very early 2020. In addition to Band-Maid, I have discovered other great bands like Lovebites, Nemophila, Hanabie, Gacharic Spin, Unlucky Morpheus, Asterism and others. Of all the members of these bands, three are on a level of their own due to a combination of musicianship and songwriting - Kanami of Band-Maid (world-class guitarist and a generational composer), Miyako of Lovebites (world-class guitarist and pianist and up there with Kanami as a composer) and Hana of Gacharic Spin (I consider her the Dave Grohl of Japan because she is a tremendous multi instrumentalist, great vocalist who can do harsh as well as clean, and gifted songwriter). As far as MindSet, it belongs on every list of the best songs of 2021, and not just in Japan.
I don't know GS's whole history, but in this video, you see five members: Angelina 1/3 on vocals, Hana on drums and vocals, F Chopper Koga on bass, Tomo-zo on guitar, and Oreo Reona on keyboards. Hana is the band's original drummer, but in 2019, the band picked up a drummer named Yuri and Hana moved to vocals and guitar. Hana still plays drums on occasion, but Yuri is the main drummer now. She wasn't in this video or their next video, "I Wish I," due to being on maternity leave. I see someone has already recommend Doll$Boxx (simply pronounced "Doll's Box), a collaboration between Koga, Oreo, Hana, and Tomo-zo and the great Fuki, then the vocalist for Lightbringer but now the vocalist for a metal band called Unlucky Morpheus. While you absolutely should check out Doll$Boxx, I also think you should check out Unlucky Morpheus. Normally I would recommend my favorite song from them, "Unending Sorceress," but given your musical background, I think you'd appreciate "CADAVER" a bit more. Here's the link. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_yrNRhIreyE.html
Strangely, the pink haired lass is a recent recruit and was meant to be a 'microphone performer' - kinda hype girl for the live shows. It's something GS did for many years because their two main vocalists were stuck at the back of the stage behind drums and keys, so they needed people up front to engage with the crowd. Turns out the new hire can sing and write lyrics... The group has a long and complex history and have needed to adapt repeatedly. The current line-up is on fire and I'm sure most requests will be for more recent material, but there are some real gems lurking in their deep back catalogue. Having keyboards gives them a lot of opportunity to mess with styles most rock bands don't go near. Having multiple vocalists also adds a lot of variety and enables them to do all that layering live. Their acoustic material is sublime too and they have a few side projects. If all that wasn't enough, they also starred in a heavy metal comedy zombie flick called メタルカ (Metalca or Dead Banging in the US). I think it's still on RU-vid in full - no subtitles, but the plot is suitably transparent.
This lineup is 5 years old and in my opinion is the best incarnation of GS, besides some gems here and there in the past. For example the side work with Fuki on vocals: Doll$boxx,
No way! I thought she was cutting her own black hair in the video 😦, and then rip it off at 7:30, let her hair grow again, dye it pink, continue recording, and edited that transition 🤯
If you want to do a deeper dive, from the newer era with Angie (pink hair) on vocals, try I Wish I (live) or Replica. They had a middle era with Hana (drums) on lead, and from their try Music Battler or Generation Gap. From the early era with Armmy on vocals, Lock on or Juicy Beats. This band is fucking brilliant, and easily the most unique on the planet. This was the first song of theirs I heard, and within a month it became my most listened to on Spotify for all time. It was literally on repeat for a month hahaha
Yes!!!! Gacharic spin rocks!!! Koga is definitely one of my top 3 favorite bassists of all time. Her sound, her attitude and showmanship are just electric. The rest of the band members are not far behind. Hana is a musical genius. Oreo is a tornado of energy. Tomo is a superb guitarrist with a super unique fashion style and a permanent mile. And Angie 1/3 fit the already established group super well with her voice and energy. Yuri is not in the video but she is also worth noting as she is also another perfect piece of Gacharic Spin. They're all just a joy to watch perform. They're one of the most entertaining bands to watch live videos of. They're just super whacky and fun. Please check out both live versions of Hunting Summer live at some point. There's an older version and a newer version, and both are incredibly unique and fun to watch. Edit: just had to add more stuff lol. Edit II: Had mooore stuff to say.😅
The fact that you kept getting 'distracted' by the song and forgot to comment is a complement to how good these ladies are. Great breakdown and reaction. There is so much great music coming out of Asia right now. For another fun recommendation I would suggest Polkadot Stingray. Free or Jet would be good options.
There are also 2 different live versions of this on their channel. The older one is the same line up as in this video. The newer one is with their regular drummer, who was out on maternity leave during the recording of this MV and the first live video. I'd suggest checking out both, as there are a few small differences between the two.
GS actually has two drummers. The group mixed things up a few years ago by adding Angie and Yuri. (Yuri probably on maternity leave here) The drummer in this song(Hana) is the original group vocals / drummer. Since adding Yuri, Hana has been up front on guitar / vocals. There is one song that has both Yuri and Hana on drums. The live 2019 version of "Tamashii" is a great song. Unique in as mentioned, two drum sets playing at same time. Also has Angie and Hana on vocals. Even Oreo on keyboards is on vocals. the formation of GS i heard goes like, Koga was in another group but was thinking about quitting the music scene. Someone mentioned to her to start her own group. She thought about it and said she would only do it if her best bud (Hana) came along. And a legend was born
Since "Next Stage" from the same show is up on youtube again, I never get away with listening to just one of those two songs 😅 I love the crowd's reaction when Hana's drumkit appears🤘
Request 😉: Gacharic Spin:Replica MV , Forever MV,I wish I,MV...and they have a side project same as Band Maid call:Dool$box... Nice reaction as usual 😊
I saw them live last November in Tokyo. There is a live version of this song on their YT channel. and it sounds as good as MV. They gave a 2.5+ hour performance, such an energetic/powerhouse band live. I'm waiting patiently for an announcement on when they and their alter ego band Doll$box tickets will go on sale for December shows. Thanks for the reaction.
As well as their genre-blending, Gacharic Spin are known for their flamboyant live performances, so I suggest this live video of I Wish I: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nhFse5ZBlLo.html or this mad performance of an older song - Hunting Summer: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tRHkselRptI.html
Yeah, it's one of those Gacharic Spin songs where there's so much happening all at once that I'm pretty sure if you had all the recordings of instruments and vocals, you could arrange them into two fully functional songs of the same length. There's a meme out there, right, about a guy mixing powdered milk with regular milk so he can drink "more milk per milk". Gacharic Spin has the most song per song of any band in the genre I can think of.
My introduction to GS was a live version of "Mindset" and at the end I literally thought "WTF did I just listen to?" with a smile as big as yours. The solo reminded me of the short-lived jazz/rock fusion genre that was popular in the 70's. The energy of this band live is off the charts. "Organized chaos" has been used by more than one reviewer of GS for as one put it..."it flows". All of these women are extremely talented and somehow they can put a variety of genres into their music writing blender and make it work but a lot is slap bass driven in which F Chopper Koga is a master. I would recommend the following for something that is a bit different. You can copy and paste this into RU-vid search: *Gacharic Spin - I wish I (Official Live Video) in 豊洲PIT (Lyrics in English)*
So glad to see you tackle GS! Incredible band. No one else like them. If I may offer a suggestion, I think you'd *love* their live version of NANMAIDA!
The one thing you have to know about Gacharic Spin is never judge them by one (or two) songs. While they have a specific sound, they very much play whatever they want never sticking with one genre or style.
Co-founders F-CHOPPER KOGA (Ba) and HANA (Dr. Vo.), established the first GACHAPIN lineup, which has morphed over the years, along with their evolving music. Later, OREO LEONA (Key. Vo.), was brought on board to replace the original front woman, ARMMY (RIP). Because the twin vocalists were trapped behind their instruments, two young dancers jointed to add a dynamic element to their stage show. They eventually added pink-haired, teenage ANGELINA 1/3, as a youthful hype woman, who as it turned out, is the best among their line up of three lead vocalists. Most recently, drummer YURI was brought onboard, enabling HANA to stand at the front of the stage, singing and playing lead guitar alongside TOMO-ZO.
Well this an absolutely amazing band. I Wish I, Tamashii, Replica is other great songs by the band. They have hade digferent versions of the band during the years. And Live they are absolutely stunning😍 great and fun reaction😀👍
What you said at the end there mirrors my own experience of discovering the Japanese scene, and I think the memory of that experience is a big part of why so many people watch reactions to these bands. I also use reactions to discover new bands but I'm not above a bit of nostalgia! Like you it started with Band-Maid for me and I think I'd heard most of their discography before I started trying other bands, and then it really snowballed. It was months before I discovered Gacharic Spin, but they have gradually become one of my favourite bands. I'm not particularly into funk, and I'm definitely not into electronic sounds (which they use heavily in a lot of their other songs), but Gacharic Spin do it differently from anybody else I've heard, with a lot of complexity but also a lot of passion. What impresses me most is that they are still getting more and more creative in their 15th year. They're the first Japanese band that I fell in love with because of music they've made *after* I discovered them.
You are getting a bunch of recommendations for DOLL$BOXX and YES! By all means react to DOLL$BOXX, but first! You need to listen to Unlucky Morpheus. I suggest CADAVER/REVADAC. They play the first song CADAVER, the play it backwards, note for note, REVADAC. The reason for this is the singer for Unlucky Morpheus, Fuki, did a side project with Gacharic Spin and that group is called DOLL$BOXX. For DOLL$BOXX I suggest, Take My Chance. Oh, btw, Unlucky Morpheus has a heavy metal violinist named Jill. And she is awesome! She does covers of Van Halen, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen.
So no love for the drummer , Hana? The first time I heard this song it was the drums that pulled me in (and I'm a guitarist). But I love your reaction when all you can do is smile and laugh.
“GACHA,” like “Cha-ch.” This one might just blow your mind: REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY and THE COME UP CHAPTER, live in 2023 - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eEFYh3WiybA.html
Hope you’re enjoying your J-rock, J-Metal journey. A suggestion for you would be Broken By The Scream, “sayonara birthday”, “emotion cross counter”, or “Tokyo ride, live from Tokyo” would be some songs to start with.
My morning is made, thanks NittPicc! I have a hard time with "stamina" because I started saying "stanima" as a joke and now I can't stop even when I want to. Did it in a meeting the other day and got some funny looks. I found Gacharic Spin shortly after Band-Maid and I think that's been about three years of musical bliss. The musicians of Japan inspired me to get out of a five year funk and get back to work on my career and life. I owe them everything really. People like NittPicc sharing the journey just make it better. Thanks again!
Thanks for Hanabie and Gacharic Spin reactions. I was as a suggest-er, for both. And I'm very glad you've enjoyed! You never get to re-live your first moment of delight at a really great new band, but it's fun to see someone else have that experience. By the way, BAND-MAID is every bit as amazing live, as they've appeared in the videos you've checked out. I got to catch them last summer.
And I hope you'll check out Maximum the Hormone someday, too. They are direct inspirations for members of BAND-MAID, Nemophila and (most of all) Hanabie. "Yoshu Fukushu" is a great front door for them. And, it's a work of art.
Just for info, the "cha" in gacharic is pronounced as in the dance cha-cha. Their music style is all over the place, in a lot of cases mixing different genres in 1 track. They have been around since 2009, although the current lineup is active since 2019, with the pink haired singer/mic performer joining (she was 17 when she joined) and a new drummer (not present in this video because she was on matternity leave). There have been a bunch of changes over the years including the drummer in this video going to guitar and vocals and them using a couple of performers/dancers live after they lost their original lead vocalist. As far as the bassplaying goes, Koga likes to use slapbass and mainly uses it in this track. Her bassplaying is pretty recognizable over their tracks although she can also play fingerstyle bass if needed. Also, their energy is off the charts live as well. I have never seen them in person, but from the live videos I have seen they are one of my favourite bands to watch live.
Gacharic Spin are real virtuosos - all of them. They can play everything from jazz to metal (sometimes in the same song though 😄). And they are the liveliest live band in the world I think. They're batshit crazy and sometimes very deep/philosophical too. They're unique.
Very nice first reaction to Gacharic Spin :) I also recommend "I wish I" as a follow up (same album as Mindset - 2021) though I would go for the official live version from Toyosu PIT to get some live experience with the band and it also has English subs included The great thing about this band is you'll never pin down what you expect to hear from them - I discovered them in 2021 and have listened every day since...Enjoy!
I found Band-Maid years ago and have followed them but only recently went totally down the J Rock rabbit hole, my goodness so many great bands past and present, Nemophila, Band-Maid, Lovebites, SHOW-YA, X Japan, Luna Sea, Mary’s Blood , Aldious, Destrose, and more are worth time spent on RU-vid, but Gacharic Spin have become my favorite! They are all super talented and creative musically and performance wise, always engaging in multiple ways, if you check out some more by them I would recommend some earlier tracks to really appreciate their love and dedication to music ( especially band leader bassist F Chopper Koga I am so grateful to her for this wonderful band) I will suggest you check out “Lock On”. ( First anniversary live with original singer Armmy, sadly she left due to health problems and passed away) in 2015, also “Hunting Summer”from 2014 , their side project Doll$Boxx “Take my Chance” , live performances are always great and their MV rock too, other great tracks are “Winner” and “Lost Angel”
Japan is so different from America in the way the music industry is structured in Japan bands are allowed to do what they want where in America the music industry is very structured and most artists songwriters and producers are searching for that next top 40 hit in the mainstream The American music industry is more of a money grab than anything else
Yeah, it's easy to ride that funky bass line and lose track of yourself. Super talented band for sure. It's worth checking out DOLL$BOXX, a side project with Fuki (now of Unlucky Morpheus, also worth a look) where you can hear Hana's, she's the drummer here, excellent harsh vocals. It's been an age since they did anything with that, but it was great.
Welcome to the beautiful chaos that is Gacharic Spin. I strongly recommend the live (with subtitles) version of “I Wish I”. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nhFse5ZBlLo.htmlsi=TeP-N_6xbxa9Jfn9 Followed by the music videos for “Kachi Kachi Yama” and “Let It Beat”. As great as their vocal and instrumental abilities are, I think their lyrics are essential to their songs. So, don’t forget to turn on the CC for the music videos. Enjoy the journey down this rabbit hole!
Spoiler alert! This is a pretty good summation of the band’s history: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H4665sS96Ec.htmlsi=Jl2kMCLVqt1nKnk5
What kind of music does Gacharic Spin play? Answer: yes. Often at the same time. :)They are a bucket list band for me to see live. They have a long complicated history, too long to fit into a comment. This video shows almost the current lineup with the exception of Yuri on drums. Hana has mostly moved from drums to guitar these days. As I understand it, Angelina 1/3 (pink hair), who is about ten years younger than her bandmates, was recruited by Koga based on seeing her perform in a school talent show; she had no experience being in a band when she started but her energy has really been the catalyst for a new - arguably the best - edition of GS.
It should be fairly obvious ... that while everyone in this band pulls their weight, F Chopper Koga the bassist, is the main draw for many. The vocalist Angelina 1/3 is the girl you see in dark hair in the beginning ... yes, that is her real voice. Her normal look is pink hair. You will likely see reference to DOLL$BOXX , which is a band comprised of the instrumentalists from Gacharic Spin and vocalist Fuki (who is currently with Unlucky Morpheus which you may also know). They have not been heard from for a while but have promised some shows at the end of 2024 along with Gacharic Spin. The nature of the band scene in Japan, especially among girl groups, is very fluid ... with many side projects and members floating form group to group. It is not uncommon for members to be in 2, 3, 4 groups at a time.
