XVII. Old School Kpop – Sechskies, Shinhwa and Turbo

Posted by Rock Kitaro on August 3, 2019
Posted in: kpop. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

deux-group1

Perhaps it was my digging into old albums of 1TYM that I was ready for a group like Turbo. Haha! I can’t remember how I found them…but I do know that the first music video I saw was…oh yeah! Now I remember!

So…in early 2006, I saw Super Junior’s prominent dancers Eunhyuk, Shindong, and Donghae appearing on a variety show and they were dancing to an old school Korean song. I really like that song and spent over a year trying to find it. I eventually would. It’s called “Back to Black” by R.EF. But before I could find that song…Youtube showed me another group that was of the same era, that 90s dance music of 1995. Allow me to introduce you to Turbo!

Hahaha! When I first heard Turbo…it was a truly welcomed blast from the past. Debuting in 1995, they really did stake their claim as the kings of Korean dance music, reminiscent of Mortal Kombat’s soundtrack mixed with the top club hits of the 1980s. Honestly, if you’re looking for something different, this group does just the trick.

Turbo 2

Kim Jong-Kook

Funny thing is…I had heard of Turbo before I even knew it. Kim Jong-Kook, the lead singer with the high-pitched electronic voice, is a buff stud I’ve been seeing on Korean variety shows for well over a year, pretty much ever since I got into Kpop. I never knew his name or his significance. And when I heard that Chaeyeon had a crush on him, I was a little jealous, like “f##k dat dude.” Then…I heard him sing.

Turbo started out as a dance duo with Kim-Jong Kook as the singer and Mikey as the rapper. After the second album, apparently Mikey left and was replaced by another rapper named Kim Jung-Nam.

Their third album, “Born Again” sold over 800,000 copies. That’s ridiculous. And here I thought H.O.T was the baddest in the land, Turbo definitely gave them a run for their money and Turbo didn’t even come from one of the top three agencies like SM, DSP, or YG. With sheer talent, vocal ability and catchy melodies that linger long after you hear it, Turbo definitely made history as one of the greatest in Kpop History.

Lol, speaking of giving H.O.T a run for their money…imagine actually being from one of the top three agencies and going toe-to-toe with them in their own genre. Well then, allow me to introduce you to a group called Sechskies.

Debuting just one year after H.O.T, Sechskies first album with the above title song went on to sell over a million albums. And if you’ve been reading my memoir up to this point, you might have noticed my mentioning Sechskies before. But it wasn’t until the Spring of 2008 that I really gave them a shot. I don’t know why. Perhaps the name? But I was so content with H.O.T and Big Bang that I didn’t really go looking for anything else.

So when I found Sechskies and clicked on that “School” music video. I was taken aback. It’s one of the best of the old school kpop songs. I imagine if I was going to school in Korea when this song came out, it would have been the official anthem all year.

Elliot Chan: Domestication (Short Story)

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 27, 2019
Posted in: Paramour Letters. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Gladys Vandelay was once a rising recruit, trained to be one of the most dangerous snipers in an underground society of feminists. She has since defected, and now, she’s being recruited by another secret organization. The problem is, everyone still thinks she’s playing for the enemy. Elliot Chan’s determined to find out for himself whether Gladys is a friend or foe. The one thing they have in common is that both of them lost their fathers to the Swords of St. Catherine.

Domestication

Elliot Chan: Domestication

All that talk about Gladys Vandelay… Jake had so much hope, so much faith in her. Jake’s not an idiot. Just a hopeless romantic. Who was she? What did she know? What if she knew nothing and all this drama was just a waste of time and stress. They did mention that she flunked her initiation. From my understanding, only full-fledged Swords knew the deepest innermost secrets of the Society’s infrastructure. So what could we possibly get out of this one girl? I had to see for myself.

After combing the enormous estate for most of the afternoon, I found her in the first place I should have checked. I heard she was crazy about guns but damn. By the time I arrived at the underground shooting range, she had already gone through fifty magazines, three sniper rifles had jammed and the gears of an antique machine gun had dislodged from its cogs.

A guy leaving told me that she didn’t talk to anyone and good luck. She just stayed in her lane and popped off rounds. When someone asked her a question, she pretended not to hear them. But still, I approached, pulling up a chair so as to signify that I wasn’t going anywhere.

She threw a glance out of the corner of her eye before unloading on a fresh target sheet 30 yards away. I heard she was twenty-two but she looked like she was still in middle school. Baby blue eyes. Long blonde hair with curls at the ends. From her skirt and stockings, I could tell she was athletically gifted by the bulge of her calves, the way she barely shook from the recoil. Her accuracy was also something else. She hit the X on eight out of the ten shots fired from a fully automatic.

“I’m glad to see your injury hadn’t affected your accuracy.” I said in the pause it took for her to reload.

She didn’t respond.

“You were wounded, weren’t you? I’m only assuming Col. Buchanan isn’t completely off his rocker in bringing you here.”

“Scared?” She asked.

“Terrified.” I grinned.

“You should be. I’m only barely resisting the urge to turn my muzzle your way. Now leave me alone.”

“Are you here to destroy us? Or do you really want to take down the Society?”

She slapped in a new magazine with an attitude that sent chills down my spine.

“If none of you believe me, then why the fuck…You should just get rid of me. It’s so simple it’s stupid.”

“You’re right!” I said, standing up. “It is stupid. However, Jake isn’t dumb and neither is the council. But unlike them, I know all about false hope. I know what it does to a man. They’ll sacrifice their entire lives for that which isn’t true, plunging headfirst in their graves blissfully at peace with the hope and faith that everything will work out. I learned that lesson long ago. Hope, faith, belief, these are like batteries for martyrs. I’m not a martyr.”

“You think I give a damn what you are? Couldn’t care less.” She snapped.

“I heard they killed your old man right in front of you.”

She finally aimed her gun at me but I didn’t back down.

“They killed my father in front of me too. Both of my fathers, actually. The biological and the one who adopted me. Honestly, you bitches make me sick. Initiated or not, you’re one of them. I can see it in your eyes. You all have it.”

“Have what?”

“Selfishness. Everyone of you thinks you’re the center of the universe.”

“Please! Grow up! Every one’s selfish! You have to look out for yourself ‘cause no one else will. If all the Paramours are like you then y’all don’t stand a chance. The Swords will carve through you like cake.”

I nodded in disbelief as I walked away, kinda pissed.

“You’re selfish too, you little punk! You’re just too stupid to see it. That ‘correct the course’ philosophy is nonsense! It’s pointless. It won’t change anything. If you don’t kill them! If you don’t kill every last one of them they’ll only multiply and they won’t stop until they get their revenge! And on and on it will go! It’s insanity you fucking blockhead!”

I could still hear her shouting as I boarded the elevator. It’s not that I didn’t believe or understand where she was coming from. But I suppose that’s the difference between the Paramours and the Swords of St. Catherine. The women perpetuate the hate. The men are prepared to end it by laying down their lives. It begged the question, in the depths of my heart, am I really a Paramour? Continue Reading

XVI. Korean Hip Hop – 1TYM and Drunken Tiger

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 22, 2019
Posted in: kpop. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Brace yourself…provocative thoughts in this one.

1TYM DebutDrunken Tiger

XVI. Korean Hip Hop – 1TYM and Drunken Tiger

In 2008, I was 21-years-old and still a novice to life and the way of the world. One of the many things I claimed ignorance to…was the significance of hip hop. The appeal of it was lost on me.

Even when I was a kid, I wasn’t very fond of hip hop music. It felt like every asshole and bully I’ve ever met was influenced by hip hop. They called me names and picked on me, and the one thing they all had in common was their love for hip hop, the culture, the music, the fashion. Even in pre-school, I remember two girls who used to attack me while singing, “Momma Said Knock You Out!”

So yeah…I hated it.

And probably the main reason why I hated it so much was because it seemed like there was something wrong with me for not liking it. As a black kid growing up in the south, it was unheard of. Everyone else was into Tupac and Biggie and the Wu-Tang clan…meanwhile this chubby light-skin kid over here who was super emotional and threw temper tantrums was into groups like the Backstreet Boys and Nsync.

I couldn’t help it. I tried. As a kid who wanted to make my dad happy and fit in with the rest of the other kids, I tried so hard to fall in love with hip hop. But to my ears, it was just garbage. It didn’t move me. I couldn’t relate to what they were talking about nor could I grasp the gifts they possessed. That’s not just with hip hop, but also R&B. It just didn’t do anything for me. Felt inadequate. So I wanted nothing to do with that world.

Flash forward to 2008…and suddenly I’m listening to hip hop acts like Drunken Tiger and 1TYM. Doesn’t make sense does it? Do I really hate the English language so much?

The answer is yes and no. Allow me to explain. The answer is “yes,” in that I can’t stand lyrics that glorify and encourage bad behavior. This sounds a bit contradictory considering I listened to Slipknot or Dir En Grey, but life’s like that.

Personally, it hurts my soul when I hear of black on black violence, of gang violence. I’ve seen friends get jumped for the sake of fun. I’ve seen fights where a dude got the shit kicked out of him just because the other guy wanted to show how hardcore he was. You can tell me all day that hip hop music isn’t to blame for this, the glorification of thug culture, leading to more children being born out of wedlock, the seeking of money and materialistic things.

Yes…there was a deep resentment for hip hop back then. Still is in some ways. But the difference between now and then is that I understand it. Much like I understand how one would be driven to theft or robbery if they feel that’s the only choice they have to survive. Doesn’t make it alright. But at least I understand. Proverbs 30: 7-9, tells us not to want riches or poverty. If you get too rich you may be tempted to stop depending on God. If you get too poor, it could lead to you profaning the name of God. (by breaking his commandments just to survive)

The answer is also “no”…in that I didn’t dislike American hip hop solely because of its lyrical content…I just never had a gateway to it.

For instance, it’s not like I just rolled out of bed and liked head-banging metal music. Nah. I liked action films. I was obsessed with martial arts that often had a rock soundtrack. Even my favorite Michael Jackson songs as a child had the sickest guitar riffs in it. Ever heard of “Beat It?” Or Dirty Diana? Or Black or White.

The best of “Black or White” for me was the break down where Michael Jackson’s walking through the flames. That’s metal! So when I discovered Slipknot…I was like… “Hell yes! An entire track where the whole song is the favorite part of another song!? Yes, please. I’ll take more of that.”

I didn’t have a positive gateway into hip hop growing up. It was always negative, as I mentioned. So why in the hay would I want to hear more of that?

By early 2008 however…I believe a gateway had manifested from the kpop I listened to. Hahaha! I honestly didn’t even realize it. These theories I’m typing now (in 2019) I wouldn’t fully understand it till later. For well over a year, I’d been listening to songs from H.O.T. and NRG that features heavy rap sections from the members. I’ve been listening to Big Bang that had TOP and G-Dragon spitting lyrics, albeit to dance tracks, not exactly authentic hip hop.

But then, I’ve also been listening to Epik High.

XV. Girl’s Generation & My First Kpop Crush

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 18, 2019
Posted in: kpop. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Girls-Generation-genie-vid-2017-billboard-1548

Up till this point, you may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned a lot of females when it comes to Korean and Japanese artists. I mentioned Younha, for her vocals on the ending theme on “Bleach.” I also mentioned BoA for her “Every Heart” theme on Inuyasha.

But other than that, I didn’t exactly have an urge to download or buy music from anyone else. Even when it came to the Wonder Girls that I wrote about in Chapter XIII, I acknowledged that “Tell Me” was a major hit…but not exactly my cup of tea.

Then there was Girl’s Generation.

Haha! I know. Not exactly what one would expect from someone who also into Dir En Grey or H.O.T’s rock driven hits. But SM Entertainment…those bastards know how to work beauty. Should have known. If they can make their men pretty, it was easy to produce a girl group complete with nine of the heavenly girls you’ve ever seen. Therein lies one of my many contradictions when it comes to the resentment of “sex sells”.

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Girls Generation also known as SNSD, consists of the members, Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun, Girls Generation was a sister group to labelmates Super Junior and, more importantly, DBSK.

However, that didn’t bring them instant success. In fact, quite the opposite. From what I saw, Girls Generation got a lot of hate from fans of DBSK and Super Junior. Remember what I told you about Cassiopeia in Chapter VII (Big Bang vs the Pretty Boys). DBSK’s fan base numbered almost half a million. And these were die-hard teenage girls who would tear into anyone threatening the success of their beloved DBSK.

Just because they were on the same label, it didn’t exempt Girl’s Generation from their wrath. Sad to say, it makes sense. If you’re teenage girl who thinks the world of the boys of DBSK and Super Junior, dreaming of them, wishing to one day meet them and have them but throw a glance your way…how would you feel if you saw nine girls your own age of extraordinary beauty, fraternizing and working together with your beau?

Yes, it seems these fans were absolutely ravenous. Girl’s Generation had rough beginnings and it wouldn’t be until 2009 that they’d breakthrough with the infectious hits, “Gee” and “Tell Me Your Wish.”

I’m mentioning the “Gee” phenomenon now, because even when it’s released in January of 2009, I never really liked the song, but still, recognize that it definitely put them on the map as one of the top acts in the industry. Even people who didn’t know what kpop was, would eventually hear of “Gee” in the states. Especially if you were a DJ or in the club scene.

But let me back up for a moment…even before I heard of Girls Generation, I had heard of Hyoyeon before their debut. There was talk of a female version of DBSK’s Yunho who could dance just as good, if not better, than Yunho himself. I checked her out and found her dancing with the renown choreographer Jaewon (formerly of Black Beat).

XIV. Clazziquai and My Inspiration to Write

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 14, 2019
Posted in: kpop. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Late 2007 was a great time to be into Kpop. So many memorable hits came out back then. And all of this went down at a very pivotal time in my life

Clazziquaiproject

As I mentioned, I took six months off from college from April till September of 2007. I came back to school in October a reformed 21-year-old.

In those six months where all I did was work as a delivery driver, I began my journey into working out and losing weight, dealing with a very truculent yet adorable love interest…and during this time I discovered one of the most important things about life. Purpose.

When you wake up every day where your sole purpose is just to make money in order to pay for gas and rent and that’s it…it’s like, what am I doing with my life? Why? Even if I graduated with my degree, what would I do with it? Why do I need it?

Figuring out these questions and coming to my own conclusions really did help me to spread my wings. And, hahaha! I guess I could credit it to me being a more calculated individual. This was back before the whole YOLO crap went down. When the rest of the world picked up on that phase, I had just come out of it. You only live once, yes. But why ruin it with a single stupid decision? The world is so much bigger than the here and now. And what you do often leads to consequences you wished would have ended at the “here and now” point in your life.

If anything, Big Bang inspired me that August of 2007. Before their “Always” album, I had hope that they’d take over the industry dominated by pretty boys…but I wasn’t sure how they could do it if their talents and artistry remained the same as it was in 2006. Seeing how much they improved and transformed themselves inspired me to do the same.

Without even realizing it, I had been staring my “purpose” in the face ever since I was thirteen. During that six month haitus from college, I’d still go to the school. All students had passes that gave us access to the computer lab 24/7. On my own…not because I was tasked to do this or because I’d be graded on it…I’d go to the school to write.

– Click to Continue Reading

Gladys Vandelay – The Initiation (Revenge Fiction)

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 8, 2019
Posted in: Paramour Letters. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

The Initiation

In the U.S., I heard there was a march on Washington D.C., a women’s march where prominent figures of influence and fame gathered in solidarity. It was a rallying call to address key issues women faced in society. Of their grievances, I understood they called for things like reproductive rights, gender equality, health care reform, equal pay, and an overall acceptance towards the right of a woman to do and be whatever they wanted.

I’m not sure if this movement was promulgated by the Swords of St. Catherine or not, either way, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted in so many ways. In the United States, women have so much control, so much power, so much influence. We can say what we want. Do what we want. There are obstacles sure, but the trials and tribulations makes us ten times stronger than men. I embraced them.

And if the women of America are ten times stronger than men on the basis of that logic, then I can tell you from the bottom of my heart and with the utmost sincerity… The women fighting in the Middle East are a hundred times more powerful.

In many countries, women are still treated like cattle, like currency, like a bartering chip between families. I’ve seen women stoned for exposing too much skin. I’ve seen teenage girls beheaded simply for reporting they were raped. I’ve seen entire villages beating on women for walking without a man’s supervision or daring to take off her hijab in the scorching sun.

In Saudi Arabia, there’s a practice called Wahhabism by which groups of clergy men literally patrol the streets like wolves to surround and attack anyone they deem violators of their sacred laws. They were given carte blanche to determine for themselves what’s consider blasphemy or treason. Women are their main targets.

Here, women need the permission of men to marry, divorce, educate themselves, seek employment, or even open a bank account. That’s just to name a few. And God forbid any woman was caught driving, though I heard they recently ‘laxed on that law. The punishments ranged from mutilation, stoning, death, and on occasion, crucifixion.

Saudi Arabia was my first stop when I came to the Middle East. An underground activist tutored me and the three other protégés on the customs. My blue eyes and blonde hair would have made me an eyesore by which the wolves would be driven to a frenzy. Thankfully, I was able to fully take advantage of the abaya and niqab, black robes that would conceal my fair skin. Additionally, I darkened my face with foundation and used brown contact lenses.

Initially, the plan was to spend five days in Saudi Arabia before smuggling ourselves north into Jordan. But one of my comrades, Shelly, she saw a group of men raping a student in an alley outside our loft. Shelly attacked. The ensuing battle was loud, bloody, and attracted the Wolves of Wahhabi. That’s when I intervened with my trusty Dragunov sniper rifle. The bodies we left in the streets roiled the public for months.

We were long gone by time the police raided shops and homes with impunity, but I learned very fast that all actions had unintended consequences. The public demanded justice and the government gave it to them. The student who was raped was publically beheaded. Her entire family was stoned in the middle of a town square.

Continue Reading

2007: Wonder Girls, Wheesung, and the Rise of Modern KPOP

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 3, 2019
Posted in: About the Author. Leave a comment

wonder girls 2

As much as I was completely floored by Big Bang’s breakthrough release “Lies,” they weren’t the only musical acts throwing down in the latter half of 2007. There was an explosion of new artists stepping to the stage, artists like Younha, Supernova (Choshinsung), K. Will, Battle and F.T. Island.

But as well as some breakthroughs that completely caught the world by surprise.

At the time…sad to say, I was too wrapped up in the sound of Big Bang to fully appreciate the significance of the Wonder Girls. With this memoir, I really want to go in chronological order when it comes to how I discovered them and what my impressions were at the time…however, I’d be remised if I didn’t mention the impact of the Wonder Girl’s smash hit, “Tell Me.”

The Wonder Girls released “Tell Me” in September of 2007 and stayed number one on the charts for seven weeks. Almost every time I clicked on a broadcast of a music program, I’d see some Korean celebrity singing or dancing to snippets of that song. Everyone was into it! Even Big Bang when they made appearances on variety programs. If you heard the song, it’d be stuck in your head all day long. There’s no avoiding it. Sorry.

I have nothing against the Wonder Girls…but I just wasn’t a fan of that sound. In upcoming chapters, you’ll see that I’d eventually come to respect their artistry and their story. Because they definitely had some adversity, losing a member, gaining another. Not to mention, they had competition when Girls Generation stepped out onto the scene and it’s not like the Wonder Girls were about to back down.

Nevertheless, in late 2007, the Wonder Girls took the throne when it came to female musical acts. I got into Kpop due to DBSK. But I know a whole generation of ladies who credit the Wonder Girls for bringing them into the fold.

Hailing from the same label as megastar Rain, the Wonder Girls were instrumental in building JYP as one of the top three entertainment agencies, surpassing DSP in my opinion, to put them right up there with SM Entertainment and YG. Without the Wonder Girls, JYP wouldn’t have achieved this feat with Rain alone. And without the Wonder Girls, another up and coming group wouldn’t have stood a chance on the congested battlefield of rising boybands. A group by the name of 2pm, but I’ll save that for later.

The reason why I credit late 2007 as the beginning of modern k-pop as we know it was due to its diversity and a stepping away from the early 2000 sounds reminiscent of Nsync’s “Celebrity” album, the imitations of poppy dance hip hop songs that relied on an overpowering beat like Usher’s “Yeah”.

In late 2007, you saw greater creativity from the artists. It seemed like people were looking for the more toned down, chilled rhythm and beat that still got you up and moving. It was the introduction of electronica. More songs like Ne-Yo’s “Because of You”.

In particular…two musicians struck my fancy, and in so many ways made life more bearable for me. One of those artists is probably the most underrated singer in all of Kpop history. His name is Wheesung, also goes by the name of Real Slow.

 

XII – When Big Bang became Kings

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 1, 2019
Posted in: kpop. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment

Big Bang 2007 3

Ladies and Gentlemen, what I’m about to share with you is truly an honor. I witnessed the changing of the guard when it comes to the Korean music industry. Back then, DBSK was still the kings of Kpop. But in so many ways, they left their kingdom, vacated their throne. They ventured out to Japan in an attempt to carve out a new empire there.

Then…out of the blue. On Thursday August 16, 2007, Big Bang released their mini-album, “Always”.

I’m telling you…I’ve never heard anything like it. It was two days before my 21st birthday. Before I saw their live performance, I heard every song on that mini-album. The above video is a live performance of “Lie.”

Lie…would go on to become one of Big Bang’s signature hits and even won 2007’s song of the year award. Every track was fire, don’t get me wrong, but for me…the song “Always” was the best of 2007.

I remember that Friday night, I was closing as a Pizza Hut delivery driver. I know most people think of it as a crappy job where drivers have to go into seedy neighborhoods and deal with rude people. But the area in which I worked was an upscale part of the Tampa Bay area. We’re talking gated communities. My customers were Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Lightning players. My point being, the neighborhoods were mesmerizing with breathtaking landscapes and beautiful lightning.

I replayed “Always” again and again to a beautiful night. Nothing went wrong because the song kept me in a mellow, “its all good” mood. That’s the effect “Always” had on me. Just be cool and relax.

I was very pleased. It’s been one year since they released their first album and you can tell Big Bang had evolved. Each member had changed up their style and improved their performance, but none more so than Taeyang. He sheared off his braids, thank god, in favor of a stylish hat, making it iconic the same way Michael Jackson did with his hat.

Taeyang 2006 2taeyang-background-1

More than that, his voice…Dude…In my chapter about Big Bang vs the Pretty Boys, you’ll notice I never made mention of a particular song called “My Girl.” It’s Taeyang’s solo and to be honest…I think I could’ve sung that song a lot better than him. It’s very garden variety and doesn’t leave much to aspire to.

But once I heard him sing in “Always” and “Lies,” it’s just incredible the transformation he undertook. I remember seeing the documentary about his trainee days where even YG praised him for his relentless work ethic, to practice and improve on his skill. And I saw it. He improved so much. Hahaha! I knew it. I knew these guys would take it to the top. I was witnessing the rise of Big Bang, the new kings of kpop.

X. Anime Rock – Uverworld and Orange Range

Posted by Rock Kitaro on June 27, 2019
Posted in: kpop. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Bleach D-Technolife

Heads up, in this chapter, you’re going to read a lot of personal details. Because it’s during this time in which I really started to grow.

In April of 2007, I began my six-month leave from film school in order to really find out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. During this time, all I did, almost every day was work at Pizza Hut. That’s right. All I did every day was drive my 1999 red Oldsmobile Alero and deliver pizzas.

I couldn’t have done it without video games, WWE…and anime. Haha! By then I had my own one-bedroom apartment, friggin, finally. No more sharing spaces or coming home to half my bottles of water missing. But this also means that I’d have no one watching me really pig out on all the pizza and wings I could eat every night.

I don’t want to get into how much of a glutton I was. I have other essays for that. But the point is, when you have no direction in life…entertainment gives you something to look forward to.

With the WWE, it’s a continual story line by which you have something to look forward to every week, twice a week. I had just bought a PS3 and was getting down to some Marvel Alliance. I was also jamming out to a Korean hip hop group I just discovered called “Epik High,” with hits like “Fly” and “Paris”.

But the main thing that really put a smile on my face was an anime called “Bleach”.

That’s right, if we have any Bleach fans in the house. Their first season had a catchy theme song for their opening. It was called “Asterisk” by Orange Range. In May of 2007, I remember a lot of blazing hot days listening to Orange Range. My car broke down so many times, Tire Plus became kind of a hangout for me.

Orange Range

The thing about Orange Range that appealed to me…oddly enough was the rapping. They didn’t do metal music like Dir En Grey, nor did they have a heavy-handed edgy sound like Miyavi. It was just rock. They had three vocalists that could sing, rap, and blend their voices. Honestly, I thought that was just so cool.

Mind you, I’m not a rapper. I don’t pretend to be an expert in hip hop or the art of the flow. By then, I’ve come to notice that almost every group has rappers in which one is bass-heavy, and the other is lighter, or more sharper in tone. For instance in Big Bang, you have TOP with his bass-heavy voice, while G-Dragon is sharper. The Korean hip hop group Epik High was the same. You had DJ Tukutz providing the music, Tablo was the sharper, lighter tone, while Mithra Jin had a deeper voice.

Orange Range was the same, except they didn’t just have two. They had three, one bass-heavy, one-middle range, and one high-ranging. A good, clear example of what I’m talking about is with this gem, “Kirikirimai”.

At :10, you have the middle range

At :17, you have the high range

At :26, you have the low, bass heavy rapper.

“Viva Rock,” “Chesto,” and “Twister” were other favorites. It’s peculiar and I’m ashamed to say, I never cared to look up their background or memorize the member’s names.

Perhaps it was because as soon as I discovered Orange Range, it was just a matter of days before I learned about Uverworld. I know that sounds like a diss to Orange Range, but believe me it’s not my intention. Orange Range was awesome…but Uverworld blew me away.

In watching “Bleach,” once you get past episode 25, they have a new theme opening. It’s a song called “D-TecnoLife” by Uverworld.

No lie…I played that song so many times that I can literally sing the lyrics and sing it well.

Knowing Yourself vs. Accepting Yourself – A Theocratic Essay for Millennials

Posted by Rock Kitaro on June 23, 2019
Posted in: About the Author, Food for Thought, religion. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

20180322_211604Today’s sermon spoke volumes to me. The teacher talked about being alone with God. His theory takes the example of David when he was but a shepherd, alone with God, developing his gifts, his sense of self. The only man in the Bible who was said to have a heart after God.

It was a good sermon that spoke volumes because it confirmed and encouraged my own thoughts as a Millennial Christian doing his best to live a life that’s good in the eyes of God, despite the enormous amount of pressure we face.

The older generations don’t get it. How could they? To be born and lived a majority of your life before the current age of technology…they think we have it good, but we don’t. They look down on us for complaining because they think we have it better, but do we?

I’ll never forget the conversation I had with my boss (mid-fifties) last year, where he opined that we (Millennials) have it good because in his day, he actually had to approach women and ask them out over the phone or in person. Whereas today, we have online dating with so many options.

I told him, it’s because there’s so many options that we are indeed stunted. Think about it. Once upon a time, people were only limited to the communities and the people they knew existed. If someone asked you out, you had a choice between him or one or two others. Now, you have a choice of between dozens if not hundreds.

What this does, is makes a person reluctant to commit until they’ve “found the one”…which in today’s hook-up culture makes them susceptible to sleeping around and decreases their ability to pair-bond.

It’s because we live in an age where the entire world is connected. No longer are most born and raised in a single community with very little contact with outside cultures. People think that this is all a blessing for us Millennials…but is it?

By the time I was 23, I found something that I could do for the rest of my life. Something I’d be content with. Something that would afford me the opportunity to start and raise a family. The opportunity to worship God to the best of my ability while doing that which I love the most, which is writing.

Recently, I told all of this to an older co-worker, in his 60s. And he squinted with mild disappointment. “But still, Rock! You’re young. When I was your age, I was doing all kinds of things, exploring the world, experiencing what else is out there. I mean, this job…It’s what I’m doing now, because I’ve done everything else. It sounds like you’re content.”

I nodded… “That’s right. I am.”

And I confess, it took some strength to hold back from lashing out at this man. I’ve known him for about 8 years and respect him as my elder. So with restraint, I calmly explained:

“I think that’s the problem with our generation. You hear so much about how the birth rates going down, people aren’t getting married, depression is on the rise. People just aren’t happy. And I think it’s because of attitudes like that.

“Don’t get me wrong, if that’s who you are, go for it. But not everyone has the same desires as you do. I think when we impose upon people these expectations that they should go out and see the world, or experience this or that, it makes them sad. 1) it’s not who they are and now they feel like something’s wrong with them, that they’re lacking in some form or fashion. And 2) you’re putting pressure on them to do something they just can’t do. Sometimes they have other obligations, other responsibilities, or more importantly, it’s just not who they are.”

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