Episode #17: D'espairsRay: The Beginning (1999-2002)

On this episode, prepare to enter the chuggosphere, as a mildly inebriated Aleksi recounts his top 10 favorite releases of the 2023, to the horror and dismay of his fellow hosts and producer. Aaron also stops by to give some of his favorites of the year. VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this episode the team is joined by longtime Visual Kei fan Rob to discuss Key Party, a famous indie label of the late 1990s.  VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this episode we continue with part two of the super downtuned & angsty series on the history of nu-metal influence in Visual Kei. Due to scheduling conflicts, Fredrik was unable to host this one, so Aaron and Aleksi are accompanied by Matt Ayers from Licht:noir'e to cover 3 decades of music as it crosses international waters. VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this big & heavy episode, we discuss the history of Nu-Metal influence in Visual Kei, starting with the history of Nu-Metal itself. Due to scheduling conflicts, Fredrik was unable to host this one, so Aaron and Aleksi are accompanied by Matt Ayers from Licht:noir'e to cover 3 decades of music as it crosses international waters. VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this second and final episode, we continue our History of Visual Kei series by covering the year 1991. We discuss bands like LUNA SEA, BUCK-TICK, Kamaitachi, Kuroyume, and more. This is a follow-up from way back in Episode 8 where we covered the year 1990 in Visual Kei. VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this first-of-two episode, we continue our History of Visual Kei series by covering the year 1991. We discuss bands like LUNA SEA, BUCK-TICK, Kamaitachi, Kuroyume, and more. This is a follow-up from way back in Episode 8 where we covered the year 1990 in Visual Kei. VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this very special episode the team settle once and for all the age old question, what is the most halloween-y Visual Kei band of all time? VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this episode each of us pick out one Visual Kei release that we’re surprised to find available on streaming services to discuss, review, and recommend. VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vkpc

On this episode we discuss the early years of D’espairsRay, from their foundation to the 2002 release SEXUAL BEAST (except for James, who didn’t listen to anything...). VKPC is a part of vk.gy. vk.gy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vk.gy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vk.gy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord

On this episode, we follow up our Early Years Gazette episode with a review of their debut full length album, DISORDER. VKPC has joined vkgy! vkgy is a user-contributed database of detailed information on VK artists, releases, live-performance history, and more. You can also find exclusive interviews and news directly from the bands there! Our episodes will include links to any vkgy pages referenced so you can do deeper dives after listening. Also, we’ve got our own channel on vkgy’s Discord server! ----- The Visual Kei Podcast is supported by RarezHut.net: your source for rare (and not-so-rare) imported Japanese rock, metal, and visual kei outside of Japan! New customers can use the code VKPC when checking out to get 10% off their order. Follow us on Twitter: @thevkpodcast Follow vk.gy on Twitter: @vkgy_ Follow RarezHut on Twitter: @rarezhut Join us on the vkgy Discord server: https://vk.gy/to/discord