Debut song of a 90s visual kei band

Portrait in GlassLaputa

Garasu no Shouzou – Laputa

Laputa is a band said to have helped shape the early Nagoya visual scene alongside Kuroyume.

While embodying the quintessential ’90s visual kei style—decadent, dark, and psychedelic with a foundation in hard rock—their sound is consistently solid, with many tracks that are easy on the ears.

Broken windowPlastic Tree

Plastic Tree / Broken Window [HD PV]

With a musical style distinct from other visual kei bands, they are unique for basing their sound on the gothic rock found in the early ’90s UK rock scene while incorporating elements from various genres.

They debuted with this song in 1997, but the members have said that at the time they didn’t feel they had a place in the visual scene.

CLOCK STRIKES TENLADIES ROOM

LADIES ROOM / ‘CLOCK STRIKES TEN

Known for their extreme performances and provocative lyrics, LADIES ROOM pack this work with a bittersweet yet glamorous allure.

Opening with beautiful arpeggios, the song seems to capture that fleeting rush and faint loneliness just before the party ends.

The unique mood that comes right as the clock hands advance and the magic is about to fade resonates in a catchy hard-rock sound.

This track was LADIES ROOM’s major-label debut single, released in May 1991, and is also included on the album Made in SEX.

Their momentum is evident from the fact that in 1993 they topped the charts with a live video release.

It’s a song that stays close to your heart when you want to linger in the afterglow of a glittering night.

ivory treeLa’cryma Christi

La’cryma Christi / Ivory Trees (Feb 14, 2010 Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall)

This is La’cryma Christi’s major-label debut single, marked by its flowing twin-guitar lines and melodies that evoke the feeling of traveling through a distant, foreign land.

Within a delicately beautiful world, as if carved from ivory, it seems to sing of tenderness toward things that fade away.

Many listeners likely felt their hearts burn at the story spun by TAKA’s clear, high-toned vocals.

Released in May 1997, the song was also used as the ending theme for the TV program “Susume! Denpa Shonen.” Its sound balances progressive development with pop sensibilities, making it perfect for nights when you want to immerse yourself in a story.

Why not surrender yourself to this meticulously constructed sonic world?

QueenROUAGE

Ｒｏｕａｇｅ「Ｑｕｅｅｎ」（ＰＶ）

This is ROUAGE, a visual kei band from Nagoya that was active around the same time as Laputa.

They’re sometimes called the “original orthodox visual kei,” and they expressed a worldview themed around the moon and the night.

Their twin-guitar ensemble is distinctive, and the songs are full of brilliant ideas.

Ver Aile: In the Blank MomentMALICE MIZER

MALICE MIZER – Bel Air Verre Émeraude ~In the Blank Moments~ (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

MALICE MIZER is a band that incorporates a medieval Europe-like worldview and classical music into rock, with an uncompromising focus on visuals and performance.

Gackt, who is now well-known from variety shows, once served as their vocalist.

A band that pursued visuals to this extent has never been seen before or since.

for dearkuroyume

For Dear

During their indie days, Kuroyume were known alongside Silver-Rose as the “two giants of Nagoya,” gaining popularity for their provocative performances.

Both the members’ names and the band name used kanji—unusual for the time—and they pursued a thoroughly defiant style.

Their major-label debut song is this track, “for dear.”