FreshP0325

Preface#

It is now 2:30 AM on December 19, 2023, and I still have materials to search for new videos with konseki. We both opened the J-CORE general thread on 5ch, and inevitably, we wanted to understand the current discussions among J-core enthusiasts in Japan and their views on the state of J-Core.

I think it's beneficial to check out 5ch if you want to understand J-Core.

We reached the end of the thread, and since 5ch threads are forcibly closed once they hit 1000 posts, everyone usually starts a new thread to continue the discussion. However, this time, people felt there was no need to open a new thread, and thus, the J-core discussion board that had lasted for over a decade came to an end.

It has been seven or eight years since TECHNORCH's J-Core article was published, and the gap between Technorch's first and second articles is also about seven or eight years. Therefore, I have always wanted to write another article about the changes in the J-Core environment over the past few years.

So, is J-Core dead?

What is J-Core?#

Before discussing the current state of J-core, we need to clarify what J-Core actually is. Since there has never been an accurate answer to this question, let's break it down.

Nerdcore Techno Era#

Nerdcore Techno is a music style that emerged in Japan in the early 1990s, blending the Hardcore of the time with anime samples. The well-known examples today include groups like 高速音楽隊 and 全日本レコード. At that time, some overseas producers also began to experiment with this style, but overall, it was a form of music created by Japanese nerds sampling from their own videotapes for self-entertainment.

Of course, nobody called it J-core back then.

Authentic J-Core#

By the mid to late 1990s, the Japanese Hardcore scene began to split. On one side were records adhering to the European mainstream style, while on the other were records sticking to this Nerd style. After entering the new millennium, the production level of this Nerdcore began to rise, and more and more overseas enthusiasts started to notice this style. They referred to this Hardcore music with a distinctly Japanese feel as J-core.

After that, the term J-Core made its way back to Japan. Japanese producers did not have a clear understanding of the term at first, but some began to label their music as J-core. Eventually, the term J-CORE was widely accepted in Japan, and this Anime-bootleg music became increasingly popular domestically.

Gradually, overseas producers like JAKAZID also began to create J-core music, and people's perceptions changed. Although the music was made by foreigners, if it was produced with a Japanese sensibility, it was also considered J-CORE.

Broader Definition of J-core#

Around 2008, a second split occurred regarding the definition of J-core. Almost all J-Core producers were influenced by Western Hardcore music, and they believed J-core was a part of Western Hardcore music.

However, more J-core producers began to emerge who had no influence from Western Hardcore at all; they simply liked J-core and started producing Hardcore music.

At the same time, producers like M1dy and DJ TECHNORCH, while not strictly Ani-Bootleg, also had a unique Japanese quality and differed significantly from Western Hardcore. Thus, a faction began to believe that music with a certain Japanese flavor, which was different from the Western style, was also J-core.

Post-Music Game Boom#

During this time, music games were also continuously developing in Japan. Taking IIDX as an example, as player skill levels improved, the original music library, which mainly featured House, Techno, and Trance, began to include increasingly faster (i.e., Hardcore) music. Of course, Hardcore music had already appeared in music games before this, but figures like L.E.D and Kors K were clearly influenced by Western Hardcore, and one could even say they represented a certain "true" Hardcore.

After that, so-called music game-specific Hardcore music began to emerge (many Japanese enthusiasts believe that the beginning of this shift was due to DJ yoshitaka and his HARD RENAISSANCE, although this is hard to verify). Music game players began to enter the Hardcore world through music games, and this music started to be referred to as J-Core.

...

Let's stop here for now. Although J-Core has undergone many changes since then, I will leave that as a cliffhanger for now.

At this point, Japanese Hardcore has diverged significantly from Western Hardcore, with many cultural and auditory differences, which is also the initial point expressed by TECHNORCH in the original text.

The Confusing Parts#

So, what is the direction?

For J-Core producers at the time, where J-Core should develop was a matter of personal opinion. Some believed J-core should continue in the Ani-bootleg direction, while others, like REDALICE, thought J-Core should evolve towards a more "authentic Hardcore." Of course, in hindsight, we now know who was right.

The Unique Voice of Japanese People is No Longer Unique#

As many underground J-core producers entered the mainstream world, whether in music games or elsewhere, the unique influence of the J-Core sound began to affect the mainstream Japanese music scene.

Do you remember how many J-POP, anime music, idol music, etc., you have heard that were clearly influenced by it?

However, the unique sound belonging to the Japanese people began to gradually disappear.

In early 2018, the very famous GUHROOVY SHOP in the Japanese Hardcore scene closed down, and the web sales gradually ceased afterward.

I have always believed that the release of HARDCORE SYNDROME 9 in 2015 was a significant turning point. After that, the Japanese began to move towards a more authentic direction.

Having spent a considerable amount of time discussing the original J-CORE music, we can now look back:

Authentic J-Core has gradually declined in the context of the streaming era and copyright issues. The end of A-Remix Nation, UNGLAND, and J-core Masterz marks the long-gone golden age of authentic J-Core. As older J-core producers like Sharpnel also began to transition, authentic J-Core has completely shifted underground.

The broader definition of J-core is increasingly aligning with mainstream Hardcore in terms of sound and culture. Japanese producers are increasingly trying overseas practices. If you look at the current content of Japanese Hardcore Live, it has gradually shifted towards Western Hardcore performances, in terms of lineup, music, and format. At the same time, during the pandemic, more Japanese HDM artists have gone international, with producers like YUTA IMAI and TATSUNOSHIN being referred to as Japan's pride on 5ch, leading more J-Core producers to integrate into the Western HDM scene.

"However, producers of styles like Techcore/Futurecore, and many Japanese producers are still creating music that is very unique to them. The unique Japanese sound has not completely disappeared," some might say.

This brings us to another question we need to discuss:

J-core is No Longer a Unique Japanese Sound#

HARDCORE UTOPIA 5 is set to be released in a few days.

This album features many non-Japanese producers creating Japanese Hardcore music, and their sound is not significantly different from what we imagine J-Core to be.

However, they have incorporated many recently popular EDM elements from the West.

This trend of building on a Japanese sound while adding their unique interpretations has quietly become a trend.

Producers like Reek, Synthion, and Aethral, who are Non-Japanese J-Core producers, are not the only ones; many mainstream EDM producers, like skybreak, openly state that their music has been influenced by J-Core.

Another example is our favorite supa7onyz. Before the release of his most popular demon lord track this year, many people thought it was produced by a Japanese producer, but looking back now, it contains too many unique sounds from supa.

This is similar to how Japanese producers, who were once inspired by authentic J-core to create music that is completely different from it, are now increasingly being "influenced" by this unique Japanese sound, creating their own.

At the same time, we can see that Japanese J-Core producers are beginning to split into two factions: one continues to produce their original style, while the other moves closer to the Western mainstream sound. The former needs no further explanation, while for the latter, I want to cite this example.

I actually like this song, but you can see that Massive New Krew has completely deviated from their original unique sound. From the PV to the music, it is entirely Western mainstream sound.

The unique Japanese sound is becoming less unique, but this is far from the most serious problem.

The Separation of Audiences: Communication Between Different Levels of Audiences is No Longer Possible#

In the J-core discussion board, someone summarized the current audience of HARDCORE in Japan.

Let me translate it; although it's quite extreme, it's really accurate:

・音ゲーキッズ層
クラブに足を運ぶことはない。～の CD 絶対買う！！とか言っちゃうガキ

・タノシーメイン層 (レッドアリス、トパゾ、lapix、ノリケン、USAO、aran 等)
音ゲーキッズがクラブに来てみたよ感満載芋っぽいシャツ着るやつとスキニーパンツ等量産型の服装のやつが混在し、どことなくカマくさい。
ケータイを常に弄っている知らない曲になると地蔵イベント時はまるでライブイベントのようになりアイドルか何かと勘違いしている。
メンヘラみたいなヤバい格好の女も見かけるクラブミュージックに関しての知識が乏しい。タノシーの努力によってこの層は断トツで盛り上がっている

・ナードコア層 (プネル、c-type、レオパルドン、酒井法子、dietrax 等) オタク。見た目の気持ち悪さがすごい。ノリは基本点によく、ガチャガチャなブレイクコアで暴れだす。俺たちだけで楽しくやっていこうぜ精神。
ファンコットなんかもイケる。テクノに対しての理解がある。
最近はハードテックが流行ってきたがナードコア寄りじゃないとダメ。年齢層がやや高め。
時代も世代も変わったが、プネルやレオパルドンが全盛期だったころの人はまだいるのだろうか

・海外本格サウンド信仰勢 (m-project、シマムラ、スピフリ、scott brown、その他多数) ある程度、ハードコアテクノに関しての知識を持ち、タノシーメイン層を見下している。
ミョースケ好きには意外とこっち寄りのやつも多い。
ハードテックでも fant4stick、タヌキチ好きはこっちに含まれる。
黒 T が好きでイベントではオラついたガチムチと芋っぽいやつが混在する
ハーコー関連の外タレを呼ぶイベント自体少ないためリアルで遭遇する機会があまりない。
ハードスタイルイベントに足を運ぶやつも多い。

The music game kids layer
They don’t go to clubs. They say things like “I absolutely have to buy xxxx’s CD!”

The TANOC main layer (REDALICE, t+pazolite, lapix, DJ Noriken, USAO, aran, etc.)
It feels like music game kids have come to the club, with guys in tacky shirts and skinny pants mixed together, which feels a bit gross. They are always on their phones, and when an unknown song plays, they become like statues during events, mistaking the performers for idols. You can also see women dressed in a way that looks like a mess. Their knowledge of club music is lacking. Thanks to TANOC's efforts, this layer is very active in clubs.

The NERDCORE layer (Punel, c-type, Leopardon, Noriko Sakai, dietrax, etc.)
Nerds. They look quite gross. The atmosphere is the most important, dancing to chaotic breakcore. The spirit is to have fun just among ourselves. They can also go to Funkot events. They have some understanding of Techno. Recently, Hardtek has become popular, but it must be Nerdcore. The age group is somewhat older. Times and generations have changed, but are there still people from the heyday of Punel and Leopardon?

The overseas authentic Hardcore faith group (m-project, Shimamura, Spifli, Scott Brown, and many others) have a certain level of knowledge about Hardcore techno and look down on the TANOC main layer. Surprisingly, many who like Myosuke lean towards this side. This group also includes fans of Hard-Tek like Fant4stick and Tanukichi. They like black T-shirts, and at events, you can find a mix of muscular guys and tacky ones. Since there are few events inviting foreign Hardcore artists, there are not many opportunities to encounter them in real life. Many also attend Hardstyle events.

Interestingly, I found that these four levels of people, especially the last three, have completely isolated themselves.

On 5ch, I noticed that some people only go to TANOC TOUR, while others only go to WR or TDOH. These people cannot understand what others are doing at all and believe that they are the true J-Core.

This is completely different from the J-Core scene over twenty or even ten years ago, where these different types of enthusiasts had much interaction, and many people were involved in all three.

This change may be due to the proliferation of the internet and the rise of social media, making it easier for people to find their own interest groups. However, this has also led to a lack of information flow among these enthusiasts.

As a result, from the perspective of these three groups, J-Core has become increasingly boring and lacking in novelty.

Think about it:

TANO*C enthusiasts now feel that TANOC's tracks only need to meet a passing standard.

NERDCORE enthusiasts feel that the current situation of NERDCORE is dire, with emerging styles like Hyperflip polluting the entire environment.

As for the overseas authentic Hardcore believers... do they still listen to authentic Japanese Hardcore?

Culture is Shrinking#

Returning to the topic of GUHROOVY SHOP, the decline of GUHROOVY SHOP represents that the original way of supporting HDM creators through CD sales in Japan is gradually becoming unviable today.

When I first saw someone buying a CD just to help a producer "rank up," I was truly surprised.

Originally, it was said that "for those originally in the scene, it was a year of J-Core's end; for those currently in the scene, it was a year of J-Core's transformation."

Now it is "for both those originally in the scene and those currently in the scene, J-Core is coming to an end."

This is a more serious issue than changes in sound. The reason Japan could support so many people with sounds different from the mainstream is due to this consumption model.

You don't need to consider performances, nor do you need to worry about whether your tracks will be accepted by a broader audience; you just need to focus on doing your own thing.

But looking at Japan now, more and more people are starting to learn overseas survival methods, which is also why I believe J-core is beginning to lack innovation.

Another reason is that the vast majority of J-Core listeners, if they hear a track they haven't heard before at a live event, have no idea how to react.

The function of DJs "recommending good music" has also become ineffective, so everyone can only play tracks that have become overly familiar.

However, from another perspective, for a broader range of Hardcore enthusiasts, Hardcore culture itself is also on the decline. If we were to discuss this, it would be a much larger topic, so I will leave that for now.

Now#

So, is J-Core dead?

I think after reading my thoughts above, you will come to your own conclusion.

In fact, upon closer examination, doujin Hardcore can indeed be considered a cultural miracle, transforming imported culture into a suitable type for oneself and ultimately influencing the original culture.

Look at the domestic HDM; isn't it a similar development pattern to J-Core?

"Starting to create influenced by Hardcore from other countries—developing a style suitable for oneself—feeding back into the Hardcore culture of the world (this is not very easy to see, but I believe that day will come!)"

But unlike Japan, we initially encountered three different Hardcore cultures:

Mainstream J-Core—NERDCORE—Authentic HARDCORE

When Hardcore first entered the domestic scene, everyone was purely listeners, and these three types of people interacted with each other. However, as producers of these three styles began to emerge, walls began to build between the enthusiasts of these styles.

I could also say, like TECHNORCH, "Just do what you like." But that doesn't solve the problem; the barriers will still exist.

So what I want to say is:

Please do not refuse to communicate. I believe that if you like one of the three Hardcores, you will likely find something you enjoy in the other two.

The most important thing is to be yourself, not to be someone who can only stay in their comfort zone.

Someone once asked me why domestic Hardcore doesn't have its own sound. I want to say that if you listen to the tracks of many domestic Hardcore producers, you will find that everyone has their unique sound.

I personally like all three types of Hardcore, and I reflect these three different sounds in my music, ultimately forming my unique sound.

I am not someone who fears change. I believe music should not simply replicate what others have done. If everyone can find their unique sound, that would be the best.

I hope everyone can find their unique sound.