I'M BACK!!! [KOIAI - Come see me] FIRST TIME Reaction!

Hey everyone!
I'm back in my new house! Still in the process of moving in and there's a lot of work left to do, but I have internet again so let's continue right on were we left of!!
Link to original video: • KOIAI - Come see me [M...
‪@NEMOPHILA_Tokyo‬‪@KOIAIofficial‬

[@NemusVetus]

The combination of cool pop sound, jazzy chord progressions and guitar shredding is too good. I'm really really enjoying Koiai's work. Curious if they will find a permanent bassist soon. Talking of bassists, I can really recommend the solo work of Mina (former member of Girlfriend and now mostly a music youtuber). Her first EP ist awesome. Fun pop music with a highlight on her versatile bass playing. For example, her song 君がいいねした (Kimi ga ii ne shita).

[@994pt4]

Followed Hazuki here from Nemophila and now a big fan of KOIAI. Great song and especially like the rhythm section in this one.

[@fedogma8407]

Obviously the talent of these women is exceptional but I am also extremely impressed with the sophistication of the songwriting on this album. I haven't been able to get this song out of my head since i first heard it.

[@ericdarlington2332]

❤❤❤🤘🤘🤘oh to be a fly on the wall during one of their practice sessions ..... hey man your guitar collection is growing careful you will end up like me guitars everywhere no room for anything else lol ;)

[@react-o-mat]

I already wanted to buy another one, but luckily (for my wallet) it's not available in the color I want anymore 😜

[@homegnome2429]

Yeah very cool - good to see you back :)

[@WanderingSoulsWebzine]

Welcome back man. Good to see you again. Yes, Come See Me Is a fantastic new track. Really love it. It wouldn't suprise me if they're gonna drop a new EP somewhere this year too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one.

[@react-o-mat]

My pleasure, glad to be back 👍

[@MaartenT]

Welcome back! The EP that they released before the one you listened to is somewhat different as it's almost pure pop (at least to my ears). I personally wasn't a huge fan to the point that I basically gave up on them until I heard they officially added Kanade Sato to their roster since I have been loving her drumming for years now, actually from before I discovered Japanese Band-Maid and the whole Japanese rock/metal scene. But that's not to say you shouldn't listen to that first EP. I know how unforgiving I can be for poppy stuff and (just like in this track) it has plenty of autotune, so yeah. I think plenty of people did enjoy it and it still has some great shredding parts here and there. Their first EP is titled "Deep Indigo".

[@react-o-mat]

Thanks! Good to see you're still here 😁 Yeah we'll see, I might throw it in for another EP rotation at some point 👍

[@SomethingToDo360]

“But not to say you shouldn’t listen to that first EP” I just made a post saying to skip it. 😆

[@MaartenT]

@@SomethingToDo360 That first EP is really not for me either, but people have different tastes and from what I have seen he can stomach pop way more than I can. Kotono's vocals in general are by far my least favourite part of this band, even on this newest EP. It is just not my kind of vocals and there is way too much production on it for my taste. Honestly, if they hadn't added Kanade Sato to the band I probably would have ignored them for the most part, but I know how good of a drummer that she is and there is no way they aren't going to use her skills here and there which makes it more enjoyable for me. I really like "A New Picture", I think that tracks shows that she can play this type of more progressive rock/metal as well. I should give the first EP an other listen, although I assume I will not enjoy it but I am pretty negative on a lot of pop so I don't think my take means no-one will enjoy it. I still think it is worth checking out if people are interested to see where they are coming from.

[@SomethingToDo360]

@@MaartenT “Kotono's vocals in general are by far my least favourite part of this band” Although I think she lacks in vocal ability (not much vocal power), I’m fine with her general sound. I’m also fine with her not being the reason people have for preferring the band (the main attraction), because when the singer is the attraction, it can come at the cost of other aspects of music I prefer more. In other words: I’m glad the first album didn’t catch on. So to me it’s more about Kotono supporting the song, rather than being a highlight of it. This is complicated though, because I can see how her vocal limitations can be good in other ways too. For example, although I don’t think her vocals are the type to cut through the music as easily, maybe this actually lead to the creative (or prog-like) writing in ‘A New Picture’, particularly in how they slowed the music before her vocal parts. Perhaps to say, the singers limitations in that area are manifested in other interesting ways: highlighting creative songwriting and the instrumentals. I also think ‘Come See Me’ is very good from a songwriting perspective (their best so far), and wonder if the pauses and sense of instrumental space in it, is itself a Polyphia influence. Like I know Polyphia has even more spaciousness to their sound; they have these little pauses between rhythmic patterns, allowing everything to more easily shine through. Enough space so that everyone is not stepping heavily on each other. But I think I’m perhaps more interested in this side of Koiai (the songwriting), than most people. I hope they continue to improve in that area. I should say too, that singer is usually less important to me in general, as Lovebites has been my favorite band for 4 years, even though I don’t prefer Asami’s vocals. I just don’t care enough about the vocals for it to make a difference here. My main complaint with Lovebites is just the songwriting. The music feels a bit repetitive or predictable to me, while the guitars solos can also feel a bit robotic when the focus is being placed entirely on impressing reactors to promote the band. In some ways, I’m glad that Koiai isn’t just about pleasing these reactors who are looking almost entirely for speed over everything else, which is it’s own cost. Just my opinion.

[@kicorse]

Welcome back! Hope the move went well and sorry to hear you got covid. Not my favourite of theirs though I do love the bit that you twice called weird. But A New Picture definitely changed my view of Koiai, and I have a lot more tolerance now for their poppier side and the Polyphia-style production (I like Polyphia, but not their production). All they need to do is throw in a couple of weird jazzy chord changes and I'm happy! (joke)

[@react-o-mat]

Good to have you back as well 😁 I only know them for a couple of weeks now and I already like them a lot! (I do like 'weird' things btw, but I guess you know that 😅)

[@SomethingToDo360]

I don’t recommend the first EP. I just tried to listen to it again, but it’s much too heavy on the pop in a very singer-focused way, while I would say that the addition of Kanade Sato has improved things by redirecting that singer-focus to the band as a whole (driving more attention to the instrumental aspects), a direction which should continue as Wakazaemon participates in the recording for the upcoming EP. So I would say their current sound is more of a progressive pop, with Kotono’s vocal-sound being the part that has more of the mainstream appeal to it. Perhaps they’re now trying to make songs that can both capture people emotionally (through Kotono), while also wowing them instrumentally, the latter of which is somewhat necessary for reaction videos (for example: Lovebites survives off it). I think in order to do that properly, they may switch to metal for certain songs with intent to use them as live videos (like ‘A New Picture’, helping to spread the band name by reaction videos). Then maybe, some of the more pop-like aspects of the band, can also catch on and make them big as well.

[@react-o-mat]

I heard similar things about their first EP a couple of times, maybe I'll try one song to see if I'll feature it on the channel. Love their current style though 😉👍

[@2abug]

Back with a banger 🔥 I really like KOIAI’s second EP too. And, yes, there’s a first EP 😄 But you know me by now, ZUTOMAYO is still my number one of the list 😏 Actually, my 3 favorite bands are dropping new releases in the next weeks: BAND-MAID “Epic Narratives” September 25 (Kanami’s birthday 3 days later 🎂🎸🥺), Gacharic Spin “Feast” October 9 (MISA’s birthday 6 days later 🎂🎸🦶🏼) and ZUTOMAYO EP “Kokaku no Ichi-Nen Kaiba ni Entrust” October 23 (Miku’s birthday 2 days earlier 🎂🎸🕊️). ZUTOMAYO is also dropping a live Blu-ray from this year’s concert at Yokohama K-Arenaon September 25.

[@react-o-mat]

Yes there's a lot coming and still a lot I need to catch up to 😅 I'll do my best 😋👍