OngakuSociety

Support Members (current):
PABLO - guitar
MORRISSEY - bass
KAORU NOGUCHI - drums
DJ BASS - turntables

* courtesy of  LEMONTUNE, a FAKE? fansite.

Fake? may not be as well known as Laruku or Dir en Grey in the local J-music scene , they are definitely another band to add to your watch list.

Fronted by Kentaro James Shibuya Lloyd aka Ken Lloyd (former vocalist of Oblivion Dust) on vocals, Inoue Kiyonobu aka Inoran (former guitarist of Luna Sea) on guitar, and their support musicials on guitar, bass, drums, and turntables, Fake? gives us a delightful mix of tracks both with Japanese and Western appeal.

Fake? is known for the adding a Western flavor to their music without losing  any of their Japanese influences. I first wondered whether Ken was singing in Japanese or English when I heard their track, "Something About You" (written entirely in english). Even though Ken writes most of the songs in English, Japanese lyrics are still embedded in some songs. And being born half-Brit, his English lyrics are not bad compared even to his Western counterparts.

Started to feel bad when nothing but shit turned me on
I'm in the middle of it, stuck in the middle of it
Want to pray but there's no one upstairs there today
Gone out for groceries, out buying birds and bees
- from "Someday"

If Ken gives the Western appeal of the songs, then Inoran makes sure that the songs come out still attached to their  Japanese rock roots. With great riffs characteristic of true blue j-rock , the pair gives us an endless array of catchy tunes ranging from pop rock, punk rock, techno and hard rock. Inoran  instills a distinctly Japanese vibe to Ken's predominantly English lyrics.

Fake? has made a variety of songs with different themes. From feel good pop songs to drawn-out ballads,  bass-beating techno to hard-hitting rock, their catchy tunes are a  musical representation of their great talent. They have written about everything from love ("Something About You") to breaking from the norm ("No Exit"), and even about weird dreams that make you go "WTF?!?!" ("Nervous to Sleep"). These guys could write about anything and still make it  certified hit .

"Taste Maximum", Fake?'s first single was released early 2002 and a couple of months later, the album  "Breath In" was released. In less than three years they have produced three full length albums ( "Breath In",  "Tomorrow Today", and  "The Art of Losing Touch" ) and a couple of mini-albums and cd singles ( "Pulse",  "New Skin",  "Just Like Billy",  "Here We Go" ,  "Someday" ).

Fake? will be releasing their new album "Made With Air" on June 17, 2005.  I'm looking forward to another great listen!

For more Fake? goodness, visit their official website HEDFUC. You can also check out Inoran's official website. If fansites are more your style, check out the best at LEMONTUNE.