What Was Internet Meme Music After All?
It feels very strange that it became so popular as a meme, and although I'm still ignorant about past music in the vein of Desolate 4th Street, I've listened to rock/folk/blues, jazz, punk, hip-hop, and more, but music from 2000 onwards felt somehow alien.
Thanks to that, I've compiled some things I used to listen to.
I'll just pick them up regardless of their origin.
The order is also random, regardless of era.
And I thought, 'Isn't Japan quite strong in internet memes?' so I decided to compile them, thinking they should be discussed alongside music.
The assistance will be provided by AI or quotes from other sites.
1.Nyan Cat
Nyancat is an animated GIF created by Japanese web designer 'prguitarman,' depicting a colorful cat jumping while dragging its tail. This GIF has been used on many websites, forums, and social media, becoming a part of internet culture. Nyancat was released in 2011 and was originally an attachment in an email prguitarman sent to a friend, but it was later shared by many people and spread as a meme.
Nostalgic.
How did I hear about it?
Perhaps from a MAD video or something like that.
I wondered if there was a Jazz version of this, and there was.
That's really good...
2.SAD CAT DANCE
Sad Cat Dance is a spin-off of another meme, 'Ankha Zone' (Nile Dance).
'Ankha Zone' is a meme based on a video of the Animal Crossing character Ankha performing an erotic dance. This video spread online in September 2021, leading to a trend where many people imitated Ankha's movements and redrew them.
I think it spread from 4chan with this Kobeni version.
This and Crumb Cat, I think? Which one came first, I wonder?
3.Hatsune Miku
Hatsune Miku is a virtual singer developed by Crypton Future Media. Since her first release in 2007, she has been active in numerous music projects, collaborations, and live events. Hatsune Miku's singing voice is not a vocal recording but is created using the computer-generated speech synthesis technology 'VOCALOID'. VOCALOID characters, including Hatsune Miku, not only produce original songs but also perform in live events and concerts, and are loved by many fans.
I wondered if I should even include her as a meme, since she's already proper music.
Last year, I suddenly remembered and decided to listen again, and I found that many early Hatsune Miku works covered songs by Japanese 80s No Wave and other punk artists.
4.Russia Hardbass
Russia Hardbass is a subgenre of hardbass, a type of electronic dance music originating from Russia. It is characterized by fast beats with emphasized bass and Russian vocals. It sometimes incorporates military elements or uses traditional Russian instruments. In recent years, it has gained some attention by being frequently used in memes and online videos.
The Russia Hardbass boom felt like it was a direct precursor to the current four-on-the-floor boom.
The Adidas fashion trend seems to have started when Adidas supplied gear during the Soviet era, and the Soviet team wore it at the Moscow Olympics.
However, I think this fashion itself was mutually influenced by UK rave culture and the emerging UK 'chav' fashion. For some reason, Russian four-on-the-floor 7-inch records were sometimes recorded in UK studios, so I believe there was mutual influence.
5.Kasane Teto: Playful Function
This is an original song for Kasane Teto, released by LamazeP under the name GojimajiP, and is one of GojimajiP's representative works.
A tag given to a unit formed by Kasane Teto, Yokune Ruko, Namiine Ritsu, and Sukone Tei. All four of these characters originated from VIP threads and share the common connection of being 'UTAU characters born as bait but whose UTAU voicebanks were created by their supporters.' From there, they came to be called 'VIPPALOID,' a combination of VOCALOID and VIP. They are now one of UTAU's most famous representative units.
I feel like the intro was used quite a lot in Niconico Douga and MAD videos (or is it just my imagination?).
Listening to it again, the lyrics are super geared towards computer lovers, so it's no wonder they yearned for a cyber world.
Considering this era, it seems like 'Second Life,' similar to today's 'metaverse,' was popular, so I feel it might have been born during a time when people dreamed of truly entering a two-dimensional world.
Hmm? Or perhaps it was born precisely because nothing was thought through?
6.RED ZONE
This was probably the first RED ZONE MAD on Niconico, wasn't it?
Why did this become popular...?
7.4CHAN EVER & 4Chan city
4chan is an anonymous imageboard website where discussions on various topics and image sharing take place.
The overseas version of 5channel.
Regarding 4Chan City's songs, I think the one I'll introduce next was more popular in Japan.
8. Southern Cross
It was incredibly popular on Flipnote Studio, which was available on DSi.
Wait, this song also originated from Niconico...?
A song that won an award in the original music category of 'Minna de Tsukutte 20' (Everyone Create 20), alongside 'Like a pop'n music'.
The composer is BlackY, who is also active in Niconico Indies.
9.Touhou Project
Touhou Project (Touhou Purojekuto) is a general term for the shooting games and their derivative works created by the Japanese dōjin circle Team Shanghai Alice. The first work released was 'Highly Responsive to Prayers' in 1996, and numerous works have been released since then. It is characterized by a multitude of unique characters, including the protagonist Reimu Hakurei, a distinctive world view, rich music, and high-difficulty gameplay. The Touhou Project is a popular series loved by fans worldwide, including Japan.
Wow. I wonder if there's a global Touhou boom happening again right now? The enthusiasm of English-speaking people I see on decentralized SNS makes me think so. Looking at the comments, there are 'Congratulations on 20 million views' on posts from a year ago for Night of Nights, and 'Did it really gain 3-4 million views in the past year (2023/05/12)?'
Lately, I've been feeling like I should delve deeper into this again.
But truly, both Hatsune Miku and Touhou feel like they've pioneered new genres of music these days.
If it wasn't early 2000s electronic music, what influenced them to create such music?
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Conclusion
Music from 2000 onwards is alien, but a lot of it is based on electronic music, so I need to pay attention to that and listen more.
What they have in common is their bright melodies, and it's amazing that playfulness has led to something so global. Given how many depressing things there are in the world, perhaps the world is seeking memes.
In the past, they were looked down upon, but now they feel quite familiar, so I felt I should listen to a lot more with confidence. Of course, music from other countries is also wonderful, but Japanese music truly feels amazing.
Wait, was Kasane Teto really from VIP threads...?
Born as a joke and then became serious, she's the most ridiculous and greatest character in the world.