AIOLIN will disband

News
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I wonder how people who can’t even be bothered to read the disbandment announcement in full can have such arrogance to think that they understand AIOLIN better than the Aster who have followed them for years. We’re the ones that have spent hours reading interviews and watching live-streams and I was even fortunate enough to see them, and let me just say that Hikarito doesn’t even have an oversized presence in the live. All of the members have a VERY strong presences and it’s absolutely a band feeling.

Definitely the negative comments had an impact. There’s rumors that Hikarito reads tanuki which is…AIOLIN’s tanuki threads are the most disgusting I’ve ever seen on an already bad forum. They just constantly trash talk the members and certain fans (I advise you not to look if you haven’t since you’re one of these fans). In that sense, I understand Hikarito wanting to leave the name behind, if possible he probably wants to escape those fans. And with You, it’s definitely noticeable that his confidence has taken a hit lately.

I also think that Hikarito might be creatively exhausted. For a while he might just do support work like More Than Words and then when he finds a sound he wants to do, he’ll come back with a new name. Of course, I’ll be waiting for him when he does.

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Honestly hearing this kinda sadden me this is the only violin band worth the time of day in the vkei scene and now they are going away. The amount of work it takes to make a band work with that instrument is crazy let alone the amazing voice the vocalist. I personally am not a fan of the band but am a fan of previous works the vocalist has done. These guys deserve better then disbandment. That last known band that was a violin related band before them that i know of was ACE. In which do highly recommend if you haven’t checked them out if your into the violin instruments a stuff.

Hope they come back with better support maybe more fans.

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I mean, if you want to get into it with violin rock bands, there was also Rose Noire:

And on the non-VK J-rock scene BIGMAMA is probably the most prominent one:

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lmao okay dear…

Out of curiosity, how long have you been around in the scene?

cuz I’m really trying to not be a condescending gatekeeper a-hole here, but bands like AIOLIN come and go every. single. day.

No one is saying the other bandmembers aren’t talented and all, but how work is done is pretty clear and there’s no shame in it, its just business and dynamics in the end. I really don’t care or know about gya shit, I’m talking aboud composition and bandwork here, if that’s something people are willing to discuss I’m all ears

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Let’s not start attacking each other because AIOLIN disbanded. That would be a sad note for this band to end on.

@kryr_16 I can still see all your deleted posts. Try not to take the opinions of others in this topic too personally. You clearly have a lot of knowledge to share but you get riled up too easy when you perceive someone’s opinion as an insult to the band. Many people in this forum may not be as “in the know” about all things AIOLIN as you are. And that’s okay, as long as you are willing to share what you know without being condescending in return. No one wants to feel like they’re being talked down to.

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So it’s okay to be condescending when attacking or trivializing the band but not okay to return the favor when defending them. Understood. Message received.

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There is value in ignoring opinions sometimes. Not everyone is going to like the same things you do and that’s okay. You shouldn’t feel the need to defend AIOLIN from someone’s opinion.

And being condescending in return just starts fights, which is what I’m trying to avoid. No one will listen to what you have to say if they’re too busy trying to clap back.

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I’ve been a visual kei fan for more than 8 years, and an Aster (a fan of AIOLIN) since their debut.
I know visual kei bands tend to come and go, but that doesn’t mean fans can say something rude to band members.
Maybe you didn’t mean anything bad when you commented “supporters,” but people who read your comment may think the other way. In this case, people, not only fans but especially band members, can take it as a verbal attack. I’m glad you don’t really mean to be condescending, but you should be careful when you make comments next time.

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Thing is, you take this way, waaay more personal than you should. I know visual kei fans tend to think they are super close to bandmembers and must defend their honor and all but you gotta understand people don’t really care if they are supposedly hurting an artist feelings or some nonsense like that, specially when pointing technical shit like the members having zero creative control of whats happening in the band, which is just stating a fact. In a music DISCUSSION forum.

Took a quick glance on how they credit their work and its basically all the same, everything by hikarito and the full band getting credits for arrangement, most likely for money things I’d bet (which I’d gladly take it back if I’m wrong).

Everything revolves around the dude and his violin shtick and you got all offended cuz someone pointed that? If THIS is insulting for you, I really don’t know how you managed to stay in the scene for so long, lmao.

In any case, let’s just carry on, this whole discussion is super dumb

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Respectfully. I dont know what was said to me due to me seeing this after it the comment was flagged.

Just to clarify my comment. My intentions of the my comment was not to attack the band or anything??? I just was commenting on how the hard work they have done and how amazing it is that they made this band work up to this point and that it saddens me that they have negativity spread about them. Im confused on the overall issues? Can you fill me in zeus?

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Well, I know people have different music tastes, so I won’t say if anyone’s opinion is wrong, cuz’ there’s no right or wrong in that case.
I ALSO DO KNOW some people don’t really care if they are hurting an artist’s feelings when they make comments. THAT’S NOT OKAY. Like you said, we’re here to discuss music, how we feel about the music, etc. WE’RE NOT HERE TO ATTACK ARTISTS OR SAY ANYTHING THAT MAY HURT THEIR FEELINGS. It’s okay if you don’t like a band or a band member, but IT’S NOT OKAY IF YOU SAY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE HURTFUL.
I have my own likes and dislikes as well, but I won’t make such comments just because I don’t like a band or a band member. I at most simply say “It’s not my cup of tea.”
Imagine you’ve been devoting yourself to music, and then someone, perhaps not even really familiar with your music, says “you’re simply copying a certain artist” or “you suck; you’re just like a supporter, not a real band member,” how would you feel? Sure you won’t feel happy, right?
I’m just saying PEOPLE SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE THEY MAKE COMMENTS, and that PEOPLE SHOULD PUT THEMSELVES IN OTHERS’ SHOES. DON’T TELL SOMEONE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE HURTFUL EVEN TO YOU.
Honestly, even if I don’t like a band, when I notice someone saying something rude to that band, I’d report his comment, cuz’ it’s not okay to make such a comment. It’s never okay.

The other reason why I tell you to be careful while commenting is the Japanese culture thing. In Western countries and even my country, people tend to be straightforward when they talk. But that’s not how Japanese people talk. Japanese people care a lot about how others feel, so when they talk, they tend not to say anything too bluntly. If you talk too bluntly, Japanese people might find it offensive or hurtful.
Since most of the visual kei artists are Japanese, I think it’s better for fans, especially overseas fans, to be careful when they comment.
Some Japanese fans do attack bands they don’t like though, but that’s another case, and that’s not okay, either.

If you just want to focus on Hikarito, you can simply commented that “Hikarito is really talented” and saved the “supporter” thing. I’m not saying your comment is insulting to me. I mean your comments can hurt the band members, even including Hikarito. Like I said, Hikarito really loves and cherishes the other members. I bet he won’t be happy when he learns that someone calls the other members “supporters,” even if that person don’t really mean it. He was already angry once when he learned that a fan had been saying some things that weren’t nice to another fan and You through DMs and Twitter. As far as I know, the DMs and tweets say that You is not really important in the band.

As for the credit thing, I’m not really sure, so I won’t make any comments on that.

Anyway, I just hope people can be more considerate when they make comments. Otherwise, there’ll just be more bands disbanding. Don’t know if you know this or not, one of the reasons why Vexent disbanded is that many fans have been calling them “copycats,” which had hurt the members’ feelings. (I heard this from a friend of mine. He’s a fan of Vexent.) I know AIOLIN didn’t say anything about the comments thing when they announced their disbandment. But, since there are bands that disbanded because of the hurtful comments, I’d like to point it out. No one wishes to see their favorite bands disband owing to that reason. I’m sure neither do you.
There are already too many rude fans. Let’s not be one of them.

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Thank you for advising me not to take a look at AIOLIN’s tanuki.
I already knew what happened there though. Don’t worry. The person behind it will no longer bother Asters. I can DM you to tell you the details if you want.

It’s sad that some visual kei “fans” are not really fans, but women who just desire for something they can never get from the artists and envy other fans for no good reason…

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I initially wanted to express how sorry I am that Aiolin disbanded, I wasn’t a fan (recently discovered them, here actually) but I quite liked them even though I thought they had not reached their “full potential”: absolutely wanted to keep on following them. Too bad it won’t happen, hopefully they will appear somewhere again some day, even separately.
Especially the way the leader stops any music activity is strange and sad. I hope there is no “dark story” behind it (which can be absolutely personal, even (random example) losing a very close person which makes you lose interest in pretty much everything), whatever made him take this decision we can only hope that time will help: he seemed to love his art, and it’s sad when someone so dedicated to something lets go of everything.

But then… I saw that this topic turned into a war? Between fans, who don’t share the same views on how a band should be remembered/celebrated/spoken about? That is… sad? I mean, these guys lost their job, a part of their passion, what has been driving them in the recent years, and we turn into a war between fans? Sad.

Still, I really don’t think non-Japanese fans should stop themselves from thinking and reacting the way they would following their own culture. Japanese music is great, also because it “speaks” to many people with different backgrounds and cultures: if we reacted to everything Japanese the way Japanese people do, we would not follow our own identity. When a western band appears in Japan, they react the Japanese way: I don’t think they would like us “refraining” ourselves, that is not a good way to celebrate people. Everyone his personality, his way to enjoy life and his way to express it.

That being said, of course there are ways to express things. I really doubt Japanese musicians often visit English speaking forums, so I don’t think we should imagine how they would react in case they would come here, maybe read things they wouldn’t like and all. Yet, in general and no matter what is said, we should always be respectful of whoever we speak about. Japanese-related or not, that is just… basic politeness.

About a few points I read here: when people are credited for arrangements, it means they didn’t compose the song itself but gave hindsight on how to build it (rhythms, harmonies, bridges,…) It is an actual work. If they wanted to split the rights between all band members, they would include all members names as composers: as far as I know, only composers and writers receive copyrights, arrangers are paid a fee as somewhat technicians and point.

In general, also, some people are absolutely convinced that band members in a band don’t matter, they’re simply here to play what they’re told. Some people are even convinced that only producers (who are doing the actual “final rearranging and making it sound good, sometimes real composition”-work) matter: no matter the band members and even composers, the producer will make them deliver a great album if he’s great, or a bad album if he’s bad. In Japanese music, in western music, all styles. I had such conversations with many people, in many styles, always the same type of argument. The conclusion is always the same: everyone his opinion, we can exchange our views but only those in the recording room actually know what happens. We don’t. So no use fighting over it?

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Another thing to keep in mind is that bands practically never do anything specifically because of foreign fans. Not unless they are very naive, and think that foreign fans can make or break their success.

It’s always kind of been an “oh, cool. Someone travelled to come see us” at best, and a mild annoyance to them at worst (when someone doesn’t understand fan customs, or the slow realization that most of the non-Japanese fans have only streamed on Spotify instead of buying every merch item like their Japanese gya).

The domestic fans will always be their bread and butter, and if anything will upset them it will be the reactions of their local fanbase. They won’t get upset if a casual listener in NA or Eu thinks that half of the songs are “misses”.

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Well, I’m actually not “fighting,” but to discuss and share my points of view and what I know here. Sorry if I made you feel this way.
Yes, people can exchange their points of view, but that doesn’t mean they can say anything that can hurt others. Like I said, a fan sent some contents that are hurtful to another fan and You through DMs and Twitter. The main idea of those contents is that You is not important in the band. Those contents have obviously had a negative impact on him.
Maybe the person who started this discussion didn’t know this fact when he commented the “supporter” thing. Now that I told him, he should know that his comment can be hurtful to You. The truth is, even if he didn’t know, he shouldn’t have commented something like that. Yes, people have their own opinions, but again, they should always be respectful of whoever they talk about, just like you said. If we’re not sure whether what we say will hurt someone’s feelings or not, then we’d better not say it.

Maybe not many bands will google how people talk about them, but AIOLIN is definitely not one of them. As an Aster, I can assure you the members of AIOLIN will do this, and at least Hikarito can understand English. I don’t know if any members of AIOLIN know this English forum or not, but what if they do? Even if none of the bands (not only AIOLIN but also the other bands) knows this forum, that doesn’t mean anyone can say anything that can be hurtful to them here. That’s also not okay.

I still want to clarify one thing. I’m not typing these just to defend AIOLIN, but also to point out something that has long been wrong in the world of Internet. Many people think that because they have freedom to say whatever they want in the comment sections and DMs, they tend to be careless; they didn’t consider how their words can affect others. I do agree it’s okay to follow our own cultures and make comments, but at the same time I think we should consider how people from the other countries may read our comments. There is a thing called culture shock. Maybe we don’t mean anything bad when we type our comments, but if we’re not careful enough, we may let people from different countries think in a negative way. Maybe it’s hard to follow our own cultures and take others’ cultures into consideration at the same time, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
What’s worse, some people simply say nasty things in their comments and DMs. Like I said, some bands like Vexent already disbanded because of the nasty comments and DMs (from Japan and other countries). If we take a look at what had happened in the Japanese entertainment industry recent years, we’d see the worst result: Miura Haruma and Hana Kimura committed suicide because many people commented “I don’t like you” IN THE WORST WAY IT COULD BE (many of them didn’t care when they commented, I’d say). I’m not a fan of Vexent, Hana Kimura, etc., but that doesn’t mean I can ignore such incidents. Actually none of us should.
One’s words can hurt others, and even kill others. People really should stop not caring how their words may affect others. So let’s just be careful and help make the world of Internet a better world.
I hope you can understand my points. I don’t mean anything bad here; I just hope people can be more careful when they convey their opinions.

And thank you for expressing your interest in AIOLIN and how sorry you are about their disbandment. Hikarito did mention in his comment on disbandment that he doesn’t plan to give up. Let’s hope he’ll start a new activity someday. And let’s wish the other members the best.

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It’s true that domestic fans are the ones who can make or break a band’s success, not overseas fans. But that doesn’t mean every visual kei band doesn’t care about overseas fans’ comments, DMs and fan letters. RUKI from the GazettE sometimes retweets overseas fans’ tweets. the GazettE even once held a two-day live in my country to show their love in return of the love of fans here (according to the band members’ comments).
In AIOLIN’s case, if you’re an Aster, you’d know members of AIOLIN do care about overseas fans. Not the shallow way you said. They’re happy to like and share the birthday gifts overseas fans prepared for them, and they’re willing to take overseas fans’ advice. When they do streaming lives, they’d read every fan’s comments and sometimes reply to them, including those of overseas fans. Just to tell you a few.
And yes, they do care how people see them, so they always search for and read tweets, comments, DMs and fan letters.
If they don’t care, I wouldn’t be here leaving those comments.

To tell the truth, AIOLIN’s care for overseas fans is exactly one of the reasons why I love them so much. They’ve been pretty fair, whether you’re a domestic fan or not, whether you’ve had the chance to see their lives or not. Sometimes it even seems that money is not their priority (this can make fans worry though). The nicest band I’ve ever seen, and the band I’ll cherish forever even after their disbandment.

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I never really became a fan, but I have nothing against AIOLIN, and I suspect no one in this thread who actually took the time to comment does either. However, if someone on an international forum saying “it seems like he could replace the members and start up a similar band later on” or “other violin rock bands still exist, at least” would be enough to turn them off music for good, perhaps this is the best move for them, for their own mental health.

In the end, a bandman is a public figure, and the reality is that if they’re going to go around Googling their own names and even trying to read comments in foreign languages about themselves, as you seem to think, no matter how kind people try to be, eventually they’re going to run into comments that hurt their feelings. That is unavoidable, and realistically, a few comments telling people to be kind aren’t going to change that. You can’t expect every person in the world to walk around on eggshells just because your favorite band members may or may not read the comments on a public forum one day.

Although, the comments made in this thread are really rather tame - no one even said that they actually disliked the band or its members, which makes the intensity of the reaction to the posts feel a bit over the top.

Sending insulting messages directly to a band member’s SNS, however, is a different matter entirely, as they are much more likely to read those and it’s not something they’d have to actively seek out to see. Anyone who is DMing bandmen should absolutely be very careful about what they’re saying, as you said, but trying to tell people what is and is not okay to say about a band on a forum like this is really not something you’re going to be able to do without coming off as hypersensitive. Sometimes it’s better to just not engage and let the negativity be outweighed by positive comments instead.

It’s good that you guys provided context about why You might be sensitive about such comments, and I’m sure hearing that fans’ opinions matter so much to the band is a good reminder to everyone to be a bit gentler, but continuing to be so defensive about every little comment you perceive as negative is just going to lead to even more negativity.

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Thanks for your reply.
I’m not trying to be defensive or sensitive. I’m just trying to share my opinions and fill in what I know. If you read my comments, you’ll see while I have different opinions from others’, I do agree with some of the points made by others here. If that’s the way how I make you feel about my comments, I apologize.

I am aware that that person said he wasn’t trying to be condescending, and I did reply that I’m glad he wasn’t. I also replied that he should be more careful next time, but it seems that he didn’t understand why. That’s why I chose to provide the context.

It is sad that public figures constantly receive comments and messages that hurt their feelings. The world of Internet is definitely not a world of kindness. That’s why I typed the comments above, hoping to remind people that we should be careful and gentle when we try to convey our ideas. Maybe not everyone here is going to accept my opinion, but I do hope that they know at least what had happened in Japan in recent years (Japanese people tend to care and can be very sensitive to what others say to them). If they still don’t want to care, of course there’s nothing I can do then. I’ve already done my job as someone who knows the news.
I do hope that one day, the world of Internet will become one of kindness though. There are already too many sad incidents. No need to have more.

And that’s the end of the discussion.
I wonder what positive comments we can make here since it’s about the disbandment.
Perhaps one thing we can be happy about is that the band didn’t choose to disband because members can’t get along anymore. At least they’re still friends. If they want to start a new band together, I’m more than ready to welcome them back. But if they want to start new bands separately, that’s also fine with me.

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AIOLIN announced VoyageProject.
They’re going to release “Voyage” as their last MV.
To be able to shoot this MV, they hope fans can give them a hand by buying the goods hashtagged “VoyageProject.” The sale starts on May 4th 12:00 (JST).
Fans who purchase the goods with the other hashtag “VIP” can decide if they want their names to be shown in the credits.

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They’re going to sell the goods online:

For overseas fans, please note that AIOLIN’s online shop doesn’t provide overseas shipping, and that overseas credit cards can’t be used there. We’ll need to find someone in Japan to help purchase the goods.