Anime often influences the real world in Japan, and vice versa.
Two of the modern rock band anime — Given and Bocchi! The Rock — had the bands play math rock songs.
Math rock is very popular in Japan.
It may seem too complicated for high schoolers to master, but it perfectly describes the intricacies of young souls going through the most turbulent times of their lives.
Remember how K-On! was so popular that it sparked the sales of guitars in Japan the year the show was released? Anime is inspirational, there's no doubt about that. Much like K-On!, Slam Dunk, for example, popularized basketball in the 90s, Captain Tsubasa sparked the interest in soccer, and so on.
Anime based on real life shapes reality as much as it is shaped by reality itself. And it's interesting how in modern anime about rock bands one genre prevails — it's math rock.
You remember these catchy, funky, upbeat tunes from K-On!, right? You remember these Billboard-worthy rock pieces from Beck? Well, now you have to prepare yourself for sophisticated rhythmic structure and twangy guitar sound, because two of the recent popular rock band anime — Given and Bocchi! The Rock — chose to go the math rock way.
Break it, but in the right way
This genre was born on the basis of progressive rock bands, its roots settled deep in the previous century with King Crimson as its pioneer and avant-garde jazz added to the equation. It's known for its complex rhythmic structures, often seemingly jumbled but still melodic in a wonderfully broken way.
This complexity is one of the reasons why hearing it in shows following high school musicians is so unexpected: this genre is pretty hard to master and full of experimentation. Yet that is exactly what makes it so fitting for the stories where characters are going through the most vulnerable times of their lives, trying to find themselves and the courage to live their lives the way they want.
Over the years Japan became one of the most prolific math rock scenes, almost fully claiming the genre in the late 80s and birthing a lot of specific sub-genres and movements that sprawled all over the world. The tracks in this genre have been topping the local Japanese charts ever since, and they were often featured in the openings and endings of anime, but the rock bands in the shows themselves weren't previously exploring it.
Make the music yours
The genre is still on the rise, its funky approach to the melody structure allow people to experiment a lot, to find their own sound in the combination of artistic freedom and proper musical training, and this, probably, is one of the main reasons why these two huge works chose math rock as the genre for their characters to pursue.
There is a certain beauty in the seemingly chaotic yet carefully calculated melodic narrative of math rock tracks, one that encapsulates the wildness of young souls, full of doubts and troubles and opportunities. Heavy-tuned guitars aided by punchy drums and smooth and thick bass lines are something that represents the current coming-of-age landscape perfectly. The fact that two quite popular shows, both very different in their main story, with Given mostly being a romance show and Bocchi! The Rock focusing on personal growth, feature this type of music, is a great indicator of changing times.
One popular show is a coincidence, but two?
Summary:
Anime often influences the real world in Japan, and vice versa.
Two of the modern rock band anime — Given and Bocchi! The Rock — had the bands play math rock songs.
Math rock is very popular in Japan.
It may seem too complicated for high schoolers to master, but it perfectly describes the intricacies of young souls going through the most turbulent times of their lives.
Remember how K-On! was so popular that it sparked the sales of guitars in Japan the year the show was released? Anime is inspirational, there's no doubt about that. Much like K-On!, Slam Dunk, for example, popularized basketball in the 90s, Captain Tsubasa sparked the interest in soccer, and so on.
Anime based on real life shapes reality as much as it is shaped by reality itself. And it's interesting how in modern anime about rock bands one genre prevails — it's math rock.
You remember these catchy, funky, upbeat tunes from K-On!, right? You remember these Billboard-worthy rock pieces from Beck? Well, now you have to prepare yourself for sophisticated rhythmic structure and twangy guitar sound, because two of the recent popular rock band anime — Given and Bocchi! The Rock — chose to go the math rock way.
Break it, but in the right way
This genre was born on the basis of progressive rock bands, its roots settled deep in the previous century with King Crimson as its pioneer and avant-garde jazz added to the equation. It's known for its complex rhythmic structures, often seemingly jumbled but still melodic in a wonderfully broken way.
This complexity is one of the reasons why hearing it in shows following high school musicians is so unexpected: this genre is pretty hard to master and full of experimentation. Yet that is exactly what makes it so fitting for the stories where characters are going through the most vulnerable times of their lives, trying to find themselves and the courage to live their lives the way they want.
Over the years Japan became one of the most prolific math rock scenes, almost fully claiming the genre in the late 80s and birthing a lot of specific sub-genres and movements that sprawled all over the world. The tracks in this genre have been topping the local Japanese charts ever since, and they were often featured in the openings and endings of anime, but the rock bands in the shows themselves weren't previously exploring it.
Make the music yours
The genre is still on the rise, its funky approach to the melody structure allow people to experiment a lot, to find their own sound in the combination of artistic freedom and proper musical training, and this, probably, is one of the main reasons why these two huge works chose math rock as the genre for their characters to pursue.
There is a certain beauty in the seemingly chaotic yet carefully calculated melodic narrative of math rock tracks, one that encapsulates the wildness of young souls, full of doubts and troubles and opportunities. Heavy-tuned guitars aided by punchy drums and smooth and thick bass lines are something that represents the current coming-of-age landscape perfectly. The fact that two quite popular shows, both very different in their main story, with Given mostly being a romance show and Bocchi! The Rock focusing on personal growth, feature this type of music, is a great indicator of changing times.
