Visual kei news
V系ニュース

News Interviews Comments

Doppelgänger bands

Author
inartistic

As the vk.gy artist database expands, it gains more “doppelgänger bands”—bands which share the same name and are hard to tell apart. Today, I'd like to share some of the more interesting cases I've run across.


First, the inspiration for this article: yesterday, while searching for information about a band named STIR, I stumbled upon what I thought was an older version of their website.

The website was for a visual kei band named Stir, which had a guitarist named DAI and a bassist named AKI, and which was active in 2003—all of which matched what I previously knew about the band.

In the end, those overlapping attributes turned out to be pure coincidence. The band whose website I had found was an earlier Stir, who disbanded a few months after the newer STIR started activities.

Must have been a confusing few months for fans, huh?

  • STIR (V. yu-ji / G. chiatro / G. dai / B. aki / K. minoru)
  • Stir (V. RYO / G. JUN / G. DAI / B. AKI / D. YUYA)

At Monochrome Heaven, someone once shared a demotape by an obscure band named ιδεα. Hardly any information was known about the band, except for the lineup, and that they were active in the year 2000.

Months later, I thought I had found a treasure trove of information about the band—only to discover that there was, in fact, another visual kei band named ιδεα, who disbanded only a month before 2000.

The later-forming band was either brazen or supremely unlucky to choose that name right after the former band had broken up.

  • ιδεα (V. shida / G. niso / G. Tetsumaro / B. Junzo / D. Yu-ra)
  • ιδεα (V. Rei / G. Shouma / B. Misa)

A classic example of this was in 2005, when UNDER CODE PRODUCTION announced that it had signed a band named DALI (ダリ). At the time, we assumed it was the three-piece band DaLi (ダリ) which was active around Tokyo (東京).

But in fact, it was a brand new five-member band, Dali (ダリ), which was active around Osaka (大阪). The former band broke up a few months into the latter band's career, but it was definitely confusing for a while.

Hilariously, a new band named DALI (ダリ) (ダリ) formed in Fukuoka (福岡) this year. Their logo, official photos, and overall aesthetic definitely seem inspired by the Osaka (大阪) Dali, but all three bands are completely unrelated.

  • Dali (V. Ren / G. KEETO / B. YUU / D. Shunna)
  • DaLi (ダリ) (V. Hikaru / G. CBBA / G. Misaki)
  • DALI (ダリ) (V. BARU / G. Shion / B. umi. / D. Yahiro)

The following three bands were active at the same time, and their names were all pronounced アルカディア: Alc(α)dia in Tokyo (東京); ArcAdiA in Sapporo (札幌); and ARcaDia in Hiroshima (広島).

ArcAdiA and ARcaDia are mistaken for each other quite often—in fact, both last.fm and videos on YouTube conflate an image of the latter band with biography information of the former. (By the way, correct ARcaDia information is hard to come by—let me know if you find anything!)

  • Alc<α>dia (V. Kiki / G. Sayu / B. sell / D. Kiri)
  • ArcAdiA (V. Ayumi / G. kazu / G. NAO / B. Seiji / D. Yuu)
  • ARcaDia (V. AKARI / G. Toki / G. ? / B. ? / D. ?)

Many KISAKI-related acts share names with existing bands, though I'm sure most of them are coincidence:

  • KISAKI's Levia shared its name with a metal(?) band from the early 90s, as did Syndrome. Coincidentally, those bands would have played with SCARE CROW, a band which KISAKI was roadie for at the time...
  • Phantasmagoria was also the name of an unrelated Japanese rock band.
  • Both KISAKI and Madeth gray'll vocalist Hisui were in separate bands called De=prive and De≠prive, respectively.
  • GARDEN may have been named after KISAKI's garden.
  • brodiaea, ClearVeil, and Megaromania happened to be the names of 90s bands.

And so on...


Of course there are tons more. Feel free to browse the artist list and see what you find.

Comments
コメント

Commented anonymously. Add a handle name, or register, below.
コメントは匿名で投稿されました。以下、ハンドルネームを追加するか、登録してください。

Doppelgänger bands

This comment is awaiting approval.

There's now a new band called Azalea - just like the Matina band . . .

Doppelgänger bands

This comment is awaiting approval.

How do two groups of people coincidentally come up with an awful name like ιδεα at the same time?

top