The Respect for Japanese Bassists Thread

[MadModBassist]

I suppose there isn't any better way to introduce myself than talking about one of my two main passions in life: the bass guitar.

If you people don't know what I'm talking about, how about using this video as a start?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF4rQ9NrBHs

Watch him sweep-pick and tap. On a bass. WTF.

Anywho, this thread is for just general bass talk, mainly about the frickin' insane bassists who are only in their teens yet playing the bass so well that's it's as if they have a couple decades under their belts.

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To take this deeper, the reason I so highly praise many Japanese bassists is because of their ability to improvise. I first noticed this when browsing Youtube, when I stumbled across TissueHime. I watched the Mezase Pokémon Master bass cover, and it impressed me. Then I moved on to God Knows..., and the fills were just astounding and fit perfectly.
Then I ran into Sorairo Days, the opening to my favorite anime, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. That's when everything began to pick up, I think. I learned that it seems Japanese bassists just completely let loose, running up and down the neck countless times, hitting all sorts of notes along the way, yet it all fits very well.

I guess I'm just amazing because I haven't been able to replicate their style yet, even though I've been playing pretty heavily for about 3 years now. I know that's not much, but man, these randoms on YouTube don't appear much older than I am, and many regard me as the best bassist in all of my local region.

Anyway, it just amazes me how well Japanese bassists utilize minors, mix minor with major, and all that jazz. Maybe it's because I'm a huge fan of progressive music, which does a lot of that all the time.

I wish American pop/rock music took as much talent as J-pop/rock does. Everything sounds the same over here, whereas in Japan it seems the bassist has the lead, and is always doing something different and amazing.

So, yeah, I'm curious if anyone shares this same passion as me. Or just admires those crazy people :P I'll post links to my favorite performances in a bit.

[rockmanxpr]

I'm more impressed with his Sega Dreamcast amp! :P

[MidnightViper88]

Originally Posted by MadModBassist

I wish American pop/rock music took as much talent as J-pop/rock does. Everything sounds the same over here, whereas in Japan it seems the bassist has the lead, and is always doing something different and amazing.

Catchy is as catchy does, and music is music, but if you're talking about talent, I really can't see how you could put J-rock on any higher a standard as American rock; I hear just as much mundane stuff across the Pacific as I hear at home...

In either case, playing the bass isn't always about wanting to play the lead; Sometimes it's just musically better to lay down the low-end beat...Consider me boring but I still like clinging to the old-fashioned where called...Cliff Burton knew how to play some of the craziest shit that's usually meant for guitar but still knew how to kick back a basic line where appropriate...

Either case, there already is a "popular" 40+ post Bass Guitarists Discussion Thread that I created, albeit a bit dead at the moment and pushed down to page two (Somebody else bump it; I have nothing to contribute to my own thread after this )...