Shoutout to Lyn for the Patreon request!! Thanks! PATREON 👉 www.patreon.com/drumrolltonyreacts

When Beni comes in with the Shamissen it always brings tears to my eyes. She's so incredible.

Yuko Suzuhana is the founder of WAGAKKI-BAND, a legitimate successor of Japanese traditional performing arts, a vocalist, a pianist, a composer, and possesses a wide variety of talents. She amazes with her musical taste and her extraordinariness. Since last year, she has been forced to take a long-term medical treatment due to illness and has been away from her band activities. Recently, she has been showing off her energetic appearance and beautiful singing voice in her KZfaq live streaming activities. I think that full-fledged WAGAKKI-BAND activities will resume. I'm looking at two female musicians who have the ability to influence the world with Japanese rock/metal music. Yuko Suzuhana from WGAKKI-BAND and Miyako (Metal band LOVEBITES), a great guitarist, pianist, and composer. ---------- from Nippon *It is a sentence using Google translation. I hope I conveyed my intentions correctly.

YEAAAAYYY!!! Wagakki Band Finally!!

People need to understand how DIFFICULT it is to have that many different instruments, playing together especially in a live setting and not sound like giberrish. This is orchestra level of precision, absolutely amazing.

I love Waggaki Band, they are my favorite band

Oh man, Wagakki Band is such a treat. The best traditional and modern music fusion I've heard, and their live performances are absolutely stunning.

Wagakki Band is amazing! The way that they combine traditional Japanese instruments and singing styles with modern styles is just amazing to me. Bet you never heard a flute shred before right? lol

The Guitarist is the guy who mixes the stuff, it took him 2 years to get it perfect.

WGB is a true supergroup. The mixture of modern rock instruments and Japanese tradition al instruments is so inspired. And the way that Yuko blends her signature Shigin talent in the band's songs is amazing. They are a truly eclectic group of musicians, composers, producers and classically trained artists. You never get tired of listening to them. There is just SO much more to enjoy. I would suggest that you check out the entire video list for WGB's Live Premium Symphonic Night Vol. 2 from Osaka-Jo Hall in 2020. It is a concert that shows all of their talents, along with Amy Lee collaborating with them. To watch them backed by a full symphony orchestra is just astonishing. It also has some exquisite acoustic performances. It's a must-see event. They also do the best arrangement of Bring Me To Life I've ever seen with Amy and Yuko doing a perfect harmony duet.

That was epic! Glued to the screen the entire time, they're so damn skilled

Ok wow. I absolutely love the mix of traditional music. This was so amazing to watch.

prolly the biggest super band in the world, masterclass in every instrument.

Love Wagakki Band. Beni, the shamisen player, is a national champion player.

First time I've heard this type of music! I didn't know you could blend the traditional tunes so well with more modern ones! It was awesome to hear!!

My introduction to Wagakki Band was their cover of the vocaloid track Senbonzakura, and I was immediately blown away by both Yuko's voice and their fusion of traditional and modern instrumentation. That song in particular was an excellent choice for them because it has a fairly traditional approach to the songwriting to begin with. I haven't followed them very closely, but I really do absolutely love their sound. They really have found a sound that is uniquely theirs.

About Wagakki Band instruments "WA" means Japan. "GAKKI" is an instrument. *WAGAKKI-BAND uses 4 types of WAGAKKI. ---------------- Many Japanese musical instruments have a history of over 1000 years. Despite the passage of time, it can be said that the characteristic of Japanese musical instruments is that the shape of the instrument and the method of playing have not changed much since its birth. This is in contrast to European instruments, which have constantly improved and evolved their instruments. (1) "KOTO" (a large, flat instrument about 6 feet) The ancestors of "KOTO" came to Japan from China about 1300 years ago. The body is made of fine paulownia wood. The wavy grooves engraved on the back of the body make the sound resonate. The strings are made of silk thread. Players attach nails called "KOTOZUME" to their fingertips and pluck the strings. A standard koto has 13 strings. A 17-string koto is also used, but WAGAKKI-BAND's IBUKURO plays the largest 25-string koto. Of course, playing requires the highest level of talent. (2) "Shamisen" (a banjo-like instrument) Generally, the "shamisen" is used as an accompaniment instrument for quiet, light songs. (Current ballads, light pop-like songs) However, WAGAKKI-BAND's BENI plays a special shamisen called "Tsugaru Shamisen". "Tsugaru-jamisen" has a faster and more powerful sound and a unique performance style compared to ordinary shamisen. The reason why this style was created is thought to be that TSUGARU-SHAMISEN was born in the extremely cold region of northern Japan. The socially vulnerable (mainly the visually impaired) living in a harsh natural environment earned income by having people listen to their songs and performances, protecting their own lives. They created this striking and unique musical style. The shamisen is played with special claws called BACHI. The three strings are silk threads. Dog skin is used for the shamisen body sheet (cat skin is used for some instruments that require delicate sounds). It seems that there are many cases. (3) “Wadaiko” "WA (Japan)" + "TAIKO (drums)" = "WATAIKO". And the pronunciation changes from "WATAIKO" to "WADAIKO". Wadaiko, like Shamisen, has evolved uniquely throughout Japan, and has a variety of shapes and playing methods. There is a band called "Kodo" which is famous as a taiko group in Japan. They tour the world with Japanese taiko performances. If you are interested in WADAIKO, we recommend listening to Kodo performances. There are also many videos uploaded on KZfaq. (4) "SHAKUHACHI" (a flute-like bamboo instrument) Until about 60 to 70 years ago, in Japan, units of length called "Shaku" and "Sun" were used. ("sun" sounds like a shortened version of "soon") 1-shaku = 30.3 cm (it just happens to be the same as 1 foot). 1-sun = 3.03 cm. "Hachi" is the number "8". And the average length of "SHAKUHACHI" was "1-shaku and 8-sun (about 56 cm)", so the "shaku and 8" part became the name of the instrument. The material is cut from the base of bamboo. It is a simple structure that only requires the necessary finger holes after drying the material and removing the distortion. It is not easy to produce complex sounds with a simple instrument. Shakuhachi is said to be one of the most difficult Japanese instruments to master. There is a Japanese word for this. "Kubifuri-3nen Colo-8nen" ...this means "By slightly moving the head and neck, the strength of the sound can be controlled. To do that, three years of practice are required." "And it takes eight years of training to be able to control the fingers precisely and produce good sounds." ---------- from Nippon *It is a sentence using Google translation. I hope I conveyed my intentions correctly.

We have always seen Guitar shredding, now behold the Flute shredding

They play with chops but also with such strength and confidence. I love it when artists play with such conviction in their art.

Thanks Tony and Lyn! Amy Lee from Evanescence played with Wagakki Band

what I love about Wagakki band is they combine traditional japanese instruments with modern and captures the crazy mixture of new and traditional. For me, it's the struggle between paying respect to traditional music and modern society captured in sound.

WagakkiBand is so freaking great. They have so many great songs and videos. Just an amazing group of musicians.

素晴らしいパフォーマンス🔥 日本を代表するバンド❗️

There are so MANY WagakkiBand songs that you need to listen to! I can say they have NO bad songs! They are an inspirational band for many with the creative and colorful, front-and-center promotion of their traditional vocal and instrumental music, arrangements, and attire, together. A companion band, “Hanafugetsu”, consisting of just the singer (Yuko), flautist (, the bamboo o flute it’s called a “Shakuhachi” by the way), and the “koto” player, Kiyoshi (Yuko’s real-life husband - they had a baby a few months ago), focuses more on fully acoustic pieces, Japanese sung poems, and more traditional pieces (they also mix in Western styles a few times, for variety). They also incorporate dance, swordplay, extravagant ornate sets, and so on to their live productions. I imagine they inspire others to look into how to bring out their own unique culture through fusion with modern music, and do it in a compelling way. Hope you watch more of their videos!

I don't know what to say, as a J-rock and J-metal conniseour I like to think. Wagakki Band is really just spectacular. I can't imagine anyone having anything negative to say about them. They are just on point all of the time. Truly the best possible mix of modern musical work and traditional.

You should check out Tengaku from Wagakki Band, it has a lot more singing aswell as more involvement of every instrument! Overall a very exciting piece

their live in Senbonzakura and A tale of Six Trillion Years and a night in 2017 was great too!. You can check for it anytime

Shredding on a flute.

wagakki band - hakushu kassai / they played 2 by 2 in this song intresting combination

It's finally time for Wagakki band! Seems like it's long overdue for them to appear in your channel. I believed someone would have mentioned, each of the band members are master of their instruments, a blend of modern and traditional music that is unique and breathtaking

Homura and Ninagawa Beni with her Shamisen is always a treat man.

Homura is the perfect anime opening song; It has a story, with epic moments

Here's the thing: They don't just have people who can play the traditional instruments, but they have people who can REALLY play their traditional instruments, and make them work in a rock band.

I love Hanabi, It is one of my favorite Wagakki Band's music, combine the classic japanese style and the modern rock-metal, the voice of the vocalist it's perfect too. Just amazing

I forgot before to ask if you have ever reacted to Glim Spanky, another GREAT group from Japan. They've been around for a while but I just started listening to them and they are a true revelation. They are a duo, guitarist and vocalist Remi Matsuo and guitarist Hiroki Kamemoto, and they use session musicians for their videos and live performances. They play classic blues rock with that typical Japanese fire that is very refreshing. Remi is an amazing vocalist whose voice is like a mix of Janis Joplin, Grace Slick and Susanna Hoffs and very distinctive. She also is an excellent guitarist and rocks a classic vintage Rickenbacker as well as acoustic. Hiroki is another one of those very talented guitarists that Japan seems to have an assembly line for, lol. He rocks a classic vintage Les Paul like he was born with it. If you haven't reacted yet, check out their video for the song "Circle of Time" from their 2020 Live KZfaq show. It is just stirring.

Haven't start the video but oh boy I'm so fuking hypeee!!

Great!. Waggaki Band live is always a treat. They are awesome.

Now this is something we need to make more often. When 2 completely unrelated cultures crash into each other, it would make a sound somewhat like this. I wonder if all countries in the world could make something like this so that we could enjoy the music and also learn their culture all at the same time without getting bored of just 1 genre all day long... These dudes stole my dream idea brah

ngl I've been waiting for you to react to this 😂

Those guys are really awesome, love every single song by them, theres so much variation but it still feels like their own thing.

I have a hard time choosing a favorite Japanese band, but WB are right up there in my top three. And they are truly unique. Thank you for checking this one out.

I live Wagakki Band so much. I think fusing Japanese culture with modern music is beautiful. The shamisen player might be my favourite, her introduction makes me smile wickedly every time. The shakuhachi player is also amazing, and I love the main singer's voice (I love all of them, really). You need to listen to Senbonzakura, it's my favourite! Their sound is so unique. Babymetal needs to be done too, their lives are unparalleled! :)

Wagakki Band literally means "traditional Japanese instruments band" and their purpose is to keep alive the interest in the traditional stuff by making it cool and modern too. I think this style is called "folk metal" across the world, when different cultures make metal with their historical styles. Every member here is a master-level pro at their instruments. The two drum sets are Wasabi on "normal" drums (well named for his spicy playing!) and Kurona on the traditional taiko (wadaiko) drums. The wadaiko provides extra oomph and off-beat sounds that aren't possible with just one drummer or a normal band drumset. There are whole competitions in Japan built around the traditional drumming techniques on all different sizes, including ones that are about three times as tall as you! Fun fact: Beni's showy tsugaru shamisen can only be played on the downstroke with her weighted plectrum (large fanlike pick) and the silk strings change pitch rapidly with changes in humidity, and it has no frets, so she has to play everything by ear and muscle memory! Machiya on guitar rarely wears shoes onstage and wears his traditional Noh mask for the songs he wrote before he was with WagakkiBand like Homura. Kaminaga Daisuke on the shakuhachi flute needs a TON of breath to do what he does--and who doesn't love surprising people that they shred the flute in a metal band? Suzuhana Yuko, the vocalist is a licensed Shigin (poetic recitation) performer and teacher, and can do sword and fan dances. I swear the koto player Ibukuro Kiyoshi has golden fingers. The lyrics are as follows: Hana hirakeba chou eda ni mitsu | Flower bloom filling the butterfly branches Warera utau sora no kanata he | To the sky that we sing Haruka nagaru kumo no mukou he | Beyond the faraway clouds Umi wo koete niji wo watatte | Cross the sea and cross the rainbow Kimi ni todoku you ni | Like to reach you Seki wo kitte afureru omoi | Thought to overflow the weir [a low type of dam meant to raise a river or catch fish] Itsuka sameru yume no ibashou de | In the whereabouts of a dream, that will someday Warai atte irareru you ni | Just like being laughing [as in the state of being that you feel when you're laughing] Kasane tsumuide yuku | I am going to spin it ((Repeat from "Warera utau")) Also! Check out Synchronicity by WagakkiBand for a crazy change of pace! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/prKjdKujzam6dY0.html

Rlly love this band. Thanks for the reaction!

I saw them perform live in NYC 4 years ago with HYDE performing afterwards, they song "senbozakura" and it was amazing hearing it live. THey known for using traditional japanses instrument and the lead vocal is fantastic. Her english was very good when talking to the fan too

OH MY GOD FINALLY. I've been waiting for this reaction for so longgggg. Please react to their other song especially synchronicity

You HAVE to listen to Tengaku by Wagakki Band! It incorporates a great variety of instruments and amazing percussion that all blends together.

Wagakki band is pure 🔥

Wagakki Band is an unparalleled band

One of my fav by them is their cover of Hakushu Kassai (applause), the intro feels incredible and i'm always singing along after that

Been a while since I saw them. Love how much they and you get into it :)

That flute (shakuhachi) seems to require a lot of effort just to make a sound. (probably more than a trumpet) It's a superhuman talent to dance and blow it like that. (He actually holds an official shakuhachi master's license.)

Everything they do is gold. Hakushu kasai live is kinda nice.

They are pretty amazing. I love theirs Senbonzakura, so much raw talent.

There's a newer version of Homura, but this is definitely the best

They have a jazz like song called Synchronicity I would like to see your reaction !

ohhh shit finally i was waiting on this one niceee

Quando eu ouvi eles pela primeira vez, fiquei encantado. Não sabia que existe algo tão impressionante como essa sintonia musical, ainda mais ao vivo. Pensei; “pq não aprendi a tocar algum instrumento desse?”. É o tipo de coisas que escutamos e descreve nossos sentimentos, bate uma felicidade enorme, não há nada comparado a essa obra de arte, gostaria que eles fizessem show aqui no Brasil.

The guitar brand is Seed Kotetsu, 29 frets.

I love 津軽三味線(Tsugaru Jamisen)! 津軽(Tsugaru) is the regional name for the western part of Aomori Prefecture. It is a way of playing that is stronger and louder than a normal shamisen. Listen to performances by 上妻宏光(Hiromitsu Agatsuma) and the 吉田兄弟(Yoshida brothers)!

The name of the flute is called shakuhachi❗️🥰

Wagaki band, no me canso de escuchar este grupo cada vez que escucho el tema encuentro algo detrás de su sonido, el shainen de Beny me cautiva, poderoso y atrayente sonido de una espectacular banda.

I can feel some DEMETORI right there

I knew you'd love them

The "flute" is shakuhachi :)

that SHAMISEN, holy moly

Well, maybe check out guilty gear strive's "Mirror of the world" as well, it also tries to "explain" a character that is a japanese samurai with metal soundtrack, combining japanese tradition's with rock/metal sounds while also making a whole character representation lyrics wise.

OH Tony that you found this =) THANK YOU so much !

If you have fun on this song, you may try more on their version of bring me to live and synchronicity for a japan style of jazz, expected to see more of them

Waggaki band is such an experience

The flute I believe is shakuhachi, it actually made the Naruto theme song so iconic. I would love to hear your opinion on just the instrument itself.

I'm glad you reacted to Wagakki Band. Wagakki Band is collaborating with Amy Lee(Evanescence), so if you're interested, You should check out.

I recommed the new opening for the Baki anime Wagakki Band released recently. It's called The Beast. Amazing song.

their lives are so loud you feel every note every riff every hit of that drum. you feel so hype and when it over you are sweating tired but so happy

this is one of my all-time favorite live music videos. I think the only ones that equal this among Japanese performances is the live stadium performance of Shimi by Maximum the hormone and In the mountains of Madness by Ningen isu.

we eating GOOD - I love Wagakki Band

I love it !!!!!

to answer your question at 6:30 at least on brass instruments its called by vibrato and you do it by fluctuating the air you use to produce sound

Thanks a lot for your splendid reaction and analysis to Wagakki Band. I'm a their big fan, very glad to hear that.They're all really top notch talented musician. Well, they wrote and played the theme song for the ''Attack on Titan mini-series : Counterattack Signal'' produced from dTV in 2015. The song title is ''Hangeki no Yaiba(Blade of Counterattack)". kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g92gaaVj2a7IZ5c.html

If you enjoyed their compositive way you should Wagakki Band - Hakushu Kassai, it's a really fun piece, you will enjoy it for sure

put every band coming to the stage with jeans and t-shirt to shame

You wouldn't think it would be possible to shred on a shamisen, but _man_ is it ever possible to shred on a shamisen!

that's a nice discovery

Very professional reaction

Love from a Vaush and MrRocknRoll fan!

hell yeah!!!!! waggaki band!!!!

Epic band ❤

Hakushu Kassai is a must to check out by WGB

I was hoping you would react to this! Edit: btw, you should react to a live performance of Senbonzakura

I'm glad you finally reacted to Wagakki Band. Another song of theirs I enjoy is Synchronicity. I think you will enjoy its style. My currently preferred live version is - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/brl-iZuknayucp8.html

SHAMISEN BENI!!!!!

3:39 AND YES bab .... here we go ! just 3 Strings ? i like it like it yes i doooooooooo =))

I don’t even like guitar all that much, but I love tight string play here!!!

Nothing like your first taste of an act being their power encore! Silly side note Wasabi (the rock drummer0 can double as a sushi chef.

"and not make crazy choices all the time" THAT IS SO RRREEAALLLL Edit: OH MY GOD THAT SHAMISEN PLAYER IS ABSOLUUTELY GASSING

Waiting for your reaction another video Wagakki band...recommended Senbonzakura Live

Hey, you didn't pause during Beni's solo like I fully expected you to-

Poor fool: "Flute can't be metal!" Buddhist Monk: "Hold my prayer beads."

good!

Interesting once it gets going.