The time is now.

It's become a common occurrence: something exciting happens, and we'd ask each other “WTF? Did we ever think this would happen back in June '07 when we were having fun with fractals and gradients?” I never expected this to go so far. Which is not to say I don't want it – but I just didn't think all this would happen when I first got in touch with Kuri. I never expected anything except to have a good time making fan-sites for SUGIZO/S.K.I.N., and make some friends in the process.

I was very disillusioned about design several months ago. By and large, the most lucrative sources of income for a graphic designer come from the advertising industry. A lot of designers spend their entire careers producing commercial work, or focusing on winning design awards to gain recognition. While I enjoy the design process greatly – solving problems and providing solutions, I felt trapped. I could not foresee myself taking the same path as what some others have done; this is not something I want out of life, definitely not what I want to do with my career.

Within these months, I felt like my perspective of the world has just completely been turned on its head. The world is huge, but we can make connections like never before. I actually feel quite hopeful.

Recently, there has been an increasing awareness amongst of the greater need to move towards applying design to more meaningful causes. I'd like to think that I am doing this too in my work with EMG and Jrock Revolution.

Maybe you think that producing work for Jrock artistes is nothing special, how can it be something meaningful? – That I am just another person out to earn money. But what you may not know is how much Jrock means to me and how it had such a big impact on my personal development. When EMG did not even exist, before we were even being paid for anything, we were already working such crazy hours with seemingly-impossible deadlines, fueled by little else but a great sense of honor to give something back to the artists.

Although I have been interested in graphic design ever since I was 8 years old, it was LUNA SEA and subsequently, Jrock, which gave this interest a focus. I bought a LUNA SEA cd because I was captivated by their cover art. When I listened to their music, I found that their cover art and visual images were the prefect visual representations of their sound. It was a very beautiful feeling. I don't think it'd be an exaggeration to say they have changed my life.

When I started out learning Photoshop and HTML, my subjects were Jrock artists. (More specifically, SUGIZO.) I used to make wallpapers and layouts with their pictures for fun. It wasn't just the look that fascinated me, it was the whole unique package, and how the band is costumed to match their sound and concept. You never only listen to the music; you get an experience of being taken to a different, very imaginative world.

I've taught myself sewing simply because I wanted to replicate the awesome costumes that I've seen these bands wear. I've even learnt how to manipulate and style wigs and hairpieces to achieve some of the extreme hairstyles. It may just be a type of music but there were so many related creative activities I could do.

I would never be the same person I am today if I hadn't listened to Jrock; if I hadn't gotten in touch with a group of local Jrock fans and got to know some of my closest friends. I was not this confident person who likes to wear odd clothing and doesn't gives a damn about what people say. I was an awkward, quiet child. In middle school, I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I tried to listen to pop bands and watched idol movies to fit in, but it seemed like I was always wearing a mask. Jrock music and the community gave me a 'home' to go to, brought me out of my shell and opened my eyes.

I've made fan-sites promoting bands that I thought deserved more attention overseas. I felt disappointed that a lot of people download mp3s but didn't know how to go around buying CDs, so I wrote a rather extensive guide on how to go around buying Visual Kei CDs from Japanese indie stores. Eventually, the lack of time to maintain these meant I had to shut them down, but my interest was always there. .

I know of people who treat “Jrock” like a dirty word – they think its crap or music for oddly-dressed losers. I hate it and I don't want it to be so. I've gone to countless local gigs supporting bands inspired by Jrock, even though some people thought they were rubbish. I want to see Jrock become a force to be reckoned with in the music world. There was a time when I've tried to stop listening to it because I felt so affected by some of the negative comments, but I couldn't. I went back.

I love to do design work... Now I have this chance to marry these two loves. The overall uneven quality of design for Jrock bands had always bothered me; I want to make my contribution to Jrock in terms of design and visuals, to promote these bands, ultimately to grow the community worldwide. To let others listen and get to know of these bands that I feel so strongly for. Everything has come to this point where we really have to make a stand for ourselves now, for what we believe in, for the community we belong to. We've already started. There's no turning back now, but to push forward 100%.