The quick definition of kurofuku kei

Kurofuku kei (黒服系) bands were the first to transition from okeshou kei (お化粧系) to visual kei proper. Active roughly 1990~1994, they wore mostly-black clothing and typically played a form of beat rock modified with influences from heavy metal and other genres.

A brief history of kurofuku kei

In the 1980s, BOØWY reached an unimaginable popularity that triggered the Japanese band boom, bolstered the okeshou kei (お化粧系) movement, and created a new genre, beat rock. They disbanded at the height of their fame, and thus the race was on to find “the next BOØWY.”

BUCK-TICK, meanwhile, followed in their footsteps: they played beat rock, dressed in stylish suits, and sprayed their hair up to dizzying heights. They became popular in their own right and went major in 1987; and so, when BOØWY broke up the next year, many fans simply transferred over to the so-called “BOØWY successor.”

In their new fame, BUCK-TICK was treated by the media more like idols than a band, but they continued to evolve in sound. Namely, after crossing paths with DER ZIBET—a glam/rock/new wave band who were particularly known for their lyrical and conceptual “decadence”—BUCK-TICK switched to a markedly “darker” sound and image with the album, TABOO.

That darkness was further refined in their 1990 follow-up, Aku no Hana (悪の華); they were no longer playing “BOØWY's beat rock,” but their own “decadent beat rock.” Just a month later, ZI:KILL released CLOSE DANCE and D'ERLANGER released BASILISK, both which added elements like heavy metal, thrash, and positive punk to the same sound. All three albums sold extremely well and are now collectively known as the “three bibles” (三大聖典) of kurofuku kei.

And now a few asides for important context:

First, “positive punk” was an early name for what would become “goth” in the UK, but when GENET of AUTO-MOD brought that early sound to Japan, it developed independently. So although the phrases are often used interchangeably, Japanese positive punk was not the same as UK goth.

Second, DER ZIBET is occasionally called “gothic” (especially in more recent years), which leads some to assume they were positive punk. In fact, they were a fairly standard hard rock band at this time. Their “decadence” was related to lyrics, concepts, and attitudes.

Third, while BUCK-TICK may have taken some influence from positive punk, they were not themselves a positive punk band; the “decadent beat rock” that they played was ultimately beat rock, traced directly back to BOØWY, and UK new wave before that.

Because of the above points, some confuse kurofuku kei as a 1:1 analogue of positive punk in visual kei, which is not the case. While specific bands may have taken inspiration from positive punk, the sound and look of kurofuku kei were still largely traced back to beat rock. (Positive punk would, however, be a more obvious element of Nagoya kei (名古屋系) just a few years later.)

Back to the story: this new sound was picked up by LUNA SEA for their 1991 self-titled debut, and sublimated with their own influences from hardcore punk, progressive rock, soul, and funk—and specifically from AION, GAUZE, and DEAD END.

That album, LUNA SEA, was released through EXTASY RECORDS, the record-breaking indie label and home of X JAPAN and ZI:KILL. (CLOSE DANCE was also released through the label.) That pedigree—plus an advertising budget three times that of X JAPAN's own—led to a debut that was legitimately explosive for an indie band.

Stepping back for a moment, the okeshou kei (お化粧系) movement of the 1980s was not a genre, but a trend among existing genres where artists used looks to stand out amidst the band boom. Even when a band had an “extreme appearance” compared to their peers, it was fairly obvious to which genre they belonged.

This was not the case for kurofuku kei; the new sound and all-black clothing set them apart from their peers, to the point that record stores were unsure of how to display their releases. They weren't beat rock, nor hard rock, nor heavy metal, but something else entirely. That is kurofuku kei: the first new sound born out of okeshou kei (お化粧系), and the start of visual kei itself.

Kurofuku kei, then, literally refers to the all-black outfits that its founders made popular, but specifically the bands who dressed that way and played “decadent beat rock plus [xxx].” (Actually, the term was used even earlier to describe the all-black clothing that BOØWY wore, but gained a more specific meaning when these bands became popular.)

If we say that kurofuku kei started in early 1990, there's immediately a point of confusion, as the phrase “visual kei” wasn't coined until late 1990 (and not in wide use until years later). And indeed, in the early years, kurofuku kei was essentially synonymous with visual kei. Some real-time fans would still consider the terms to be synonymous—while others would say that kurofuku kei and visual kei are completely separate genres.

Looking back, it is now generally agreed that kurofuku kei was a subgenre of visual kei, as all kurofuku kei bands could also be called visual kei, but not all visual kei bands could be called kurofuku.

With so many of the first visual kei hits being kurofuku kei, it became the de facto style of visual kei in the 1990s. Prominent bands like REDIEAN;MODE, Gilles de Rais, Strawberry Fields, JUSTY NASTY, and many others all fell within this umbrella.

Kurofuku kei can be considered over by roughly 1994, when LUNA SEA, BUCK-TICK, and ZI:KILL all appeared on TV with toned-down looks and their famously-long hair chopped off—which also marked the start of soft visual (ソフビ). The beat rock sound had generally fallen out of favor by that time anyway (and has never really returned).

Still, this early subgenre remained a cultural touchpoint of visual kei, especially through its darker successor, kote kei (コテ系).

Why is it called kurofuku kei?

Kurofuku kei (黒服系) {black clothing style} is a reference to the all-black clothing that these bands and their live audiences wore (which was still a somewhat unusual look when the term was coined). It was initially coined in reference to BOØWY and took on a more specific meaning over time.

In real-time, the meaning of the term was much looser, and was applied to a variety of okeshou kei (お化粧系) and visual kei bands. The term became more specific as other visual kei subgenres emerged.

What are the other names for kurofuku kei?

Occasionally some people use the shorthand kuro kei (黒系) {black style} for this subgenre, but that term is more widely used as a generic term which means “any visual kei band with a dark worldview” (a.k.a. 80% of visual kei bands). For the sake of clarity, it's best to avoid that term.

The terms okeshou kei, kurofuku kei, and visual kei were used as synonyms by some real-time fans, while some others viewed kurofuku kei as a completely separate genre. As such, individual opinions of what to call these bands may vary greatly.

What does kurofuku kei look like?

Early LUNA SEA or BUCK-TICK circa 1990. Mostly-black fabrics; fashionable, tailored suits; fashion brands like LUNA MATTINO; tight leather pants + flowing oversized tops; netting, frills, fur; cottons, leather. Often accessorized with pearl necklaces, beads, buckles, chains, chokers.

Long hair, often teased and sprayed in gravity-defying shapes (but usually not to the extremes of bands like X JAPAN), and may feature beads or braids. Usually in natural tones: blacks, browns, or blondes; occasionally reds, but rarely other colors.

Members tend to have “flowing” silhouettes (i.e. hair and costuming flow in the air as they perform onstage). Photoshoots often feel moody; it may be hard to make out anything other than silhouettes.

What does kurofuku kei sound like?

An obvious base of beat rock (as filtered through BUCK-TICK), guitar influences from heavy metal, and touches of other influences like positive punk, thrash, or hardcore punk. “Decadent” in lyrics and concepts. Sounds like the “three kurofuku bibles,” Aku no Hana (悪の華), CLOSE DANCE, and BASILISK, or the self-titled album by LUNA SEA.

Is kurofuku kei a legitimate visual kei subgenre?

Yes, but some early fans (from the 1990s) may use it as a synonym for any early visual kei band, and other early fans argue that it is an entirely different genre with no connection to vkei.

Kurofuku alignments

Beat rock that relies on instrumentation but is accessible.

Not particularly fantastical in concept.

Clothing from particular fashion brands.

Technical, but not always masters.

Generally aloof but may interact with audience.

Not necessarily negative, but music may feel dark.

Not boring, but cool.

An adult-like coolness.

When was kurofuku kei active?

From 1990, when the three kurofuku bibles were released, until roughly the start of the soft visual era in 1994, by which point beat rock was less popular. However, its strong influence on visual kei (and kote kei especially) can still be heard in modern songs.

What are the representative kurofuku kei bands?

Founders: BUCK-TICK (1990); D'ERLANGER (later); ZI:KILL

Representative: LUNA SEA

Others: REDIEAN;MODE, JUSTY NASTY (1991~), Youka (妖花), Strawberry Fields, Gilles de Rais

Edit History

• 2025-01-08: typos
• 2025-01-10: clarified language about positive punk
• 2025-02-18: typos
• 2025-04-24: corrected soft visual kei link
• 2025-04-24: added Japanese for three bibles