So please don't attempt to stick pieces of paper between my teeth.
Whew. Finally made it here. My apologies to the admin -- I think I messed up the rule detailed in the sticky post by not filling out the interest section. I guess I can count myself lucky that a search for sorrowbox brings up my last.fm profile as a top result, where Sylvian is still listed as one of my favourite artists.
I'll confess right away that I'm a shy person, and feel a tad weird because it's been years since I used internet forums (fora?). In 2004 or so I discovered online journals, and in 2005 I switched to LiveJournal (then later to InsaneJournal). This is the first forum I've registered at in at least two years, so I'm out of the loop. However, I've noticed that you're a friendly and welcoming bunch, which should make the transition pretty easy.
Confession number two: I'm a newbie when it comes to Japan and/or Sylvian (and all things related). It started just a few months ago, in November 2007, when I stumbled upon "Linoleum" by Tweaker and not only liked the quirky, dreamy song, but was positively mesmerized by the vocals. "Sylvian purrs and yearns and wraps the melody around you like silk", I wrote in a music post, and then recommended it all over the place. A few weeks later I visited a friend and in the background played some eerie, dark, unique track, again with astonishing vocals, and I stopped in the middle of the room and just listened, then asked "What amazing stuff is that?"
It was the beginning of Backwaters. My friend had liked "Linoleum" so much that she bought Brilliant Trees, Secrets of the Beehive, and Everything And Nothing. She kindly lent me all three. The rest, as they say, is history.
What is there to know about me? I was born in 1978, which means I'm too young to have actively participated in -- or even noticed -- the musical and subcultural trends of that decade. While many teenagers might have been busy discovering New Wave and re-inventing themselves as punks or goths or new romantics, I was busy going to elementary school and being envious of my neighbors' son, who had his own TV -- with cable, even! -- and refused to let me play with his Masters of the Universe action figures.
It's a bit ironic, I think, that around 1995 I slowly immersed myself in the local goth scene and, after some early years of experimenting and soaking up impressions, I started to gravitate more and more towards the 80s in music and style, which eventually meant that I felt a frequent yearning for something I've never actually been a part of. Although my taste in music is fairly eclectic, I always come back to certain bands and songs -- The Chameleons being a prime example -- that open up my heart in ways other genres just can't. When newer bands or trends make me pay attention, I often find out later that they have their roots in the 80s either in sound or aesthetics. I'm not an 80s buff, and it's not that I wouldn't branch out into other directions, but it's like you're a moon circling a planet: even on your farthest point of the orbit, there's still a steady pull keeping you in place, something you always get back to.
I have a thing for androgyny, and I'm interested in gender issues, as well as GLBT topics and feminism. In fact, it were some threads about gender and aesthetics, and how they were discussed in a calm and friendly manner, that cemented my decision to become a member. When I'm finally feeling courageous enough to post replies, those will probably be the first I'd tackle, as it's about subjects where I don't feel like a complete n00b.
One word on... let's call it "levels of fannishness": for many people the fact that you're fannish about anything makes you suspect in their eyes. Personally, although I like to read interviews and discuss facts and other so-called SERIOUS BIZNESS, I also love the "squeeing" and "drooling" -- it's a way of community-bonding and especially plain fun. Best of both worlds, I'd say.
As you might have noticed by now, I tend to ramble. Partly because it's hard for me to shake old habits -- i.e., writing long journal posts, and having detailed profile pages where you explain what people get into when they add your journal to their friendslist. But what can I say, I also love writing. If it reaches a level where it gets bothersome, don't hesitate to tell me. In a way, I'm still trying to find the adequate voice for this place.
*takes a deep breath, hits "submit"*