The made up singing-idol-in-a-box known as Hatsune Miku has long been a subject of great interest around these parts, not to mention just about all of Japan. Her influence has spread across all genres, even spawning several new versions and like-minded characters.
TM Network began its life in the early '80s, making synth-pop and upbeat rock songs. After taking a bit of a break in the '90s, they managed to get back together just before the turn of the century.
Chiptunes, those delightfully nostalgic songs made from the sound systems embedded in retro gaming devices, have always been popular, at least among a certain crowd.
Now, all three of these great tastes are smooshed together into one awesome collection from VORC Records. Titled 8bit Prophet: TM Network Tribute - Generated by Chiptuine & Vocaloid, the album consists of eleven songs from a wide range of chiptune producers, wrapped into one incredibly beautiful package (illustrated by TOKIYA.)
It's always a bit difficult to summarize the work of someone who has been tirelessly active over a thirty year music career. Being a social and political activist, as well as being highly influential to a generation of new musicians (ie Polysics), Susumu Hirasawa is no easy nut to crack.
First, a step back. In 1979 he formed the new-wave band P-Model. Very much in the style of fellow contemporaries Devo and The Plastics, P-Model was an arty spazz rock group that combined blippy synths with janky guitars and kooky vocal deliveries. They lasted twenty years, releasing a slew of albums and churning though a huge list of band members, all with Hirasawa it its core.
After finally breaking up in 1999, Hirasawa continued to make music under his own name. By then, P-Model had morphed into a much more straight forward electronic outfit, and Hirasawa picked up right where they left off. His own music is closer to traditional new-age, but with a much tougher edge. While much of it is indeed atmospheric and soft, the rest is frenetic and pulsing, trance-like yet retaining Hirasawa's very strong sense of melody. He also seems to have a fondness for marching-band percussive styles and very grand presentations. His vocal style is equally eclectic, being a mix of traditional Japanese folk, a bit of yodeling and downright operatic deliveries. The music is totally electronic, yet very organic and lushly layered at all times. His dreamlike cyber landscapes seem to be either populated by bustling mega-cities, Eden-like gardens devoid of humanity, or some sort of idyllic hybrid.
His live performances are perhaps what one would expect from such a natural eccentric. Most consist of only himself playing various keyboards and guitars alongside seemingly homemade musical constructs, more art and sculpture than recognizable instruments. He also occasionally allows the audience to add to the performance, triggering sounds through various actions. He has even played shows powered entirely by the Sun. His willingness and desire to reach out to his audience also shows through in his activism. Much of his work touches on events in Tibet and, more recently, the events of 911 and the resulting actions taken around the world.
Most recently his name gained a boost due to his music being used in the animated film Paprika. The film's universal acclaim was due in part to Hirasawa's mesmerizing soundtrack, culled in great part from his 1996 album Byakkoya. At 55 years old, Susumu Hirasawa seems to be hitting yet another new stage in his prolific and colorful career. Let's all hope he continues to find the inspiration and energy to keep the machines running for many more years to come.
Solo Albums: Water In Time And Space - 1989 The Ghost in Science - 1990 Virtual Rabbit - 1991 Aurora - 1994 Sim City - 1995 Siren - 1996 Technique of Relief - 1998 Philosopher's Propeller - 2000 Solar Ray - 2001 Blue Limbo - 2003 Switched-on Lotus - 2004 White Tiger Field - 2006 Planet Roll Call - 2009
The unrelenting powerhouse that is Ling Tosite Sigure is not only sonically challenging, but a bit slippery to pin down in the information department as well. First off, their name. While it is written on their official website as "Ling Tosite Sigure," the Roman translation of their name, "凛として時雨," is read as Rin Toshite Shigure, or "cold rain."
Following along with their distorted nomenclature, their music is equally twisted. While they are essentially a very abrasive indie-rock band, they seem to intentionally push their music to the breaking point. Specifically their vocals. Hopping between the dual male and female leads, their singing style is unique to say the least. Both TK (male) and 345 (female) seem to intentionally sing an octave or two beyond their natural range, resulting in almost uniformly missed notes and cracking voices. Not exactly screaming, nor artfully bended tones, they both seem hell-bent to turn off as many prudish listeners as possible with their call and response cacophony.
On the flip side, their music is masterfully played. Ranging from very frenetic and complex structures to tranced out, simplified drones, it's obvious that all three members can play the hell out of their instruments on many levels. Case in point, the opening guitar riff for "Telecastic Fake Show" would make many metal masters start to sweat. The fact that they then break into a straight forward garage rock beat shows their confidence and, perhaps surprisingly, restraint. The song goes through many other stylistic changes, from disco rock to something blistering into the realm of some of 9mm Parabellum Bullet's more complex material, and then into almost calming U2 territory, only to ramp it all back up again. Of course all of this is accompanied by the signature vocal screech. And this is only a single song.
Formed in 2002, Ling Tosite Sigure already has an impressive and more importantly consistently amazing body of work. They've released several singles and albums in their seven years together. Front man Toru Kitajima is the dynamo spinning and churning in the center of the Ling Tosite Sigure machine. He writes all of the music and lyrics, and he also spends time behind the mixing board as the band's producer, recording and mixing their albums. That the band has an author with such attention to detail and possessive command of the band's trajectory comes as no surprise. At times their music seems to be more the mad ravings of a single screaming force than that of a collective group.
Much like Midori, if they don't burn themselves out in a shot time, I predict, and certainly hope to see, great things for these guys.
Just a quick reminder, the May Poll ends in less than a week! You still have time to let the world know where it is you buy your Japanese music. Right now CDJapan has a strong lead over second place YesAsia. Also, just in case it's not obvious, you can select more than one option, so make sure to check all the places your regularly use. The poll is located on the top right of the blog.
While you're doing that, check out this video from Polysics for their new single "Young Oh! Oh!" Awesome!
Happy Memorial Day! At least in America. Please take a moment to eat a hotdog in remembrance of our fallen heroes. And hey, while you do that, why not listen to some Japanese music? Makes sense to me.
15:27 Molice - Pretty Sound - Doctor Ray [BUY] 19:44 Noodles - Cover Me Shakespeare - Cover Me Shakespeare [BUY] 22:14 Scandal - Shojou S - Single [BUY]
46:12 8bit Project - Prisoner Of Love, Beautiful World, Flavor Of Life, Boku wa Kuma (Utada Hikaru) - Spicy Innovator vs Superior Marionette [BUY] 50:42 Aira Mitsuki - Change My Will - Barbie Barbie (Single) [BUY] 54:40 Noelle - Migratory Bird (Quruli) Love Electro [BUY]
59:52 ED: Shiina Ringo x Saito Neko - Sakuran (Terra ver.) (Inst.) - Heisei Fuuzoku [BUY]
After releasing a slew of demo EPs, the two year old band Molice released their first full-length album unto the world in late 2008. Written entirely by the band's front woman and co-guitarist Rinko, Doctor Ray is both a solid and bold first step.
The album opens with the 1-2 punch of "White Vertigo" and "Headphone." Both establish the band's upbeat, dreamy and slightly retro-rock moods. "Headphone" is an easy candidate for the album's hit single, with a constant groove that's sure to bring down the house at any live gigs.
Headphone
Hit the jump for the rest!
White Vertigo
A batch of slower, dark songs follow. "Dear Change" brings an air of something slinky and dangerous laying in wait just underneath its smoky atmosphere. "Love Song" is indeed more sunny and charming, with a soft melody and muted drums.
Love Song
"Pop" is another big crowd pleaser, with "Yeah yeah pop!" repeated over a brash surf-rock guitar solos and slightly distorted drums. The album really takes off from there, with more echos of other raw yet melodic indie rockers like Noodles or Toddle. "Superb Space," "Bili-Bili" and "Hole!" are a trifecta of infectiously poppy choruses and irresistible hooks.
Bili-Bili
Hole! (Live)
The album ends with more muzzy, melancholy pop, perfect for a dingy underground club on a rainy night. Both "Pretty Sound" and "IN the Light" are stripped down to post-punk, almost goth levels of urgent guitar playing over some pretty sounds indeed.
Pretty Sound
Doctor Ray is a solid debut album from a very promising new band. It has a few of the hallmarks of a scrapped together first project, but also sounds absolutely pro where it counts most, namely the songwriting. All of the songs are catchy without being overly poppy, fun while still maintaining a dark air. It will be great to see what Molice does next.
It's not often you see people using the words "shoegaze" "death metal" and "techno," all to describe the same band in the same sentence, but when it comes to Coaltar of the Deepers, genre is the first thing to go out the window. Formed in 1991, the band has deftly switched genres almost as much as they have switched members. The core duo of Narasaki and Kanno has seen around ten members come and go over the years.
While the band has taken a few breaks, they've managed to maintain a prolific output, releasing twenty albums and EPs in as many years . For the most part, CotD stick to the washed out, dream-like, grungy, indie-shoegaze sound that they started playing in the early '90s, though they've never been a particularly quiet or brooding band. You'll also get songs like "Giant" that start out with the light female vocals of Ichimaki (who has since left the band), singing a fast pop rock song, only to have it suddenly drop way down into a metal scream fest, then kick into some post-punk/disco sort of beat. "Hyper Velocity" also falls into the above formula of spaced out synths with a very fast beat and dreamy vocals, which then totally falls off the rails into a cookie-monster voiced electro-hell.
Their many EPs seem to be used as isolated playgrounds for the band to test the limits of various sounds.Their Yukari Telepath album takes a much more electronic path, fusing rock with simplistic yet organic synths and drum machines. Much like Supercar's Highvision, it's a fantastic example of dark yet non-gimmicky electro rock. Just about everything CotD does will make you wonder what's coming next with an eager anticipation. Let's just hope there's another twenty years of material on the way.
Formed in 2003, 2 Bullet is a self described "anti-totalitarianist" synth/industrial group. Slathered in camo and military symbology, the trio uses their thickly layered electronica sound to pummel the listener with dark visions of blasted landscapes covered with bombed out tanks and slow mutants.
While most of their tracks consist of little more than a steady pulsing beat under the buzzing and twinkling synths, it's the vocals bring a more unique twist. Jumping from a high pitched screaming gargoyle to a more low-toned syrupy vampire, singers K and Kentaro run the gamut of crazy, heavily effected voices. The very deep and dark constructs of Skinny Puppy quickly come to mind, along with Ogre's eccentric delivery on the mic. On the other hand, there's the operatic side of the more traditionally goth/viz-kei of BLOOD and any number of other darkwave bands. There's even a hint of ex-Candlemass singer Messiah Marcolin from time to time. Dark and operatic, to be sure.
Yet they certainly don't fit the usual campy/romantic mold. They are much more confrontational, as their motto would suggest. It's obvious that they've got something more to say, be it political a la Rage Against the Machine, or just any act of general rebellion against authority like Atari Teenage Riot. Song titles like "Destroy N.W.O.," "Darkness In Combat Field" and "Police State" leave little room for doubt. While it might start to feel like they are beating you over the head with their limited sound palette, you'll probably be to rocking out too hard to notice.
May 22 2009 - UK Liverpool Sound City @ Bumper - Liverpool, Northwest May 23 2009 - UK London Meat Raffle at Catch - Shoreditch May 26 2009 - UK London Cool For Cats SINGLE LAUNCH at Old Blue Last - Shoreditch, London and South East May 30 2009 - UK Brighton Moshi Moshi open-air festival - Brighton Jun 12 2009 - UK Bangers and Mash at Proud Gallery - London
Take the White Stripes, rip out the dead albatross and jam an angry black box into the hole. Add one post-punk Debbie Harry. Blend at 11 until your ears bleed. Serve Levelload hot.
One half Tokyo and the other half London, the duo that is Levelload combine and collaborate to bring a mash-up of various styles to their music. Tony Wade's no-nonsense guitar sound is a little classic new-wave while at the same time bringing in plenty of gritty, no-frills rock and roll. Mariko Doi's bass playing is the perfect match, and her up-front and confrontational vocal style also reinforces their overall in-your-face vibe. There's also plenty of electronic reinforcement, but this is no armchair trainspotting perfection. Instead, the drum machines and saw-waves seem to come from the Digital Hardcore school where "Riot sounds produce riots." While not exactly that raw, they don't seem to spend too much time fussing over the finer points.
The band spends equal time touring both Japan and the UK. Their current Flightpath Records label is based in Japan, yet they got their start on none other than the venerable Peel show in the UK. This duality of origin shows through in their music as well. Mariko's vocals are accented enough to add a unique flavor to her otherwise all English lyrics. The music mixes up electro-clash with distorted swamp-rock guitar. The band itself seems to be just as serious as they are tongue-in-cheek (see the video for "Yellow Fever" below), never taking themselves too seriously. The end result is indeed some seriously solid new-rock-electo-wave fun.
00:00 OP: Shiina Ringo x Saito Neko - Gamble (Inst.) - Heisei Fuuzoku [BUY]
01:09 Qomolangma Tomato - Are You Ready? (I'm Not Ready At All) - Camoflage [BUY] 05:27 Remioromen - Stand By Me - Horizion [BUY] 10:21 Aria Asia - Gypsy Girl - Gypsy Girl Ver. 2 [BUY (iTunes)]
41:09 8bit Project - Umi no Mieru Machi Kimi o Nosete Gake no Ue no Ponyo - Spicy Innovator Vs Superior Marionette [BUY] 46:04 Meg - Freak (Capsule Remix) - Beautiful [BUY] 50:44 Nirgilis - Cat Fight - RGB [BUY]
54:27 ED: Shiina Ringo x Saito Neko - Sakuran (Terra ver.) (Inst.) - Heisei Fuuzoku [BUY]
Quick, what do (deep breath) Perfume, Michael Jackson, Exile, Utada Hikaru, Ai Otsuka, Studio Ghibli, Southern All Stars, Juicy Fruits, Coldplay, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Led Zeppelin, Yellow Magic Orchestra and many more all have in common? (gasp)
Well, nothing really.
Until now!
Because now they can all be linked by the power of 8bit chiptune music! Ah yes, the glue that sometime seems to hold the very fabric of the universe together has spawned yet another compilation full of both incredible and very clever covers of some classic (and not-so-classic) songs.
The album Spicy Innovator vs Superior Marionette (see, isn't that clever, now?) was put together by a group going by the innocuous name of 8bit Project. This humble name actually obscures a rather intimidating trio consisting of Ito Toshiharu (of Mansfield), Matsutake Hideki (Logic System and the sound programmer and so-called fourth member of the highly influential 1970s-80s Japanese electro super-group Yellow Magic Orchestra) and Saito Hisahi (of YMO cover band Y Setsu O). Spicy Innovator is the group's second full release (they've also recently remixed Shoko Nakagawa). It seems to take the previous effort to a whole new level of insanity across twenty one tracks of pure 8bit overload. Sure, it may be over twenty tracks, but some of those tracks consist of five song medleys! This is, like, fifty songs, people!
If you're not already running over to HearJapan to download it or to CDJapan to get the CD (either of which I can assure you, without hesitation, is the right thing to do) then follow me after the jump to get a bit (ha ha) more background on what's going on here. Then go buy it.
There is far too much going on here to do any sort of play-by-play, so instead, the highlights.
[NOTE: All video clips are the original songs, not the 8bit covers. Just in case that wasn't screamingly obvious...]
Perfume "Polyrythm"
The album kicks off with two of the strongest tracks, both a Perfume medley and a Michael Jackson medley. The Perfume track consists of four of the singing-trio's most recent singles, “Polyrythm,” “Chocolate Disco,” “Baby Cruising Love” and “Love the World.” While none of these are really any sort of revelation when presented in 8bit form, (they are an electro/chiptune-ish band already) it will nevertheless instantly get you into the right frame of mind for the onslaught to follow. Much more shocking, and simply wonderful, is the Michael Jackson material that follows. “Bad,” “Beat It” and “Thriller” are an ascending scale of perfection (come on, a chip version of an Eddie VanHalen guitar solo?!), culminating with the album's coolest trick. When it's time for Vincent Price to give his monologue at the end of “Thriller,” 8bit Project chooses to instead use the default text-crawl blips sound heard in so many early 8 and 16 bit games. It's an obvious yet at the same time surprising gimmick, topped off with a very lo-bit laughing sample at the end that you won't be able to help but giggle at yourself. This track alone is worth the entire price of the album.
Utada Hikaru "Beautiful World"
Then there's the Utada Hikaru medley, complete with an overt Final Fantasy break and Galaga sound effects, the Ai Otsuka “Tsubomi” cover with its Metroid backdrop, and the classic pop song “Hajimete no Chu” with a ton of Kid Icarus callbacks. All of the myriad of classic game samples and homages are handled with subtly and class, so much so that you'll probably often find yourself wracking your brain to solve that “where the hell I have I heard this before?” feeling.
Yellow Magic Orchestra "Computer Games"
While some of the tracks on Spicy Innovator might leave non-Japanese music fans scratching their heads, there are also plenty of more “universal” hits for the rest of the world. The most obvious being Coldplay's “Viva La Vida,” followed by the main themes from Raiders of the Lost Ark and even a complete (though slightly compact) version of Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven.” The whole thing ends with an unsurprisingly brilliant medley of Yellow Magic Orchestra tracks. It's a perfect choice, since they are the ones who (unofficially) started the movement toward seeing video game music as something serious and something to love.
That's the real story here, too. Sure, some 8bit versions of “normal” songs can be the most tired and worn out hack move for shallow musicians to make. Anyone can run something though a modded NES and people will be there to blindly flock to their side. Here, it's the obvious love for the genre and the craft of making these songs that sends 8bit Project and Spicy Innovator vs Superior Marionette far beyond the also-rans. It's full of both silly fun and professional production. The sound of a few old-school electro masters playing around and relaxing with some of their favorite games and songs, and doing it better than anyone else. This is an album that any fan of the genre should buyright now, end of story.
In another very rare news post, I bring you word of the extremely cool show called Playlist from Al Jazeera TV. In the clip above, you can see (in English!) profiles on Omodaka, Yoshida Brothers and Pistol Valve.
You can check out Part 2 with even more bands after the jump.
Someone really needs to get something like this togehter for America. Gee...I wonder who would be crazy enough to do that...
Kalafina is the product of producer and composer Yuki Kajiura, along with a bevvy of vocalists, currently Keiko Kubota, Wakana Ootaki, Maya and Hikaru. Kajiura's massive back catalog is a bit daunting to try and sum up. The highlights? The Xenosaga III OST, the Noir, .hack//Sign and My Hime anime OSTs (among many others), as well as being a member of See Saw and FictionJunction. All of these (and much more) easily puts her on-par with the great Yoko Kanno. But let's not get distracted.
Kalafina have just released their first full-length album unto the world. It centers around the animated film series Kara no Kyoukai. As someone with no prior exposure to the series, I can't speak on how well the music fits the series. So, anime aside, I'll focus on the music (which is why we're here, after all.)
Hit up the full review after the jump!
Oblivious (live)
The album opens with a brief ambient "Overture" before kicking straight into "Oblivious," also the debut single from the band. It sets the tone for the rest of the album well. Most of Seventh Heaven is decidedly electronic, yet organic and thrumming with life. The album art presents an apt visual equivalent to the music inside. Darkly elegant without being overly gothic, covered in lace and exotic bird feathers. "Oblivious" is all of that presented with almost tribal trance beats, spaced out synths and almost operatic harmonies from the singers.
Aria (live)
"Love Come Down" is a much more upbeat track featuring squealing violins and guitars along with the same sort of burbling, pillowy synths. "Natsu no ringo" takes a hard turn towrd down-tempo folk themes with a Celtic feel, complete with folksy drums, flutes and acoustic guitars. It's Lord of the Rings run through an even more fantastical kaleidoscope. "Fairytale" and "Aria" keep things calm with a more traditional anime style sound. You can almost visualize the closing credits rolling over rippling waves, girls riding bicycles into the sunset, trees blowing in the wind etc etc. All the while the vocals present many layers of harmonies and an almost angelic choir of voices.
Sprinter
Things get back to serious business with "Mata Kaze ga Tsuyokunatta," one of the few songs original to this album. It's a track much like "Love Come Down," this time featuring a lead cello along with the more aggressive singing and some really rocking drums. In fact the album stick close to the format of a few light, calm and fantastical song bookended by stomping, intense dance tracks. With the exception of "Sprinter," a rock rock song almost on-par with that of Abingdon Boys School in terms of its sheer epicness, Kalafina does one thing very well, but perhaps relies on this style a little too much. At least for a lengthy album like the fourteen track Seventh Heaven. Calling them a one-trick pony would be a grievous error. All of the material on the album is expertly crafted and produced. All of the performance are presented with everything the musicians and vocalists have got. In fact it's all almost too well maintained and controlled. Crafted to fit too well into a specific musical and emotional realm which causes the later tracks to begin running together. Yet for fans, Seventh Heaven is indeed the most perfect offering they could ask for. It never once wavers in its vision or high quality.
Seventh Heaven
Kalafina will be performing at Anime Boston later this month. Also, don't forget to enter the contest running right now on Japanator to win some signed Kalafina merch from the show!
You can buy Seventh Heaven at various on-line shops like Amazon and iTunes, as well as in physical form at CDJapan.
GPKISM is a darkwave industrial duo formed in 2007 by an Australian musician going by the name of Gotheque Prince Ken and, later on, former BLOOD guitarist and mastermind Kiwamu. Recently the duo added the former Blam Honey member Ryonai to provide support at live shows.
Their style is decidedly dance oriented, through extremely dark and gothic. While Kiwamu does use his guitar skills to add to the mix, they are first and foremost a darkwave/electro/industrial outfit. Perhaps if the Pet Shop Boys collided headlong into a Lords of Acid tour bus, then skidded, ablaze, into an HR Giger exhibit, you might get something close to the GPKISM sound. On the one hand, they're campy and softly tongue-in-cheek while on the other, they portray a more dangerous and vampiric side. Most of their songs seem to be about lost loves or losing oneself to love, all with bloody overtones.
The music is mostly thumping kicks with a dense overlay of reverbed-out synths, arppegiating away in some ancient spaceship. There are also plenty of the requisite harpsichords, dripping with lace and dusty candlewax. That's not to say the music is harsh or abrasive. In fact it's all very pretty, with the corners rounded off. Even Kiwamu's hevily distorted guitar is downplayed in favor of more and more layers of plush synth upholstery.
Yet at the same time their tempos are generally high and pumping, with some songs turning up the distortion and letting the raw edges show. It feels as if the group is still trying to find their own special sound, which is to be expected with such a new group. Of course they've each been traveling the world playing in other bands for some time. It's only a matter of time before GPKISM solidifies in their mountain-top stronghold, allowing their dark influence to spread amongst the villagers.
Baltimore, MD (May 11, 2009) – Rising star Kanon Wakeshima will make her US debut at Otakon 2009. Wakeshima brings a unique and haunting sound composed of baroque cello, strong vocals, and electronic arrangements.
A promising newcomer who took up the cello at age 3, Wakeshima began performing at age 15, splitting her time between performing in classical ensembles and providing vocals to a pop/rock group. A few years later, she entered an audition held by Sony Music Japan, in which she was a finalist -- and won an artist deal with Sony label DefSTAR Records Inc.
Her incredible talent attracted the attention of Visual-Kei star Mana (Moi dix Mois, Malice Mizer), who became the sound & visual image producer for Kanon for her debut single "still doll" (released in May 2008) from her first album. Wakeshima's rich, haunting sound fits well with the Gothic & Lolita street fashion culture -- for which Mana (who is also the designer of his own Moi-meme-moitie apparel brand) is very well known.
Her highly anticipated first album, Shinshoku Dolce, was released in February 2009. A record-breaking in-store performance at France's biggest CD retailer, FNAC, paired with a sensational concert in Paris, put her on the road to international stardom. Wakeshima has also become the 2009 "Best Newcomer" Shojo Beat Music Award winner.
Wakeshima is also a talented illustrator. Fans flocked to her November 2008 exhibition along with the mini-concert in Tokyo's fashion-conscious Harajuku, and she regularly posts her artwork on her Web site (http://www.kanonweb.jp). Samples of her music can be found on her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kanonwakeshima.
ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its sixteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 22,000 individual members for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 60,000 "turnstile" attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.
For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2009, see http://www.otakon.com/
00:00 OP: Shiina Ringo x Saito Neko - Gamble (Inst.) - Heisei Fuuzoku [BUY]
0:01:03 Supersnazz - There He Goes - Invisible Party [BUY] 0:04:01 Mike Bomb - Armageddon - The Fake Fake Sound of Mika Bomb [BUY] 0:06:54 Oreskaband - Papaya - What A Wonderful World Vol. 2 [BUY]
Artist Spotlight: Melt-Banana 0:37:40 Melt-Banana - Sheild for your eyes, a Beast in the well on your hand - Cell Scape [BUY] 0:41:33 Melt-Banana - Bright Splat - Teeny Shiny [BUY] 0:44:02 Melt-Banana - Flash Cube, Or Eyeball - Peel Session [BUY] 0:46:25 Melt-Banana - Crow's Paint Brush - Bambi's Dilemma [BUY]
Newly formed in 2007, Molice is still a relatively young band. From May of '07 to July of '08 they released four "demo" EPs, putting together their first full-length album Doctor Ray in late November 2008.
They claim The Pixies, The Doors and their namesake The Police as major influences. While The Police and The Doors might be a bit hard to hear in their music, The Pixies and other '80s and '90s garage, indie and new-wave sounds are there in full force. Shored up by more modern post-punk structures, the music that Molice produces is both as dreamy as it is jangly and intense. They have a definite low-fi feel without it sounding cheep or forced. The female fronted band channels the more playful rebel spirit of the Runaways and Bananarama just as much as the more gritty gloom of Lillies and Remains or Bloc Party.
Molice is already making inroads into the popular club circuit, as well as playing bigger, high-profile festivals like Summer Sonic. While Rinko sings mostly in Japanese, she sprinkles in enough English to appeal to a wider (i.e. Western) audience. Another interesting aspect of the band is the Rinko writes all the music and lyrics, making her not only the eye-catching front-woman, but band leader and driving force.
So far, this young band has managed to release a very solid batch of material. While their overarching theme seems to be that of a stripped-down, no-frills garage pop band, they have a lot to build on. With a little more time (and maybe more financial backing) they could easily turn into a fantastic, full bodied force.
Japan's m.o.v.e. is a trio that combines rap, J-pop and electro rock to varying effectiveness. Founded in the mid-90s, the group has certainly managed to prove itself over time. They've repeatedly been near the top of the charts and had their music featured in anime and video games. They've even had the chance to tour overseas, hitting up the US anime con circuit, among other stops.
Their sound is most notable of its use of contrasting dual vocals. Singer Yuri has what might be thought of as a typical pop-idol voice. Her voice and singing style are somewhere between Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada Hikaru, slightly more mature than most, staying well clear of the shrill and squeaky territory more commonly traversed in over-commercialized J-pop.
Their music fits best into the old "electronica" genre. Their mix of synthetic guitars, dance beats and both high energy and more laid back, almost RnB jams makes them a tough band to pin down. They definitely have an easygoing party vibe, a contrast to, say, that of Boom Boom Satellites or Aural Vampire. This, combined with their often cheesy synth-style can make them a little fluffy and thin at times, with songs that have little depth or complexity. They are able to counteract this with an occasional deeper and darker track, but for the most part m.o.v.e. aims directly for easily disposable dance-pop.
Kalafina is going to be playing at Anime Boston later this month. I'll have a chance to talk with them while they are at the con for Japanator.com. In addition, we are also giving away some signed stuff from the group, and you could win it!
All you have to do is post a question for the group in the comments of this post. A winner will be chosen at random, and the best questions will also be added to the main list for the interview.
You have until May 20th to submit your best question, so start thinking and get posting. Good luck!
May 12-16 Utada Hikaru US In-Store Appearances [UPDATE: Utada had postponed all US appearances. SOURCE: Japanator]
Tuesday, 5.12 @ 7:00 PM Best Buy 529 5th Ave New York, NY 10017-4608 For more info call: 212-808-0309
Wednesday, 5.13 @ 6:00 PM Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood & FYE 1000 Universal Studios Blvd Ste. 99 Universal City, CA 91608 For more info call 818.622.ROCK (7625) or 310.641.7170
Thursday, 5.14 @ 6:00 PM Best Buy 1717 Harrison San Francisco, CA 94103-4272 For more info call 415.626.9682
Friday, 5.15 @ 6:00 PM FYE @ Southcenter Mall 2636 Southcenter Mall Ste. 2110 Seattle, WA 98188-2823 For more info call 206.439.3636
Saturday, 5.16 @ 3:00 PM Sam Goody 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. Ste. 1049 Honolulu, HI 96814-4607 For more info call: 808.945.9027
If you ever wondered if there was still a place for traditional folk music in our modern culture, you need look no further than the Yoshida Brothers.
The two young men have been playing the tsugau-shamisen for most of their lives. Over the years, they've released several albums, incorporating their chosen instrument into just about ever genre you can image. If you needed any more proof of their modern flair, they have also provided music for the Nintendo Wii commercials.
J-Pop and J-Rock are only the beginning. The modern Japanese music scene is just as vibrant and varied as any other music scene in the world. I'm Zac Bentz, writer, musician, designer and all around Japanese music fanatic. Here I hope to share with you a comprehensive (!!) list of Japanese artists and bands (with a strong focus on underground and indie acts) that you may or may not have heard of, in the hopes of expanding our mutual awareness of Japanese music.
I don't mean to suggest that everything I listen to is great. Quite the contrary, I hope that you will take the time to recommend your own favorite artists in the comments so that we can all learn a bit more about the huge range of Japanese music that's out there.
"The best Japanese music blog in the world." - Door Slam "Definitely a must-visit for J-pop and J-rock fans!" -The Otaku "Zac Bentz loves music. A lot." -Japanator "Very cool!" -J-ENT "...one of the foremost blogs and information centers on all J-pop and J-rock...the top source for tour information on Japanese bands in the US..." -YankeeOtaku "Wer mehr darüber wissen will, der sollte sich mal hier umschauen, ein sehr gutes J-Music Blog übrigens." -CommandSheep "...very well-written, and there’s an excellent range of artists...a useful resource." -International Wota "не плохая энциклопедия японских исполнителей/групп" -Diary.ru "Great resource for Japanese music fans who want to explore today's J-rhythms beyond Johnny's Entertainment bishonen music and anime music. XD" -Kaishi "If you are a J-Rock fan, [ZB's A-Z] is a must see." -Crunchyroll community "Otaku USA magazine finally got wise and hired Zac Bentz as a J-music contributing editor."-Radicalpatriot "Reviews practically every Asian band that has ever created a recording."- Zallie "Gewährt spannende Einblicke in die japanische Musikszene." -Laut.de
