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[live report] girugamesh – NEW ALBUM RELEASE PREMIUM ONEMAN SHOW 2010

February 8th, 2010 by Sarah

giru_02We’ve all seen it. Who could forget that viral video advertising the anime convention Sakuracon in 2009 featuring a row of nameless sushi-loving otaku? Perhaps the most memorable and Youtube-famous of all these shining faces was a young man, clad in a black hoody and spiky hair, throwing his fist up into the air and emphatically saying one simple word: girugamesh (stress on the “ru”).

Hate it, love it, make fun of it, or send it to your five hundred friends on Facebook. Either way, no one can deny that girugamesh stirs that post-metal rascal in all of us to bang our heads, throw fists in the air, and yell the band’s name until it reverberates off the square heads of the people who just don’t seem to understand their darkness.

On January 31 girugamesh delivered a performance worthy of that right. Coinciding with the launch of their new album, NOW, the band performed NEW ALBUM RELEASE PREMIUM ONEMAN SHOW 2010 at Shinkiba Studio Coast in Tokyo. Known for its weekly parties and club atmosphere, the venue provided an odd setting for girugamesh’s otherwise heavy sound. But girugamesh managed to put together a rock show that induced enough fist pumping and bright lights without sacrificing their typical, darker-than-dark rock aesthetic.

giru_03That shouldn’t imply that girugamesh is stagnant in their sound. Rhythmically, not much has been altered for the band’s latest endeavor. ShuU’s bass is deceptively simple, favoring a steady beat over anything beyond a walking bass. The guitar follows suit, with Nii providing a lot of overdriven chords and almost no melodic guitar solos, which have unfortunately become visual kei clichés. Vocalist Satoshi is comparatively more guttural than most rock crooners in Japan, taking his voice down out of his nose and giving it a fuller, more menacing tone that translates well in concert.  From the start of their career there hasn’t been a single moment of weakness in this basic structure, which lets the audience know that they are still listening to the same, sturdily-built band.

What have changed are the nuts and bolts, the synthesizers and the supporting drum machines.  This is where nitpicking comes in handy, as it was hard to spot for the first five or six songs into the set. The sound is decidedly more industrial, building on the already rhythmic nature of the other instruments and adding a layer of technological composition. Instead of attempting to over-complicate the guitars or the vocal melody, the band decided to instead add depth to the rhythm, a much bolder and more difficult feat to accomplish. This ultimately shows that the members of girugamesh are growing as musicians, ready to fearlessly evolve.

Going hand in hand with the newfound industrial sound, the screen behind the stage displayed some entertaining visuals that rivaled the band’s presence on stage. In A Clockwork Orange fashion, the screen flashed images of cars speeding down a highway, naked women, song lyrics, and other things that a normal brain just cannot process at once.  If only there had been someone to tape everyone’s eyelids open and administer eye drops every couple of minutes. The display was entrancing and an artwork unto itself, coupling perfectly with the music.

Transcending their age and relative lack of experience, girugamesh should be on everyone’s rock radar as the band to look out for. They will undoubtedly keep evolving and improving their sound to make it their own brand of fist pumping rock. They will also continue to inspire many fans to place videos of themselves on Youtube exclaiming the band’s name. But instead of satirizing otaku excitement, fans will sincerely raise their hands in the air and shout with correct pronunciation, “girugamesh!”

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Official Website: http://www.girugamesh.jp

[press release] Girugamesh “NOW” Tour Goods Available From JapanFiles

February 4th, 2010 by Kathy Chee

girugamesh_strapGirugamesh “NOW” Tour Goods available from JapanFiles

JapanFiles is now offering tour goods from girugamesh’s “NOW” tour, including T-shirts, phone straps, and the hoodies worn by the band in their “BORDER” and “Crying Rain” music videos.

These items are available to ship worldwide. Supplies and sizes are limited.

Check the JapanFiles Merchandise Store for details: http://www.japanfiles.com/store/

The band has recorded special videos to promote their new tour goods.

Videos are available here: http://www.girugamesh.jp/goods.php?goodspage=201001

girugamesh’s latest album NOW is available at Hot Topic stores nationwide and comes with a girugamesh Japanese tour poster (see your local store for details).

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[photo] J-Classical Industrial Nation @ Santos Party House NYC

February 2nd, 2010 by Kathy Chee

The J-Classical Industrial Nation tour featuring Seileen, DJ Sisen and GPKISM at Santos Party House in NYC on February 1, 2010.  The opening band is Echostream.

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GPKISM Official Website – http://www.gpkism.net/
DJ Sisen Official Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/sisen
Seileen Official Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/seliasisen
Tainted Reality Official Website – http://www.taintedreality.net/

[press release] Ra:IN Tours the Americas

February 2nd, 2010 by Kathy Chee

IMG_0785Ra:IN has its roots in British rock, but their cutting-edge music with heavy grooves has obtained many fans in Japan, Asia (Taiwan, China) and Europe. Ra:IN now has its sights set on the Americas with a 5 stop tour.

2010/2/28 (Sun): ” Fiesta Latina” San Jose/ COSTA RICA

2010/3/03 (Wed): “LANOCHE” Lima/ PERU   http://www.lanoche.com.pe

2010/3/05 (Fri): “TEATRO NORMANDIE” Santiago,CHILE

2010/3/06 (Sat): ” Inferno club” San Poulo/BRAZIL   http://www.infernoclub.com.br/

2010/3/10 (Wed): ” The Viper Room ” L.A.   http://www.viperroom.com/

Ra:IN Members
PATA (Guitar: X-Japan)
michiaki (Bass: TENSAW)
Tetsu (Drums: Red Warriors)
DIE (Keyboard: hide with Spread Beaver)

Ra:IN Official Website – http://www.rain-web.com/index-p.html
Ra:IN Official Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/rainwebspace

[live report] AN CAFE LIVE CAFE TOUR 2010 King of Harajuku Dance Rock ~Ikinari Nyappy Legend~

January 29th, 2010 by Sarah

ancafe_02When your band’s music, image, and overall mantra is basically to have fun and make everyone smile, it’s hard to justify a depressing final show before an impending hiatus. Amidst rumors and speculation, Harajuku dance rock kings An Cafe stepped onto the Nippon Budoukan stage on January 4 without so much as an overly dramatic tear. AN CAFE LIVE CAFE TOUR 2010 King of Harajuku Dance Rock ~Ikinari Nyappy Legend~ was to be their last show for an indefinite time span.

Yes, they were saying goodbye for the time being.

Yes, all their fans would miss the heck out of them.

But gosh darn-it, they were going to dance and swing their instruments with all the happy nyappy of the thousands of An Cafe fans in Budoukan that night as well as the thousands more who couldn’t make it.

The Budoukan stage was illuminated with the signature An Cafe emoticon that represents the cheeky chuckle behind all their music. Lasers shot out from the stage, blinding some, but entrancing most as they beamed over the audience and glittery confetti fell from the sky. They even incorporated a few pyrotechnics, which caused a wave of heat to shoot up from the stage and envelope the crowd. It was flashy, colorful and a bit over the top in a way that made the visuals just as important as the music.

ancafe_01That’s not to say the music isn’t the heart and soul of their act. Granted, the girls in the audience love vocalist miku’s playful smile and teruki’s (drummer) boyish good-looks, but the real test was their sound. An Cafe has a knack for delivering extremely danceable tunes that require impeccable rhythm and a tight set up to execute. If one strum of a guitar was out of order, the audience would lose the beat and the music would simply turn awkward.

An Cafe had nothing to worry about that night. With kanon’s cool, clean bass and takuya’s rhythmic guitar playing under yu-ki’s wild, exuberant keyboard mashing, there was nothing left for the audience to do but dance. Critics may call them silly, but the precise playing they delivered that night was something even the most staunch music snob would have to applaud.

And the audience ate up every little detail of the visuals and the music. Amidst the dancing, cries of “NYAPPY!” filled the air, often loud enough to shake the stands. Miku had stated in the November purple SKY interview that “nyappy” was just a pet name. But it was so much more than that at the show. “Nyappy” is the word An Cafe fans abide by, and it’s not just the nonsensical, goofy sound that only has meaning amongst the fanbase. “Nyappy” is fun to say when you’re down and guaranteed to make your friends laugh if you randomly greet them with it.

This show could have ended like the final shows of many now-defunct artists: girls collapsing to the ground, wailing, attempting suicide with their official band hand towels. But An Cafe’s message of going out smiling and dancing translated perfectly into the hearts and minds of their fans. People left Budoukan ecstatic, goofing around with their friends and joyfully commenting on the band members’ silly antics.  It’s a shame to see them quiet for while, but there is a whisper of hope on the wind. And that whisper is, “Nyappy!”

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Official An Cafe Website – http://www.ancafe-web.com/

[interview] MORNING GLORY, What’s the Story?

January 20th, 2010 by Kathy Chee

artist-morning-glory2009Since 2003, MORNING GLORY has been telling stories with pop-punk finesse.  Honest problems meets honest music that might not have been able to grow in Tokyo, but flourishes in their home-base of Nagoya.

purple SKY: How has your musical style changed since you first formed the band in 2003?

RIMINA (guitar, vocals): I’ve never tried to change intentionally, but I think it’s become more pop because I started to try to make music that the listeners would remember.

KANAKO (bass, chorus): In the beginning, I just tried to make music that sounded cool and made me feel good. That was it! (laugh) Now, I think about how I can make a certain part better or what I can do with the rest in order to make the whole thing sound cool.

purple SKY: How do you feel being female affects your performance as a punk musician?

RIMINA: I think that males and females each have a different attraction or charm and that there’s no pro or con. I’m just me. I’m not sure if my female aspects affect my performance.

KANAKO: Hmm. Since there are not many female punk bands in Japan, I’d like to be the one and the only.

Read the rest of this entry »

[review] Namie Amuro: Past < Future

January 15th, 2010 by Victoria Goldenberg

past<futureHere’s the good news about Past < Future: It’s much better than Queen of Hip-Pop and Play.

While the former was mumbly and dull, and the latter tended toward loud and cluttered, Namie Amuro’s ninth album sounds refreshingly clean and energetic. “Love Game” delivers a hard urban groove without any distracting frills. The hamony in “The Meaning of Us” emphasizes the pretty tune subtly. Even the most layered track, “Copy That,” doesn’t sound overdone.

The bad news is that the album doesn’t live up to the promise of the single that preceded it. The shifting song structure and Bolero samples in “Dr.” push the boundaries of the brief pop song, while the succinct, irresistibly punchy rhythms of “Wild” embrace them. Both songs are among Amuro’s best.

But most of the album tracks on Past < Future are filler. Of the new songs, only “The Meaning of Us,” the aggressive “Defend Love” and the swing-inspired “Fast Car” seem like lasting additions to the Namie canon.

Now that Amuro’s helmed three albums (2003’s Style is debatable because she’s largely ignored it in concert), both the strengths of her ambition and the limitations of her tastes have become more apparent. Her reinvention and creative direction are precisely what make her a superior and durable pop star, and it’s admirable that she’s expanded her range to include the rock gestures of “Shut Up” and retro stylings of “Fast Car” alongside more familiar-sounding R&B songs like “My Love.” But she has an obvious preference for songs with high-speed chanting and repetitive choruses. Past < Future sometimes sounds monotonous despite the genre variety across its tracks.

“The Meaning of Us” is a highlight in part because it’s the only new song with a fully realized melody and actual singing. Namie sounds quite nice, so it’s puzzling why she avoids singing so much these days. A few more melodies would have made Past < Future a more interesting album. As is, it’s merely satisfactory. But its production and genre variety are steps in the right direction. At least it’s better than Queen of Hip-Pop.

[photo] X Japan Filming in Hollywood on January 9, 2010

January 10th, 2010 by Kathy Chee

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X Japan invited fans out to watch their filming of Endless Rain, I.V., Jade and Rusty Nail.
Photos courtesy of BAM! Marketing and YSK Entertainment.

[press release] XJapan Invites Fans to be a Part of History

January 8th, 2010 by Kathy Chee

XJapan 20091210 Logo white black. ToidaMega Super J-Rock Band Filming on January 9, 2010 in Hollywood

X JAPAN, one of Japan’s most popular and influential bands, invites American fans to the streets of Hollywood, CA to film four major music videos! It will be a huge and momentous event in the band’s history. Fans will need to pre-register online to participate in the event. More information can be found at www.jrocknation.

Official X Japan Website – http://www.xjapan.ne.jp/
Official X Japan Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/xjapanofficial
Signup at Jrock Nation – http://www.jrocknation.com/

The above note is the official, short and sweet, press release from BAM! Marketing. There’s a little disclaimer on the jrocknation.com site stating the event isn’t a live concert, but you may hear alot of production assistants scurrying, screaming fans and some pre-recorded music. Purple SKY got a hold of some set photos and from the looks of it, those lucky fans attending will be in for a spectacular light show.

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[press release] Free girugamesh “NOW” Tour Poster

January 7th, 2010 by Kathy Chee

girugamesh-NOW-Hot-Topic-poster-PRFree girugamesh “NOW” tour poster from JapanFiles and Hot Topic

January 6, 2010 – JapanFiles and Hot Topic are giving away free replicas of girugamesh’s 2010 tour poster with the purchase of the band’s new CD “NOW.” The USA release contains the complete 28-page Japanese booklet with lyrics, photos, and liner notes from the band.

The 11″ x 15″ full-color poster lists all of girugamesh’s Japan tour dates in support of “NOW,” plus a photo of the band and jacket covers from all 3 editions of the new album.

In 2009, Hot Topic sold over 4,000 combined units of girugamesh’s two prior USA releases – “MUSIC” and “Girugamesh.” Hot Topic also carries USA-release CDs from JapanFiles artists LM.C and Hangry & Angry.

Offer available while supplies last. Posters not available in all stores. See your local Hot Topic store for poster availability. Also available online at HotTopic.com.

Download girugamesh’s discography at the JapanFiles Digital Music Store.
http://www.japanfiles.com/girugamesh

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