Archive for May, 2012

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Wax Yoshiki unveiled in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

From YSK Entertainment:

Yoshiki, Leader of X Japan, unveils his wax figure in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

HONG KONG (26 May 2012). Yoshiki, leader of legendary visual rock band X Japan, attended the unveiling ceremony of his wax figure in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong today. Mesmerized by the striking resemblance and liveliness of his wax figure which will be shown in Hong Kong for a limited time only, Yoshiki couldn’t help asking himself “Am I looking at the mirror?”

Considered Asia’s most influential musical artist and biggest rock icon, Yoshiki is a songwriter, drummer and classically trained pianist and composer. He is the leader of one of Japan’s most successful rock bands, X Japan, which has sold more than 30 million singles and albums combined and filled the 55,000-seat Toyko Dome a record 18 times.

Beyond X Japan, Yoshiki’s diverse musical achievements range from composing and conducting for the 2005 World Expo’s opening ceremonies to writing the theme song for the Golden Globes which aired in 190 countries this year.

Yoshiki’s wax figure, dressed in a stunning rock and roll outfits costs 19 million Japanese Yen (approximately HK$ 1.9 million) and took approximately four months from the sitting to finishing. The professional team flew to Paris and London to get accurate measurements of Yoshiki right down to the finest details like his eye color and hair style. Hundreds of photos were taken as reference. “When I met ‘the other me’ for the first time in Tokyo last year, I was amazed by the total resemblance. It looks exactly like me! And I feel honored to have my wax figure exhibited in Hong Kong. It has been months since I last visited Hong Kong to meet the media and my beloved fans here. Today is definitely an important moments I have been looking forward to”, said Yoshiki during the ceremony.

Renowned for his stunningly photogenic face, Yoshiki gave a finishing touch to his wax figure by applying eyeliner and revealed that, “this wax figure completely embodies my rock-and-roll style… ‘he’ is the other me!” Rock and roll outfits are Yoshiki’s favorite when he is off stage.

Kelly Mak, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong said, “It is our honor to have Yoshiki, the leader of legendary visual rock band X Japan, here with us in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong today to witness the debut appearance of his wax figure in Hong Kong. Now, X Japan fans can meet Yoshiki up close and be dazzled by his breathtaking charm at any time.”

The wax figure of Yoshiki will be displayed in Madame Tussauds Hong Kong from 26 May till the end of 2012.

About Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong welcomes guests from 10am to 10pm daily.

www.madame-tussauds.com.hk.

Attachments:

Original press release from YSK Entertainment
Photo (credit: YSK Entertainment)
Submitted by RESONANCE Media

Links
X Japan Official
RESONANCE Media Official
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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HALCALI no Okawari

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Halcali release new album “HALCALI no Okawari” on 5/30/2012. Halcali are composed of members Halca and Yucali.

Album release from HALCALI including tracks “Kyo no Watashi wa Kigen ga Ii, “Gondola no Uta (cover),” an insert song of the film “Tofu Kozo,” “SO JOY BOY,” a song produced by Mummy-D(RHYMESTER), a song made by Kazuyoshi Saito, and more. Also contains three new songs.

HALCALI no Okawari (5/30/2012)
Disc 1
1. ATTITUDE
2. INTRO.HALCALI BENTOU
3. TANDEM
4. QUEST LOVE
5. GIRIGIRI.SURF RIDER
6. STRAWBERRY CHIPS
7. BONNOU DANCE
8. CONTINUED
Disc 2
9. KYOU NO WATASHI HA KIGEN GA II
10. GONDOLA NO UTA
11. TURN IT AROUND
12. (500)NICHI NO MAGIC
13. MOEYO HALCALI FEAT.MUMMY-D
14. HIMITSU CRYIN`
15. SO JOY BOY

Links
HALCALI Official
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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BACK-ON new album “Good Job!!”

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

BACK-ON release their new album “Good Job!!” on 5-30-2012.

BACK-ON (5-30-2012)
1. ICE CREAM
2. HIGHWAY DANCER
3. CONNECTUS
4. GIMME! GIMME! GIMME!
5. COME ON & LET`S GO FEAT.EMYLI.KAILIS FROM OVER DOSE (TAIWAN)/ Emyli
6. HOME
7. WORD PLAY
8. WE CAN`T STOP
9. FUTARI DIARY
10. IT`S NOT OVER
11. SELFISH
12. MR YESTERDAY

From their official site:

ARTIST: BACK-ON
Genre: Rock
Styles: Rap-metal, Rock-rap, Post Grunge, Alternative rock

BACK-ON’ s combination of metal riffs, hip-hop poses, emo angst and electronic atmospherics has seen them cause a stir of sorts in the Tokyo club scene since the five-piece first started gigging in 2002. It’s a sound not dissimilar to big-selling contemporaries such as RIZE, whose member Jesse gave BACK-ON their name.

BACK-ON was originally comprised of MC TEEDA, vocalist/MC KENJI03 (read as “Kenji Three”), guitarist SHU, bassist GORI and MACCHIN on drums (later replaced by ICCHAN). KENJI03 and GORI have been friends since childhood having attended the same primary school in Tokyo’ s Adachi Ward, a district that by Japanese standards is rife with crime and high-density, public-housing apartment blocks. Though Adachi isn’ t Compton ? ghetto it most certainly ain’t – this less than glamorous background is a big part of BACK-ON’ s identity, giving the band something approaching a genuine street edge compared to Japan’ s other bling-oriented rock-rap acts.

BACK-ON debuted with the mini-album “Adachi Tribe” in October 2004. The band also contributed tracks to underground hip-hop compilations and by the end of the year were attracting 200 fans to club shows in Tokyo’ s Shibuya district. The following year BACK ON kept the momentum going with constant touring – by the end of 2005 the band had clocked up more than 100 shows in a year – including gigs with like-minded bands such as RIZE and Screaming Soul Hill, and recording their debut “major” release,”Baby Rock,” for Avex Trax’ s rock-oriented subsidiary imprint label, Cutting Edge.

But it was BACK-ON’ s next release, the 2006 single “Chain,” that truly launched the band, the song receiving a boost by being chosen as the opening theme song to TV Tokyo’ s animate “Air Gear,” a series that has also been licensed in the U.S. Typically, the track featured TEEDA’ s rapping and a chorus sung by KENJI03.Another mini-album “New World” followed in November. BACK-ON kept the anime connection going in 2007 by providing the opening theme,”Hikari Sasuhou,” to the direct-to-video title “Murder Princess” and contributing the songs “A day dreaming…” and “BLAZE LINE” to “Eye Shield 21.” Logical, then, that the group should also perform at the anime fan conventions Anime Matsuri in Houston and Anime Evolution in British Columbia, Canada.

Links
BACK-ON Official
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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Vote which song Berryz Kobo’s will perform at AnimeNEXT by June 1, 2012

Monday, May 28th, 2012

News from RESONANCE Media for all you Berryz Kobo fans:

Berryz Kobo searches for AnimeNEXT Fan Favorite
Top-voted song will be performed live at AnimeNEXT

May 24, 2012 – Berryz Kobo wants to know which song from their own catalog you want to hear most at their “AnimeNEXT 2012″ Concert!

Berryz Kobo will perform the top-voted song live at AnimeNEXT during their appearance at the Somerset, NJ event June 6-8, 2012.

Fans can vote by via Facebook or e-mail. The deadline is June 1, 2012 (USA Eastern time).

Voting information can be found at Up-Front Link’s official Facebook and Twitter pages. http://www.facebook.com/upfrontlink http://twitter.com/upfrontlink

–LINKS–
Official Berryz Kobo AnimeNEXT information:
(including schedule, goods, and autograph info)
http://bit.ly/BerryzKoboAnimeNEXT

AnimeNEXT:
http://www.animenext.org

–VIDEO–
BeGenki (Naseba Naru!)
http://youtu.be/d5nmDDUglVM

–PROFILE–

All girl super group Berryz Kobo is part of Hello! Project and consists of Saki Shimizu, Momoko Tsugunaga, ChinamiTokunaga, MaasaSudo, Miyabi Natsuyaki, Yurina Kumai and Risako Sugaya. They already have 8 albums and 27singles to their credit.

Berryz Kobo released their debut single, “Anata nashi dewa ikite ikenai” on Girls’ Day (March 3rd) in 2004, and have been consistently
impressing fans ever since. There are many highlights to their 8+ year history, including their 2005 Oricon top 10 hit “Special Generation”. In 2007, Berryz Kobo gave sold out performances in the Saitama Super Arena (20,000 seats), becoming the youngest group to perform in this arena with an average member age below 14 years old.

One year later, they won the Best Newcomer Award at the Asia song Festival in South Korea and then the Nihon Yuusen Taishou Award for their cover song of “Dschinghis Khan”. In March 2010, Berryz Kobo was the first all-girl Japanese group to perform in Bangkok, Thailand. Their single “Shining Power”, released the same year on November 10th, is an ending theme for the anime “Inazuma Eleven”.

In 2011, they performed in Seattle for Sakura-Con on April. Their latest single,“Be Genki ”, was released in March 2012.

Berryz Kobo will perform for the second time in the US at AnimeNEXT in June 2012, so be ready!!

Links
Facebook upfrontlink
RESONANCE Media
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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YU-A new album “Dream”

Friday, May 25th, 2012

YU-A (aka Ayumi Satou) released her third album “Dream” on 5-23-2012. YU-A was formerly of the band Foxxi misQ.

Dream (5-23-2012)
1. INTRO/ YU-A
2. KATAOMOI/ YU-A
3. ANATA NO EGAO/ YU-A
4. KAGI/ YU-A
5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY -CELEBRATION-/ YU-A
6. GOMEN NE.MAMA/ YU-A
7. DREAM/ YU-A
8. HEY LADIES!/ YU-A
9. I WANT YOU/ YU-A
10. SWITCH FEAT.MYNAME/ YU-A
11. YOAKE GA KURU MADE/ YU-A
12. LINK/ YU-A
13. OYASUMI/ YU-A
14. CHIKAZUKITAKUTE/ K.J. with YU-A
15. CHIKAI/ DOHZI-T feat.YU-A
16. SHINJIRU MONO/ SPICY CHOCOLATE feat.YU-A.AK-69.HAN-KUN from SHONANNOKAZE

Links
YU-A Official
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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Ki-yo Interview Comments

Friday, May 25th, 2012

Post your comments about our Ki-yo Interview and let us know what you thought of him.

“I think Japan has so many unique and original things. Actually, I realized this after I moved to New York.” – Ki-yo

It’s not often that we’re moved by gospel music, but the moment we heard Ki-yo singing his stirring rendition of Inhabit My Praise amidst a jubilant African-American choir we knew we’d discovered someone very special. A veteran of the Japanese music industry, the never lacking in confidence Ki-yo (aka KIYOTAKA) released his first single while he was still a teenager. After a string of albums in Japan Ki-yo made the decision in 2010 to tackle the New York music scene.

With his second international single “Dear All My Loves” to offer up what better time to hear the story of the man who says: “I love that moment that people understand my message and are affected by the positive influence of my music. There’s nothing else that can bring me more joy and happiness than that.”

On May 23, 2012 Ki-yo was kind enough to give an interview to J-Pop World. Ki-yo Interview.

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Rose Noire album “Neo Renaissance -1st movement-”

Thursday, May 24th, 2012

Darkest Labyrinth releases Rose Noire 2nd mini album “Neo Renaissance -1st movement-” on sale July 25, 2012.

“Immorality that dazzles the eyes, played to a court that has developed beyond its prime…”

The new release that fans have awaited for a year marks a return to the classical origins of Rose Noire’s sound, featuring seven tracks that express an even further evolved point of view!

Line-up:
Vocal: Louie
Violin: Jill

2nd mini album “Neo Renaissance -1st movement-”
June 17, 2012 at the live house
July 25, 2012 in stores
Disc Number: DLRN-3
Label: Darkest Labyrinth
Distrubution: Daiki Sound
Price: 2,100yen (Tax in)
Limited: 1000

Neo Renaissance -1st movement-
01. Unframed
02. Royal Garden
03. Rococo
04. Redemption
05. Lascia ch’io pianga
06. Forest
07. Epilogue-Silent Guardian-

Links
Rose Noire Official
Darkest Labyrinth
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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Mr. Fukushima And His Sweet Hollywaiians new album “Same Old Song Book”

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

For those who can’t get enough Japanese-flavored Hawaiian music its you’re lucky day. The Sweet Hollywaiians (see our August 23, 2009 Interview) are back with a new album.

Same Old Song Book (May 20, 2012)
1. My Melancholy Baby
2. Yellow Bird
3. You Might Think
5. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone
6. Mexican Divorce
7. Sweet Honey Bee
8. I Feel Like Going Home
9. In the Shade Of the Old Apple Tree
10. Home (When shadows fall)
11. Sometimes I’m Happy
12. I’m Following You

Links
Sweet Hollywaiians Official
Official Facebook
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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Taeko Fukao Interview Comments

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

Post your comments about our Taeko Fukao Interview and let us know what you thought of her.

“I’ve never recognized the true beauty of Japan until I stepped out of Japan.” – Taeko

While the stunning scenery of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture might have seemed commonplace to a young girl named Taeko, the music she grew up listening to would prove to be much more inspiring. Faced with a decision to pursue a career in law or music, she make the fateful decision to pursue her artistic dreams. We are glad she did.

With a confident voice that both soothes and satisfies, Taeko has developed a singing style that transports her native culture of Japan to the Jazz filled clubs of New York.

So come learn the story of the singer who says: “Most memorable concerts were always the ones where the band, the audience and I became completely one wave through music…”

On May 21, 2012 Taeko was kind enough to give an interview to J-Pop World. Taeko Fukao Interview.

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Kyary Pamyu Pamyu release “Pamyu Pamyu Revolution”

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

Harajuku pop icon and singer, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu brings her first album “Pamyu Pamyu Revolution” out on May 23, 2012!

This album features her smash hit “PONPONPON,” “Tsukema Tsukeru,” “Kyary ANAN,” “Candy Candy” and more for 11 tracks total (subject to change).

PAMYUPAMYU REVOLUTION (May 23, 2012)
2. TSUKEMATUKERU
3. PONPONPON
4. MINNA NO UTA
5. KYARY ANAN
6. CANDY CANDY
7. DRINKER
8. ONEDARI 44DO
9. SUKI SUGITE KIRESOU
10. GIRIGIRI SAFE
11. OYASUMI
12. CHANCHAKACHANCHAN

Links
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Official
Official Facebook
J-Pop World News and Comments Homepage
J-Pop World Homepage

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