Release news
BABYMETAL second album [Metal Resistance] out on April 1st!
Metal Resistance (cover)
Courtesy of CDJapan
BABYMETAL, a concept that could only have been created in Japan (wedding cutesy teenage girl idols to head-banging metal music), is releasing their second album Metal Resistance on April Fools’ Day. The heavy metal idol group is calling April 1st “Fox Day” in commemoration, and kicking off their “world tour” (to the US and UK in addition to Japan) the very next day.
MONKEY MAJIK releases new album [southview] in March!
southview
(regular edition cover)
Courtesy of CD Japan
Monkey Majik is releasing their new album southview on March 9th! Having released eastview and westview already, the band will have only one cardinal direction left to address after this.
southview is described as a “new direction” for the band, which recently celebrated their 15th anniversary, and was crafted to be “dance music that gets the heart dancing.” The album will contain 12 tracks and be released in three editions: CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray, and CD album only. The DVD and Blu-ray editions will contain the same documentary footage of the band’s recordings in New Zealand, which has never been unreleased before.
› Continue reading
Tanimura Shinji and Kalafina collaborate …what!? Releasing the single [Alcira no Hoshi], you say!?
Okay, this is just one of the strangest collaborations ever.
Shinji TANIMURA, a veteran singer, songwriter, and musician who headed the popular 1970’s band “Alice”, and whose career spans folk to enka music, is working with Kalafina, the female pop/new-age vocal trio that was hand-picked by animation soundtrack guru/composer Yuki KAJIURA. They are releasing the single Alcira no Hoshi on March 16. The title song is the BS Television Channel‘s 15th anniversary “dream song.” The single will be released in two editions: a limited edition that includes a DVD with music video content by Kalafina, and a regular edition. The single will have four tracks total.
Vocaloid composer Kikuo and singer YURiCa / Hanatan collaborate in Kikuohana’s debut album [Dai-ichi Maku]
Dai-ichi Maku (album cover)
Cover artwork courtesy
of CD Japan
Kikuo, a popular composer of vocaloid songs, is teaming up with singer Hanatan to release their debut collaboration album Dai-ichi Maku under the moniker Kikuohana. The album’s concept of “broken fairytales” features 12 original songs written and produced by Kikuo. Hanatan also goes by the name of “YURiCa” and is a sensation among enthusiasts of the internet phenomenon of “vocaloid cover singers”–amateur singers who cover songs originally “sung” by vocaloids. The popularity of some singers has propelled them to major label careers. VALSHE is a notable example.
BUMP OF CHICKEN releasing new album [Butterflies] this month!
Popular alt-rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN is releasing their 8th original album BUTTERFLIES on February 10th. The album contains 11 songs total, including 4 A-sides “Colony”, “Parade”, “Hello,world!” and “Fighter.”
Suga Shikao releasing new album [THE LAST] in time for the big 50
Singer-songwriter Suga Shikao‘s new album THE LAST was released this Wednesday, Jan 20th. Shikao’s website touts the album as the big masterpiece he was hoping to complete before he turns fifty years old in July this year.
Showcasing the “Suga Shikao that came before J-pop–neither funk nor rock–just the frank Suga Shikao,” the album contains 11 tracks. Other than “Astride,” his 30th single, the other 10 songs are all brand new. › Continue reading
SCANDAL releasing new album [YELLOW] in March
All-girl rock band SCANDAL is releasing their 7th original album YELLOW on March 2nd, 2016. The album will contain 13 tracks total, including a bonus track “Your song -English ver-” along with two singles that were released in 2015, Stamp! and Sisters.
Anri Kumaki changing labels, releasing new album [Kazari no nai Ashita] in March
Singer-Songwriter Anri KUMAKI has announced that she will be switching labels, from unBORDE (a division of Warner Music Japan) to Yamaha Music Communications, where veteran singer-songwriter Miyuki NAKAJIMA is significantly involved in producing artists.
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