[J-Music] the HIATUS (band introduction)

Artist: the HIATUS
Formed in 2009
Official website: thehiatus.com

I found the HIATUS because of Miyavi's album "Samurai Sessions Vol. 1" there he sings a song called "Silent Anger" together with Takeshi Hosomi. I really like the voice of Takeshi Hosomi and looked him up - and there was the HIATUS.

This band was formed in spring 2009 by the singer of the band Ellegarden, Takeshi Hosomi, as his solo-project after his band announced their indefinite hiatus in 2008. All the other members came from well-known bands and are skilled in music. The members' previous popularity might be one reason for the number 1 position at Oricon charts of their first album "Trash We'd Love" released in May 2009. Afterwards they took part at many festivals. The released two other albums ("Anomaly" in June 2010 and "A World of Pandemonium" in November 2011).

I listened to their latest album "A World of Pandemonium" and I liked it very much. Especially the cooperation songs with Jamie Blake are pretty nice, but I also like the sound of the other songs - I'm in love with Takeshi Hosomi's voice. You probably would also like this band (^-^)

Members:
Takeshi Hosomi – vocals, guitar  --- Ellegarden
Masasucks – guitar  --- Fullscratch
Koji Ueno – bass   --- Radio Caroline, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Takashi Kashikura – drums   --- Toe
Hirohisa Horie – keyboard  --- Neil & Iraiza

Live support members:
Masakazu Ichise – drums --- Asparagus
Ichiyou Izawa  – keyboard --- Tokyo Jihen

 

[J-Music] Ayumi Hamasaki - Party Queen (album)

Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki
Album title: Party Queen
Release date: 21 March 2012

When I heard the title of Ayumi Hamasaki's new album and saw the covers for "Party Queen" I was totally worried that I won't like the album. I'm not a big fan of party music and going to disco and this is what I expect when I hear this title.

The first songs made my worries real. They are up-beat songs which are really good for dancing. And I'm not really interested in such music. I did my sport workout while first listening, so it was kind of fitting music for this.
Then the fifth song started and I was really surprised. In my eyes the whole style of the album changed into nice pop songs and ballad-like music. I really like this fact, even if now the title "Party Queen" isn't reflected anymore.

My personal highlight of the album is the song "Eyes, Smoke, Magic". When I first listened to it I saw a Broadway-stage in front of my eyes, with women dancing with petticoat-dresses and men in smoking. This song really gave me this kind of mood. After I now know the translation of the lyric it makes me think, because this cheerful song tells a sad story.

Another great song, in my opinion, is "How Beautiful You Are", which is the last song of the album. I'm especially impressed by the PV which shows people who are not looking like the average. I think it wants to tell that it doesn't matter how you look, you are always beautiful - and you are allowed to love who you want.


By now I really fall in love with Ayu's new album. I also started to like the first songs after I have listened to them more often. It's a really great album and a must-have for every fan!

(And now I'm a little bit sad that I'm not able to attend one of her concerts when I go to Japan in July this year...)


Tracklist:
01. Party queen
02. NaNaNa
03. Shake It♥
04. taskebab
05. call
06. Letter
07. reminds me
08. Return Road
09. Tell me why
10. a cup of tea
11. the next LOVE
12. Eyes, Smoke, Magic
13. Serenade in A minor
14. how beautiful you are


   
As always there are 3 different versions of this album. There is a "CD only" version with just the album. The "CD + DVD" version includes a DVD with PVs and making-of of 4 songs (Shake It♥", "NaNaNa", "Return Road" and "how beautiful you are"), while the other version with 2 DVDs includes another DVD with the COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 A ~HOTEL Love songs.

PV "How Beautiful You Are"

[J-Music] Dirty Old Men (band introduction)

Artist: Dirty Old Men
Formed in 2003

Official website: DirtyOldMen.jp

I discovered Dirty Old Men by accident. When I tried to use Last.fm on my iPhone for the first time I listened to AJISAI radio station and the first song played was "rain show" by Dirty Old Men which I started to love directly. So I started to look for more music of this band and in the end they became one of my favorite new discoveries.

The band was formed in summer 2003 by Nobuyuki Takatsudo (Vocal&Guitar), Masamitsu Yamada (Bass) and Shinichi Notaki (Drums)  in their high school days. Actually it was planed to break up after their graduation, but they received many great responses and won in a band competition and so they decided to continue. In 2006 Takumi Yamashita joined and they started to be a 4-men-band.

By now they have released two albums ("bud" in 2008 and "guidance" in 2011) and a certain number of mini albums. Their music has a unique style with very heartful and pure songs. Each song is telling a story or kidnaps you into a wonderful dream.  

  

I hope I will be able to hear a lot more music of this great band - and wish them to find more and more fans!! (^0^)~ ♥

Members: 

Takatsudo Nobuyuki - Vocals, Guitar

Yamashita Takumi - Guitar, Chorus

Masamitsu Yamada - Bass

Notaki Shinichi - Drums, Chorus

[J-Music] Yellow Fried Chickenz - All My Love / Your Are The Reason (single)

Artist: Yellow Fried Chickenz
Single title: All My Love / Your Are The Reason
Release date: 28 December 2011

The single "All my love / You are the reason" has been released on 28 December 2011 by Yellow Fried Chickenz, shortly YFC. YFC is a project of the famous Japanese musician Gackt which he built in 2010 with some changing members. At the current YFC you find Gackt and Jon (fade) as vocals, on guitar there are Chachmaru, You and Takumi, on bass we have U:zo and on drums Luna Sea's drummer Shinya.

Both songs of this single has already been performed on YFC's European tour in summer 2011.

"All my love" is a touching ballad dedicated to the victims of the great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan on 11 March 2011. At live concerts the charity project "Show Your Heart" which was founded by Gackt was promoted by singing the following line with the crowd in repeat:

"Close your eyes, feel your soul. All for love, show your heart!"

Unfortunately these lines are not included in the studio version. Actually I personally prefer the live version, maybe it's just because of the emotions I remember when I've been to the concerts.

In difference to the first song "You are the reason" is a more uptempo one, but also really great. Especially at this song the voices of both vocals mesh with each other very well, in my eyes.

There is a special versions of every song. Each have a "minus g", "minus j" and "minus g+j" version. So if you like karaoke you can sing either with Gackt or with Jon or totally alone. Instead of this I would have preferred versions sang all alone by Gackt or Jon and not with one singing only his own part and the other lines are missing...

All in all it's a really nice single and I'm glad that my dear friend Haruna-chan gave it to me ♥

 
Tracklist:
01. ALL MY LOVE .jp

02. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu

03. ALL MY LOVE .jp minus G

04. ALL MY LOVE .jp minus J

05. ALL MY LOVE .jp minus G & J

06. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu minus G

07. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu minus J

08. YOU ARE THE REASON .eu minus G & J



Official website: Yellow Fried Chickenz
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[J-Music] Versailles - Holy Grail (album)

Artist: Versailles
Album title: Holy Grail
Release date: 15th June 2011

I know Versailles since they have started in 2007 and liked their first EP "Lyrical Sympathy" very much. Unfortunately I loosed my interest in them because I was busy with other stuff and started to love a lot of other bands. While looking around in the internet I suddenly saw that they released a new album in June and so I listened to it and really think that it is pretty great!

Versaille's new album "Holy Grail" was released on 15th June 2011. It is starting with the string & choir intro of the song called "MASQUERADE" fading into a kind of up-beat number. More powerful songs are following. Including strong choirs, great guitar and bass playing and simply a great atmosphere.

Surprisingly for me, there are a lot of ballad-like songs at the album. For example "Remember Forever" and "Destiny -The Lovers-" (with strings and piano). But the song I most like is "Love will be born again". It's a very emotional ballad sang totally in English - and it gives you a kind of melanchoilc feeling. It's simply beautiful. And for sure another awesome song is "Faith & Decision" which has a length of over 16 minutes!! First I thought it is only an instrumental piece with awesome guitar playing, but suddenly at nearly the half of the song Kamijo begins singing. Great song!!

All in all I'm totally amazed of this album. I haven't listened to Versailles for a while and I'm really happy that I found back to them and their music!


Tracklist:
01. MASQUERADE
02. Philia
03. Thanatos
04. Flowery
05. Remember Forever
06. Destiny-The Lovers-
07. DRY ICE SCREAM!! [Remove Silence]
08. Threshold
09. Judicial Noir
10. Love will be born again
11. Vampire
12. Faith & Decision
13. The Theme of Holy Grail

The limited edition contains a bonus DVD with a music video, and the deluxe box edition contains a bonus DVD with music videos featuring each members and music video making-of. This edition also comes with a poster and a 100-page booklet.

PV of "Destiny -The Lovers-"

[J-Music] BLUE PLANET JAPAN (band introduction)

This time I want to introduce "BLUE PLANET JAPAN" to you. It is an charity project and band by Japanese Visual Kei musicians for the Great East Japan Earthquake from 11th March 2011.

The project was started by the bands “DaizyStripper”,”A” and "FEST VAINQUEUR”. Since then many members of other visual kei bands have joined to raise money and bring hope to disaster areas. All togehter they made a new song which is called "Hitotsu dake ~we are the one~" (ひとつだけ~We Are The One~). All profits of this song will be donated.

Their first performance was on 25th June 2011 at Shibuya O-West. Here is a video of the live:

Members:
DaizyStripper (whole band), A (whole band), FEST VAINQUEUR (whole band), heidi. (Yoshihiko), Versailles (Teru, Hizaki), amber gris (Temari), Dolly (Mitsu), aicle (Emiru), Kiryu (Mahiro Kurosaki), ex.Wizard (Hiro), DASEIN (Ricky), Lips (Suzuya), and more...

_______

[J-Music] GLANZ ZEIT (band introduction)

Artist: GLANZ ZEIT
Formed in 2009
Official website: Glanz-Zeit.com

Yesterday I discovered this band by chance because while I’m German I thought the band name is pretty interesting. So I listened to some of their songs on YouTube.com and totally fall in love with them.

GLANZ ZEIT was formed in 2009 with its members Masaki (vocal), Nori.H.Hikaru (guitar), Hiro (guitar), Nari (bass) and Zen (drums, special member) - band leader is bassist Nari. This band is mainly operating outside of Osaka and has a range of interesting and fun songs, a great stage presence and a lot of promise and hopefully a bright future.

While this band is still very unknown I can't find much information about them. Hopefully soon there will be more!

Here is a live from May 5th 2011 which the band uploaded on YouTube.com. I hope you like it (^-^)




Have fun everyone with this new band ♥

[J-Music] Luna Sea - Promise (song)

Artist: Luna Sea
Song title: Promise
Release date: 9th April 2011

 

Luna Sea published their first new song after 10 years as a digital single on 9th April 2011 (download able on Amazon). All proceeds will be donated to disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami from 11th March 2011. First the new song was called "Promised Night" but the title was changed to "PROMISE".

According to the kind of sad lyric the song sounds very happy and gives you some hope. Mainly it is an amazing sound and has a very catchy tune - and I most of all like the ending of the song. It's absolutely a great new song for Luna Sea to release after such a long time!


Lyric
(Romaji & Translation taken from Sweetest Coma Forum - I think the translation is good)

Kimi ga hanatsuyo totsuzen no senkou Yakusoku no chi wa idakareta tenkuu Hotobashiru ase no nioi ni yomigaeru kioku Kagayaki dashita nosa Tonight Hibiki aeru ima dokomademo Kimi ni aitakute hayaku Furidashita bakari ni suginai kono ame Mukui bakari o uketeiru you na jidai Aoide ten ni hajizu ima koso hirogeyou tsubasa Mabushi sugiru chikai Tonight Hibiki aeru hi mo bokura nara Kimi ni aitakute hayaku Kimi ni aitakute Yozora o terasetara Ima koso Your Life tokihanate Yoru o kirisaite kimi o ubaitai Tonight Hibiki aeru ima kanata made Kimi ni aitakute hayaku Kimi ni aitakute ima mo ...aitakute...kimi ni

You emitted a sudden flash In the promised land nestled in the sky Memories recalled by the scent of pouring sweat Began to shine tonight We are now completely attuned I want to see you soon In this rain that has only just begun to fall In this era that has only received punishment Looking up we are not ashamed in the presence of heaven The wings we shall spread right now The too-radiant promise tonight If we are now attuned I want to see you soon I want to see you If it will illuminate the night sky Now is the time to set your life free Tearing through the night  I want to sing of you Tonight We are now attuned across the other side I want to see you soon I want to see you even now I miss you

Luna Sea - Teaser for Promise

[J-Music] Miyavi - What's my name? (album)

Artist: Miyavi
Album title: What's my name?
Release date: 13th October 2010

While on Saturday it's finally time that I will see Miyavi live again on his world tour "What's my name" it's also time to write a little review of his latest album with the same title.
It's hard to tell what this album is like - typically miyavi, may this is the easiest way to judge it. You can hear his unique guitar skills and his awesome way to sing. On this album there are a lot of catchy tunes, up-beat numbers but also songs with meaningful lyrics.

Let's say something to some of the songs. My favorite song is the most silent song of the album: "Sutekina mirai" which (if I remember it right) was written for his first daughter Lovelie and means "a wonderful future" - and for sure it is a really wonderful ballad. Next very touching song is "Gravity" - this song is simply amazing. It touched me very deeply especially because of the passion you can feel in Miyavi's singing. Some more party-songs are "A-ha" (which totally reminds me of the song "Boom-hah-boom-hah-hah"), "What's my name?" and "Torture", which I'm really looking forward to hear live at the concert. Two other songs I really love and which are really catchy tunes are "I love you, I love you, I love you, and I hate you" and "Super Hero". I'm singing this songs all day long in the last weeks.
All in all, Miyavi's latest album is really great and a must-have for every Miyavi fan ♥

Tracklist:
01 WHAT'S MY NAME ?
02 Torture
03 A-ha
04 Chillin' Chillin' Money Blue$
05 I love you, I love you, I love you, and I hate you.
06 Moon
07 Gravity
08 Universe
09 Unbreakable
10 Shelter
11 Super Hero (album ver.)
12 Sutekina Mirai
13 Futuristic Love
14 Survive (album ver.)

Here is a radio live as sample of the album: