Tag: Japanese Music

Traditional Japanese Group Covers Track from GNR’s ‘Appetite for Destruction’

SMER_CD_BLH14By James Robert Shaw
(The Wind up Geek)

They have yet to go viral on YouTube with this recording but Japan‘s Bamboo Flute Orchestra has received over 840,000 views on Facebook thanks in part to Guns N’ Roses, the NHK, and the Rock vs. Metal Facebook page (stylized Rock \m/ Metal). Bamboo Flute Orchestra which contains members Yoshimi Tsujimoto, Erina Ito, and Yuko Watanabe are taking the Internet by storm. Like the Yoshida Brothers before them they are introducing traditional Japanese music to a wider audience. With their first album Shakuhachi (released on September 28, 2016), they create a fusion by performing pop and rock tunes with traditional instruments. Some of the songs covered by the Bamboo Flute Orchestra are Michael Jackson‘s “Smooth Criminal”, Avicii‘s “Wake Me Up”, and Taylor Swift‘s “Shake It Off”.

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Macross 7 Voice Actress and Singer Sakurai Tomo Retires

SAK_TOMO_SakuraiBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

It was announced Thursday Japan time on Sakurai Tomo’s official website, “Tomofull”, that the speaking voice of Macross 7‘s Mylene Jenius will retire from voice acting. As quoted from her website:

最近は自分自身について色々考える時間が沢山ありました。

昔は、喉がとても強く何時間歌っていてもこわれることはなく、更に元気になる声帯をもっていましたが、最近では、役者としての大事な声が、かなり出づらくなってきているのを実感しています。
時が流れているので、当然のことなのでしょうが、声優として演じていて私自身がそのような変化に耐えられず、そろそろ引退かなと。ずっと考えていました。
神経質すぎると思われるかもしれませんが、私自身が許せないため、引退を決めました。これは、自分自身で決めました。

皆様には、このような形でのご報告になってしまったことをお許し下さい。

Tomo has been voice acting for Japanese animation and radio plays for over 3 decades. Her official website will no longer be updated as of September 1st.

Tomo has voiced such characters as Hinowa in the Gintama series, Misao Makimachi in Rurouni Kenshin, Doll Licca in Super Doll Licca-Chan, and Mylene Flare Jenius in the Macross 7 animated projects.

Tomo has also enjoyed a successful solo career as a pop idol singer. Her works can be found on several major labels including Pony Canyon, Warner Music Japan, Pioneer, and Victor. Originally part of the Lemon Angel pop idol unit, Tomo released her first solo album T-mode in 1995 followed by two live concerts Tomo ’96 Live and Tomo Natsu ’99 Summer Special Stage (recorded August 21 during her Akasaka Blitz Tokyo concert). Tomo has released 4 singles and 16 albums over the course of her career.

Source(s): Gwyn Campbell, Vintage Anime Fans Facebook group, “Tomofull” Sakurai Tomo’s official website, Buzzap, and morningberryz48 WordPress site.

Japanese Rock Group VooDoo Hawaiians to Play Tokyo’s Club251 with Doberman

VooDooHawaiiansBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Tickets are now on sale for VooDoo Hawaiians latest concert at Tokyo‘s popular Club251. The venue is located in the basement of the office building owned by Two Five One Co, Ltd in one of the most interesting and lively districts of Tokyo, Shimokitazawa. The area is known for its hungry bands and it’s loud and flashy nightlife. Club251 has hosted a variety of acts that one would consider the underdogs of the music industry, or to put it another way, artists that haven’t given in to the mainstream. SpecialThanks, Thee 50’s High Teens, Broken Doll, Earth Crisis, and The Monochrome Set are just a few groups that have played to the excitement of patrons in this sub-level venue .

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Mass of Fans Break Barrier, Crush YouTuber at Japanese Idol Festival

TokyoIdolFest2016LogoBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

As Westerners we consider the Japanese as a polite people, but when it comes to a j-pop idol concert, that politeness quickly disappears. On one hand they may bow to you out of respect, on the other hand they have no second thoughts of taking you down if you get between them and their performing idol. YouTuber Storehouse Channel (保管庫ちゃんねる) was witness to such an incident on the 2nd day of the Tokyo Idol Festival, the world’s largest idol festival, held annually In the Odaiba and Aomi area.

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Japan’s Best, Headlines Visual Kei Music Festival in October

VisualJapanSummitLogoBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

We are less than three months away from one of Japan’s most exciting rock concerts of the year. Announced four days ago on their official site, j-rock group Glay along with groups X Japan and Luna Sea will be performing on day 1 of the Visual Japan Summit 2016 Powered by Rakuten. Visual Japan Summit is a visual kei music festival to be held indoors at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall 9-11 in Chiba Prefecture. This event takes place October 14-16, just one week apart from events like the Nihonmatsu Lantern festival (October 4-6) and the Kurama Fire Festival (October 22).

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Babymetal Shares Stage with Metal Legend Rob Halford

Babymetal2By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

At the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards in Columbus, Ohio audiences were witness to what could be considered a major event in the music industry. Japanese music has been gaining ground worldwide especially in North America, proving music is truly universal, it is a turning point to see Metal God Rob Halford of Juda Priest share the stage with Japan’s mini-metal mights Babymetal.

Halford with Babymetal covered two of Judas Priests’ classic songs, “Painkiller” and “Breaking the Law.” For “Painkiller” Halford performed with Su-Metal before Yuimetal and Moametal joined them on guitars onstage for “Breaking the Law”.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG_fqkyJ-wo&w=560&h=315%5D
 
Su-Metal looked absolutely estatic to be performing with Halford and Babymetal’s backing band were exceptionally pumped during this performance. I guess sharing stage with one of the legends of metal will do that to you. Alternative Press rightfully called this collaboration as one of the top 14 moments that defined the awards ceremony.

This had been a long time coming and it’s shame an event like this couldn’t happen earlier. If it did perhaps Japan X would be in the position Babymetal is now. But much of this event is owed to bands like them who toured North America before Japanese music grew outside it’s own country. Groups like Puffy and even earlier than X or Puffy, Shonen Knife, introduced Japan’s music to the masses. In many ways Japanese garage band The Blue Comets were Japan’s version of The Beatles as they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1968.