The J-Pop Thread

Ippu-Do/Masami Tsuchiya
Miharu Koshi
Chakra
Moon Riders
Akiko Yano
P-Model
Taeko Ohnuki/Mishio Ogawa
YMO (of course) / Sakamoto / Takahashi
Melon
Zelda

Here's Tommy February - Hey Bad Boy
http://s45.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=20QG4O8JQGQO821ID8ECY69XRC

Great Japanese Pop

Regardless, saying "J-pop really fucking sucks" is really dismissive.

I will bow out of the thread now as it's obviously not for me. Toodle pip.

i 2nd snowballing's tommy february6 recommendation. see also; tommy heavenly6 & brilliant green.

not sure if shiina ringo belongs on this thread but everybody should search.

I didn't know Plus-Tech Squeeze Box qualified. Awesome.

It'll probably be hard to search for W, but I'll try the rest.

Haha, which country HASN'T been doing stuff like this recently?

I guess what I like about this stuff is its resilience. It's this "Nothing is going to stop this motherfucking bubblegum brigade.. we're going to use every odd modern production technique out there to create this kaleidoscopic maximalist sugar rush of a song" attitude that I appreciate. It's a love or hate thing, I guess. But I'm noticing that I'm starting to like the more conservative stuff as well. ah, age.

"I'm confident that there IS good music in Japan, it's just really hard to find."

Wrong, wrong, wrong! One of the best things about living in Japan is the huge variety of record shops catering to any genre you can imagine, plus a few you've probably never heard of. Furthermore, if you live in nearly any of the major cities, you've got plenty of options with regards to club nights, live shows, not to mention the festivals which go on all summer. Judging the state of Japanese music based on Ayumi Hamasaki and her ilk is just plain ignorant.

I've said it before on a bunch of other threads but anyone interested in Japanese music needs to check out SUPERCAR. 'nuff said.

Did anyone get the last english-language Utada album?

i was thinking the other day that I needed to start a thread about j-pop in 2005 b/c i've really been out of the loop - anybody know of any great '05 releases in the genre?

"Long Way Home" by Speed is a lachrymose ballad in the "Careless Whisper" vein that kind of seeps under your skin after a few hearings. Dunno if they're anything to do with Speed, Glue and Shinki (I suspect not) but you can always hope.

Those are the only 2 j-pop songs I can remember actually. Are there any compilations / overviews marketed to the Western market? Or would that be a complete waste of any record companies time and money?

The Hillary Duff sounding song "Endless Love" from We Love Katamari soundtrack. So good!

This morning on the train I jammed out The Fantastic Plastic Machine's "too" which is total disco mindfuck.

spontine i had just bought LOve Jam, which is good, is Love punch better ?
Also i bought Chara "a scenery like me but had yet to listen"

not strictly jpop but i highy recommend Takako Minekawa "Roomic cube" and "Chat chat".

any other suggestion, expecially greatest hits, since i can permit to go bankrut and i buy tons od diverse genre of music. Yeh a J-Pop compilation for the wester market would be a goodidea, but probably noone is interested....

Kinokuniya Books sells "The Best in J-Pop! Volume X" type comps for better (yet slightly inflated but nowhere near Japanese import) prices.. so SOME labels (in the U.S. at least) have seen a market for this.

They also sell domestic releases of Japanese bands like Polysics and, occasionally, Boredoms related stuff... Still, I wish the buyers at Kinokuniya would be more on the off-the-radar tip -- but the AOR Japanese pop, J-Pop, and Japanese underground customer bases tend to be mutually exclusive, I guess.

BABYMETAL! I have nothing else to say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QbAXXXOJF8

That's...quite something.

I guess there's always been a crossover between j-pop and metal with people like Aikawa Nanase and the vis kei bands but i've never heard anything like that.

Do not ignore their homepage:

http://www.babymetal.jp/

Amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJdLkpqj6k

Have to post this here as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAOqbu_XEvk

(This being Momoiro Clover Z - the music video is great as well, but the official upload's sound is muffled http://youtu.be/TIokp4MonxE )

Big, amazing song. Marty Friedman featuring seems like a normal sort of thing for these girls. There's also this article from Japan Times:

The not-so-odd coupling between noise acts and J-pop http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fm20120223im.html

However, a lot of it is thoroughly sincere, and in Japan, the burning heart of this love affair is Momoiro Clover Z, a pop group who provoke squealing, teenage admiration from punks, indie kids, noise musicians and heavy-psychedelic longhairs throughout the Japanese underground music scene.

One such progressive rocker is Taigen Kawabe of U.K.-based psychedelic band Bo Ningen. More often seen in Tokyo playing alongside noise legends such as Keiji Haino, Kawabe's page on the website SoundCloud leads off with a curious mashup of his own band and Momioro Clover Z in which the former band's shifts in rhythm match surprisingly well with the idol group's distinctive penchant for chopping aggressively (and sometimes illogically) between seemingly unconnected melodies.

Interestingly, Momioro Clover's recent single, "Roudou Sanka," written by Ian Parton of British band The Go! Team, met with criticism from some fans for being too commercial, and the Hyadain-produced (and Friedman-enhanced) followup, the elaborately titled "Mouretsu Uchuu Koukyoukyoku Dainana Gakushou", is defiantly back in the group's previous furious conceptual mashup territory

Roudou Sanka is actually great http://youtu.be/Krj3dwKEaSk

the music isn't killing me as much as the video concepts, but the Megadeth guitar + Volga Boatmen Russian choral coda is definitely some kind of... thing? they're 9000 times less disturbing than AKB48 in any case, if I could take back watching that one video of theirs a friend forwarded I would

that Japan Times article is great though; Merzbow had been influencing western pop artists from the beginning of his career, but when Shiina Ringo began integrating full on Otomo Yoshihide levels of noise-solos in her pop songs it really did come across as national heritage rather than some kind of collage. almost confused Japan Times didn't reference Shiina even though she basically moved away from noise in 2004

Here's the song performed live with a full choir and marty on the guitar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB3Oo1vihSo

I fell asleep listening to Perfume's JPN last night and had weird acidy candy store french electro dreams.

Whoa, I completely missed out on Momoiro Clover Z's nutsoid Christmas song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmfli1WCcFA

^ the best bit is when it goes SANTA

Dude who writes most of their stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyUXKynmmiw

bet he's tired

Sufficiently so to forget his many chords in the new Momoiro tune- http://youtu.be/fATvdleWPtU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVn3_qeIrBA

TAKE FIVE! puts me in this really nostalgic mood

live track by Salyu, from her new Cornelius produced album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brec06BA6JU

I realize that i should have typed GIVE ME FIVE!. TAKE FIVE! is a dave brubeck song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BmnwuISzlA&feature=related

not often that i really dig auto-tune/vocoders. she has a couple great songs but i can't find youtube hosts of them.

here's a real treat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN0zuBHKHaM

Grabbed the new Ayumi Hamasaki album yesterday. The first few songs are pretty good in a blatantly Rihanna/pop-trance kind of way, but the album's latter two-thirds are all ballads with gloopy strings. Don't love it.

Saw L'Arc-en-Ciel at Madison Square Garden last night; reviewed it for the Voice. I took many more pictures than they used; I'll put some up on my blog, and link it later.

I really like the Ayumi Hamasaki album! I'm not big on ballads and gloopy strings either but they are much more restrained and creative than that description usually suggests. With the exception of the last one (the single) which, yes, is a bit much.

I don't know - my favorite of her recent albums is Rock 'n' Roll Circus, so with the title Party Queen I was kinda hoping for something more in that vein.

Here's the link to my L'Arc-en-Ciel photos.

Meta new Perfume

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VnPyW9LwxY

amazing. As usual.

yep, that's good

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/03/japanese-idol-on-support-by-eating-positive-from-wbc/
http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/04/another-member-of-tokio-hospitalized/

this song, wtf.
its like a Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure version of Jpop starring teenage girl space pirates, with choirs and the kitchen sink flung in. it feels like it goes on forever! the "aye aye sir" bits are pretty funny tho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIokp4MonxE

Yeah I posted about it some posts over you and their excellent Christmas classic also got posted.

Why didn't we already know about this:

http://bourdaghs.com/blog/

?

Description

From the beginning of the American Occupation in 1945 to the post-bubble period of the early 1990s, popular music provided Japanese listeners with a much-needed release, channeling their desires, fears, and frustrations into a pleasurable and fluid art. Pop music allowed Japanese artists and audiences to assume various identities, reflecting the country's uncomfortable position under American hegemony and its uncertainty within ever-shifting geopolitical realities.

In the first English-language study of this phenomenon, Michael K. Bourdaghs considers genres as diverse as boogie-woogie, rockabilly, "enka," 1960s rock and roll, 1970s new music, folk, and techno-pop. Reading these forms and their cultural import through music, literary, and cultural theory, he introduces readers to the sensual moods and meanings of modern Japan. As he unpacks the complexities of popular music production and consumption, Bourdaghs interprets Japan as it worked through (or tried to forget) its imperial past. These efforts grew even murkier as Japanese pop migrated to the nation's former colonies. In postwar Japan, pop music both accelerated and protested the commodification of everyday life, challenged and reproduced gender hierarchies, and insisted on the uniqueness of a national culture, even as it participated in an increasingly integrated global marketplace.

Each chapter in "Sayonara Amerika, Sayonara Nippon" examines a single genre through a particular theoretical lens: the relation of music to liberation; the influence of cultural mapping on musical appreciation; the role of translation in transmitting musical genres around the globe; the place of noise in music and its relation to historical change; the tenuous connection between ideologies of authenticity and imitation; the link between commercial success and artistic integrity; and the function of melodrama. Bourdaghs concludes with a look at recent Japanese pop music culture.

ha ha as to the entirety of the samples chosen for Japanese Popular Music Since 1990

http://bourdaghs.com/Sayonara-current-JPop.html

will buy this book

that being said if he's calling 'KZK' her second instead of her third solo album, I will hope that the factual details in the rest of the book have been better proofed

Well how do you think I googled this thing up to begin with? Funny though, I hadn't even made it that far yet (to the page you link to).

Japan Times review here: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fb20120513a2.html

And yes, that's some bad fact checking. University press too.

Had you seen this author's name previously?

There's a whole chapter on Misora Hibari.

certainly no way around that

new perfume!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCwzIJnJnFI

This one is way better than "Spending All My Time" imo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCjcmOR1lT4

Kind of weird how Spending/Hurly Burly/Point all sound old-fashioned in different ways.

yeah, I don't care for "spending all my time" at all, really. seems like a kind of lame and late to the game attempt to jump on the sound that's been all over pop music for a few years now. admittedly I don't like this sound anyway...

"point" and "hurly burly" are fun tho.

But Spending All My Time still doesn't sound remotely like 'the sound' it's referencing, I mean, it's there in some form but the song otherwise more or less ignores it and the result is so different from that.

yeah, maybe my hatred of those synth stabs is causing me to overreact but this sounds like a nakata rihanna remix to me. smoother and less frenzied, and yeah, agreed that the result isn't a carbon copy. but there's enough in the final product to irritate me.

but like I said, I'm a grouch about these productions in general.

I like "Spending All My Time" way more than "Point." Too skittery and herky-jerky for me; the beat works against their vocal style.

Maybe that's the point.

(I don't like it either, but I never got the Perfume bug.)

not perfume or particularly perfume-esque, but here is the song most listened to by my group of friends in japan this time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiyDCdpDQ5c

whoa i was not expecting that to become an american football song

Did the world need an instrumental hiphop mixtape made from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu samples? No, but it's fun nonetheless.
http://makebelievemelodies.com/?p=7606

Have I posted this link before? Blog of the author of a book I'm reading on the roots of Jpop:

http://bourdaghs.com/blog/category/j-pop/

Probably leans more to the artier side of the spectrum than a lot of the regulars here would prefer, however. I'm happy I discovered a new Zazen Boys song this way.

new Sakanaction single
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AozElbRnTM

I just watched that from the Bourdaghs blog. The video is kind of interesting as it goes on, but not enough to carry this type of song for me. I like the bass player's hair!

The Bourdaghs book I mentioned earlier is good by the way. Every time I read anything remotely historical it reminds me of how utterly ignorant I am of everything. It gets into fascinating issues of how Japan's national identity necessarily shifted after the war, and the sort of backing off from a pan-Asian cultural approach (not a term from the author and probably not how he would say it) in the wake of Japan's lost empire in Asia. What do I know of imperial Japan? Essentially nothing.

The Korean musical roots of enka. . .

Stuff like that.

was hedging on buying that. but yeah, sold.

Genuinely amazing scenes as Perfume takes on the 'Rock In Japan' fest

http://youtu.be/Gvgh7jn1Atw
http://youtu.be/tuuJvSaJseY

holy crap

New Kyary Pamyu Pamyu video; it's called "Fashion Monster."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GivkxpAVVC4

!

I'll say it again: WOW.

I've always enjoyed this band's catchy singles but couldn't really call them anything special - catchy straight j-rock by the book. This year, though.. 8 months after this song's release I can confidently say it's a Big Song. The instrumental hook is soo satisfyingly huge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ufh2CL-K4k

Also I'm seeing Perfume live in a month omg.

Also I'm seeing Perfume live in a month omg.

!!!

x-post

I kind of like that. The vocal sound, especially when they all sing together, is what stands out the most to me. Would you agree it's a little out of the ordinary, or no? I'm not familiar enough with j-rock/j-pop to say. I could almost see them go j-country or something.

(I wish I could learn to drink the perfume kool aid. You all seem to have so much fun with it.)

Yeah, the huge contrast between the two lead vocals make for fun dynamics on some of their tracks. Some people don't like the bassist's chipmunky voice but it stands out when used in harmony. She does a fun track on their new album http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtx34u_scandal-kill-the-virgin-queens-are-trumps-track-06_music

Here's the Perfume crowd pleasing at Rock in Japan re-uploaded http://vimeo.com/49485967

I'll see them at a much smaller venue, but I'm sure it'll be a party.

loving this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmzfKSlv0ss

Bourdaghs apparently considers this a very important early j-pop (qua j-pop) single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C2-me3pC18

but he goes off on more unhinged critical theory/cultural studies* type rambling to justify it than probably anywhere else in the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWSbfCPkTBk

<3 MomoClo, especially after reading this blogpost about how their manager used tactics usually found on the pro-wrestling circuit to promote them - interesting how mainstream they've become in the last year
http://patrickmacias.blogs.com/er/2011/11/on-momoiro-clover-z.html

With a ludicrous 5 minute metal epic and a 7 minute long, oddly shaped feminist-ish rock anthem written and produced by Yakushimaru Etsuko, so it's not like they've 'sold out' either. I genuinely thought the latter was too inaccessible and lacking in obvious hooks for a band approaching star status in the country, but it's the first physical single of theirs to break 100k sold.

This new one ("Farewell My Sorrows") sounds pretty conventional in comparison, but rocks.

looking fwd to playing "santa san" around xmas time

ayo zappi i love that song you posted upthread

these are mostly rearranged miku songs right?

like this is the most insanely up my alley thing in the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOrzlgiPkbc

Yeah that's great.

And this is super nice, early Utada vibes http://www.wat.tv/video/miliyah-kato-konya-wa-boogie-5ccnb_2ey5f_.html

'UK Rampage'? what the hey. good song, I would take a risk on that album if I saw it

SF Amoeba's J-pop section has shrunk to a meaningless size, it's basically just a used section. shouldn't have to be that way.

The group's name is actually called "Rampage Tangible" or "Tangible Rampage" - I downloaded the album and made it about halfway through. It's not all as weird as that song; a lot of it is jazz-funk-prog, but there are a bunch of guest vocalists, some better than others.

Queen Utada is on a hiatus but releases a new song as theme for Evangelion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWLGEU5cfd8

I have now been to a Perfume concert. I have now lived life.

Still living on that high. My itunes and youtube play count is now absurdly slanted in favor of this group. Qhen you've experienced concerts with artists whose fan bases are as exstatic, ready to jump and dance and be 'on' the entire show you kinda don't want live music to be any other way.

Needless to say 'Fake It' exploded onto the crowd.

Thought this was a nice reminder of how they struggled for a long time in obscurity even after establishing their trademark sound and releasing some of my favorite singles.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8dtgnQXdn1qa23ffo1_500.jpg

line up for New Year’s Eve program "The 63rd Kohaku Uta Gassen" announced, no K-Pop this year as far as i can tell
(numbers in brackets are amount of times they've been on the program including this year)

Red Team (Female)

aiko (11)
Ayaka (6)
Ikimonogakari (5)
Ishikawa Sayuri (35)
AKB48 (5)
SKE48 (1)
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (1)
Koizai Kaori (16)
Koda Kumi (8)
Godai Natsuko (19)
Sakamoto Fuyumi (24)
Tendo Yoshimi (17)
Nakashima Mika (9)
Nishino Kana (3)
Perfume (5)
Hamasaki Ayumi (14)
Fuji Ayako (18)
Princess Princess (1)
Mizuki Nana (4)
Mizumori Kaori (10)
Momoiro Clover Z (1)
YUI (1)
YUKI (1)
Yuki Saori (13)
Wada Akiko (36)

White Team (Male)

Arashi (4)
Itsuki Hiroshi (42)
HY (2)
EXILE (8)
NYC (4)
Kanjani 8 (1)
Kitajima Saburo (49)
Go Hiromi (25)
Golden Bomber (1)
Kobukuro (7)
Saito Kazuyoshi (1)
Sandaime J Soul Brothers (1)
SMAP (20)
Tachi Hiroshi (2)
TOKIO (19)
Tokunaga Hideaki (7)
AAA (3)
Naoto Inti Raymi (1)
Hikawa Kiyoshi (13)
FUNKY MONKEY BABYS (4)
Fukuyama Masaharu (5)
Hosokawa Takashi (36)
Porno Graffitti (11)
Miwa Akihiro (1)
Mori Shinichi (45)

There was a big number made out of the no k-pop thing earlier with some insiders saying it's because of political reasons which seems massively dumb to me - better if they'd jut decided that Kohaku is just for Japanese artists as a rule.

Nice to see MomoClo there though.

really surprised that its YUKI's first time? maybe she turned them down before, idk. Want to see Perfume, MomoClo, Kyary. and lol Golden Bomber, they are so terrible.

Yeah that's surprising. Some people do decline though.

Kyary's getting everything easy in her career so far, huh? Album sales surpassed expectations and now an early invitation. Feels like the similarly novel MomoClo had to work harder to get here. Not a dig and I've never placed much value in these spots but it's an argument that could be made.

Kyary has like two good songs so I'd agree with that.

<i>Kyary has like two good songs</i>

And "Ponponpon" sounds like "Edge" by Perfume.

..what?

Not the whole thing, or the production: just the chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQj8_RnoLk8

Does it count as Jpop if it's a Korean group who probably bought the demo off a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2E0ztHtZ-o";>Scandinavian</a> producer? DILEMMA.

Anyway this seems to have been the B-side to a single they released over the summer.

;_; html tags, should have been a link to this.

Delighted to see that someone nominated Momoiro Clover Z's Furious Space Symphony. 7th Movement 'Infinite Love' for the tracks poll, because it is remarkable and my favourite single of 2012 and I didn't get to nominations in time to do it myself. I guess it's unlikely to place, but it would be even better if it did.

For sure, it may get a few votes but top 70 - probably not. My favorite MomoClo song of the moment is PUSH - the lyrics are wonderful: http://youtu.be/rrbyUAByY1g

They're releasing an album this spring. The last one 'Battle & Romance' was silly good compared to the competition.

xp Rudipherous

is this song: http://youtu.be/XIVGQ-B9G38 mentioned in that book?

I've been in love with this song since I read on wikipedia that WINK were one of the first idol groups to "not smile." Plus this song has some killer New Order bass going on. (also if you care about the little things, the delay on her voice during the second verse is SO good)

I believe I'll be voting for that Momoiro Clover Z song. Never heard it before but songs about space are the shit in any language. Wow this is insane.

abcfsk, do you live in Japan? where did you see Perfume? well said about ecstatic fans and big live shows. I'd love to experience that. I was pleasantly surprised that "Spending All My Time" was partly in English. Are you aware of any indication that Perfume will sing more songs in English and attempt to tour in the states?

I live in Korea, and Perfume toured some Asian countries last year. It remains to be seen how much they put into global promotions - they're expected (more like it's semi-confirmed) to announce a 2nd global tour this year that will see them visit the US and Europe. They're also launching a global version of their official fan club with English content.

As for songs, their label guy said they wouldn't 'westernize' the Perfume sound because that would mean losing their appeal, but yeah the lyrics might be done in English for some songs. They're not great at English but it doesn't really matter with their style.

Irresistible new Sakanaction single http://youtu.be/iVstp5Ozw2o

Suzuki Aya - Neguse http://youtu.be/zBw4YqgorLs
love this song, reminds me of Sally Shapiro, used in end credits of currently airing series Tamako Market

Anyone excited about new Kyary? It's better than the last one at least...kinda Shibuya-kei meets Stock/Aiken/Waterman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=v=9Y6H-YjsE9Q

"fashion monster" >>>>>>

but i like the new one too

http://i.imgur.com/mbJZFnT.jpg

@Durf
AKB48's Minegishi Minami caught in fling w/male dancer: demoted to understudy, forced to shave head, apologize http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/entame/92205/

Lucky she was only humiliated in an ugly and disgusting way - she could've been fired like several other members have been!!

Nice follow-up to last week's SKE48 manager announcing he would perform seppuku if caught in an indecent relationship with a member.

In happier idol-related news this is an immense track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JnRFB3NPvs

that's great
but makes me feel they should really allow japan to enter eurovision

ok, I was totally sold even before that guitar solo kicked in!

xp I've been thinking that a lot of times.

The album with the same title as the song all sounds like this, safe investment.

I'm actually liking that Sakanaction single more than the Mt. Fuji one from last year. There's a little more going on in it, to my ears.

Perfume - I'm Not Okay http://lovetheperfume.tumblr.com/post/44058090587/im-not-okay-perfume

speaking of Perfume, someone uploaded an earlier "demo" version of Polyrhythm to Youtube the other day, interesting to compare to the final version, for one thing its missing the awesome polyrhythm section https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jVZjFdkDQ0

oops didn't mean to embed
2 separate Capsule comp albums out in a weeks time, tracklistings here http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/12/capsule-to-simultaneously-release-2-best-of-albums/

http://1topi.jp/system/curations/saved_quote_image_111659.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiX22vnR-SU

J-pop as ___________

yesssss

MomoClo album has a track written by the guy from OK Go, lol
Kyary has a new video, song not v good tho http://youtu.be/teMdjJ3w9iM

It's about ninjas tho

new Spitz single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcAaL7lworY

Perfume have shows in July in Cologne, Paris & London. Wish i could go :/
2nd MomoClo album came out this week and sold 102,000 first day - by comparison their previous album sold 9,000 first day. their time has really come, huh!

In London? Shiiiiiiiiiiit.

*checks bank account*

Empty your bank account if you have to.

Secretly I'm wishing it was a Babymetal UK date announcement. But no, I'd love love love to see Perfume live. Sorely tempted.

gogogo! also lol Babymetal, there's a MomoClo metal covers album out there haha http://youtu.be/xDWBMDkrvjY

Definitely going to try and get tickets for the London one, 9am Monday on sale. I have no idea if they will sell out really quickly or not.

Apparently presales available here: http://www.livenation.co.uk/event/410918/perfume-tickets?c=api-000001&camefrom=CFC_UK_BUYAT_73074

No, doesn’t work.

My girlfriend got up early for the presale this morning so I guess I'm going to the London show!

just got back from the kyary pamyu pamyu nyc show. it was basically the most fun ever.

yay just got tickets to the perfume london show before they sold out

I kept trying from about 5 past nine and it kept telling me there were none available.

(So, if anyone has any spares, get in touch)

I am going to the London show too! From the timing I'm pretty sure they're playing Japan Expo in Paris the next day, a really big event that Kyary played last year.

The Momoclo album is incredible.

Yeah I've been pumping the MomoClo album myself. They've got the top 2 on the upcoming Oricon chart, #2 is a re-entry of their first, equally good album - Battle&Romance.

Might be able to see Perfume again this summer - they're coming back to Korea. If I can I will, happy the world is getting to see them as well.

Sold out already? Jesus.

Gutting, maybe they will do two nights?

…Naturally there are a few on eBay already.

the London Perfume show has been moved to the larger Shepherds Bush Empire, additional tickets go on sale 9am on Friday (26th).
more info here http://www.perfume-web.jp/cam/WORLD/

also really enjoying the MomoClo album especially the first half. Otome Sensou is such a combo breaker though :(

That’s good news. Anyone here going? FAP?

Some chatter on EMF about Wakusei Abnormal, which does bear a definite resemblance to Old Shiina Ringo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhaZVsM7WTs

Surprisingly the whole mini-album from this year is on Spotify. Okay maybe this really is j-rock more than j-pop. Finding the right thread for Japanese music always seems like too much work.

yikes, that really is in thrall to early Shiina

I have to say, I wish I could go to any of these Perfume shows. Shepherd's Bush isn't Tokyo Dome, but... more of the Dome show is up on youtube now, including the instrumental Capsule opening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNRhJq4d9D4

YouTube Japan are streaming a series of live concerts and "original music programs" from April 27th to May 6th.
smdh at all the Golden Bomber, intrigued by the idea of Hyadain playing live though.

April 27th – Golden Bomber / SEKAI NO OWARI
April 28th – Golden Bomber / AKB48
April 29th – Golden Bomber / Kyrary Pamyu Pamyu / AAA
April 30th – Golden Bomber / BOOM BOOM SATELLITES
May 1st – Golden Bomber / NIGHTMARE
May 2nd – Golden Bomber / SEKAI NO OWARI
May 3rd – Golden Bomber / Shounan no Kaze / Koda Kumi / Yakushimaru Etsuko
May 4th – Golden Bomber / livetune / flumpool
May 5th – Golden Bomber / Hyadain / Hamasaki Ayumi / VERBAL
May 6th – Golden Bomber / Denki Groove

oh there's this with clickable links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddmYVqScv6g

in the comments they say "Please be aware that all of these events are not necessarily live streamed, but can be archived concerts from before or music curator show showcasing each artists' favorite music." hmmmmmmm

Managed to get Perfume tickets this time around.

Oh yeah! This is possibly going to be the weirdest gig I've ever been to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhbq65WcH3o

I've been spamming the repeat button on this subtly catchy new SCANDAL single http://jpopsuki.tv/video/SCANDAL---Awanai-Tsumori-no%2C-Genki-de-ne/3f8e64544cc78af7457067c8f33bf005

Simple enough pop rock with a touch of elegance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQfI7UHtp8k

i have no idea what's going on here but it's strangely catchy
Sumire - Nanatsu no Umi Yori Kimi no Umi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TKRRs9tjuI

xpost Perfume make it all look so effortless

First thought on hearing that song is it's gotta be an anime theme song, and, yup.

I really like that Tokio Girls Style song! It sounds a like Nine Muses - Dolls, actually, but then Dolls sounds like a Jpop song, so XD.

New Pamyu Pamyu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcIOg_m-bp4&feature=youtu.be

Very retro, very sweet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw9HnBvdgHQ

Love that.

^^^yup

tokyo girls' style track also sounding great to me. could use a rippin guitar solo but I'm still very into it.

"magic of love" seems fine but not super exciting? video looks like a target ad; wouldn't be surprised if it actually were one! but I really like the short sonic the hedgehog instrumental bits - those are pretty awesome. could see this growing on me more.

liking that kyary track. kind of a mess but maybe that's part of the charm? love the pre-chorus part with drum programming that would fit in nicely on a speed limit 140 bpm comp. and looool at the dubstep part, obviously.

Some funny metalhead comments as a result of this

http://i.minus.com/j1yrNsWl2pabh.jpg

ahaha! they were playing to an audience of kids at a zoo the other day as well.
would be perfect if they were backed by MCZ cover band Metal Clone X.

One of my fave rnb singer songwriter flops JASMINE returns with another nice single, High Flying http://www.yinyuetai.com/video/663500

Did a mix with japanese artists, Shibuya-kei, disco, j-pop, jrock... Hope you like it
- http://www.mixcloud.com/tomaspinheiro/japanidades/

Loving the mix, good work!

Yep, a good listen.

and here's the other new one from the "magic of love" single:
http://lovetheperfume.tumblr.com/post/50917216856/handy-man-perfume

wow, I love this. and can anyone ID the sample running through it?

Interview with Perfume from the London Japanese Embassy's site.

Interview with Japanese pop sensation Perfume

Perfume is an electro-pop girl group from Hiroshima that formed in 2000, consisting of three members; Ayaka Nishiwaki (Aa-chan), Yuka Kashino (Kashiyuka) and Ayano Omoto (Nocchi) who have had continuing success in the Japanese charts since their breakthrough hit “Polyrhythm” in 2007. Particularly notable for their futuristic, robotic, doll-like style and well-choreographed dance moves, Perfume seek to take their infectious energy overseas on their first tour to Europe in July this year (only their second time to tour outside of Japan). We spoke to the trio as they prepared to travel to Europe and meet their British fans for the first time.

You recently performed outside Japan for the first time on your “Perfume WORLD TOUR 1st” around Asia. On this tour you will play in three different European countries. What are your expectations for your concert in the UK?
[Aa-chan] I still can’t believe that there are people in the UK that know about and like us and fans that are so passionate! I want to be able to give something back to those people by showing them a great time and I’m hoping for the same response!

[Kashiyuka] We may receive a different reaction from the one on our Asia tour, so rather than just dancing along with us, I’d like to get people to enjoy and get into the music. Also I’m interested to see if anyone will come dressed up in cosplay!

[Nocchi] What kinds of people listen to Perfume? What types of people will like us? I’m looking forward to meet the fans that are waiting for us.

Perfume: Aa-chan, Nocchi, Kashiyuka (L to R)

Have you been to the UK before? What are your impressions of the country?

[Aa-chan] I went to London last year. The buildings were very beautiful and wherever I went I was moved at how picturesque it was. Usually I don’t take a lot of pictures but I took so many in London – that was really impressive for me! Everything is colourful and bright, the sky seems so high! I felt free and was moved by the arts around the city.

[Kashiyuka] I’ve never been – so I’m really happy to be able to go on this tour!

[Nocchi] I’ve never been before. My impression is that it’s mix of a very homely and warm place, but also stylish.

Do you like any British music? Has your music been influenced by any British artists or styles?

[Nocchi] I listen to lots of different artists, but I especially like the Arctic Monkeys.

[Kashiyuka] I like Delphic, The xx, Adele, Autokratz, James Blake, Four tet, Klaxons, Kyte, Matthew Herbert, Muse, New Order, Radiohead, Sbtrkt, Simian Mobile Disco, Squarepusher, Stubborn Heart, The Ting Tings, Under world. Our music is produced by Yasutaka Nakata (Capsule) so I can’t answer if he has taken any influence from British music.

Have you had a chance to use English during your career so far? Are there any English words that you particularly like?

[Aa-chan] I used English a little bit on our previous tour of Asia but because of the difference in accents I found it hard to understand what was being said sometimes. Last time in London I ordered French fries and nuggets by myself in McDonalds. I’m not very confident speaking English so usually speak quietly, but that time I said my order loudly and was understood - so during our concert I’ll try to speak clearly without being embarrassed - nice to meet you!

[Nocchi] “I’m Kashiyuka. I’m Aa-chan. I’m Nocchi. Together we are Perfume!” I’ve really enjoyed doing this kind of basic greeting in English. Even though I feel a bit shy when I do.

[Kashiyuka] Our track “Spending all my time” is completely in English so I struggled really hard with the pronunciation. When I’m singing along to the melody, my accent becomes more Japanese – like katakana-speak, so I’m wondering what people outside Japan will think when they hear it. Also, it’s not a particular word, but I’m interested to know which genre people will classify us in as artists.

Have you made any changes to your concert to particularly appeal to the British fans?

[Kashiyuka] We’re planning to choose different songs from our first Perfume World Tour in Asia. We’d like to choose ones that we think our European fans would enjoy. We’d also like to include new art and techniques in the production of our show.

[Nocchi] For most people I think it will be their first time to see Perfume so I’d like to give a concert that makes them say “ah, so this is Perfume!”

Do you have any free time during your visit to the UK? Is there anything you would like to do or see while you are in the country?

[Kashiyuka] Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like we will get much free time in the UK. I wish I had time to go sightseeing and shopping. I’d like to go to the Library and Museum of Freemasonry and to Notting Hill.

[Aa-chan] Last time I came to London I thought that the London buses were a very convenient mode of transport. They are cute and stylish too! I’d like to have a chance for the three of us to travel on them together. I’d also like to visit some markets and buy lots of cheese to take home.

[Nocchi] Aa-chan told me that bread and pastries are delicious so I’d really like to try some as I love bakery goods. Definitely!

Even though this is your first concert in the UK, tickets sold out in minutes and you were upgraded to a larger venue which again sold out very quickly. This shows just how many British already people know about Perfume and are looking forward to seeing you here. What do you think it is about Perfume that the British fans like so much?

[Aa-chan] It’s a miracle! I can’t believe it! It really, really is an honour. I am so happy! Amazing… I mean, is it really true that people know about Perfume? I still find it hard to believe. If people really are looking forward to seeing us then I absolutely want to give them an exciting evening! I want to reproduce the same atmosphere as our concerts in Japan. I really think that Perfume’s appeal is in our live shows so I’d really like to give an exciting performance for many people.

[Nocchi] I am so happy! I can’t believe it! My heart starts pounding when I think about meeting the fans. Rather I’d like to ask you that question though - what do British fans really think of us? Tell us!

[Kashiyuka] I think it’s our combination of music and dance (choreography). Also, maybe our black hair?!

There are many British people wanted to see you but weren’t able to get tickets for your concert in London this time. With this great response already, do you consider the UK to be a potential location for future concerts and music releases?

[Aa-chan] If that’s what people are thinking then we definitely want to release our music in the UK. If we get a lot of requests then we will come to perform. It all depends upon everyone in London! We are waiting for your loud cheers!

[Kashiyuka] I still can’t believe our tickets are actually sold out! I’m really surprised! But if there are at least that many people that want to see Perfume I’d like to try and play at an even bigger venue and release new songs.

Since Perfume’s debut you have achieved your dream of playing at many large venues around Japan and have also started to perform overseas. What are your future plans for Perfume in Japan and around the world?

[Nocchi] I’d like everyone to have more fun and would like to do something that will get people excited!

[Kashiyuka] I want to create music in which non-Japanese people can hear the good aspects of music from our country but at the same time our Japanese fans can hear our impressions of travelling the world. Although I’m not speaking from a position of great experience, I would like to make music that crosses all country borders, and just perform music that all people can enjoy.

[Aa-chan] I think that British people have great taste but I would like more of them to know about our great music from Japan. Personally, we are fans of our composer, so we really want people to understand just what is good about his music. We also want to continue to reach for our dreams. As a whole team we want to enjoy our life! We hope that British people will continue to check our progress!

Some hardcore namedropping there from Kashiyuka

Either she is amazing or she's just choosing randomly from a list of things that are in/from England.

Oh she's talked about many of those before.

Mind you, I've always meant to check out the Museum of Freemasonry.

new Perfume album called Level 3 coming this year
they also uploaded most of their music videos to their youtube account http://www.youtube.com/user/Perfume/videos
Polyrhythm still sounds amazing, shocker!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbiSxunJatM

And they performed at Cannes Lions where they won some award for their PR campaign with 3d models and fan interaction etc- and the performance surely stands as one of their most stunning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI0x5vA7fLo

haaaa posted that to the dedicated Perfume thread earlier, its a banging version for sure
there's also a longer version w daft commentary explaining the project http://youtu.be/IeeBoxq6eSw

Ah, didn't know that was in use anymore. There was a great thread when JPN was released on the temporary ilx forum, brought a lot more discussion around them than ever before and after here so it was a shame it wasn't moved over.

New single from the incomparable Tempura Kidz http://youtu.be/9qj9GzAxXY8

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performing in San Francisco's Union Square on July 28 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
http://www.j-pop.com/2013/kyary-pamyu-pamyu/

Just picked up the two Rip Slyme comps "Good Times" and "Bad Times" The first one is just another collection of their singles, all of which are awesome, though I've heard 'em all fifty times before. But I've been looping "Bad Times" a lot, it's a comp of their non-album B-sides plus a few of their weirder album tracks, and it's really solid and surprisingly adventurous! I had heard a lot of these tracks in low quality (thanks Slsk!) so it's nice to have them all together like this.

Watching the Perfume in Cannes video, it suddenly clicked for me where I recognized their dancing style from - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure! And yup, Yuka Kashino (and Kyary?) are fans: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/jojos-pose-%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A7%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A7%E7%AB%8B%E3%81%A1

This idol group has a #6 hit on the Oricon this week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjVT-jsiPnw

So, anyone else coming to Perfume in Shepherds Bush tomorrow? We should be having some drinks nearby beforehand if anyone fancies joining us.

didn't know that the BiS noise collaboration song was a cover of a Jun Togawa song, the original is p great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQkG-5M0qd8?t=1m8s

That's one of my all-time favourite Togawa songs. Not *entirely* convinced by the cover, though the conceit is certainly in keeping.

Also, zappi, it's not too late to jump on a train and come to Perfume with us. ^__^

lol i wish :_; hope you and mr craig have fun

Keen keen keen for tonight!

Posted about BiS/Biskaidan on Burning Ambulance today. I like their other video, where they're ska-punk skinheads.

I dig some BiS songs, this one fer instance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHwPVTtYum0

but their 'anti-idol' thing feels way more contrived than the idol culture they're lampooning to me. blood, nudity, noise... 'edgy' but not nearly as weird or unique as, say, momoiro clover z. and if you're covering togawa, well she's nothing if not the real deal...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-uxpylXf5fQ

So I had fun at Perfume. Sound wasn't great, and they seemed to blow their visual budget in the first couple of songs but vibes were good and both the group and the crowd were very much into it. They did the projection-dress thing from Cannes for the first song and it was amazing. Particularly enjoyed watching the crazy dancing fan at the front of the left-hand balcony. I'm not a big fan of audience participation but who couldn't fall for "Fish! Woo! Chips! Woo! Fish and Chips! WOO!".

Worried the crazy dancing fan at the front of the left-hand balcony was one of us.

Haha, it could have been one of us. But, I think it is more likely it could have been the guy with millions of perfume badges on a hat, a face mask and a Michael Jackson glove with a teddy bear attached.

That wasn't you?!?!

In my DREAMS!

Haha, it could have been one of us. But, I think it is more likely it could have been the guy with millions of perfume badges on a hat, a face mask and a Michael Jackson glove with a teddy bear attached.

Yep. Were you guys also up there?

Aye! I was just behind that guy for the last half of the concert, emil.y and C were a few people back next to the balcony. I usually prefer to be down the front for gigs, but found having a view and space to dance great.

Jealous of seeing the projection dresses live. Would go to see them every week if I had the chance.

AKB48's new surprise 'center's 'tude creating some hope for the future of idols... useless if the next girl is kicked out for it of course.

In the July 2 episode of Dancing Sanma Palace, Rino Sashihara looked back at the scandal which was scooped by Weekly Bunshun.

"If that didn't happen, this (placing 1st) wouldn't have happened. I'm grateful to that weekly tabloid, Weekly Bunshun."

Then Sanma asked: "What kind of guy do you like?"

Sashihara: "A person who can keep a secret."

So, I just discovered that Pefume Complete Best contains a track called ‘Wonder 2’, as does MBV. Coincidence?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62CaiWk0Cpw

this whole album is such an eargasm but the songs that combine traditional japanese instruments and scales are the stand-out tracks for me.

Salyu & Cornelius playing live with copious loop pedal fuckery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSkNKYnxcsk

reeeeally into this dempagumi.inc track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMHj3U3-RA4

the pachelbel's canon part with the distorted rapping really seals the deal. anything else similarly dense and hyper and FAST that I should be checking out? kind of need more stuff like that and momoclo's battle & romance in my life right now.

this whole album is such an eargasm but the songs that combine traditional japanese instruments and scales are the stand-out tracks for me.

Ooh, I like this. Sounds Okinawan to me, but I doubt I know what I'm talking about.

(Man I wasn't really into much new music the first six months and then everything just exploded and I can't keep up. Some of that explosion involved backtracking and discovering already released things some of which I had heard.)

The Salyu & Cornelius is nice too.

I've mostly avoided watching the live Perfume videos but I have to admit they are pretty wild. I would probably go see them live in a large venue just from the spectacle angle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P1MmBEYpJU&feature=youtu.be

can't tell whether this is just Capsule 2.0 or an interesting "dark" direction for Kyary

Note that the song is only co-written by Nakata - the 'stock' song is given to different artists in different countries.

Also think it would've fit Perfume better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AGe4ZfZsbg

BABY I'm not okay and also
I'm not okay at all, and moreover
BABY I'm not okay

between the 'suki suki daisuki' cover, the noise-pachelbel bridge, and this video, the influence of Jun Togawa seems to be riding unexpectedly high this year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffH_Mp74xh4

what's the togawa angle there?

it is more of a stretch, there, but I would connect it to the stare on the one who's eating caterpillars

ah, ok.

good vid btw.

What other 2013 music have you been enjoying in 2013, Milton? Can be classical, though that will generally be wasted on me.

I mostly listen to old stuff but those Solfeggio youtubes Scott posted to the ASMR thread dovetail nicely with my recent self-mortification via 1985-1995 era Hearts of Space albums. You probably don't mean reissues but that David Tudor box set is wonderful.

My pal Safety Scissors put out a new record this year called 'In A Manner Of Sleeping' which I am very impressed by. Did catch up on the last few Perfume b-sides after abcfsk posted Daijobanai upthread.

I bought this today, anybody read it?

http://i43.tinypic.com/nxoyuf.jpg

The title is slightly misleading as the book ends at 1990, but I'm looking forward to digging in.

No but be sure to post your thoughts.

While waiting for Perfume's next album, here's what we would end up if Nakata decided to go big bang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnHDHByOK9I

Big band* obviously, too much time spent with asian pop

Doesn’t do much for me.

No but hearing unprocessed Perfume vocals is a bit like spotting a snow leopard in the wild. Doesn't happen often. Better if it was live of course http://youtu.be/TcA5HtvhOrw

ha, i think that's the time i've heard them singing live & untreated. amused that it's a cover of this, those lyrics! http://youtu.be/DZTNAhYP2A4

It’s a bit of a trend I guess, Magic of Love had the vocals comparatively unprocessed.

Nakata not busy enough finishing albums left and right - produces pop rock band SCANDAL's new single. You wouldn't necessarily guess it on first listen http://fuckyeahscandalband.tumblr.com/post/58902897458/scandal-over-drive-sp-footage-for-those-who

Starts off sounding like Boys Don’t Cry.

40 seconds in it starts sounding like Nakata though

i really like it, the layers sound great!

lol tracklisting for new Capsule album CAPS LOCK

01. HOME
02. CONTROL
03. DELETE
04. 12345678
05. SHIFT
06. ESC
07. SPACE
08. RETURN

Incredible lol

omg

this came out on ltd vinyl recently so i had to buy it

http://i.imgur.com/D4XBz4A.jpg

Nice. I read a few interviews with them recently and those girls are pretty into pushing their balls out version of idol art. From coming up with their own zany stage ideas like these sets http://response.jp/imgs/feed_l/593119.jpg to fighting rockism:

"Before (Ozzfest) an internet backlash like, "This is not a stage (event) for idols," was blowing everywhere. Even more than the actual members, the adults were on edge. Naturally the members could infer the strange atmosphere.

The moment they got on stage Kanako yelled, "Watch first, then decide!" {見てから決めろ！ / Mitekara Kimero!} letting the air out of the current of bashing based on the label “idol.” Then she howled, "Now, in front of you, WE ARE IDOLS."

"When we got on stage, everything was covered in black t-shirts. It's like, if we don't dye this place MomoClo's colors immediately... It's not like they're going to come to us if we just give them time. We have to force the decisive moment from the very beginning.

"Usually when we're 'away' we drift in their direction, right? But this time, out of all our costumes, we're wearing something that makes you think, ‘Is it even possible to be that idol-like?’ Yeah. I think this is a new fighting style for us""

-If you really try new things, while you're still at it, the opinion of the people watching keeps changing.

"It's way more fun than always doing the same thing. I have a deep confidence that this 'some people love it- some people hate it'- stuff is fun. When the people who say, "I don't like it" come around, and I'm feeling, "I'm so glad we did it!" I'm just totally happy.

The current MomoClo can't continue forever. I don't want to say that I suggest hate it/ love it stuff for it's own sake. Just the feeling of I want to do the absolute best things, and they always turn into these good-side-bad-side ideas. Which is to say, aren't we on the cutting edge?

- Too far onto the cutting edge. Some of the audience is scared half to death. After "The 5th Dimension Tour" you overcame the 2 days at The Seibu Dome [Haru no Ichidaiji 2013]. Well... Nissan Stadium. Just doing the math, it's double the size of the Seibu dome.

"Uh, what to do?. But, at MomoClo shows, aren't the far seats and the near seats are the same price? For the same price, if you ask which is more fun, I'd think the close seats. We're really thinking of and trying everything to make the fans in the distant seats have as much fun. I want to do a show where they'd even say they had MORE fun.

Both from the 'leader' Kanako Momota

new denpagumi inc. - w.w.d. 2!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyZOePtID6s

video is somethin else. takes place in 2020 and former band members have now become shut-ins, hostess girls, etc. cameo from BiS too. nice breakdown with the context for it all up here:
http://mbmelodies.tumblr.com/post/61051780049/dempagumi-inc-w-w-d-ii-2013-somehow-i

like the song too but I think I prefer w.w.d. 1

tumblr is a bit of a maze for me, but is anyone talkinga about how the evil "future" idol group is mixed race, brown and transgender (or at least cross-dressing? because i have no idea what is going on there.

yeah, I had the same o_O reaction as you but did you read the mbmelodies post? I think the intent here is more like "jpop goes global" and the old gang wants to get back together. denpagumi 2020 aren't evil; they're just who in the band at that point.

of course, I don't speak the language, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

yeah i want to believe that they aren't supposed to be evil but then there is that particular shot at the beginning where they are looking down at her and the music becomes really ominous. perhaps evil was a strong word then... maybe just unlikeable.

either way the video is pretty incredible!

yep, I'd like to believe there's nothing malicious going on there as well, but I gotta admit, that's partially because I love the song. I do think that BiS are clearly the villains here (the scene where they storm the denpagumi2020 stage brandishing menacing glow sticks! the standoff at the end!) but that doesn't omit the potential for cultural tone deafness, sure.

anyway, yeah, the video really is pretty incredible! very excited for an album after their last few singles.

Preview of Capsule album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXSzet2N7hs

also Nakata has produced a track for Shiina Ringo's forthcoming collaboration comp
MCZs new Buddhist look is pretty lol!

new Perfume is giving me so many feeeeeeeels

A link to my review of the new Perfume album. Which is fucking amazing.

still figuring out how I feel about the whole charisma.com ep but I love the closer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4_6QdLa-eI

nothing fancy, just a sweet and breezy throwback jam.

whoopso:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4_6QdLa-eI

Seriously awesome album: tricot - "THE"

http://i.imgur.com/aMIPvNx.jpg

Feels like the kind of band that could reach sakanaction level success in the future.

so, the new capsule - very clean, stripped-down, and reminding me of melodic idm like isan more than anything. not at all what I was expecting but I think that I might love it.

Yeah! A great surprise. Very nice!

oh yeah that fucking tricot record is INCREDIBLE. i found it through a coworker who has literally never recommended me music before. god knows how he worked it out

anime wall scroll?

BN - yes, it's in serious danger of becoming my album of the year. If I'm correct that this is their debut I don't know how they managed to make every song sound so fully developed, rich. Seems they've been kickin around for a few years though, earlier footage suggests more tecnical show off-ery before the tunes fully arrived.

Debut album, they've released an EP before.

New Kyary video, enjoyably daft as ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bFHzDa9U9w

She's playing London again in the Spring as well it seems. Not going to miss that one!

http://i.imgur.com/XACug1X.jpg

Koshino Junko joins BiS

The fashion designer Koshino Junko (コシノジュンコ) joined BiS (Brand-new Idol Society) as a new member.

She passed secretly the audition held by the idol group.

Koshino Junko is going to make her first appearance on November 5 at Hot Denpo Festival 2013 in Tokyo. JK will also participate in BiS upcoming single Koi Suru Denpou Japan (恋する電報Japan).

Koshino Junko, 74 years old, is a famous fashion designer who worked for many brands.

Lineup for new year show Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) is out, nothing too surprising - Kyary, Perfume and MCZ are all back and Sakanaction are performing for the first time.

Yeah but no Babymetal (I was knocked out by this today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjQsayrmMoU )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRaMsDyW-XQ

Smashing.

'STUPIG' is probably my favourite out of the last round of BiS things.

New Kyary vid is pretty sweet. Anyone seeing her on the World Tour?

Babymetal album out next week!

BiS album out in a couple of weeks too, splitting up after their show at Yokohama Arena on July 8th ;_;

these retro posters for the upcoming Perfume FES tour are pretty great tho

http://i.imgur.com/WoDxsBE.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2uvP0DQ.jpg

Ooh, those posters look great.

anyone know who sings this
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/437863/02.%20.mp3

I dunno but I like it. Very Deerhoof sounding backing to the extent I wouldn't rule out their involvement.

possibly seiko oomori on vox?

The new Dempagumi single is amazing, next-level stuff http://youtu.be/NypVvG9fQ7o

haha just came to post that ^^^

yes! love it. so dense and catchy.

WORLD WIDE DEMPA was great too. (though sadly a little on the stingy with new tracks)

stingy SIDE

Tricot drummer is leaving the band this month, on the positive side they are booked to play a summer festival in Hungary so more European dates are likely to follow

Also Slovakia, also Czech republic

Curious who they land on to replace the drummer, not like you can get any old chump to do it. Also curious what 'creative differences' exactly made him leave, after releasing all that amazing music. Maybe they want to get a girl.

damn, that drummer was fantastic on The

The BiS album is out and great

Re-issuing their first release and putting out a raw acoustic version of a song from that release, at the same time alluding to the new life of the band ahead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R19QjZNvUA

^ tricot『Laststep(Live, Acoustic Version)』

Kind of addicted to this at the moment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY

man that new dempagumi single is the best thing ever

I'm not sure I've ever heard a production quite like it. anyone know who wrote it?

this guy apparently https://www.google.no/search?q=%E7%8E%89%E5%B1%8B2060%EF%BC%85&safe=off&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=kcgYU6mzJaPnygPunoGgAQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg&biw=1536&bih=704

album of Disney covers by the likes of Tricot, Dempa, Tokyo Girls Style etc. really want to hear the full version of "Some Day My Prince Will Come" by BiS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmG5WJiYfwk

I've been looking for a way to listen to this album for weeks now ;\

thanks, abcfsk! (x-posts)

this is execrable but check the sample

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4nGY9at9M

lol

I actually enjoyed that song but it may be because e-girls while is probably the best hip hop dancing girl group out there they've done singles so fluffy and tame they've been forced to put out separate dance intros or instrumental dance videos -- and this time they finally manage to incorporate it into the song/mv itself.

while e-girls is*

new Vampillia album out next week, has collaborations with Tujiko Noriko, BiS, Hirotomo Hasegawa of Aburadako, Mick Barr of Orthrelm and ... Jun Togawa!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWfomMQaP4

like that one. she's the best.

Yeah that's nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apr2JCdpTbQ

new Kyary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paHGjIe2Wms

are there any good english-language critics/bloggers who are writing about new J-pop in an interesting way?

Make Believe Melodies guy can be pretty good. I don't dig that deep into the J-Poposphere though.

feel like melissa johnson's blog stands out:
http://blog.mjohnso.com/

mostly k-pop but some j-pop too. you can filter by tags if need be.

Yeah I guess I get most my jpop stuff from twitter, forums, stuff like that. Weird that there shouldn't be some regularly updated, j-pop only, high quality blog though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QjACk4qM6g

new especia single is fantastic:
http://mbmelodies.tumblr.com/post/83615671010/omikse-livefromthetabernacle

Woah, that's a big, great tune.

And here's the new Momoiro Clover single / MV http://youtu.be/TC1Q7DuNKfw

Composed by Nakajima Miyuki

hmmm... not bad but doesn't strike me as all that special either? but I like them best when they're at their most manic and that's pretty restrained.

I think it's partly a case of other groups having taken on the mantle of the super hyperactive, manic idol group - like dempagumi inc, even with former MomoClo musical maeastro Hyadain - and so MomoClo try to stake other courses to stay unique. Personally I really like their rock side, "Otome Sensō" (Z女戦争) is my favorite single of theirs and it's hardly them at their most manic - much as I love their CoCoNatsu / Santa-san side. This is a bit straighter than Otome, better compared to 'Saraba..' perhaps, but sounds good to my ears. I really like how distinctive the members' voices are, though I know other people find them shrill they've really sold the individual personalities in later releases.

Cosign Make Believe Melodies, I wonder if that's the same Patrick who occasionally posts on ILM about Japanese music.

x-post -

well, first impressions and all and it may grow on me still! also love their vox and that's a plus on here but I do wish this had a bigger chorus, feels like it doesn't quite take off to me.

and yeah, I don't really have any problems with the way they've evolved either given that we have dempagumi and plenty of others pumping out hyperspeed idol music. but still, it's a little bittersweet for me, and man I don't really see it happening, but I would LOVE if we somehow got tons of hyadain on the next one!

"gounn" was ultimately a little disappointing to me so high expectations may be a factor as well

on initial impressions i'm not sure about that MomoClo song, i like it better than Gounn tho - prefer it when they are being more 'out there' but there's maybe too much money at stake these days to release an oddball single?

Gounn was oddball, it just didn't necessarily hit hard enough.

and the 5th dimension single hyadain wrote WAS p bonkers and it did well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C5%8Dretsu_Uch%C5%AB_K%C5%8Dky%C5%8Dkyoku_Dai_7_Gakush%C5%8D_%22Mugen_no_Ai%22#Chart_performance

I think doing things on a huge scale is a big part of their image, so I wouldn't count em out

Yeah..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvO2u2XkCbs

hah, exactly what I was thinking of!

lol not denying the concerts are still nuts, just think the last two singles have been too safe (& next one is probably Sailor Moon song? ultra safe!). that Hyadain song was released 2 years ago!

I like Hyadain but don't really want them to go back with him. He's in the idol game anyway. Someone like Etsuko Yakushimaru is a much more exciting, and just for the politics of it I'm happy with how many of their singles the past few years have been composed by women.

oh, that is cool and I didn't even realize it. is there a good resource for writing credits for j-pop?

Generasia used to be good, don't seem to have updated info on latest MomoClo releases though.

gonna dig around, thanks!

Momoclo Scandal! http://youtu.be/AIqCVmf564s

maybe last BiS single, they shot the first half like a cheesy AKB48 video with bikini beach dance routines, kissing the camera etc! awww I'm going to miss them :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc8vjprOWLs

Yeah that's an oddly f itting end to the great experiment that was BiS. Will have to write some more once it's all over.

The new Especia is gorgeous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e089x6ba1Zo

that's great. sounds a little like some of the slicker tokyo girls' style singles to me.

Charisma.com album out in one month (June 4), excited! The EP was super good all the way through.

that EP got a super limited vinyl pressing for RSD btw, not that I'll ever see a copy :/

another week, another great track from this especia album that can't come out soon enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQz4GIOB8gg&feature=youtu.be

LOVE the video too

Yngwie Malmsteen is playing guitar on the rerecording of MomoClo's "Mugen no Ai" lol
not really feeling this new Perfume song tbh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0XFiU3i1vM

hahaha hilarious yngwie x momoclo news. I am actually pretty curious about how that one out, but y'know, friedman already shreds p hard!!

really dig perfume when they're at their sweetest and the production is as bright as shiny as possible, so that one is actually sounding real nice to me after the EDM onslaught of their last one (which I do like too...)

Yeh I'll probably end up loving it by the end of the week haha

I'm so bummed there is hardly any of this stuff on Spotify

Don't love the Perfume song yet...it sounds too much like a song from a TV show for pre-K children. When the Tom Tom Club-ish keyboard bit comes in at the very end of that clip it improves a lot, but the first minute or so is rough. I'll need to hear the full-length version.

Perfume are like a drug to me, I'm helpless to resist. Plus my wife's name is Merry. A+

yea I've already played that short clip a ton. have gotten back into the complete best comp of early stuff in a major way lately, so I think that's made me especially happy about this change in their sound. hope it's not a one-off, I'd love an album in this style.

Full version! https://a.tumblr.com/tumblr_n5vmttYWZ71t5237ro1.mp3#_=_

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoJVENqCAAAtEiA.jpg:large

hmmm interesting a 4 track EP? hope they make a PV for each track!

new Charisma.com track, album is out in two weeks I think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1_8zHnvudc

Horrible: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27572723

Two members of popular Japanese pop group AKB48 were injured after a fan attacked them with a saw.

Rina Kawaei, 19, and Anna Iriyama, 18, were meeting with fans in the northern city of Takizawa on Sunday when a man lunged forward and slashed them.

They sustained cuts on their hands and heads, reported Kyodo. A male staff member was also cut on his hand.

I saw about that on one of the AKB48 news Twitter feeds and couldn't believe it. Jebus.

yikes that's awful, glad that no one got seriously injured
Alice one half of the duo ClariS is quitting to focus on studying, no word yet on what the other member Clara is going to do. Find their story interesting - discovered by a record company via karaoke videos on Nico Nico, no photos exist and they have always been represented by cartoon drawings, supposedly even their closest friends have no idea that they have been singing professionally for 3+ years?

those akb meet and greets are fucked. men ejaculating into their palms before shaking hands with a group member, groping, sexual advances towards preteens etcetc. hopefully after this people in japan will begin to more thoroughly scrutinise the idol industry and the misogynistic attitudes that permeate it

hopefully but I'm not really betting on it. at least this guy didn't have a gun :-/

Well yes there are many problematic aspects to how this business is run and its fanbase acts but it seems this guy was just after a random, big mass of people to attack, if news is to trust.

If you're a brit be sure to check out the two UK dates tricot have added to their schedule http://ro69.jp/news/detail/102821?rtw

Shiina Ringo covering Utada is really touching to me for some reason

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRHioDs1E08

Babymetal is starting to really nail their peculiar formula now. I see Ned discovered them three years ago - ahead of the curve as usual.

live stream, Charisma.com on right now, BiS on later http://sp-stream.2-5-d.jp/

listening to the charisma.com album right now, think I like this even more than the EP (which I loved).

especia album kills

yeah, it's awesome. just from the funky, fusion-ey intro into a top-notch slow jam, I knew I was gonna love this one. still need to digest it all and I don't love every track (it's a long album), but overall, yeah, def kills. and this is coming from someone that's a little picky when it comes to classic 80s 'city pop'. I don't think this is a strictly retro album even if it's working with retro sounds and I like the variety across the whole album.

excited for the charisma.com album! new single has an aggressive 90s rave thing going on that I dig. but I hope they still do the summery throwback jams like 'OLHERO' - easily my fave cut from the ep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh8y-K-xC-E

wobbley

Oh my, the Especia album is tremendous! Was seat dancing on the train like an idiot!

For a very effective introduction to BiS I recommend this crazy TV appearance (hosted by AKB's general director for max contrast) w many highlights

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObwZguGX7Qc
2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19Ro_mnyJ2g

haha Saki impersonating MomoClo!
also there's a video for the recent recording of 'Nerve', including a nice scene where the only 2 original members Pour Lui & Nozomi wear their costumes from the original Nerve video from 3 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5C8xFyLS18

I want to go to gigs on boats pls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtOyrpas5UI

Ok I'm watching tricot covering Let It Go..

A very weird live show of theirs is being streamed atm http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ssmobile2

Babymetal has announced an L.A. show—waiting for an NY announcement now...

promising start for new black metal/darkwave (!) idol unit NECRONOMIDOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y88BXeo1ogo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_z6G_h59_w

Perfume are playing New York and L.A. in November.

YES

ALl americans must go

going LA to London to NYC with a couple of days in between is a bit daft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbq2ZhZ5Wwge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHdS83J50VE

Sashihara no Ran - that weird show where AKB's #1 of last year Sashihara Rino goes around poking at things in the industry to show things idols normally don't finally gets an episode subbed. It's a great show, she all natural in trash talking with her sidekick the director, who's got his own agenda and is clearly set on making original tv first and foremost (show was aired late on a minor station). They try and fail to get a number of projects going although she did manage to haggle her way to making a photobook. In this ep it's the lucrative mascot biz

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/q71/s720x720/10482856_874100665952180_6838167968583963735_n.jpg
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x21f3yb_aidol-140226-sashihara-no-ran-ep20_fun#from=embediframe

hahaha

hugely into suiyoubi no campanella right now. a little like charisma.com but the production is more melodic/pretty/idm and the vox are rawer. the videos are kinda neat too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpLgEQig1AE

Sounds nice. Charisma.com is a bit hit and miss for me, some huge songs though.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsYG0GICMAAXp_T.jpg:large
tricot have finished their European tour and it's gone very well. Two of the festival shows were streamed live, can't find full uploads yet. Here's a sample

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgicmlvYvw4

at Madame Jo's http://youtu.be/xOoiE386D38
More @ Pohoda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUcIJqd6qhQ

With Pixies @ Eden
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsJVbEPIQAAO0um.jpg:large

Really digging that Suiyoubi no Campanella track, the contrast between the smooth electro & her raw vocals work so well.
Sashihara no Ran TV show was interesting, I have no use for AKB style idol music/culture but would watch more of that. abcsfk do you have any other recommendations of similar TV shows that have been subbed?

Does anybody know if there is a subbed version of the documentary about the least popular AKB girl losing her mind, kicking around the net? It's about 4 years old, dying to see it.

zappi - similar shows, probably not, which is why I've been praying for months and months for this to be subbed. she's laidback friends with the director dude, they aired this show in an obscure slot late at night, no other idol really talks money and raw industry chat like her, or if they tried they wouldn't do it with the same wit. I mean there are other shows where the idols make fun of themselves and do wacky stuff but it's innocent fluff in comparison. there's hope more eps of this will be subbed.

maresnest - hmmm, was the docu just about her?

I'm not totally sure, but I think so, I heard it mentioned in a podcast ages ago and I've wanted to see it ever since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Va228UhRs

Merch already exists quoting the song

http://www.lookhuman.com/render/product/0901/0901064858802080/bb453wp-w484h484z1-56916-we-are-not-helpless-girls.jpg

wearing that right now tbh

This is really j-rock, not j-pop, but who can resist a name like ROLLICKSOME SCHEME?

http://open.spotify.com/album/2fwafN66NaKnvJq9z1jYjR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLCaUckdoZc

And another one in a similar vein but a little heavier: Trill-Dan.

http://open.spotify.com/album/3V5SlpNV0TIN4HbkrNgEUr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRdoQuOSTTQ

new Dempagumi, sounds a lot like MomoClo from 2 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOin4bwUQ5c

yea, I dig it. hard to top "sakura apparation" but I'm always up for more light-speed dempagumi tracks.

This is so good I feel like talking about it for days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDEl77WMY8

If that didn't load, Charisma.com VS Tempura Kidz http://youtu.be/NDEl77WMY8Q

That is fantastic

wow!

echoing everyone - music video of the year right there

Mummies! This is awesome. What is it pastiching? Are there 80s Japanese music videos that look like this?

I get Michael Jackson vibes from that bit but idk really

The video was produced by NAGOYA TV and parodies the what the late-night music program BOMBER-E would have looked like in the 80s.

The lyrics talk about people who are like “mummies” wrapped in bandages that are just an empty shell and have no free will of their own. They want to kill them.

http://aramajapan.com/news/tempura-kidz-vs-charisma-com-in-new-80s-inspired-video-for-miirakiraa/4084/

new Tricot vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3D-yKRRt5s

Ooh, I shall watch that soon - was just popping my head in to concur with the Charisma.com/Tempura Kidz greatness.

apathy - apathy - appetite

really enjoying this new song by Seiko Oomori - she has one of those voices with a harsh edge like YUKI or the singer in nano.RIPE that I'm kind of addicted to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qlEeVS2vMU

that's p cool and I love her voice too but I was kinda hoping for the outside shot that signing w/avex meant she'd ditch all the rock in her sound and just make weird jun togawa-ey pop music like that one single from her last album

I realize this is just my own hangup speaking and I'm prob in the minority here...

Tempura Kidz are amazing. This is my favourite single of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmTiOwuC39k

Still listening to the tempura charisma tune... but here's Hungary's Volt festival's upload of the awesome full tricot set from this summer http://youtu.be/hW_ayjXr1Lk

fun vid to promote the BiS Kaidan (collaboration between BiS and veteran noise group Hijokaidan) boxset
taken from a concert where they played the same song 13 times in a row (!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpjAWcv94ro

new dempagumi.inc rules, as usual (and cool video, as usual)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGy39OMyHzw

Yeah, cool song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_RN3a_GJuE

really cool stuff! sometimes i watch a "j-pop" video and i say to myself: oh japan! i loves ya, but you so crazy!

just my $0.02

Sumire Uesaka has a covers album out soon called "Uesaka Sumire Presents 80's Idol Song Definitive Disc"

1. "Koiki de Namaiki" (Saint Four)
2. "Aoyama Killer Monogatari" (RAMU)
3. "Naze? no Arashi" (Akie Yoshizawa with Onyanko Club)
4. "Little Date" (Ribbon)
5. "Tokyo Rose '88" (Lemon Angel)
6. "Yume Fushigi Ikaga" (Kirara to Urara)
7. "Henne!" (Tsukasa Ito)
8. "Parallel Girl" (Sayuri Iwai)
9. "Stormy Weather" (Mariko Kurata)
10. "Hime-sama Zoom In" (Miho Morikawa)
11. "Starlight Movement" (Momoko Kikuchi)
12. "Pygmalion" (Etsuko Sai)
13. "Motto Sekkin Shimasho" (Hidemi Ishikawa)
14. "50/50" (Miho Nakayama)
15. "Ai wa Boomerang" (Yuko Matsutani)
16. "Yume Shinjyu ~MY DESIRE~" (Junko Mihara)
17. "I WANT YOU" (Mami Yamase)
18. "Dotou no Renai" (Chika Takami)
19. "Mizu no Hoshi he Ai wo Komete" (Hiroko Moriguchi)
20. "MUGO・N" (Shizuka Kudo)

cover is pretty spot on!

http://i.imgur.com/MSXv1nG.jpg

first single by ex-BiS member Tentenko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIkd3H4tEf4

That sounds a whole lot like Especia.. same producer?

looking into it it seems like she produced it herself and is financing its release through this Japanese Kickstarter-esque thing http://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/1305

Awesome

that new sumire uesaka looks awesome!

been getting into you'll melt more lately. the record collector scum designs they bite on their covers caught my eye, like

neu
http://item.shopping.c.yimg.jp/i/j/yamano_4113090673

esg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kzRZCRKdL._SY300_.jpg

and, um, weezer
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51O4JK-D10L._SY300_.jpg

and interestingly, altho they mainly work in typical idol pop modes, like on this wonderful track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOCIKV2erL4

they do throw in some curveballs and sometimes even explicitly in the style of the band they're referencing, e.g. this krautrockin' one (with hijokaidan adding some extra feedback skree!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H67s0_7zCo

and here's some shoegaze idol music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiWiQ0RofSU

^ great find.

Been listening to Negoto a fair bit this year, it kind of scratches that early Shiina Ringo itch.

http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/Negoto---Ammonite%2521/125a3f9263b00e1bc37a2eb77a0eb02b

really like that shoegaze You'll Melt More song. no surprises in the Red & White lineups this year, feels like a cut & paste from last year.

thoughts on the oomori seiko album? surprised by how much I like it given that, save a couple tracks, I've been kinda cold on her in the past, never really got into sheena ringo, etc.

still want a whole album in this style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKu4Xx0_Us

Just want to say j-pop has by far been the most interesting thing in music this year. So much good stuff from all kinds of artists and scenes I'm struggling daily to keep up with it all and give albums and singles the time they deserve.

Clear your 2015 best-of lists... tricot is putting out a new single in february and ALL NEW ALBUM IN MARCH. Praise the lords.

new Suiyoubi no Campanella video is so good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syLz1rcTKD8

What will it take to get to a place where Japanese language popular music (not just j-pop, but indie, rock, hip hop, stuff like Suiyoubi) can be a thing on year-end lists, year-end summaries, western coverage in general? We're obviously at a place where some of the most lauded artists among sources ilxers follow do not sell a lot - they're not 'relevant' in a bestseller perspective any more than these artists - their fame stems from certain circles of people who care about their music and talk about it, often mainly online, which is significant enough to have them end up on many year-end lists also among more mainstream publications. It's not a case of writing about the artists around you - scandinavian, latin american, eastern european artists are represented. In this world where this consensus grows online for artists of all kinds, what does it take? What is the magic ingredient still missing? Asian pop has had its viral hype, k-pop more so than j-pop, j-pop mainly through Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - but what about the critical darlings among fans of Asian popular music? I didn't except them to show up on year-end lists in 2013 and I didn't expect it 2014, so I didn't even react to it, but why? Why can't tricot, for example, be a band that shows up on these lists?

/late night rant

I hear ya and the inevitable "japan is CRAY-ZAYYY" angle that goes along with the meme-friendly stuff that does get written up riles. but I'm not sure there actually is a lot of foreign pop showing up on broad "best of" lists for english-speaking publications? I've missed it if so. usually a couple token acts, nothing too deep & that's not really super different from KPP or babymetal getting a blurb or w/e.

but the heavy overlap with weeb circles prob isn't helping either, that stuff is super uncool

speaking of which, this touhou arrange track is incredible, like an extended especia club edit or something

http://youtu.be/FbX5OLKwlIk

that new suiyoubi is awesome btw, really excited to see where this act goes as they mature...

gotta admit the new You'll Melt More EP cover made me laugh. Also it's called SUImin CIty DEstroyer.

http://i.imgur.com/2WjoSQT.jpg

That EP is great. Glad they put the instrumentals on there too.

Suiyoubi no Campanella = zOMG awesome, had forgotten how ace her stuff can be.

yea the long track on that EP that is not really very suicide-y but maybe a little bit ("nnn") is really pretty

yeh that track NNN was not Suicidey enough, so I made a quick remix over the weekend using only Suicide samples! http://youtu.be/ljKzgNXk6ic

nice!!

not quuuuite there yet but have high hopes for cupitron:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUWTK8jomc4

in their own words, “Colorful Pop!!! From Techno World”

not sure how i've missed this thread before!

i could talk all day about why j-pop (and k-pop) aren't considered for the western crit canon, but will refrain.

nothing out of j-pop really struck my fancy last year except the two shiina ringo record, akai koen's major label thing ("now on air" especially), maybe a few other things here and there...what did i miss? what should i be looking for in 2015?

I don't know where to start with 2014 reccs which is why I haven't made a year-end list either. It was the year where every girl group made an effort to stand out. Cynics may say it was the year where the idol scene co opted indie aesthetics at random to find a gimmick foundation, or just used indie scene songwriters for quick cred, but I'd rather go with 'lots of crazy stuff in every direction' and too many good songs to list, from more traditionally j-pop-y stuff to everything else. I'll have to put together a youtube playlist at some point, at least.

2015 will be the year tricot releases a new single (next month) and 2nd album (march)

imo

dempagumi.inc - singles, esp. "sakura appareshon" (world wide dempa lp came out dec 2013 and rules, so that too)
suiyoubi no campanella - eps
especia - gusto
seiko oomori - sennou (esp. if you're a ringo fan)
charisma.com x tempura kidz single

probs forgetting a bunch of more low profile stuff...

Last Berryz song before they split

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M9TJpLTcw8

Pretty good, but several of the best songs of 2014 were HP releases, like

Morning Musume's
Beyond the Time and Space
Your Bright Smile Is Like The Sunshine

C-Ute - I Miss You
S/mileage - Oh Susukino

I mean how good are those songs. I've played them all year and I'm still surprised listening to them now. Tsunku was on an absolute roll.

Also Juice=Juice
http://youtu.be/_so9w95wzVI¨
http://youtu.be/38c5UbdpfLw

aww, that last berryz video

and yeah, def some nice straight-up idol pop this year. also dug this s/mileage single/b-side myself:
http://youtu.be/_glcrpyvkaE

Good stuff.

When it comes to AKB48 singles, the Oricon chart tells one story (of constant domination), but here's another. Itunes sales:

http://img.tnsori.com/uploads/2015/01/20150119-akb48-itunes.png

wtf is the half mil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFf4AgBNR1E

well, if any akb48 song deserves massive chat domination status, I suppose that's the one

and I kinda love the fan ver of that video, it's really sweet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1EwgwyGIp8

Yeah the official AKB channel has over 100 fan versions of the video uploaded.

I was in Japan at the new year visiting the in-laws, so I managed to catch the 65th Kouhaku (info here if you don't know about it : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dhaku_Uta_Gassen). The red (female) team had Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Shiina Ringo, Perfume, MomoKuro AND the ever-awesome Akiko Wada all bringing it, while the white team responded with SMAP, Arashi and some other dullards but still managed to win.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FIX

Apart from that crushing disappointment I also managed to catch the TV making-of doc about the Kiss vs. Momokuro record which is hilarious, the hilarity of course largely coming from the Kiss camp. You can pretty much see Gene Simmons coming to the sad realisation that a bubbly, slightly manic 20 year old Japanese girl is just not something he's going to be able to hit on any more at the age of 65.

Preview of the fairly awful song here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qrI_oPUQdw

whole thing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivJZljEostE&feature=youtu.be

not much kiss on this, prob for the best

It does unfortunately seem like Kiss are the weakest songwriters they've worked with for a title track so far. Not offensive but just kinda.. there. The guitar riff has some promise and actually sounds like a previous MomoClo single, but the chorus is meh.

i've yet to hear a redeemable AKB song.

They have several pretty good trad j-pop chord progression songs, which can be real comfort food pop for me when done right, though the one above, which I dig, is an outlier. Their early single 'River' was however an impressive statement of purpose they never lived up to. Here's one of my favorite of their 'old school' ones: http://youtu.be/qJ-Drv9tVjI?t=1m59s The maximalism of the crashing guitars, the echoing lines, give it to me.

decent chorus, but man AKB videos are always so weirdly creeper...

i may have heard that one before. i got up through the first half of their singles discog before giving up, i think. the highlight, iirc, was the last 10 seconds or so of "beginner"

Yeah they've had some 'cool' songs that have worked pretty well if nothing else then for the contrast. 'River' was an impressive statement they never could live up to. SKE48 have better dancers so they've released some solid uptempos as well.

Interview with and new MV from tricot over at NME http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/meet-japanese-rock-three-piece-tricot-and-watch-their-stylish-new-video-for-e

Album "AND" is out March 18

http://natalie.mu/media/1501/0131/extra/news_xlarge_tricot_and_normal_201501.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvMyCFAVIqs

Sounds great. I'm looking forward to this album.

hah, that cover is a bit

http://images.moviepostershop.com/ekusute-movie-poster-2007-1020507278.jpg

Happy february6, here's a song penned by her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNqbI4D7mEE

Good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCQT4STlXz0

feeling that talkbox solo

wow the break into the bridge...so good

plus tricot is so great, man. wow

B-side to the tricot single (bassist on vocals) https://soundcloud.com/bakuretsu-records/tricot-6

Having trouble finding decent info on these guys but I am digging this, unusual line up too (if it's not a conceit of course)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdKNNXuraPs

as i understand it they are a spinoff/alter ego of idol group Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku

oh there's a new Suiyobi no Campanella song, sounds different as they are using an outside producer and she sings all the way through. digging it after a few listens though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_gPdGgbrNg

hmmm interesting, way smoother + housier than any other suiyoubi trax. dig it but can't say that I don't miss the rawness that attracted me to this project in the first place, hope that's not gone for good...

have we talked about this Megumi Wata song before? cos I really fell for it in the past week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7qS-_cW5tQ

oh and Perfume played at SXSW last night, here's some footage from the livestream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZiPIgCtIxg

oh man this megumi wata is so cool :D

what's megumi wata's story? how big is she? why so few views for such a great song? i'm obsessed with it suddenly

this is one of the best singles i've heard in the past few years, easy. words, vibe, pitch-perfect feel shifts...

finding out now that she's super unknown at this point -- 4 listeners on lastfm, ~800 twitter followers, on a label with half that. wild.

Greatest single ever called "The Middle Management"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIyc4LTOmP8

"I have no intention to have a stable love relationship on weekdays. Ah HA"

#AccidentalPartridge

insane song. i love every fourth bar but not the rest of them

<3 natsume mito's introductory nakata-produced track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAIyMT7gARc&feature=youtu.be

Nah, I don't like Nakata's children's-TV-theme stuff. I like his aggressive hard-techno stuff.

opposite here. I haven't even bothered with the last capsule record yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=167&v=aI3mT0NoXdQ

Another wild song. The hello pro groups all kinda sound the same, but that sound is so wonderfully distinct, more so for each year, and should be collected in a delicately designed box set released worldwide as a big statement.

I don't know anything about Daoko, but it popped up on my Youtube recommendations probably because I'd been listening to too much Suiyoubi no Campanella:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3xehyYXbJw