Rocker trio Guitar Wolf have scheduled their first release in almost three years. They will release the mini-album Jet Satisfaction on December 23rd.
After taking a break from their career two years ago, Guitar Wolf returned in April this year with a solo performance at Hibiya Yagaidai Ongakudou. This mini-album will succeed DEAD LOCK, the group's latest album released in January 2007.
Jet Satisfaction will contain five songs: the title song, Egypt Rock, Building Z, Wild Restaurant and Devil Kuchibiru. Prior to the release date, the trio will also begin their revival tour GUITAR WOLF ON STAGE, scheduled to kick off at Sapporo BESSIE HALL on December 6th.
Pop singer May'n has planned the release of her first full-length album, titled Styles, for November 25th.
May'n is known as the singing voice of Sheryl Nome, a character of the popular anime series "Macross Frontier", which resulted in the release of the hit double A-side single Diamond Crevasse/Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late under the name Sheryl Nome starring May'n.
Styles is expected to feature a total of twelve songs, including her first single Kimi shinitamou koto nakare, released in May this year. The limited edition of the album will also have a DVD contaning the music videos of May’n☆Space, Kimi shinitamou koto nakare and the brand-new song Deep Breathing.
Visual kei rock band Dolly have announced that following their upcoming concerts at LIQUIDROOM ebisu on November 4th and 5th, guitarist Yuina will be leaving the group.
Yuina was reported sick a few months ago, which made it impossible for him to perform at Dolly's one-man concert at Nihon Seinenkan on May 10th. Therefore, the band decided to take a break to wait until the guitarist was fully recovered and booked the two aforementioned concerts as their comeback performances.
In a message via their official website, the band state that this decision was the best result that the members could find after several discussions. They also apologize for making the fans worry and wait so long to see them again. Even though there is not very much time left with all five members, the band also hopes everyone will fully support them until then.
Having just released the single Mugen, pop singer Nana Mizuki has already set the release of another single, her first release in 2010, for January 13th.
Nana Mizuki is currently enjoying a very satisfactory year in the musical field, as she has hit the first spot on the Oricon charts with her latest album ULTIMATE DIAMOND and performed her first ever solo concert in a stadium.
Though currently untitled, the single is expected to include four tracks, just like Mugen, among these the theme song for the movie "~Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st" and also the image song to the arcade game "Shining Force Cross".
The new wave/alternative rock band MOLICE have already amassed a sizeable international fan base and are working hard to expand this.
The band has also planned four shows in the UK this December, with three in London and one in Gillingham. More information can be found on the band's tour schedule.
Hip-hop duo uhnellys' latest release, PIKA Mood is available for download through HearJapan.
uhnellys is a male/female duo consisting of KIM on vocals, bass, trumpet and effects, and MIDI＊on drums and chorus. The band blends rock, hip-hop and jazz to create their unique sound, earning them a lot of interest outside of Japan.
The EP, PIKA Mood draws on the duo's unique talents and includes the collaboration of several artists, packing the release with a variety of different content. It is produced by Ninja Turtle's zero Db, now known as THE OKI BASS and also includes the help of Mike Doughty, formerly of Soul Coughing on the track Span, and Al Haca's Cee on the track Spun.
As a special treat, music download site HearJapan is offering the EP's opening track Kaidan as a free download. You can get the track right now by clicking here. Those who download the full EP will be treated to a selection of freebies, including an exclusive live track, liner notes and a live photo of uhnellys in action.
Pop singer Ai Kawashima has set the release of her 18th single, called Daisuki da yo, for December 16th.
Daisuki da yo will be Ai's first release since her fourth original album Simple Treasure, released back in June this year. The song, her first love song since My Love, released almost three years ago, will be accompanied by the b-side Oh my snow.
The single will be available in limited and regular editions, with each including a different third track. The limited edition will include believe me, I believe you and the regular will come with Umi ga hakobu uta. Both of these songs have also been chosen as the ending themes for the PSP game "Tokimeki Memorial 4", scheduled to go on sale on December 3rd.
Aoi, singer of visual rock duo BOUNTY, will release his second solo album, titled Requiem, on November 18th.
Requiem will hit stores almost a year and a half after his first album, Veil, released back in June 2008. It will feature eleven songs, including his newest singles MASQUERADE and VIRGIN.
The album will be released in two different versions, type A and type B, with the first one including a DVD with the music video of Concord, the album's main track.
Bright visual kei band SERIAL⇔NUMBER have planned the release of their third full-length album, called 01 (Tiichi), for November 25th.
01 (Tiichi) will include all of the band's singles released since GO!YA!NUMBER～Nuchigusui～, which came out in August 2007. It will include Attention Please, COLOR STYLE, Aira Seesaa, Yumenchu no sora, Churasan ga koronda and Chinese Ring, plus an additional song called Otsukare Samba Odori Rumba.
This twelve track album will also include four live and rare songs recorded during their one-man performance at Akasaka BLITZ on August 21st: Serial ondo Happy Life~Futari no Lovenet, Happy Life~Futari no Lovenet, SQUALL and Meat Jiichan to asababa nasubi.
Visual rock band Matenrou Opera have a new single called Murder Scope set to be released on December 16th, almost six months after the release of their first original album ANOMIE.
Murder Scope is described as a hard tune with elements similar to heavy and death metal songs, while the b-side, COCOON, is the first song that drummer Yuu has helped to compose, accompanied by guitarist Anzi and vocalist Sono.
The single will go on sale in two different editions. The limited version will come with a DVD including the PV for Murder Scope and live versions of Hiai to Melancholy and Lawn Daisy recorded during the band's one-man performance at Akasaka BLITZ in July. The regular CD-only edition will feature four live songs from the same concert as bonus tracks: EVE, Hiai to Melancholy, Last Game and Ruriiro de egaku niji.
Hardcore punk and thrash band CRUCIAL SECTION have announced that they will tour Europe in November with the UNITED THRASH NIGHT EURO TOUR 09.
The tour will be organised by French label ONE PERSON PRODZ and Japanese label CREW FOR LIFE RECORDS, which is owned by the band's singer HIRO. In January 2009, CRUCIAL SECTION released a joint CD in collaboration with French band THRASHINGTIN DC, which was released through both of these labels.
CRUCIAL SECTION will be performing with various other bands throughout the tour, which will last for nine consecutive dates. The tour will start on November 7th in Preston, UK, and will take the band to Belgium, Germany, France and Italy. It will end on November 15th in Lyon, France, though this date is still to be confirmed.
R&B singer DOUBLE has recently announced that she is putting her musical career on hold, as she needs to undergo urgent medical treatment.
It was revealed that the singer has been suffering from nervous gastritis for a while and that her condition has grown worse due to severe stomach pains, nausea and dizziness. Her treatment is said to be urgent, requiring her to cancel all of her work, including live performances and DJ activities.
However, this announcement doesn't seem to affect the release of her upcoming single Oyasumi no Kiss wo ~Good Night My Love~ in collaboration with fellow R&B singer Shimizu Shota, which is scheduled to come out on November 11th.
Alternative rock band sakanaction, known for mixing electronic elements in their music, will release their long-awaited new single Arquà Round on January 13th 2010.
This will be the band's first release since Shinshiro, their latest and highly praised album released in January this year, which peaked at number 8 on the Oricon general sales chart. During this period, the group focused on playing in live events and festivals, increasing the fans' excitement for a new release.
Arquà Round is said to feature a resemblance to '80s dance music, creating a very upbeat rhythm. Besides this song, the single will include two other songs: Spoon to ase, which will mix folk and electro music, and a remix of Native Dancer, the main track from Shinshiro, created by rei harakami.
The limited edition of the single, in addition to all three main songs, will also feature the bonus track "FISH ALIVE chapter2" 1 sequence by 3 songs - SAKANAQUARIUM 2009 ＠SAPPORO - a three-song live track which was previously sold as a digital release via iTunes.
the HIATUS, led by ELLEGARDEN's vocalist Hosomi Takeshi, announced the release of their first EP single, called Insomnia, for November 18th.
the HIATUS was formed a few months after ELLEGARDEN entered a pause back in September 2008. So far, the project has already released the chart-topping album Trash We'd Love in May this year and perfomed in several festivals. Their newest performances will be held as a two-man tour with fellow rock band STRAIGHTENER. It will be called BRAIN ECLIPSE TOUR and will consist of seven concerts between November and December.
Insomnia, which will go on sale almost six months after Trash We'd Love, will contain three brand-new songs: the title track and the b-sides Curse of mine and Antibiotic.
Having celebrated almost twenty years of his musical career, including 5 years of solo work, singer Kiyoharu has returned to celebrate his 41st birthday with his fans.
In celebration both of his birthday and his 5th anniversary as a solo artist, Kiyoharu will release a live DVD, titled The 41st Birthday, on December 30th. The DVD will contain footage from his October 30th anniversary live at ZEPP Tokyo, which was also titled The 41st Birthday. It will come with two discs and the first presses will be released in a digipak.
La'cryma Christi's appearance at V-ROCK may have seemed like a one-off, but the band were saving their big announcement for when they were on stage.
The five members of the classic and well-loved visual kei band will reunite for a tour next year. Currently, it is just a one year limited reunion, but it could be extended depending on how the performances go.
The tour, titled La'cryma Christi RESSURECTION~FINAL PRAYER~, will begin on January 12th 2010 at ZEPP TOKYO. The band will play three more lives at the same venue and then move on to one date at ZEPP OSAKA on February 1st.
Information about the lives can be found on the band's official website.
Jin Akanishi, a member of the popular boyband KAT-TUN, will release a single called BANDAGE along with musician and producer Takeshi Kobayashi, in their newly-formed group LANDS.
LANDS is a fictional group formed for the movie "BANDAGE". Akanishi plays the character Natsu, responsible for the main vocals of the title song, and Takeshi Kobayashi, known for his works as Mr.Children's producer, will be the group's general sound supervisor.
BANDAGE, which will serve as the theme song for the movie, is described as a danceable rock tune. It will go on sale on November 25th in two limited versions, one of these including its instrumental counterpart and the other including its music video and making-of in a separate DVD.
With scripts and production by Iwai Shunji, the movie also has performances by Kaneko Nobuaki (from rock group RIZE), Kitano Kie, Kengo Kora and Miki Shibamoto. It is set to debut in theaters in Japan in January 2010.
DJ Ken Ishii, who is known all over the world, has planned the release of two new items to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his Japanese debut, both set to hit stores on November 25th.
KI15 - The Best of Ken Ishii, a best-of album, will contain twelve of his most well-known songs, including old singles Pneuma and Extra, the "Takashimaya" CM song Circular Motion, Fire In White, used in the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, and Iceblink, which served as the theme song of the movie "White Out".
The Works + The Unreleased & Unexpected, the other CD, will feature some of his best remix works, as well as two unpublished songs, Overdriver feat Shing02 and Once In a Lifetime, with a total of 12 tracks. Among the remixes will be Denki Groove's N.O., BOREDOMS's Rebore Vol.2 and Hiroshi Fujiwara's Sametape?.
Pop-rock band flumpool have set the release of their very first full album, called What's flumpool!?, for December 23rd.
What's flumpool!? will have a total of 16 songs, with a total length of almost 80 minutes. The singles Natsu Dive, Hoshi ni negai wo and MW ~Dear Mr. & Ms. Picaresque~ are all included on the disc, as well as the digital releases Frame and Mitsumeteitai, which were used as CM songs for "LISMO" and "Mynavi" respectively .
A long nationwide tour is also being planned to start in March next year, called What's flumpool!?～Love＆Piiiiss Kids Show!!～. Spanning 46 dates in 40 cities around Japan, it will start at Misato Bunka Hall on March 5th and finish at Naha Shimin Kaikan on June 5th.
Visual kei band MELLO have recently announced that, following their concert at SHIBUYA BOXX on December 15th, their activities will be frozen indefinitely.
MELLO was formed in Sapporo in 2005, holding their first concert - a demonstration live - in December. They managed to achieve some popularity within the underground visual kei scene over the years, leading them to sign a major contract with Nippon Crown in 2008.
H ni Domain, as their last live will be called, will feature guitarist Yumeji, who left the band right before their major debut, and drummer U-YA as guest musicians.
Visual kei band vistlip are preparing to release their first DVD, titled visual collections.
The release will include live material from their concert at Shibuya O-WEST on July 7th, as well as a collection of PVs. The DVD is also said to feature making-of material, tour digest footage and a comment from the band.
visual collections will be released on December 23rd and can be pre-ordered from CDJapan.
Musician Kazuhiko Kato was found dead on Saturday last week, having committed suicide. He was 62.
According to police, Kato had previously hinted at the desire to kill himself to an acquaintance and had been missing and unreachable since last Thursday. He had checked into a hotel in the Nagano Prefecture town of Karuizawa for one night and on the Saturday morning, an acquaintance phoned the hotel, saying that she was unable to reach his mobile phone. Police and hotel staff found Kato hanging in the bathroom of his hotel room, along with two suicide notes.
Kato was a music producer as well as a musician and also wrote songs for other artists. He released several hit songs both with the bands The Folk Crusadrers and Sadistic Mika Band, as well as in his solo career. His death is a great shock and he will be sorely missed.
Popular singer Amuro Namie has announced the release of her long-awaited ninth original album for December 16th.
It has been over two years since namie's latest album PLAY came out. This new album, though currently untitled, is being hyped by the media and her fans due to the release of her explosive best-of album BEST FICTION in July 2008, which has sold over 1,700,000 copies since its release date.
The album is expected to come with a total of 12 tracks, including all four songs used in "Vidal Saasson" commercials: WILD, Dr., COPY THAT and MY LOVE. It will go on sale in both CD and CD+DVD editions, with the latter including the music videos of WILD, Dr. and four other brand-new tracks.
Pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki has set the release of her third single this year, titled You were... / BALLAD, for December 16th.
You were... / BALLAD will be Ayumi's 47th single and it is said to feature two ballads to match the winter season. Besides both main songs, it will also include the brand-new track RED LINE ～for TA～ and all songs' instrumental counterparts.
The single will be available to purchase in three editions, two of which will come with DVDs. The CD-only edition will include all six songs mentioned above, plus an orchestra version of Sunset ～LOVE is ALL～ and a special mix of You were.... The two CD+DVD editions will come with the PV for both title tracks, but will each feature different extra content. One version will include the making-of for You were..., plus the special mix of the same song on the CD, while the other will feature the making-of for BALLAD, plus the orchestra version of Sunset ～LOVE is ALL～.
Popular singer GACKT has announced the release of a new single associated with the "Kamen Rider" series. Stay the Decade Alive is set to come out on January 1st 2010.
GACKT has already released two singles this year which were used as the theme songs for "Kamen Rider": Journey through the Decade served as the main theme song for the series "Kamen Rider Decade", while The Next Decade, released in August, was used as the image song for the movie "Kamen Rider Decade All Riders vs. Dai Shocker".
Stay the Decade Alive, described as a magnificent ballad number with the theme of 'eternity', was chosen as the theme song to the upcoming movie "Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W&Decade MOVIE Daisakusen 2010", the finale of the "Kamen Rider Decade" series, scheduled to hit theaters in Japan on December 12th.
The single will go on sale in three versions: standard CD+DVD and CD-only editions and also a special edition, featuring one CD and two DVDs, spanning the entire year of collaborations between GACKT and the "Kamen Rider" series. This version will have limited copies and will come in a digipak case with a luxurious booklet, plus many more extras for fans of both the series and the singer.
Visual rock band kannivalism have announced the tracklist and other details regarding their upcoming single life is, scheduled to come out on November 28th.
kannivalism have recently returned from two-year break, and this will be their first single release since pausing activities. life is will be accompanied by the b-side at dusk and the single itself will be sold in three editions: limited type A, containing a DVD with the PV for the title song, limited type B, including a special interview and a documentary of August 25th, and a regular CD-only version, including an additional third track called the riff raff.
life is -for 2007, a different version of the song, has been available to purchase as a digital single since September 9th in Japan. Further details about their second full-length album, scheduled to be released next year, have not been unveiled yet.
Rock quartet abingdon boys school have set the release of their fourth single this year, From Dusk Till Dawn, for December 16th.
From Dusk Till Dawn has been used as the ending theme for the anime "DARKER THAN BLACK -ryuusei no futago-", broadcast via MBS/TBS. This will be their first song with strings, which said to give the track a dramatic sound. SHINYA, from LUNA SEA, is credited as the drummer on the recording of the single.
abingdon boys school have also revealed that they are currently working on their second full-length album. Though there are no further details yet, it is expected to be released in 2010.
Due to complications arising in the booking of venues and entry permits into the United States, along with an injury miyavi sustained in Europe, miyavi's stops in Seattle, Dallas, New York and Atlanta have been cancelled until further notice.
The rescheduled dates will be announced on miyavi's official homepage.
It has been announced that fans all over the world will be able to watch the upcoming visual kei event V-ROCK FESTIVAL09 on their computers via a free live stream.
The event, which will take place on the 24th and 25th of October between 11am and 9pm (Japan time), will be broadcast live, showing the venue, live stages, backstage scenes and more. As there will be four different stages at the event, with simultaneous performances, not all of them can be broadcast live.
The live stream is only compatible with Windows and will require Windows Media Player 9 (or above) and the latest version of Adobe Flash Player to work. To watch it properly, you will need to have a broadband connection of 1MB (or higher).
On the 20th of October, V-ROCK's official website will release a link to download the software required to watch the broadcast and also a test transmission, so that fans can check their computer's compatability well in advance.
To set up your computer for the broadcast, follow these instructions:
1. Using Internet Explorer, download and install this software.
2. Still using Internet Explorer, test the software by clicking on this link.
MUCC have announced the release of their third Live Chronicle DVD for December 23rd.
Live Chronicle 3 ~"Kyutai" in Nippon Budokan~ will feature their complete Nippon Budokan concert held on March 15th 2009, lasting approximately 180 minutes. Like the previous Live Chronicle DVDs, this limited edition two DVD set will come in a special box and will include bonus goodies. The goodies featured in this release are a Special Prestige Package, a reproduction tour staff pass, a reproduction of both Miya and YUKKE's guitar picks and a picture booklet with messages from the band.
Popular R&B group EXILE are working on the release of their newest full-length album, titled Aisubeki mirai e and due to be released on December 2nd.
This will be EXILE's first original album since EXILE LOVE, which came out back in December 2007. Although it has not been decided which songs will be on the album yet, it is expected to feature all of their previous singles, including their respective main songs, Ti Amo, Someday and Yasashii hikari, making this a monster album.
Aisubeki mirai e will go on sale in three different versions: a limited first press edition, featuring the main disc, two DVDs and a special Christmas CD, a regular CD+2DVD version and a standard CD-only edition.
Pop singer Kou Shibasaki has announced the release of her first album in over two years for November 18th.
Love Paranoia is the singer's first original album since Kiki, released in April 2007. It will feature sixteen tracks, including her newest single lover soul, used as the theme song for Fuji TV's drama "Otomen", plus Saiai (KOH+), Kimi ga nokoshiteitta mono and Kimi no koe, all of which served as image songs for different movies.
The limited edition of the album will also include a bonus track called Naite ii, as well as a 40-page booklet and a DVD contaning five music videos and extra making-of scenes.
Rock band Aqua Timez have announced the release of their first ever live DVD, called Aqua Timez still connected tour '09, for December 23rd.
Aqua Timez are currently celebrating the fifth anniversary of their major debut. On the 14th of this month, they released their first best-of album The BEST of Aqua Timez, including three discs of songs and music videos. The compilation reached the first spot on the Oricon charts as of October 21st and its limited edition was already out of print on the first day of sales.
Aqua Timez still connected tour '09 will feature full footage from the group's performance at NHK Hall in Tokyo on May 28th, part of their most recent nationwide tour, as well as extra scenes. This 29 date tour started in March this year, attracting approximately 60,000 people.
Pop singer Ando Yuko has planned the release of a new single, titled Paxmaveiti -kimi ga boku ni kureta mono-, for November 25th.
Paxmaveiti, described as a ballad number with impressive lyrics, has been chosen as the ending theme song of the game "Layton kyouju to majin fue", for Nintendo DS. It will be accompanied by a newly arranged version of Yellow Magic Orchesta's popular song Kimi ni mune kyun -uwaki na vacance- and a folk song called Jinsei omimai.
The first presses of the release are also set to come with a different version of Jinsei omimai as a bonus track, as well as a special sticker.
European fans of Alice Nine and the GazettE have got plenty to look forward to in the upcoming months, as both bands will be releasing a live DVD in Europe through CLJ Records.
UNTITLED VANDAL(ism) # Finale "Graced The Beautiful Day" will be Alice Nine's first ever live DVD released in Europe and will come out on November 11th in in two editions. The limited press will feature the main concert, which was recorded at Tokyo International Forum on 23rd August this year, spread over two discs. It will also include a 56-page special booklet, a bonus DVD, titled Secret Live Session, and a booklet in Romaji and English. The regular press will only come with the main DVDs and the booklet.
Just one month later, on December 16th, the latest Live DVD of the GazettE will be released. It will feature the final concert of their -DIM SCENE- tour, which was held at Saitama Super Arena on September 5th this year. This DVD, titled [TOUR 09 -DIM SCENE-], will also be released in two versions. Along with the main concert on two discs, the limited press will include a 60-page booklet, a bonus DVD with currently unknown content, and the usual booklet with the lyrics. The regular press will only feature the main concert on two discs and the lyrics booklet.
Daruma Label have announced the release of detroit7's EP Black & White on iTunes.
The EP will be available from October 27th, but pre-sales of the release are now available at Daruma Label's digital music store Domo.
The release will include the tracks Why?, Cold Heat, Stooges, DDD and Owaranai Uta. Samples of all five songs can be heard here and the PV of Cold Heat can be viewed here.
D'espairsRay have released more information about their live DVD due to come out on December 16th.
Still untitled, it will contain footage from their live performance at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, held on October 1st, plus a photo collection and an original T-shirt. Everything will be contained in a special package and it will be sold in a limited edition only.
On the same day, they will also release a best-of compilation, the contents of which are still unknown. It is said though that the album, which is also currently untitled, will contain tracks from their indies period.
The DVD can be purchased through CDJapan here, while the best-of album can be purchased here.
Up-and-coming visual kei rock band THE KIDDIE have posted more information regarding their upcoming single BLACK SIDE on their official website.
THE KIDDIE have just started a three-month consecutive release campaign with the single soar, their first release under the major label VAP. The last CD of this campaign will be Poplar, a single scheduled to go on sale on December 2nd, the same day they will hold their biggest one-man concert so far, at Akasaka BLITZ.
BLACK SIDE, set to be released on November 4th, will also feature the track NEW WORLD, which has been played live since the band's beginning. The limited edition will also include PANORAMA and a DVD including the PV of the main track. A sample of the video can already be watched on their official website.
Pop singer Miho Fukuhara will release her eighth major single, Nande nakitaku nacchau'n darou, on December 2nd.
Nande nakitaku nacchau'n darou, described as a winter dance tune, will come out a little less than three months after Miho's latest single LET IT OUT. One of the b-sides of the single, Cry No More, has been chosen to be used as the ending theme of the upcoming movie "Shizumanu taiyou", which will hit theaters in Japan on the 24th of this month.
The single will also come with a cover of John Lennon's Happy Christmas under the name HAPPY XMAS and a remix of the main track. It will go on sale in two editions, CD and CD+DVD, with the latter also including a music video.
Rock trio BREAKERZ, led by popular singer DAIGO, have revealed more details about their upcoming album, scheduled to come out on December 2nd.
BREAKERZ recently released the first part of a three-month consecutive releases campaign: a live DVD called BREAKERZ LIVE 2009 “WISH” in Nippon Budokan, which features footage from their first ever one-man performance at the Budokan. The second part, a new single titled LOVE FIGHTER ~koi no battle~, is set to be released on November 4th.
FIGHTERZ, as the album will be called, will include thirteen songs, among them their most recent singles GRAND FINALE, Everlasting Luv, BAMBINO and Hikari. It will be released in three versions: limited type A, including a DVD with six music videos, limited type B, including a documentary called FIGHTERZ ga dekiru made, and a regular CD-only edition.
Having recently signed to German record label GAN-SHIN, heidi. have announced the release of a European version of their latest album, Panorama, for October 23rd.
Panorama was originally released only a month earlier, on September 23rd. The European version will be a CD-only release and will contain the same eleven tracks as the Japanese edition, including the singles Tsubasa and Orange Drama.
Jazz/rock quintet Tokyo Jihen, led by singer Sheena Ringo, will be back with the release of their newest single Noudouteki sanfunkan on December 2nd.
This will be Tokyo Jihen's first release in two years. Their third album, Goraku (Variety), came out back in September 2007. During this period, singer Sheena Ringo reactivated her solo career, while the other members focused on their respective projects.
Tokyo Jihen are currently working on their fourth album, which is scheduled to be released a little after the single. They have also been planning a new nationwide tour for next year and also a special performance at the traditional New Year countdown event COUNTDOWN JAPAN 09/10 at Makuhari Messe.
Rock band a flood of circle will release their second full-length album, PARADOX PARADE, on November 18th, with several guitarists as guests.
a flood of circle started activities in 2006, and while they were still an indie band, achieved a sold-out one-man at Shinjuku LOFT and the first position in the TOWER RECORDS sales charts with their last indies single. In April this year, the band signed a contract with SPEEDSTAR RECORDS and released their first major album, BUFFALO SOUL. In September, their guitarist Okaniwa Tadashi disappeared and cut off communication with the band, resulting in his departure on October 14th.
PARADOX PARADE will include eleven tracks featuring the collaboration of four guest guitarists, who helped to revamp the spirit of the band: Okumura Dai (from wash?), Suganami Eijun (from THE BACK HORN), Yasutaka Takurou (from Tsubakiya Juusou) and Takeo Noriaki (from FoZZtone).
You can watch the music video of Buffalo Dance, the main song from their first album BUFFALO SOUL, below:
Rock band Prague have announced the release of their second single, Light Infection, for December 9th.
Prague debuted in September this year with the single Slow Down, released by Ki/oon Records. Light Infection has been used as the newest opening theme song for the anime "Gintama", a spot that has already been taken by popular rock acts such as Base Ball Bear and monobright.
Light Infection, a danceable number with wild rhythms, will be accompanied by the b-side Makura kaze. The limited edition will also come with a DVD including the PV for the title track.
Pop-rock band school food punishment have announced the release of their fourth single, light prayer, for November 25th.
light prayer, a rock tune with the supervision of Kamiyama Kenji in the recording process, was chosen as one of the tie-in songs to the movie of the anime "Higashi no Eden", called "Higashi no Eden Gekijouban I The King of Eden". school food punishment's major debut single futuristic imagination was previously used as the ending theme of the anime.
The movie is scheduled to hit theaters in Japan on November 28th. The single, though it does not have an actual tracklist yet, will be available in both CD+DVD and CD editions.
Visual kei rock band ayabie will release their third major single, Sayonara, on December 2nd.
ayabie are currently in the middle of a new tour called colorful rock party, which is set to end at SHIBUYA-AX on the 26th of this month. Sayonara will be available in three editions, two of these including a DVD with different material. The type A will come with the PV and making-of for the title track and the type B will come with backstage scenes from the same tour.
The single will feature the b-side birthday song in all three editions. Both CD+DVD versions will also include the the instrumental counterparts of both A and B sides, while the regular one will come with a third track called Awayuki instead, plus a random trading card selected from six different kinds.
Hip-hop trio ONE☆DRAFT have planned the release of a new single called Wonderful Days for November 11th.
This will be the group's first release since their second major album, DREAMAKER, which came out in June. Wonderful Days, their seventh single, is currently airing as the newest ending theme song for Tokyo TV's anime "Gintama".
Two b-sides are scheduled to be included on the single: Nora nekotachi wa shiranai and Letter. The first presses will also feature a different, Gintama-themed cover jacket.
After almost hitting the one million mark with the sales of their latest album Shio, koshou, popular group GReeeeN have now announced the release of their first best-of album for November 25th.
Titled Ima made no A-men, B-men DEST!?, the compilation will feature 24 songs, among them all of the A-sides and B-sides released since their debut, which, if counted together, have been downloaded via official services over 20 million times.
The collection will be released in two formats: a limited cube-shaped box and a standard edition. The first one, besides the two main discs containing all of the songs, will also feature five separate boxes with various goods: a bandana, 2010 callendar, a cellphone strap, a travel toothbrush set and an 8cm CD.
Visual kei rock band SINCREA are releasing their first ever Christmas song, called Xmas Day, as a single on November 11th.
Xmas Day is described as an unhappy Christmas song and will be accompanied by two other tracks, PANDORA 21 and Ryuusei ultimate. The real catch on the release is that it will be sold in two editions, each coming with plenty of extra material.
The limited edition will come with the PV for Xmas Day and a documentary with scenes from the CD recording, plus a picture label and a special jacket-sized card. The regular edition will come with the same PV and its making-of, plus a booklet with different pictures from the other edition.
Pop singer MISIA has another single scheduled to come out within the next few months. Aitakute ima, as it will be titled, will drop on November 18th.
Besides this new release, MISIA had already planned two new items for December 16th: her newest single Hoshi no you ni... and ninth original album Just Ballade. Further details about both CDs can be found here.
Aitakute ima will be used as the theme song for the upcoming movie "JIN". Its melody will be composed by Jun Sasaki and the lyrics, which can already be read here (in Japanese only), were written by the singer herself. A sample of Aitakute ima is already available on her official website.
Rapper HAN-KUN, member of the popular reggae/hip-hop unit Shounannokaze, will release his second solo single Don't Cry on December 16th.
Don't Cry will come out five months after HAN-KUN's solo debut single KEEP IT BLAZING, released in July this year along with his first solo live DVD LEGEND. The song, a medium-tempo tune, will feature warm lyrics accompanied by a grand melody, with strings and a gospel chorus.
HAN-KUN's group Shounannokaze is releasing their newest live DVD on the 14th this month. Called Kaze densetsu ~nureta manma de icchatte TOUR'09~, it will consist of a double-disc set including footage from their concet at Yokohama Arena on May 23rd and also member interviews and offshot scenes.
Pop singer Hitoto Yo is keeping her schedule full and has already announced the release of a new single, titled Un to shiawase, for November 4th.
Yo has recently switched labels from Columbia Entertainment to FOR LIFE MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, through which she released her newest single Your Medicine~watashi ga anata no kusuri ni natte ageru, her first original release in over a year.
Un to shiawase will be used as the image song for the upcoming movie "Watashi no naka no anata". The single itself, in addition to this track, will include the b-sides Ura hara, name and the second edition of her poetry reading, called prologue2, which will only be available in the limited edition of the release.
Visual rock band Merry have announced the release of a new EP called Identity for November 7th.
Identity will feature two songs from BURST EP, a single sold during their latest tour TOUR09 under-world [BURST]. It will include the title track and the b-side stupid×cupid. In addition to both songs, the CD will also include 15 tracks recorded during their concert at Shinjuku LOFT on August 19th.
Another release, called BURST EPDVD/Live at Shinjuku LOFT, has also been announced on Merry's official website. It will consist of a CD+DVD release, including Identity and stupid×cupid on the CD and 17 tracks from the same concert at Shinjuku LOFT on the DVD. However, this release will only be sold via DISK UNION stores.
Pop singer JUJU has announced the release of a new single, titled PRESENT, for November 25th.
JUJU became popular in the Japanese music scene after a hit single in collaboration with hip-hop duo Spontania called Kimi no subete ni, which made a huge impact on the official download services. She then released her newest album What's Love? in March, earning her high sales.
PRESENT has been chosen as the image song for Disney's upcoming movie "DISNEY'S Christmas Carol", scheduled to hit theaters on November 14th. The single, besides the title track and its instrumental counterpart, will also include two other new songs: Everything Was You and Ex-Factor.
Kiyoshi Takakuwa, mostly known for his work with Curly Giraffe, has released a new album through HearJapan called Thank You For Being A Friend. The album is entirely in English.
The album is something of a self-cover album. Takakuwa has teamed up with many A-list singers, such as Akino Arai, Cocco, KAELA KIMURA, BONNIE PINK, Chara, LOVE PSYCHEDELICO, Yuko Ando, and Keiko Hiraoka to create new, and most notably female, interpretations of Curly Giraffe's past releases.
Pop-rock band SID have announced their plans for 2010, including the release of a new DVD, documentary book and a tour.
SID have just finished their newest tour SID TOUR 2009 hikari with two consecutive concerts at Yoyogi Daiichi Taiikukan, which has a capacity of approximately 13,000 people. Among the 26 concerts in this tour, the band managed to sell out 24 dates, attracting 76,135 people total.
A new live DVD, called SIDNAD Vol.4～TOUR 2009 hikari, as well as a documentary book hikari～Tour Document Graph II, will both be released in February next year featuring material from the tour. Ichiban suki na basho 2010, a new livehouse tour, has also been scheduled to take place throughout March and April next year, spanning 23 dates.
The band also has a new single set to come out on November 11th, titled one way. More details of this can be found here. Lastly, it was also announced in Yoyogi today that SID will turn a page in their history on July 31st next year, though other details have not been revealed yet.
With surprisingly high sales of her newest album Bitter & Sweet, which hit the fifth position on the Oricon charts, pop singer BENI is releasing one of the CD's tracks, KIRA☆KIRA☆, as a single on November 4th.
This single has been announced as a way to celebrate the album, which stayed in the Oricon top 10 for one month and sold over 90,000 copies until now. However, the release will only be in stores until Christmas Day.
KIRA☆KIRA☆ has been picked after turning into a hit among Japanese girls. It will be accompanied by its instrumental counterpart and also remixes of Zutto futari de and Koi kogarete, both singles and tracks from the album Bitter & Sweet. A sticker sheet will also be included with the single.
Visual band D has just announced the release date for a new single, only two weeks after the release of their latest one, Tightrope.
Day by Day will be used in a mobile dating sim game called "Love Summit" and will come out on December 2nd. It will be released in three editions, all containing a random trading card selected from six alternatives.
The limited edition A will contain the PV of Day by Day, while the limited edition B will include a b-side, which is currently untitled, and the making-of footage for the Day by Day PV. The regular edition will feature a different b-side, also untitled.
Rock band Nothing's Carved In Stone have two new items set to hit stores on December 9th: their first single, Around The Clock, and also their first live DVD, Initial Lives.
Nothing's Carved In Stone is a quartet formed in the beginning of this year, featuring most notably guitarist Shinichi Ubukata (from ELLEGARDEN) and Hidekazu Hinata (from STRAIGHTENER). Their first album, PARALLEL LIVES, came out in May, and since then they have been busy with concerts and performances in rock festivals.
Around The Clock will come with three brand new songs (the title track, Bone Age and The Swim), as well as live takes of Isolation and Tribal Session~End. Initial Lives will feature the music videos for November 15th and Isolation, ten live songs and also bonus footage from the PARALLEL LIVES TOUR & POLYPOID TOUR.
Hello!Project girlgroup Berryz Koubou will release a new double A-side single called Watashi no mirai no danna-sama / Ryuusei Boy on November 11th.
Ryuusei Boy is currently being used as the ending theme song for the popular anime "Inazuma Eleven". It is also the theme song for the Nintendo DS soccer game "Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryakusha Fire", which has been in stores since October 1st.
The single was originally due to come out on October 28th, but it has been pushed back to November 11th for unknown reasons. It will be available in four versions: three limited, two of them coming with a DVD, and one regular.
After getting three new members to restart activities and releasing their first single with the new line-up, pop/electronic visual kei band v [NEU] now have two new singles scheduled for the next months.
Pink Marble, the first of the two singles, will go on sale on November 4th. Besides the title track, it will also come with the b-side signal.
The other single, Amaoto, will be out a little less than a month later, on December 2nd. It will be released in the same format as Pink Marble, featuring the title song and a b-side, though this one is currently untitled.
Pop singer Yuna Ito announced the release of her first single in over nine months. Let It Go is due to come out on November 11th.
Let It Go was chosen as the main theme song for the upcoming movie "Tenshi no koi" starring actors Sasaki Nozomi and Shosuke Tanihara. The movie hits theaters in Japan on November 7th.
The song is described as new ground for Yuna, as it is a collaboration with former Superfly member Tabo Koichi, helping her to develop a '70s classic rock vibe. More details regarding the single have yet to be unveiled, though it is known that it will be available in both regular and limited editions.
After ruling the Oricon charts with their explosive best-of album 5x10 All the BEST! 1999-2009, popular idol group Arashi have a new single scheduled to come out on November 11th.
Described as a love song, My Girl has been chosen to be used as the theme song for a drama with of same title, which began airing on the 9th of this month. The b-side of the single, Tokei jikake no Umbrella will also be a part of a different drama, this time for Fuji TV's "0 Goushitsu no kyaku", which will begin airing on October 23rd.
The single will be released in both limited and regular editions. The limited one will come with a DVD including the PV of My Girl, while the regular version will come with a third track and the instrumental counterparts to all three songs.
Pop/electronic singer MEG has planned the release of her first collection of videos, simply titled MEG CLIPS!!, for October 28th.
The DVD itself will be split into three categories: "music clips", "dance clips" and "bonus". The first part will feature seven music videos, including Droplets, from her newest mini-album Journey, while the second will include dance versions of five videos, including PRECIOUS, FREAK and OK.
The bonus edition is set to come with three other videos: the making-of of MAGIC, the remix edition of FREAK, by Yasutaka Nakata (from capsule), and a live performance of START, taken from her one-man concert at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST on July 17th.
Rock band monobright have announced a new single for November 11th called Kodoku no taiyou, finishing their two-month consecutive release campaign.
monobright have just released their newest single JOYJOY Experience, hitting the 22nd spot on the Oricon daily charts. Kodoku no taiyou will be used in the drama "Samurai Highschool", set to air on Tokyo TV, and this will be the first time the band has had a song included in a drama series.
The single, besides main song, will also include a different version of SGS, from their second full-length album monobright two, titled SGS ~tamegata ver.~.
Singer DOUBLE and young singer-songwriter Shimizu Shota, both from the R&B scene, are teaming up to release a duet single called Oyasumi no Kiss wo ~Good Night My Love~ on November 11th.
Oyasumi no Kiss wo ~Good Night My Love~ has been chosen to be used as the ending theme song for the Nihon TV program "Sukkiri!!" during November. It is described as an ardent love song that shows the relation between a man and a woman who happen to walk the same paths in life.
The single will be available to purchase for a special low price (￥500) for a limited period of time. A picture featuring both singers, which will be used as the jacket artwork for the release, can already be seen on DOUBLE's official website.
Cello-rock group noanowa have announced the release of their second single, Sweet Sweet, for November 28th.
noanowa are known for mixing pop and rock melodies with cello rhythms played by vocalist Yukko. They signed a major contract with SPEEDSTAR RECORDS in 2008 and in September this year released their first full-length album, SPECTACLE, which received high praise from the fans.
Sweet Sweet is a sweet winter love song which has been in development since before the band debuted. More details, such as the track list, are expected to be revealed soon.
Pop/rock band L'Arc~en~Ciel will put out a new limited edition of their hit Christmas single Hurry Xmas on November 25th.
Hurry Xmas was originally released in 2007 and later also released as a limited edition in the end of 2008. The single includes the title song, P'UNK~EN~CIEL's take on I Wish, and instrumental versions for both tracks, as well as a "silent night" version of Hurry Xmas.
In 2007, the single was only released as a CD. However, in 2008 it featured a DVD with two music videos and bonus footage, and this time the DVD will instead come with live performances of both Hurry Xmas and I Wish 2007, recorded during their TOUR 2007-2008 THEATER OF KISS tour.
Dancehall/reggae singer lecca has planned the release of her second single, My measure, for November 18th.
Consisting of an upbeat tune, My measure has been chosen to be used as the opening theme for Nihon TV's upcoming medical drama "Gyne Sanfujinka no onna tachi", starring actress Norika Fujiwara.
lecca released the succesful album BIG POPPER in July, which received high sales. This will be her first time singing the theme song to a drama, and therefore, this song has a special message to its listeners.
TOKYO DECADANCE will soon embark on a European tour, starting in Denmark on October 30th and ending in Switzerland November 13th.
They are currently planning to perform in Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and France, with a special Halloween party in Paris at October 31st. More dates are expected to be confirmed soon.
On this tour you can see AdRieN, SiSeN, Kengo, Selia, CoCo as well as two new comers, DJ SISK and HIBARI NINJA, and more. Further details of the currently announced tour dates can be found here. Please note that some clubs have age restrictions.
Pop-rock band Remioromen will release their first one-man performance at the big Saitama Super Arena as a DVD titled REMIOROMEN SPECIAL LIVE at SAITAMA SUPER ARENA on November 25th.
The one-man live was a part of Remioromen's long tour, which had been held since January. The concert recorded for the DVD featured many well-known songs, such as Ameagari, Stand By Me, Sangatsu Kokonoka and the big hit Konayuki, as well as their newest single Starting Over, used as the CM song for "Alinamin".
The first presses of the DVD are expected to come enclosed in a digipak, also including a B3-sized poster. Remioromen also have a single due to come out on the same day called Koi no yokan kara. More details of this can be found here.
Pop duo Every Little Thing have announced the release of a new single, titled Tsumetai ame, for November 18th.
Every Little Thing are once again working with producer Igarashi Mitsuru for this single, this time creating a big winter ballad. The lyrics will be written by vocalist Kaori Mochida, who is helping to create a truly remarkable tune with the composition and arrangements.
The single will also feature a cover of (They Long To Be) Close To You, by American rock duo The Carpenters, with different arrangements by Masafumi “Massy” Hayashi and the band themselves. The PV for Tsumetai ame is also set to be included in the limited version of the release.
Okinawan Visual kei band GLACIER have announced the release of a new single, called Kanasambana, for November 4th.
Kanasambana is a bittersweet love song which is said to feature the popular essence that has been shown in their music. This song will be accompanied by the b-side Hoshizuna, a beautiful ballad with influences from the Okinawan musical style, a remix of this same track and both songs' instrumental counterparts.
The single is also set to include a 16-page booklet and a special DVD, featuring the music video of Kanasambana, a live video of Hoshizuna, and a special backstage video with simultaneous audio commentary. A preview of the music video for Kanasambana is currently available to watch via the band's official MySpace for a limited period of time.
Pop idol group Kanjani∞ have announced the release of their first single in over a year. It will be called Kyuu☆ue☆Show!! and will go on sale on November 4th.
Kyuu☆ue☆Show!! is said to feature a big band collaboration to give the tune a more upbeat rock'n'roll edge. It will be accompanied by the b-side Hitotsu no uta, which will include vocal chorus from the fans recorded during the group's performance at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, part of their summer tour TOUR 2∞9 PUZZLE.
Two limited editions of the single will be available, each contaning a different DVD. The type A will come with the PV for the title song, while the type B will include the music video of Hitotsu no uta, as well as extra footage, such as live member introductions and scenes from events in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. The regular type of the release, besides both songs, will also include the song Brilliant Blue and cinematic, plus the instrumental counterparts to all four tracks.
Having just released her newest single CANDY GIRL at the end of last month, pop singer Mika Nakashima has scheduled the release of another single, titled Nagareboshi, which is due to come out on November 4th.
Nagareboshi, created in collaboration with Kubo Kenji and Tanaka Yuusuke, is described as a beautiful ballad in the same vein as STARS, WILL and ORION. It has also been used as the CM song for cosmetics line "Kanebo KATE".
The single will also include the b-side Memory feat. DAISHI DANCE. As the title suggests, house group DAISHI DANCE will take part in this song, having also created the music and arrangements. The lyrics were written by Lori Fine, a New York-based actress and musical producer.
A sample of Nagareboshi can already be heard during the flash opening of Mika's official website.
Rock band NICO Touches the Walls have revealed more details regarding their upcoming single, due to go on sale on November 4th.
The single has been titled Kakera -subete no onna tachi- and chosen to be used as the theme song for Nihon TV's drama "Bouchou Mania 09 ~koko wa choueki shinen de dousuka", set to go on air on October 22nd. The CD will also include the b-side Aurora (Prologue) and a live version of Hologram, taken from their concert at Hibiya Yagaidai Ongakudou on June 20th.
In addition to the single, NICO Touches the Walls have also revealed plans to release a new album on the 25th of the same month. Aurora is expected to feature all of their latest singles: Big Foot, Hologram and also Kakera -subete no onna tachi-. More details will be announced soon.
Female pop singer-songwriter duo RYTHEM have announced the release of their newest single, called Tsunaide te, for November 11th.
Tsunaide te, a ballad tune, was chosen to be used as the ending theme song for Nihon TV's drama "Gyne Sanfujinka no onna tachi". The show, starring Norika Fujiwara, takes place in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of a university hospital. It will air every Wednesday at 10pm, starting on the 14th of this month.
The single, the duo's 17th in total, is expected to include the b-side fast food in addition to the title song, as well as both tracks' instrumental counterparts.
Rock group Ging Nang BOYZ have planned the release of a new single, Boys on the Run, due to come out on December 2nd.
The title track of the single has been composed to be used as the theme song for a movie of the same name, starring Ging Nang BOYZ's vocalist Mineta Kazunobu. Berochuu, a ballad number, will also be included on the release as the b-side.
The single is also expected to feature full audio recording of Yume wo akiramenaide, a song by singer Okamura Takako which is used in the movie during a karaoke scene, as a secret bonus track. Boys on the Run is scheduled to hit theaters in Japan on January 30th. The official website of the film can be accessed here.
MUCC have announced the release of a new single, titled Freesia, for November 25th. Fans attending the band's world tour will have the chance to listen to the song before its official release, as it is already being performed.
The single will be their first under the Sony Music label and will be released in two different editions. The limited edition will contain the title track, a b-side called Shuushifu and a remix of Freesia. The regular edition will contain a different b-side called Rakuen. As with the album Kyuutai and their previous singles, Freesia will be produced by ken of L'Arc～en～Ciel.
Visual kei band Irokui. have announced the release of their first best-of collection album, titled Open Heart Kingdom, for December 2nd.
Open Heart Kingdom will include some of the songs released by the band during their period under the NXSIE RECORDS label, from 2006 to this year. Although it doesn't have a tracklist yet, it is set to feature between 10 and 12 tracks, including Sakura Seven, Kitsu kakeru tonakai, Mrs. Albino and other pop, rock and cheerful tunes.
Irokui. also have an upcoming single about to hit the stores on November 4th. Fantasic Dreamer ~Sleeping beauty~, besides the main song, will also come with the b-side Happy Prince ~shiawase no ouji-sama wa kangaeru~ and a DVD containing the PV for the title track
Visual kei rock band Vidoll will release their third single of this year, titled EVE, on December 2nd.
EVE is described as a love tune with strong vocals from Jui, and will be available in three different editions: CD+DVD, CD+Photobooklet and CD-only. Both of the first two types, in addition to the main track, will be accompanied by a yet-untitled b-side, while the regular CD-only version will also contain a bonus third track.
Vidoll are keeping busy this year with several tours and events, most notably performances in the big V-ROCK FESTIVAL and also in the newly-booked visual rock festival VISUAL ROCK BATTLE 2009, set to take place at Yoyogi Daiichi Taiikukan on October 27th. They have also organised a new one-man concert at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall on January 23rd 2010, as well as a participation in the New Year Countdown event Over the Edge, held in the same hall.
Tickets for An Cafe's live at Nippon Budokan on January 4th 2010 are being made available to overseas fans .
This will be the band's last live before they go on hiatus and it is a rare opportunity for fans from abroad to join in the special event. These tickets will go on sale from mid-November and will be available in five different types, which will all come with original souvenirs. While ticket types B, C, D and E will also offer a short day trip to Harajuku area, none of the ticket plans include international airfare.
The five different ticket types are as follows:
A) Concert ticket only
B) Concert ticket plus hotel room (one-night stay, Jan 4th)
C) Concert ticket plus hotel room (two-night stay, Jan 3rd & 4th)
D) Concert ticket plus hotel room (two-night stay, Jan 4th & 5th)
E) Concert ticket plus hotel room (three-night stay, Jan 3rd-5th)
The website for this offer will be made available in mid-November, along with the ticket prices.
Visual kei rock band lynch. have announced the release of a new live DVD called "THE SHADOW IMPULSE" FINAL 2009.09.06 at AKASAKA BLITZ for December 2nd.
The DVD will contain full footage, with a total of 25 tracks, from the sold-out final concert of their most recent one-man tour "THE SHADOW IMPULSE", which took place at AKASAKA BLITZ on September 6th. Featuring a two-disc set, the release is also set to include a documentary covering the same tour, which was held to promote the group's third original album SHADOWS, released in July.
This will be the first time that lynch. have released a live DVD available to purchase in regular stores. Both editions of OFFICIAL BOOTLEG, their previous DVDs, were only sold via mail-order and at livehouses during their concerts.
Sgt., one of the most dynamic post-rock bands in the Japanese scene, is set to release their newest mini-album capital of gravity on October 7, 2009 through HearJapan's worldwide digital music store.
Not only will HearJapan be selling the release this Wednesday, they have also posted an English interview with the band that delves into their music, new lineup changes and special upcoming live performances. capital of gravity features five new tracks and a remix from their first release by Tyme.
Legendary rock band DEAD END, who reunited in August this year after a twenty year break, have unveiled more details regarding their upcoming brand-new album, due to come out on November 11th.
METAMORPHOSIS, as the disc will be called, will feature ten new songs, including the lead track Princess, which will be broadcast on the Japanese radio program "BUZZ ROCK" on October 12th. The album will be available in both CD and CD+DVD editions, though other details regarding the DVD material have yet to be revealed.
The band is currently shooting a new music video, which is said to be released to fans soon. Additionally, they have also cleared all the details of the reissue of their very first album DEAD LINE, originally released in 1986. Now distributed by DANGER CRUE RECORDS, it will include, besides the eight original tracks, Replica and Worst song, both released as singles in the '80s.
Lastly, DEAD END have also opened a preview of their new website, featuring a new group shot and general information about both albums. The site can be accessed here.
Queen of Japanese Reggae PUSHIM has scheduled the release of a new best-of album titled BEST 1999-2009 for November 28th.
PUSHIM is currently celebrating her tenth anniversary as a major artist this year. So far, she has already released a new single, My Endless Love, and a collection of her favorite reggae tracks called My Town Top Rankin ~Pushim's Favorite Reggae Classics~, both in September.
BEST 1999-2009 will feature 15 songs including all of her major singles, from her debut Brand New Day to her most recent release, My Endless Love. The album will also include the hit FOREVER, remixes of Strong Woman, Like a sunshine, my memory and a dancehall mix of I Say Yeah! featuring, besides PUSHIM, hip-hop groups HOME MADE Kazoku, RHYMESTER and Maboroshi, plus singer May J.
The release will be available in both limited and regular editions, with the limited one coming with a special DVD called PUSHIM 10th ANNIVERSARY CRUISIN' MIX DVD. It will include 20 videos and PVs that display a complete view of PUSHIM's career during these last ten years.
Pop singer and songwriter KOKIA has announced the release of her second compilation album, called Coquillage ~The Best Collection II~, for December 2nd.
KOKIA's first best-of collection, pearl ~The Best Collection~, was released back in 2005 and managed to achieve quite high sales. This new compilation is set to feature songs chosen carefully by the singer, spanning her back catalogue since 2006.
With a picture of the goddess Venus as the jacket artwork, Coquillage will also be available as a limited edition, including a separate disc with two songs: an English version of Kokoro no rousoku and a special version of her single Arigatou..., which was distributed for free at her concert in New York last year.
Pop vocal and dance trio w-inds. have set the release of a new single titled New World for December 9th.
New World will be w-inds.'s 27th single and first in almost seven months. Although further details have yet to be decided, this new single will be fully written, composed and arranged Ryosuke Imai.
The song is currently scheduled to be used as the ending theme song to the second season of high-acclaimed and internationally popular medical drama series "Doctor House", starring Hugh Laurie. The series, broadcast by Nihon TV in Japan, is currently planned to go on air on the 6th of this month.
Pop duo CHEMISTRY will join forces with rapper Dohzi-T to release a new single n November 4th under the title Ano hi... feat. Dohzi-T/Once Again.
CHEMISTRY and Dohzi-T have already collaborated together on the song Ano koro..., which is to be released on October 4th. However, in contrast, this previous song was released by Dohzi-T, featuring CHEMISTRY's vocals.
While Ano hi... is considered the answer song to Ano koro..., Once Again has been chosen to be used as the theme song to the NHK drama "Challenged", which will begin airing on October 10th
cali≠gari have announced another release before the return to their hiatus, in addition to the upcoming fanclub-only album 11. The new release is a live DVD called Tadaima & Sorosoro, which is scheduled to hit the stores on December 2nd.
It will feature footage from both their comeback concert, which was held at the Zepp Tokyo on June 20th, and the concert that took place on September 9th at Shinkiba Studio Coast. The DVD will include two discs, and it will also be released as a limited edition, with an extra disc containing bonus material such as documentary and backstage footage.
Having just released her chart-topping album Box Emotions in the beginning of September, popular pop/rock singer Superfly has already planned the release of a new single called Dancing On The Fire for November 18th.
Dancing On The Fire has been used as the CM song for Canon's "IXY DIGITAL 930IS". The single is also expected to include two b-sides: a live version of Alright!!, a song from Box Emotions, and also a cover of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, originally released by Aretha Franklin and composed by Carole King.
The single will be available in both regular and limited versions, with the latter also coming with a DVD including footage from Superfly's free concert held at Roppongi Hills Arena on September 2nd.
Popular rock band UVERworld announced the release of their 14th single, Kanashimi wa kitto, for October 28th, almost four months after their latest single GO-ON.
Kanashimi wa kitto has been chosen to be used as the theme song for the TBS drama "Shoukoujo Seira", which airs every Saturday at approximately 8pm. The single, besides the title track, will also include Bakiha and a single version of Mikageishi, previously released on their latest album AwakEVE.
The limited edition of the single, as usual, will also feature a DVD including performances of GROOVY GROOVY and D-tecnoLife recorded during their concert at Yoyogi Daiichi Taiikukan on April 5th this year, plus the second edition of UVERworld Classics.
Female rock trio TsuShiMaMiRe will release their 10th anniversary commemorative concert as a live DVD on November 4th under the name Band wa mizumono.
This event, which took place at LIQUIDROOM ebisu on July 5th, was held as a special occasion to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The performance went on for approximately eight hours and featured 43 songs played by the band and guests that took part in the concert.
The DVD release, besides all songs from the event, which almost exceeds the limits of the disc, is also expected to feature scenes from the exhibition in the live house, general backstage footage and more. The limited edition, in addition to the DVD, will also come with a memorial T-shirt.
Female rock trio CHATMONCHY have set the release of a new live DVD & Blu-ray titled WASH THE LIVEHOUSE’09＠ZeppTokyo for November 25th.
WASH THE LIVEHOUSE’09＠ZeppTokyo will contain footage from their concert at Zepp Tokyo on July 5th, part of a nationwide tour held in live houses all over Japan to promote their latest album Kouhaku. It will come in a special package and will also feature backstage and multiangle scenes.
In addition to this DVD, the group also has plans to release the four editions of their DVD series "CHATMONCHY Restaurant" in one big box set on December 23rd. Including a total of six discs, the box, titled CHATMONCHY Restaurant Full Course, will come with the releases "Zensai", "Soup", "Main Dish" and "Dessert", released from November 2007 to August this year, plus special brand-new footage.
Newly formed visual kei duo XOVER have set the release of their first full-length album, called Aureola, for October 21st.
XOVER was formed this year by former Moi dix Mois vocalist Juka, now called Shaura, and Kouichi, ex-guitarist of popular '90s visual kei band Laputa. The duo made their debut with the mini-album XGATE in July through Red List Entertaiment.
Aureola will include ten songs, among them an album version of Memai, included on XGATE. It will also be accompanied by a DVD contaning the PV for the album's lead track, the curse of life. Samples for two other songs from the disc, Utakata no yuukyuu and never ending Garden can already be heard on their official MySpace.
Pop singer Mizuki Nana will release two of her latest concerts, in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, on December 23rd.
NANA MIZUKI LIVE DIAMOND×FEVER will feature all of the tunes from her first ever stadium performance, which took place at Seibu Dome in July this year, as well as full scenes from her performance at Nippon Budokan on January 25th, part of the tour NANA MIZUKI LIVE FEVER 2009. Audio comments and making-of footage from both concerts are also expected to be included on the release.
Additionally, the singer has also unveiled the title and tracklist of her upcoming 20th single, due to come out on October 28th. It will be called Mugen and will come with three other songs: STORIES, Tenkuu no Kanaria, used as the theme song for the OVA "Tales of Symphonia THE ANIMATION Teseara hen", and Dear Dream, chosen as the ending theme for TBS' program "Card Gakuen'. Mugen itself has been used as both the CM song for "Animelo Mix" and the opening theme song for the anime "WHITE ALBUM".
Female pop-rock singer and songwriter Abe Mao has announced the release of her third single, Itsu no hi mo, for January 6th, 2010.
Itsu no hi mo has been chosen to be used as the new ending theme song for Fuji TV's program "Ethica no kagami Kokoro ni kiku TV". The song will start airing on the show in only a few days, on October 11th. The single will also feature the song's instrumental counterpart and the b-sides give me your love and Watashi wa anata ga ii no desu. All of the songs are written and composed by Mao herself.
The single will be available to purchase in both regular and limited editions. The latter is expected to come with a DVD including the music video of Itsu no hi mo and other material, which has not yet been decided.
After releasing a very succesful album Ring in July, R&B singer Kato Miliyah is now set to release a new single, titled WHY, on November 18th.
WHY, described as a love song with a rock taste, is said to be the sequel to her hit single SAYONARA Baby, released back in September 2008. The single, besides the main song, will also include its instrumental counterpart and the b-sides Destiny and You don't know me.
The limited edition of the release will also come with an extra DVD, featuring the music video and making-of for Aitai, a song included on Ring.
Popular visual kei and dance-rock band An Cafe have announced the release of their first best-of album, currently untitled, for December 9th.
An Cafe was formed six years ago and since then have cemented their name in the visual kei scene as one of the most popular bands from this new generation. In January 2010, however, they are set to enter on an indefinite hiatus after their first ever performance at Nippon Budokan.
The compilation album is expected to feature approximately 30 songs split into two discs, including rare old tunes, singles and unpublished brand-new songs. It will also be available in both regular and limited editions, though further details have yet to be revealed.
BUMP OF CHICKEN, one of the most successful rock bands in Japan, have announced the release of their 15th single called R.I.P / Merry Christmas for November 25th.
This single will be the band's first in approximately two years, as their latest two, Mayday and Hana no na, came out consecutively in October 2007. The band then released a new original album, titled orbital period, in December 2007, and a b-side collection called present from you in June 2008.
R.I.P is described as an impressive rock tune, while Merry Christmas, based on its title, will be a Christmas song. Both tracks are said to feature a unique point of view from vocalist and guitarist Fujiwara Motoo.
R&B singer MISIA announced the release of a new single, Hoshi no you ni..., for December 16th, as well as a new album called JUST BALLADE for the same day.
Hoshi no you ni... was chosen to be used as the main theme song for the newest Ultraman film "Daikaijuu Battle Ultra Ginga Densetsu THE MOVIE", set to debut in theaters on December 12th. The b-side Boku no kimochi has been used as the ending theme for Nihon TV variety show "Himitsu no Kenmin SHOW".
The instrumental counterpart to Hoshi no you ni... and a remix version of it, featuring voice samples of Ultraman and the movie's monster, as well as chaotic sound effects, will also be included on the single. Its limited edition will come with a big box of special goods, while the regular version will feature both MISIA and Ultraman on the jacket artwork.
Lastly, JUST BALLADE, her ninth original album, will drop approximately two years after her latest full-length work, Eighth World. It is expected to include Hoshi no you ni..., Boku no kimochi, her latest double A-side single Ginga / Itsumademo and several other songs for a total of 13 tracks.
X JAPAN vocalist TOSHI has planned the release of two new live DVDs for November 25th for his projects TOSHI with T-EARTH and TOSHI & WANKU.
TOSHI with T-EARTH SUMMER LIVE in AKASAKA BLITZ will feature footage from TOSHI with T-EARTH's first performance with its three new members, young drummer RIKU, guitarist RYO and bassist KAIN, which took place at AKASAKA BLITZ on August 13th.
The other DVD, TOSHI & WANKU SUMMER LIVE in AKASAKA BLITZ, will include scenes from TOSHI's first live performance with TOSHI & WANKU, a special unit composed of him and wife Moritani Kaori (WANKU). The concert was held at AKASAKA BLITZ on August 14th and consisted of a healing live, with shouting vocals from TOSHI and calm, whispering performances from WANKU.
Short previews for both DVDs can already be watched on TOSHI's official website.
Popular idol group NEWS will release a new live DVD titled NEWS LIVE DIAMOND on November 4th.
NEWS LIVE DIAMOND is expected to feature over 40 tracks recorded during their concert at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on January 12th, the last stop of their most recent tour NEWS WINTER PARTY DIAMOND LIVE TOUR. A documentary covering all the dates of the tour, which started with two consecutive concerts in Sendai in October 2008, will also be included on the DVD.
The limited edition of the release, besides the main contents, will also include six music videos and their respective making-ofs, each produced by one member of the group, as well as a special final video directed by Takizawa Hideaki from duo Tackey & Tsubasa. This same edition will also come with a 20-page booklet and a special package, while the regular version will feature a 14-page booklet.
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