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music (Page 33)

Antinomy: Talking to Urbangarde about their vision, music, and lying to fans

Urbangarde first caught my attention last year with the release of their video for “Sakura Memento”, a song off the 2014 album Utsukushii Kuni. I’ve been rocking out to their music and pondering their quixotic videos in the many months since then, enjoying their mix of pop, rock, and electronic music. So when a chance meeting resulted in the opportunity to sit down and talk with the band’s vocalists Yoko Hamasaki and Temma Matsunaga, I nearly popped out of my skin with excitement!

If you’ve ever wondered how they come up with lyrics, why they’re so “negative,” and whether they enjoy touring or recording more, read on. Also, be sure to check out their latest video for the new single, “Coin Locker Babies”, after the jump!

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In 2008, anime fans around the world would have loved to trade places with Catherine St. Onge, better known by her stage name, Himeka. The then-27-year-old Canadian singer had just won a national anime song contest in Japan, besting over 3,000 rivals to secure a recording contract and guaranteed theme song performance for an upcoming anime series.

Unfortunately, fame is a fickle thing. Unable to secure commercial success or a new work visa, Himeka had to return to Canada in 2014, even as she wistfully stated she wanted to remain in Japan forever. A year later, though, she’s singing a very different tune, tweeting that she “probably shouldn’t have come to Japan” in the first place and regrets her time in the country.

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NINGEN ISU: This Japanese literary metal band will rock your butt off【Photos & Video】

When Mr. Sato asks you if you want to check out a band with him, you say yes. You don’t ask which band or check your schedule, you just say yes, because you know it’s going to be a good night. It also doesn’t hurt that I already knew he was talking about NINGEN ISU, whose name literally means “Human Chair,” a metal band in the vein of all our favorite old-school traditional metal heroes.

NINGEN ISU’s rise in popularity has been on a slow but powerful burn for decades, and with their upcoming performance at OzzFest this year, they are sure to be popping up on a quite a few radars. So check them out here now and get ready to tell your friends that you knew about these guys way back when!

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EDM artist MUST DIE! attracts attention in Japan for his love of anime

EDM is easily one of most popular music genres around the world today. And we have to admit that we have a soft spot for it ourselves, especially artists like Kiyoshi Sugo. Of course, the scene is full of rising stars, but one in particular has captured the attention of Japanese Internet commenters: MUST DIE!

While dubstep hasn’t made the same inroads in Japan as it has in other countries, there is certainly still an audience for it. And MUST DIE!, an American-born and Berlin-based producer, has recently captured their attention thanks to his enthusiasm for anime and otaku culture as expressed via both social media and some of his songs, like the new track “Onii-chan.”

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Video of a cappella game songs wows the Internet, leaves us feeling nostalgic

The world seems largely split on a cappella music, with some outright hating and others outright loving it. We’re not about to take sides in this debate, but we will say that, if nothing else, it’s always impressive to watch someone do something they’re really good at. Whether it’s crafting katanas or turning candy boxes into art, witnessing skill in action is pretty awesome, and the same goes for a cappella covers — especially when they’re covers of old-school video game music!

So, it’s hardly surprising that this video of a cappella versions of four classic game songs is exploding in popularity online. We’re sure you’ll be impressed too!

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Got mold? If you’re using your earphones too much, you just might

I’m sure we’ve all heard the warnings about the damage that can be done from having the volume too loud when listening to music with earphones. Alright, so you keep your volume at a reasonable level. No harm done then, right? Well, as it turns out, high volume isn’t the only issue with earphones, as it’s recently been found that excessive use can also cause mold growth in the outer ear canal. Sounds delightful (yuck)!

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Ridiculously talented musician reproduces Super Mario Bros. 3 music & sound effects 【Video】

I’m always in awe of people gifted with musical talents. But nothing prepared me to be blown away by the Canadian musical genius who single-handedly reproduced the music and sound effects from NES classic Super Mario Bros. 3 using nothing but old-school instruments.

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Taiwan’s moe train mascot’s new image song somehow reminds Japanese netizens of erotic games

The “K.R.T. Girls”, moe mascots fronting the line for Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT), are no stranger on our humble website. Just recently, we saw them taking over their trains with full-length decals, and just a couple of days ago they released a new image song for one of the girls that briefly mentions a few of the stations along the subway lines.

It’s a catchy pop tune befitting of the cute, refreshing image of the mascot girls, but some Japanese netizens are saying that it sounds like a theme song for an erotic game. Give it a listen after the break!

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New World Order video sees the group dance through Yokohama’s Chinatown – but where’s Genki Sudo?

World Order is easily one of our favorite music groups in Japan. Their songs are catchy and the flat vocals are somehow far more engaging than they have any right being. And, of course, they also produce ultra-cool music videos that fascinate us and always leave us with giant grins on our faces.

So, we greet the news that the group recently released a new music video for their song “Multipolarity” with cheers! Check it out below!

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【Monday Kickstart】This cello/classical guitar medley of Ghibli theme songs is simply beautiful

Studio Ghibli is known the world over for their animated films, and with good reason! They may not quite be as wealth as Disney, but there’s no doubt that they have created many masterpieces that will withstand the test of time. They’ve also created numerous lovely, memorable soundtracks for their movies — and those songs have been perennial favorites for musicians seeking for inspiration for many years.

A quick look around YouTube will reveal too many covers to count, with everything from metal to pop to orchestral. With so many out there, it can be difficult to stand out — and yet many musicians manage to make covers that do just that and blow us away! Today, we have one such pair, Nicholas Yee and Shawn Gan, a cellist and classical guitarist, respectively, who add a sophisticated, sublime edge to some of Ghibli’s most well-known and beloved songs.

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Japanese rhythm game rewards players with panty flashes, punishes with male butts and crotches

In general, rhythm games don’t have graphics so much as displays. Most of the time the player’s eyes are focused on the series of notes flowing down from the top of the screen, and everything else that’s happening visually is actually sort of a distraction.

But what if you simplified things? If you made the rhythm constant, and didn’t specify which button the player has to press in time with the music, you could free his gaze and let him look wherever he wants. In that case, you might as well reward him for skilled play with some panty flashes, and punish his mistakes with a muscular male crotch.

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The surprisingly classy secret of where Godzilla’s roar comes from

Awesome as Godzilla may be, in most of his best-loved appearances it’s pretty easy to tell that the world’s most famous kaiju is being portrayed by a guy in a rubber suit. What’s less obvious, though, is how the creature’s unmistakable roar was created, and it turns out there’s actually a rather high-brow origin to the King of the Monsters’ signature sound effect.

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Full orchestra to perform music from Attack on Titan, Madoka Magica, Evangelion at Tokyo concert

The music plays a huge role in setting the mood of some of anime’s most memorable hits, but it can be kind of hard to notice behind all of the dialogue and sound effects. Grabbing the series’ soundtrack and popping in your earphones is a good way to appreciate the compositions, but an even better way is to hear them performed live by a full orchestra, which is just what fans of Evangelion, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Attack on Titan, Berserk, and more will be able to do at a special concert taking place in Tokyo this month.

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New K-pop video features dance number with hilarious, unintentional Attack on Titan reference

Attack on Titan and K-pop are both making huge cultural waves in Japan right now. Attack on Titan, presumably, because of its inherent badassness (plus its currently screening and upcoming movies), and K-pop because men and women alike find the melodies extremely catchy and, let’s face it, the girls and guys in the videos extremely pleasing to the eye.

So it was, of course, only a matter of time before these two pop cultural, ahem, titans clashed in one way or another. And while we were expecting, eventually, some kind of official collaboration between the anime franchise and, say, KARA – the K-pop band largely credited with kicking off Japan’s current K-pop boom – it turns out the first piece of Internet ephemera to, accidentally, hilariously, combine the two is just so, so much better.

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No more earphones while cycling in Japan? Well, how about nipplephones?

As you probably know, bicycles are an incredibly common method of transportation in Japan. They’ve also been a source of many accidents in the country, and police have taken an increasingly strict approach to dealing with law-breaking cyclists. New rules have recently been implemented to keep the country’s streets from turning into a crazy, Mad Max-esque bicycle dystopia, and one that’s really got people’s attention is a prohibition on earphones/headphones while cycling.

The exact rule and punishment seems to vary from location to location, but wearing earphones in both ears is sure to get you at least a warning, and in some places, Tokyo included, even just one ear is now against the law. But, one of our intrepid RocketNews24 Japan writers thought, what about earphones on your nipples?

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Japanese amateur vocalist Reol channeling Internet fame into solo album debut this summer

Reol (れをる), a female Japanese vocalist who has gained immense popularity over the last few years through her releases on online video sharing sites, is set to make her major debut on July 29 under Victor Entertainment.

The singer’s first solo album will be titled Gokusaishiki (極彩色), which translates to “Richly Colored.” If the album’s title track is any indication, the rest of the album will be a fantastical feast for your ears as well!

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Ever heard of SNH48, AKB48’s second sister group outside of Japan? Based in Shanghai, China, the idol unit has been active since 2012, releasing a total of eight singles to date. These singles are all Chinese-language covers of previous AKB48 singles, including their latest release on May 15–the Chinese version of “Manatsu no Sounds Good!” (盛夏好声音).

Now, I’m not someone easily swayed by the cutesy “charms” of idol singers, but a female writer on our Japanese sister site recently wrote a piece expressing her opinion that SNH48 could possibly be–dare I write it–even cuter than the veritable goddesses of the original AKB48.

Take a moment to watch their latest music video and decide who you think is the cutest!

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Japanese rock musician decides to get old-school, starts a career singing enka

The history of Japanese music is long and storied, and contemporary artists, be they J-pop artists or grindcore bands, fill only a few chapters. Of course, they happen to be some of our favorite chapters, but we’re just saying, there’s a lot to discover!

One genre that has long been a favorite in Japan but hasn’t gotten as much attention overseas as, say, Hatsune Miku, is enka. A modern take on Japanese folk music, enka is probably most popular with older generations — but that hasn’t stopped one extravagantly dressed visual kei/rock drummer from giving it a shot!

Check the bizarre music video for Tsukasa Mogamigawa’s major label debut and get ready to shout “Maaaatsupoi poi poi!”

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Pikachu will hook you up with some free tunes with this cool-looking Pokémon music smartphone app

There’s a unique art to making video game background music. It has to be engaging enough to produce an emotional response, but not so much that it becomes a distraction from the gameplay. Each piece has to quickly establish its tone, but can’t be so simplistic that it becomes repetitive on the many occasions where the music loops around for a second play during the hero’s journey across the map or epic boss fight.

For years, the Pokémon franchise has been hitting the nail on the head with its soundtracks, and if that musical accompaniment adds a special something to your quest to catch ‘em all, why can’t it do the same to a late night of studying or your commute to work? So not only will a new app let you play Pokémon music on your smartphone, it’ll even give you a regular batch of free listens.

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Shawn Wasabi’s digital mash-up samples Pikachu, Final Fantasy, Perfume

Shawn Wasabi mashed up a list of his favorite songs and sound effects to create the original track “Marble Soda.” Wasabi uses a Midi Fighter by DJ Techtools to assign 153 different sounds used during the song. Among them are “Fushizen Na Girl” by Perfume, “PONPONPON” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, “Prelude” from Final Fantasy VII, and Pikachu’s iconic “Pika!”

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