Showing posts with label Zazen Boys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zazen Boys. Show all posts

Calendar 2010 - Far East To East Showcase 2010



Sunday, October 10th
Far East To East Showcase / The New York Anime Festival
Irving Plaza, New York

Puffy AmiYumi
Boom Boom Satellites
Zazen Boys
Echostream

Source: Superglorious






BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, ZAZEN BOYS,AND ECHOSTREAM TO PERFOM AT FAR EAST TO EAST SHOWCASE AT NYAF

Bands Join Puffy AmiYumi For Concert In NYC’s Irving Plaza

Norwalk, CT, August X, 2010: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced bands Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, and Echostream will come together with previously-announced musical guest Puffy AmiYumi for a concert at the Far East To East Showcase (FETES) on Sunday, October 10, 2010. FETES is produced by Superglorious, a live event production firm responsible for orchestrating events with a very eclectic and exciting mix of artists. The New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention, will take place October 8-10, 2010 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. It is created by and co-located with the New York Comic Con. Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, Echostream, and Puffy AmiYumi will all appearing at NYAF for speaking sessions and autograph signings prior to their show. NYAF has additionally announced seiyuu and singer Minori Chihara and Japanese rock band VAMPS will also appear as guests, and comics legends Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr., and John Romita, Jr. will headline the New York Comic Con.

Presented in Irving Plaza (East 15th Street, New York, NY) for the first time, FETES is proud to take place in this historic venue, and will be presenting a roster of performers fully befitting the concert hall.

“FETES 2010 is a one-night-only, once-in-a-lifetime lineup,” FETES Manager Hayden Brereton said. “With FETES going into its third year, we’re pulling out all the stops to produce an event that offers a very diverse selection of top artists. Fans of pop, electronic, rock, alternative or just great live music will fall in love with the Far East to East Showcase this year!”

“Created as a night of music that brings together musical artists from both America and Japan, focusing on the borderlessness of song, and creating an evening appealing to anime fans, audiophiles, and casual New Yorkers interested in something new, FETES has been a unique attraction at the New York Anime Festival since 2008,” NYAF and NYCC Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. “And we could not be more humbled and thrilled looking out at the artists who’ll be taking the stage this year!”

Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, Echostream, and Puffy AmiYmi will all be appearing at the New York Anime Festival and New York Comic Con throughout the weekend for panel discussions and autograph signings before taking the stage on Sunday night at Irving Plaza. Tickets to FETES are $22 in advance and are separate from NYAF and NYCC admission. FETES tickets can be purchased now at www.superglorious.com or www.livenation.com.

Tickets for NYAF or NYCC may be purchased at www.nyanimefestival.com or www.nycomiccon.com. Other information about the shows, as well as news about the Reed Pop Culture Group, which also organizes Star Wars Celebration, is available at Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

ABOUT BOOM BOOM SATELLITES:

Electronic/Rock unit Boom Boom Satellites — bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima — first broke in Europe in 1997. Absorbing both electronic and rock elements, they created a completely new and unknown sound, which not only established them as an exciting new band, but also boosted their profile as one of the most distinguished music producers in Japan. Their first single, 4 A Moment of Silence, was released in Europe in 1997 and triggered rave reviews from such definitive European music magazines as Melody Maker, who compared their debut impact to those of the Chemical Brothers’ and Prodigy’s. In 1998 the band embarked on a 3 month US tour with Moby, and shortly after they began receiving — and still keep receiving — requests for remix work from various artists such as Garbage, Josh Wink, and many more, which proved that their sound could be acclaimed and accepted internationally. When Oliver Stone and Luc Besson chose a band’s track to use in the film Yamakashi, it reinforced interest in their music from industries out side of the music business. In 2004 the band continued their film work by producing the soundtrack album to the animated film Appleseed. Boom Boom Satellites contributed four new songs, including the movie’s main theme, Dive For You, to the soundtrack, which also included music from Paul Oakenfold, Basement Jaxx, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2007, their 6th album EXPOSED was released. Japanese lead track Easy Action was featured in 3D live action anime film, Vexille (directed by Fumihiko Sori), and was included in the soundtrack which also features Asian Dub Foundation, Underworld, and The Prodigy. EXPOSED was produced in an attempt to find the answer for the band to the long-standing question from the industry that tends to appreciate genre specific music, namely, Rock vs. Dance. In this album they have reached an answer — Rock AND Dance, both can exist at the same time and same place. Hence the new follow-up greatest hits album, OVER AND OVER. Coming in September 14, 2010 from SonyMusic Independent Network, this album is thoroughly re-mastered and re-mixed by the members themselves, and allows the listeners to appreciate it as a completely new album rather as a simple compilation of pre-existing tracks.



www.bbs-net.com

www.myspace.com/boomboomsatellites

www.facebook.com/boomboomsatellites

ABOUT ZAZEN BOYS:

Zazen Boys are Mukai Shutoku / Vocal,Guitar.Synth , Matsusita Atsushi / Drums , Yoshida Ichiro / Bass , Yoshikane Sou / Guitar

Zazen Boys were formed in 2003 by Mukai Shutoku,former leader of Japanese rock band Number Girl. In a word, Zazen Boys aspire to be `Led Zeppelin in kimono`. Their eclectic style is complex but raw, ranging from funk in irregular time, to Captain Beefheart combined with Minyo (traditional Japanese folk songs),to angular guitar-driven punk-ballads. Mukai`s lyrics are in Japanese, and the unique worldview that they express are based around two key concepts:`shogyou-mujo` and `seiteki-shodo`, meaning roughly `the transience of this world`and `sexual impulse`. To date, Zazen Boys have released 4 albums and 2 singles, all through their own label Matsuri Studio. Their latest album `Zazen Boys 4` was produced by Dave Fridmann (49th Grammy Winner for Best Recording Engineer),It opens with `Asobi`, a dark and brooding number performed entirely on drum machine and synthesizer, reminiscent of early deep house, and then on to `Honnoji`, a raging 16 beat-psyche-funk rock tune, and so on. Zazen Boys` awesome live shows reach almost 100 per year, and their music continues to stir hearts all over Japan and beyond. (www.mukaishutoku.com)

ABOUT ECHOSTREAM:

Echostream’s music draws the audience into a singular world, where haunting melodies swirl over grooving beats and unique instrumentation. Drawing on classical sensibility, the music includes techniques and arrangements normally only found in stuffy concerts populated by grey-haired old ladies. Here, those same instruments are let loose like beasts released to roam the wilds in search of adventures. Pianos, French Horns, Mandolins, Theremins, and of course the standard rock fare — drums, bass, guitars — abound, blending and accentuating one another to create a sound that is just as at home in a movie, on TV, or in a game, as it is on a festival stage. Echostream is not a new band, although you may only now be discovering them. Over a history of five years, two self-released albums, multiple licenses for TV and compilations both domestic and abroad, and many large-venue performances, the band has honed its sound and skills to an exceptional level. (www.myspace.com/echostream)

ABOUT PUFFY AMIYUMI:

Puffy AmiYumi, composed of singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura, debuted in 1996 with the million selling single Asia No Junshin. Since then, their music has made them household names in Japan, leading to numerous hit songs, commercial appearances, and even their own television show. In 2000, Puffy AmiYumi began releasing albums and touring in the US. In 2004, Cartoon Network created an original cartoon, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, which became one of the most watched cartoons in the world — havin g been broadcast in 110 different countries. In 2006, Puffy AmiYumi were appointed the Goodwill Ambassadors of the Visit Japan Campaign for the US. In 2009, Puffy AmiYumi performed in Europe for the first time in front of 5,000+ people in Paris’s Japan Expo. In the same year, they sang the theme song to the Naruto film Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire. Their latest album, Bring it!, includes All Because Of You and I Don’t Wanna written by Avril Lavigne and her producer Butch Walker, Hiyori Hime written by the Japanese female rock icon Sheena Ringo, the theme song to the new Genji anime series, and other songs written by numerous stellar song writers. In September 2010, PuffyAmi Yumi will perform in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the following month, they’ll be coming to NYC. (www.puffyamiyumi.com)

ABOUT SUPERGLORIOUS:

Superglorious is a music event production company that specializes in creating unique live music presentations. With a special emphasis on distinctive sounds, engaging performance, and high production values, Superglorious unifies a diverse collective of artists to create soundscapes that are meant to entertain and inspire. The firm’s strong understanding of the local music industry and global approach to art has allowed artists from across America, the Far East, and Europe to boost and extend their connections to audiences across New York City. Utilizing a holistic approach to its projects, Superglorious offers a wide range of expertise that includes artist and equipment coordination, online and street marketing, print design and artist booking. Its constant pursuit of excellence offers challenging and exciting opportunities for both artists and music lovers. (www.superglorious.com)

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:

The New York Anime Festival takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. (www.newyorkanimefestival.com)

ABOUT NEW YORK COMIC CON:

New York Comic Con is the East Coast’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. Our show floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Our panels and autograph sessions give fans a chance to interact with their favorite creators. Our screening rooms feature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit either big or small screens. And with dedicated professional hours, New York Comic Con is a market place, bringing together the major players in the entertainment industry. New York Comic Con is the second largest pop culture convention in America and the only one that takes place in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world — Gotham City. (www.newyorkcomiccon.com)

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched UFC Fan Expo in partnership with the UFC – the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization – and it formed a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.

Zazen Boys



Formed by Number Girl frontman Mukai Shutoku and drummer Inazawa Ahito after that band split in 2002, Zazen Boys takes Number Girl's loud and abrasive garage rock assault and turns it on its ear. With even more complex arrangements and a much more improvisational feel, Zazen Boys blends all sorts of genres like rap, dub, garage rock and electro into one continuously evolving mass. Inazawa has since left Zazen Boys to form his own band Vola and the Oriental Machine.

Their improv and free-form approach to performance is the most obvious driving factor to all of their releases. They've produced many live albums as well, further accentuating their interest in letting their music live and breathe on its own. That's not to say they're just making it all up as they go. Their songs usually revolve one or two complex grooves while Mukai rants and raves over the top. His vocal style is perhaps best described as aggressive rap, sometimes devolving into tight fragments of words and sound stuttered and spit out like a machine-gun. But the music is usually far from hip-hop, bring more like fractured post-rock or math-rock, just smoothed out a little.

As much as the band loves to play around in this jagged world, they also toss out the occasional curve-ball. Their latest work features songs that are very synths heavy, with a dark club vibe an disco beats. Yet even those songs have a raw and somewhat lethal sounding edge to them, like a late night drive through a glitzy, yet dangerous part of the big city. Never one to settle down, Zazen Boys are truly one of the you'll-hear-something-new-each-time-you-listen sorts of bands.

BUY ZAZEN BOYS RELEASES HERE


"Usodarake"




Official Site
MySpace

Members:
Mukai Shutoku - Vocals, Guitar, Synthesizer
Yoshida Ichirou - Bass
Yoshikane Sou - Guitar
Matsushita Atsushi - Drums

Albums:
Zazen Boys 2004
Zazen Boys II 2004
Zazen Boys III 2006
At the Matsuri Studio 2006
Zazen Boys 4 2008

"Himitsu Girl's Top Secret"


"Crazy Days Crazy Feeling" (with Shiina Ringo)"


"Asobi"


Weekend"


March 09 Calendar - Zazen Boys - New York Gigs



March 6-8
Zazen Boys

New York

3/6 - Cake Shop, New York
3/7 - The Saint Asbury Park, New Jersey
3/8 - Pianos, New York

Source: MySpace

Straightener (ストレイテナー)



Straightener is an indie rock band, a very influential and powerful one. Originally formed in the late '90s, their core line up of front man Atsushi Horie and drummer Shinpei Nakayama shifted over the years and now includes two ex-members of the similarly themed Art-School.

Unsurprisingly, their sound has evolved a matured a bit over the pest ten or so years, yet they haven't moved too far from their early loud and powerful indie rock. Instead, they've developed their natural resources and pushed their sound into much more lush and expansive territory. This has also rounded the corners to their previously harsh delivery. Much like Mo'some Tonebender, this could either be seen as an improvement or a loss, depending on what you're hoping to get out of the experience.

Overall, they write powerful songs filled with the earnest emotion you might expect from similar bands like Foo Fighters, but present it with a slightly harder edge and without any of the melodrama. There is very little trickery or showmanship in any of their work. They are simply very catchy and well written songs that will rock your teeth out. On the flip side, they are also no strangers to the rock ballad, with their Nexus album being host to a few softer, piano tinged tracks.

As mentioned above, the band is currently one half ex-Art-School members, but the incestuous band affiliations don't end there. Atsushi and bassist Hidekazu Hinata are both in the mostly instrumental side project Fullarmor, along with Jun Izawa of Lite/Seabara and Oniy of The Zoobombs. Hidekazu was also the bassist for Zazen Boys. Drummer Shinpei is also in The Predators, along with The Pillows vocalist Sawao Yamanaka and Jiro from Glay. None of these other project stray far from the any of the other band's general indie-power-rock sound that all of the various members seem to champion. Are you still with me?

Long story short, Straightener is like a hub to a giant indie-rock wheel. While their albums are all solid and top quality, their spokes reach out and form a wheel that's more than the sum of its parts.

BUY STRAIGHTENER RELEASES HERE!


A Song Runs Through World



Official Site
MySpace

Members:
Atsushi Horie - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard (Also in Fullarmor)
Shinpei Nakayama - Drums (Also in The Predators)
Hidekazu Hinata - Bass (Former Art-School and Zazen Boys, also in Fullarmor)
Jun Oyama - Guitar (Former Art-School)

Releases:
Nexus 2009
Immortal 2007
Linear 2007
Dear Deadman 2006
Title 2005
Rock End Roll 2004
Lost World's Anthology 2004
Skeletonized 2002
Error 2001
Straighten It Up 2000

Lightening


Black Hole


Tender


Killer Tune


Traveling Gargoyle


The Ramains


Rocksteady

September/October Calendar - Zazen Boys - US Tour



9/28 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New york
9/29 The Middle East Boston, Massachusetts
10/1 Khyber Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10/2 Talking Head Club Baltimore, Maryland
10/4 Maxwell's Hoboken, New Jersey
10/5 Mercury Lounge, New York, New York

Source: MySpace

September Calendar - JapaNoodle US Tour



Sep 19-28
Peelander-Z, TsuShiMaMeRe, Zazen Boys, Bakubeni, Quaff, The Captains, The Emeralds


Sep 19 Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 20 Tasty World - Athens, Georgia
Sep 22 Exit/In - Nashville, Tennessee
Sep 23 The Pilot Light - Knoxville, Tennessee
Sep 24 Local 506 - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Sep 25 The Ottobar - Baltimore, Maryland
Sep 26 Khyber - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 28 Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York

NOTE: Make sure to check out the site because each date has a different line-up.

Source: MySpace
(Thanks to medusanyc for the tip!)

Japanator Radio 50



A day late, but not a single yen short, here comes the next Japanator Radio!

Wow, show number 50. Sheesh! One year is just around the corner. What should I do about that? I have no idea. Someone should make a cake or something. Make me a cake!

OK, this week we've got Zazen Boys in the Artist Spotlight, as well as some new stuff from Galneryus, Meg and one from Captian Straydom that I just can't stop listening to. Show is GO!

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 50 AT JAPANATOR!

September Calendar - Zazen Boys + More - New York Gig



September 28
Peelander-Z / TsuShiMaMiRe / Zazen Boys / Bakubeni / Quaff


Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North 6th St., Brooklyn, New York
Doors 7:30pm / Show 8:30pm / $10 adv / $12 dos / 18+

Source: MySpace

NOTE: Anyone know if this is related to the Far East to East show the day before?

Fullarmor



Fullarmor is the side-project of Straightener front-man Atsushi Horie, along with three other members of other bands. Their first self titled album is very much like Atsushi's main gig, namely guitar heavy emo-esque indie rock, centered around his vocals. That first album is the only time that Atsushi sings along with playing guitar, just as he does in Straightener. The two following albums find him sticking only to keyboards and guitar.

Once the band went instrumental, things changed drastically. The songs became much more complex and flowing. It's as if taking out Atshushi's vocals allowed them to flex their muscles a bit and breathe some jazz into their compositions. The funky jazz elements remind me very much of the video game cover band The Advantage, or perhaps an upbeat Downey. The songs are rather game-like, sounding a bit like crazy boss themes or space adventures. This may be because the songs are locked into one main riff or basic idea rather than the usual verse/chorus structure. The production is very open and loose, giving them a very live feel as well, again much like the way The Advantage approaches their covers.

The band also has two bass players, which also adds a unique sound to the mix. Along with Atshishi's piano and keyboard playing, the band has come a long way from their indie-rock origins and moved into their own new territory.

Money & Game


BUY FULLARMOR RELEASES HERE!



Official Site
MySpace

Members:
Atsushi Horie: Vocals, Guitar, Synth
Hinatch (ex.Zazen Boys): Bass
Jun Izawa (LITE,SEABARA): Bass
Oniy (The Zoobombs): Drums

Releases:
Fullarmor (2003)
Zion (2007)
Cataract (2008)

Vola & The Oriental Machine



Vola & The Oriental Machine is the spin-off group formed by former Number Girl drummer Ahito Inazawa, who also played drums in Zazen Boys, a band formed by Number Girl front man Mukai Shutoku after Number Girl broke up in 2002.

Vola is something of a super-group, featuring former Downy guitarist Aoki Yutaka (who has since left Vola to play in his own band Unkie), drummer Nakahata Daiki from Syrup16g and Arie Yoshinori on bass. All of these expert players combine to form the Vola super-robot. Shedding Number Girl's and Zazen Boys' more erratic, complex and noisy sound, Vola hones its blade to a sharp edge, slicing the air instead of pummeling it. Their songs are pure and to the point, yet intricate and deep. Mostly straight-up rock, they tend to be danceable and driving, with relatively simple drum lines (at least when compared to Inazawa's previous bands) in lock-step with the bass.

Inazawa (who plays guitar and sings, by the way) at times sounds a bit like Sawao Yamanaka from The Pillows, at least when he's actually trying to sing. So much so that when I first heard Vola I had to double check to make sure I didn't get something wrong. Vola is like a very intense and dangerous version of The Pillows. While their songs are often anthemic and soaring, they contain a dark and angry edge.

Much like Dave Grohl moving on from Nirvana to form The Foo Fighters, Ahito Inazawa has moved on from Number Girl to form Vola & The Oriental Machine. It's an apt comparison (if I may say so) and a testament to the huge amount of songwriting talent Vola & The Oriental Machine has to offer.

BUY VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE RELEASES HERE


An Imitation's Superstar



Official Site
MySpace

Members
Ahito Inazawa - Vocal, Guitar
Nakahata Daiki - Drums
Arie Yoshinori - Bass

Major Releases
Waiting for My Food (1-25-2006)
ANDROID -like a house mannequin (4-11-2007)
Halan'na-ca Darkside (10-08-2008)

羽根の光


A Communication Refusal Desire (Live)


Comeback In Darkness


Self-Defense


Number Girl



During their seven year run, Number Girl were one of the most influential indie rock bands in Japan, with a wide variety of outside influences themselves (most notably Sonic Youth and The Pixies). At first listen you could be forgiven for dismissing the band due to its very noisy, almost chaotic sound, but further and closer listening will reveal the true genius of the band. Full of complex, ever changing rhythms, they often stray into territory far outside that of typical noise/indie rock, such and dub and reggae, being most obvious in the massive amount of reverb often present on the drums and vocals. Regardless of their approach, every song is exploding with energy and movement, due to each member being a master at their craft. After breaking up, guitarist Tabuchi Hisako joined Bloodthirsty Butchers, also forming Toddle, her own slightly more pop oriented band. Singer and guitarist Shutoku Mukai formed the even more insane Zazan Boys with drummer Ahito Inazawa, who then went on to form Vola and the Oriental Machine.