In little over a day Harajuku’s ‘Kawaii Ambassador’ Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has managed to sell out London’s 800 capacity O2 Islington Academy. Her UK debut show will take place on Wednesday 13 February as part of her 100%KPP WORLD TOUR 2013. So far two other European dates have been announced; a show in Brussels (Belgium) with Vk* Concerts on 9 February, followed by a date in Paris’ La Cigale on 10 February.
Congratulation, the young star’s creating a Pamyu Pamyu Revolution, and we wonder how long it will be until other Japanese pop acts decide to venture out into Europe seeking similar success.
Draconic duo maya and Aiji, otherwise known as LM.C, see the year out by dropping their brand new single across Europe. Out now digitally through Gan Shin Records, DOUBLE DRAGON packs two hi-energy party anthems; it’s title track, and a new version of their classic ‘Rock the LM.C‘.
DOUBLE DRAGON is the ‘new century electronic rock’ act’s first new single since those of 2012′s album STRONG POP, and continues the pair’s style of bright and happy pop-rock music. DOUBLE DRAGON is a guitar riff-lead track that we’d place somewhere between OH MY JULIET meets their previous single Ah Hah!, combing a guitar-riff heavy melody with a catchy chorus. ‘Rock the LM.C’ on the other hand, sees a digital re-imagining of the song originally found on 2008′s Super Glitter Loud Box. It’s fresh enough to sound new, but not too drastically different that it’ll offend fans of the original.
Harajuku’s very own Fashion Monster, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, will be London-bound in 2013, with a date confirmed at the O2 Academy Islington on Wednesday 13 February. The J-pop megastar recently appeared on the cover of fashion mag Dazed & Confused, while earlier in the year we helped her get a page in the Evening Standard. Now her first show in the UK has been confirmed as part of her 2013 world tour, with tickets going on sale to the general public priced at £22.50 from 9am on Friday 20 December 2012 by clicking here. While O2 priority tickets are on sale now.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu first shot to fame internationally through the video to her single “PonPonPon” (video below), currently sitting pretty with over 40 million views. Soon Japan caught up with her notority and by the time of her second single she became the new face of Tokyo, plastered in about every advertising form imaginable. Is London next?
Get up to speed on Kyary’s digital discography, the following are all out now across Europe and the UK:
When: Saturday 27 October 2012 from 8pm-3am. Where:Bloomsbury Lanes, Bedford Way, WC1H 9EU. (map) Nearest Tube Station: Euston and Russell Square Stations. Tickets: £5 with a flyer or costume. £8 on the door. Event Pages: [facebook] [last.fm]
It’s going to be one hell of a weekend. We’ll be at the MCM Expo during the day, supplying the UK’s masses, cosplayers – and maybe Dr. Who‘s Matt Smith – with Japanese music CDs by day, and then rocking with you lot and some ace bands from Japan by night! Come join us! There will be two live bands from Japan, karaoke courtesy of OnBoard Karaoke, arcade machines, fun, games and ace music until the wee hours of the morning. Plus, if you come in a decent costume, we’ll let you in for £5!
This zany bunch of purple-shirt wearers are a catchy, high-energy avant-garde pop band from Nagoya, Japan. According to tour agecy It Came From Japan, Budo Grape is fronted by model and radio personality Quminco on vocals, and has Nagoya music legend Nagai (formerly of The Shockers), the group’s chief songwriter and guitarist. Check out a recent interview with them here.
Formed in 2001, Budo Grape released their first full album KOIBITO WA KOUSHITE TSUKURU in 2005. The album was a hit in the Japanese underground scene, and was followed by a number of other albums. The band’s cred soon spread, and they were invited by overseas fans to play in the United States, performing their debut live tour there in 2008 and releasing a best-of album, JUICE!, via a US label. The band also participated in a tribute album for French singer-songwriter Claude Francois, released in Japan as well as France.
New keyboardist Naho joined the band in 2012, bringing with her an edgy synth sound that has given the band’s sound a boost. They released their sixth album, KARE NO NAMAE WO OMOIDASENAI, the same year.
The band, whose members all have Grape as their last name, claim to come from “Neo-Nagoya”. They continue to tour Japan with their crazy live show and catchy songs, and in October 2012 they will perform their long-awaited debut concerts in the UK.
Ken Kobayashi is a singer, songwriter and a producer based in London. Ken was born in London in 1988 between a German father and a Japanese mother. Spending childhood in Tokyo, Berlin and London, Ken was exposed to a wide range of range of music genres and movements. Ken started writing songs when he learnt to play the guitar at the age of 16. In 2009, He released his debut album My Big Foot Over the Sky.
NoGoD are possibly one of our favourite, overlooked visual kei artists of recent years. We still remember receiving a review copy of their third album Kakera (get it on CD/DVD or MP3) from CLJ Records – their first release in Europe as far as we’re aware. Back then, vocalist Danchou was going for some weird clown look – and this writer wasn’t digging it. All pre-conceived expectations of An Cafe-styled monstrosity were blown away when first full-track ‘Shinzou‘ blasted our eardrums with its metalcore-inspired guitar work and post-hardcore screams.
Now switching European label to Gan Shin, the group release their latest maxi-single Stand Up! digitally. The three tracks included don’t disappoint. Every one is upbeat, fierce and falls somewhere between Deluhi and abingdon boys school, by way of old skool Girugamesh – no bad thing indeed.
