the GazettE Dominate English Media Awards for 2012 by Winning Best Rock Act, Best Album, Best Music Video and More

Japan’s pioneering rock outfit the GazettE have proved to be an unstoppable force since unleashing their ground-breaking album DIVISION. Released from British independent label JPU Records in the UK and Europe, DIVISION and the GazettE have gone on to win a series of awards from English-language media, including best band, album and music video of 2012.

Over one-million votes were cast during Jpopasia.com’s 2012 music awards, asking Japanese music fans from across the world to select their favourite artists over 12 categories. the GazettE dominated the awards by winning six of the categories; ‘Favourite Band’, ‘Best Music Video’ (for album track ‘DERANGEMENT’), ‘Best Album’ (for DIVISION) and ‘Best Rock Act’, while the group’s charismatic guitar-shredder AOI won ‘Best Use of Social Media’, and band leader and drummer KAI was voted sexiest rocker in Japan. Other artists that were nominated included the mighty X Japan, Dir en grey and ONE OK ROCK.

Meanwhile the GazettE also claimed ‘Best Music Act 2012′ by the readers of NEO, the UK’s longest running Asian pop culture magazine, managing to surpass Korean pop-sensations PSY and Wembley Arena fillers BIGBANG, as well as Japanese guitar legend Tomoyasu Hotei (Kill Bill) and Japan’s electro metalcore outfit Crossfaith.

the GazettE’s vocalist RUKI comments;
“Thank you for your support as always. I’m happy that the GazettE won an award, but I’m even more happy to know that so many people are recognising and listening to the GazettE. Next time, let’s enjoy our music at a live show together. Thanks again.”

DIVISION is out now and available to purchase on CD and digitally from the following retailers found here, amongst others.

RUKI from the GazettE Currently #1 in the Shorty Awards

RUKI, the frontman from Japan’s stadium rockers the GazettE, is currently at the top of this year’s Shorty Awards. The vocalist is leading the way in the ‘singer’ category, ranking in above the likes of Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, and, well… everyone! Meanwhile, the band’s guitarist AOI is clocking in at #8 in the ‘music’ category.

The Shorty Awards celebrate the best in social media over a variety of different areas, ranging from entertainment to charity, fashion and activism. This year’s awards mark the ceremony’s fifth anniversary and will take place at The Times Center in New York on 8 April 2013.

To keep RUKI at number one, vote for him by clicking here. To help AOI raise through the ranks of the music section click here. You can also vote for Japan Underground and / or JPU Records in the Small Business section by clicking here.

DIVISION, the latest album from the GazettE is out now across Europe from JPU Records. Find out where stocks it near you by clicking here.

Japan Underground ft. Japanese Michael Jackson Tribute DISCYU – 2 Feb 2013

Click for full size flyer

When: Saturday 2 February 2013 from 7pm.
Where: Namco Fun Scape, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7PB.
Tickets: £6 – available from WeGotTickets and TheTicketSellers. Tickets cannot be purchased on the door.
Event pages:  [facebook] [last.fm]

Schedule:
19:00 - Doors open / DJ set
19:30 - Pussycat Dolls tribute
20:00 - Michael Jackson tribute (BAD tour by BEAT-San)
20:30 - DJ set
21:15 - Michael Jackson tribute (This Is It tour by DISCYU)
22:00 - DJ set
23:30 – Close

Whether you’re a smooth criminal or a dirty Diana, you’re in for a thriller of a night this February. Japan Underground, one of the UK’s leading Japanese music promoters, is flying in five-piece Michael Jackson tribute act DISCYU all the way from Japan for a special one-off evening of entertainment that’s tipped to be dangerous, bad and off the wall.

So, if you wanna be startin’ somethin’, you better be heading down to London’s Namco Fun Scape on Saturday 2 February 2013 to shake your body. Japan Underground will be taking over the venue’s downstairs bar and arcade for a night dedicated to the King of Pop, Japanese style! On top of the dance performance from  DISCYU, there will be DJ sets throughout the night, incorporating cover songs from Japanese artists and pop classics, plus you can beat it on an array of arcade machines, as well as karaoke and bowling being available – plus a fully licensed bar. Shamon!

DISCYU is the latest signing to Japan’s Legend of Rock, an agency specialising in tribute acts to the world’s best loved artists. Other groups under the collective include QUEER as QUEEN – a Queen tribute act that performed in London in 2012 – and Metallica tribute Hattallica, who sold out their first London show in 2011 and are regulars at Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival.

http://www.legendofrock-show.com/
http://www.namcofunscape-londonevents.co.uk/
http://japanunderground.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JapanUndergroundClub

Check out the video below for a tour of the venue.

Japan Underground: Headbangers Bash w/ BRAIN DEATH ZOMBIE and UMEZ live (12 Jan)

Click to see the full BRAIN DEATH ZOMBIE gallery

When: Saturday 12 January 2013 from 7pm.
Where: The Pipeline, 94 Middlesex Street, E1 7DA.
Tickets: £6 (http://www.wegottickets.com/event/201100)
Event pages:  [facebook] [last.fm]
Sponsor: JPU Records

Set times:
7:00pm-8:00pm – DJ set
8:00pm-8:40pm – Umez (live)
8:40pm-9:00pm – DJ set
9:00pm-9:50pm – BRAIN DEATH ZOMBIE (live)
9:50pm-11:30pm – DJ set

Come and join us celebrate a new year in the only way we know how – with loud, heavy metal from Japan! On Saturday 12 January, Japan Underground will once again takeover Liverpool Street’s punk bar The Pipeline for a night of distorted debauchery, featuring two live acts from the east.

Click for full size BRAIN DEATH ZOMBIE photo

Headlining the night is Kobe metal outfit BRAIN DEATH ZOMBIE, unleashing their aggressive and haunting sound for the first time outside of Japan. The quintet is heavily inspired by the likes of Korn, Slipknot and Japan’s own Dir en Grey. If you’re a fan of the latter, we recommend you check out BRAIN DEATH ZOMBIE’s tracks HATEFUL HEAVY PRESSURE and Nun, available along with the rest of their EP from their Soundcloud and homepage. Be warned, with their mixture of thunderous guitars, spine snapping samples and haunting vocals, this is one group not for the faint-hearted.

London-based Japanese noise-duo Umez will also make their return to Japan Underground. The pair previously opened for TOQUIWA‘s headline show in (click here for some ace photos of the event). They clash two contrasting genres together to create a unique sound, combining elements of J-pop and avant-garde noise. The unit is formed by members from the Japanese all-girl group No Cars, and indie rockers Screaming Tea Party.

PLUS! Japan Underground’s resident DJ, music journalist and JPU Records’ owner Tom Smith, will supply track-after-track from Japan’s hardcore, metal, punk and heavy rock scenes. If it’s not got loud guitars, thunderous drums or brutal breakdown, it’s not getting played. Come along, rock out, discover a whole new world of Japanese music.

Tokyo All Girl Outfit TOQUIWA Return for UK Tour

Image: (c) F Yang 2012

TOQUIWA, it makes me happy. At least that’s how we’ve been singing the Terrorvision song since stumbling across this oddly named rock squad. Hailing from Tokyo, the band first had the opportunity of performing in the UK as support for  indie rockers The Wedding Present, who found the girls performing in the street while visiting Japan, and fell in love with their high-energy, quirky guitar sound and vocals.

Now the girls are back in the UK, clutching with them their newly pressed self-titled album, out now from the British label Scopitones, as well as the following tour date with The Wedding Present;

02 Nov: Dublin, IRL – Button Factory
03 Nov: Galway, IRL – Roisin Dubh
04 Nov: Cork, IRL – Cyprus Avenue
05 Nov:  Manchester, UK – BBC6 Music Live Radio Session for Marc Riley [not open to the public]
06 Nov: Carlisle, UK – Brickyard
07 Nov: Edinburgh, UK – Liquid Room
08 Nov: Liverpool, UK – O2 Academy
09 Nov: Manchester, UK – Ritz
10 Nov: Newcastle, UK – O2 Academy
12 Nov: York, UK – Duchess
13 Nov: Sheffield, UK – Leadmill
14 Nov: Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
15 Nov: Birmingham, UK – O2 Academy
16 Nov: Norwich, UK – Waterfront
17 Nov: Oxford, UK – O2 Academy
18 Nov: Buckley, UK – Tivoli
20 Nov: Leamington Spa, UK – Assembly
21 Nov:  Cambridge, UK – Junction
22 Nov: Reading, UK – Sub 89
23 Nov:  London, UK – Koko with Dead Wolf Club
24 Nov: London, UK – Japan Underground at The Pipeline – TOQUIWA headline set