SCANDAL Becomes First Band to be on the Cover of British Magazine NEO

NEO 138 - SCANDAL cover

SCANDAL, one of Japan’s most powerful all-girl rock bands, will feature on the cover of issue 138 of NEO Magazine in the UK from 12 June 2015, following the successful conclusion of their first world tour, their latest music video Image passing one million views, and the release of two international albums in the last six months through London’s JPU Records.

It’s the first time a band has featured on the cover of the British anime, manga and Asian pop-culture publication since beginning ten years ago under publisher Uncooked Media. Fittingly, SCANDAL has also has their music used in hugely popular anime as Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist and the latest Pokémon film.

The issue of NEO boasts an extensive six-page interview with the band, including exclusive photos from their sold out show at the O2 Academy Islington, as well as the group’s first time sight-seeing in London, including their homage to musical heroes The Beatles whilst visiting Abbey Road Studios, and rock legends Oasis in recreating the cover of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. Two full-A4 posters are additionally included.

Editor Gemma Cox comments; ”NEO 138 is truly an issue dear to our hearts, as it’s the first time in our decade-long history that we’ve featured a Japanese band on the front cover. Asian music is one of our passions at NEO, and we could not think of a better band to celebrate this with than SCANDAL, the all-girl group currently taking the world by storm! Powering through the charts with their latest album releases, HELLO WORLD and UK-and-Europe-exclusive GREATEST HITS, there was never a better time for us to speak to the girls than during their brief stop in London as part of their tour. We hope SCANDAL-fans and music lovers enjoy our extensive coverage in NEO 138.”

SCANDAL’s latest studio album HELLO WORLD is their eighth to be released, and reached number three in Japan’s Oricon Album Chart when it was originally released in Japan from Epic Records, owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. It was SCANDAL’s first album to be released in the UK through independent label JPU Records Ltd. at the start of 2015, and was followed up by an exclusive compilation from the British label entitled GREATEST HITS, which sold out of initial print before release date in May 2015.NEO138-SCANDAL2NEO138-SCANDAL1

Issue 138 of NEO Magazine is available from magazine stockists from 12 June 2015, as well as its homepage www.neomag.co.uk/magazine.

NEO 138 is also available digitally from Google Play, Amazon, Pocket Mags, the iOS App Store and from www.neomag.co.uk/digitalmag/issue/138.

www.scandal-4.com/

www.facebook.com/scandalofficial

www.jpurecords.com/

dir en grey Return with Double London Date

dir en grey
Japanese avant-garde metallers dir en grey return to the UK this May, ready to perform tracks from their brand new album ARCHE for the first time live in the UK.

The band will be performing at the O2 Academy Islington in London on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May 2015 as part of the European leg of their TOUR15 THE UNSTOPPABLE LIFE tour, which also includes shows in Germany, France, Holland, Poland and Belarus. Regular tickets are on sale now from TicketWeb with a face value of £28.12. VIP tickets are available from See Tickets and start at £80.

Bold and sensitive, chaotic and melodic, over the course of nine albums, dir en grey have become one of the biggest names in Japanese rock to break outside of their home country. Embraced by the international rock media, support for the band has been overwhelmingly positive, especially in the UK, where they became the first (and so far only) Japanese band to appear on the cover of Kerrang! Magazine.

New album ARCHE is out from 2 March on double CD from Gan Shin Records (order from Amazon), and is also out now digitally on Amazon MP3, iTunes and partically on Spotify.

SPYAIR Release ‘BEST’ Album in the UK and Europe from 12 January

SPYAIR BESTJapanese pop-rock squad SPYAIR will release ‘BEST’ on CD and digital formats in the UK and Europe, collating all 14 of their massive hit singles so far, plus two brand new songs! It’s also the first time many of the songs have been available outside of Japan.

Since smashing on to the scene in 2010 with their debut single ‘LIAR’, which also became the theme song to Japanese TV school drama Hammer Session!, SPYAIR have experienced a mighty ten top-40 singles in Japan and had many of their tracks become theme tunes in anime and film; including The Amazing Spider-Man, Bleach and Gintama. All are included on ‘BEST’.

Due to popular demand, SPYAIR were picked up by London’s JPU Records for European distribution, leading to the group’s YouTube channel being available outside of Japan for the first time. There, the official music videos to the songs included on ‘BEST’ have already racked up viewing figures upwards of 28 million.

‘BEST’ TRACKLISTING
SPYAIR - BEST01. GLORY (view music video)
02. Imagination (view music video)
03. JUST ONE LIFE (view music video)
04. Genjyou Destruction (view music video)
05. Niji (view music video)
06. Sakura Mitsutsuki (view music video)
07. WENDY ~It’s You~ (view music video)
08. Naked (view music video)
09. 0 GAME (view music video)
10. My World
11. BEAUTIFUL DAYS (view music video)
12. (Samurai Heart) Some Like It Hot!! (view music video)
13. Japanication (view music video)
14. Last Moment (view music video)
15. LIAR
16. Anokoro bokurawa onajimiraiwo

Download from: iTunes or Amazon MP3 in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK.
Pre-order the CD from: JPU Records Shop, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Season of Mist (France), imusic (Denmark), CD-soundtrack (Czech Republic), Plastic Head (UK), Fan (Poland).

Album teaser:

Last Few Units of the GazettE × WALKMAN® Collaboration Left in Europe

【the GazettE × WALKMAN®】

The last few units of the very special and very limited the GazettE × WALKMAN® are left in Europe!the GazettE Collaboration Walkman features:

  • Original engraved design on the back of Walkman
  • Original music video of ‘Last Heaven‘, exclusive to Walkman
  • the GazettE’s signature songs ‘INSIDE BEAST’ and ‘FADELESS’ in high resolution audio
  • Special photos exclusive for WalkmanCheck all the details of the model from the below specially launched websites!

UK: https://shop.sony.co.uk/shop/mimes/openAccess/store/gazette/EN/index.jsp

France: https://shop.sony.fr/shop/mimes/openAccess/store/gazette/FR/index.jsp

Germany: https://shop.sony.de/shop/mimes/openAccess/store/gazette/DE/index.jsp

Customer Call Centre:
UK: 020-7365-2413
France: 01-55-69-51-27
Germany: 069-95-08-63-19

More details: https://japanunderground.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/the_gazette_x_walkman/

Electric Eel Shock to Make UK Return!

Electric Eel Shock 2014
Double peace! Japanese rock ‘n roll badasses Electric Eel Shock will make their overdue return to Great Britain in April and May of 2014! During one of their last trips to the UK the band managed to pick up the NEO Magazine Award for best music act, as well as release their first fan-funded album Sugoi Indeed.

At the time of writing, seven dates have been announced:
Wednesday 30th April: Electric Eel Shock, The Full Moon, Cardiff.
Thursday 1st May: Electric Eel Shock, The Compass, Chester.
Friday 2nd May: Electric Eel Shock, Boston Music Room, London.
Monday 5th May: Electric Eel Shock, The Duchess, York.
Tuesday 6th May: Electric Eel Shock, The Anvil, Bournemouth.
Thursday 22nd May: Electric Eel Shock, Exchange, Bristol.

Expect plenty of R’n’R antics, from drummer’s Gian’s four-stick (and naked) playing style, to frontman Aki’s custom Flying V (an actual V!) and plenty of heavy rock influenced antics.

Electric Eel Shock had previously toured with Bloodhound Gang in 2005, and even had a bathroom-based cameo in the punk group’s Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss music video.

We’ll leave you with the video to one of our favourite tracks; Rock & Roll Can Rescue the World:

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