the GazettE to Re-release NIL, STACKED RUBBISH and DIM in the UK and Europe

Japan’s ‘visual kei’ veterans the GazettE will release their first three major-label albums in physical and digital formats in Europe through London’s JPU Records, ahead of the release of their hotly anticipated eighth album DOGMA.

Breakthrough album NIL (Nameless Liberty Underground) saw the group emerge from Japan’s underground visual kei scene and become one of the biggest, most influential names in the genre. When released in 2006, the album reached number four in the Oricon Weekly Album Chart and the tour surrounding it brought the GazettE in front of 20,000 fans for its finale at The Nippon Budokan, the country’s most revered venue. NIL will be available from 10 July in the UK and soon after in the rest of Europe.

Follow up album STACKED RUBBISH gave the band their highest chart position to date, reaching number three in Japan’s album chart in 2007 and redefined visual kei in the process. The album experimented with elements of R&B, jazz and blues, and incorporated into the band’s existing heavy, aggressive and dark sound. The results crossed boundaries, even countries, as the GazettE embarked on their first world tour, including a show at a packed out O2 Academy Islington from word of mouth alone. STACKED RUBBISH will be available from 14 August 2015, and had several tracks available to buy in advance from iTunes right now, including fan favourites Filth in the beauty (one unofficially uploaded video of the song has over five million hits on YouTube), high-energy anthem HYENA and the moody theme from Korean horror flick APT; Chizuru.

The last of this year’s re-releases will be DIM, an album described as having riffs as “heavy as the soul of Dracula” and sounding like “Slipknot playing Powerman 5000 covers” by AllMusic’s Alexey Eremenko. Leading up to its release, the GazettE performed a guerrilla gig outside of Shinjuku Station, the world’s busiest transport hub. Police had to pul the plug on when several thousand fans turned up to the secret event. DIM includes the group’s first single to reach number two in the charts, LEECH. The album will also be released on 14 August 2015, with several tracks available now from iTunes.

The CD editions of the albums include the original photo and lyric booklets, as well as all-new booklets containing new images and the lyrics translated into English and Romaji.

NIL TRACKLIST:
(Release: 10 July)
01. THE END
02. Nausea & Shudder
03. Bath Room
04. Maggots
05. Namaatatakai Ameto Zaratsuita Jounetsu
06. D. L. N
07. SHADOW VI II I
08. BARETTA
09. Cassis
10. SILLY GOD DISCO
11. DISCHARGE
12. Taion
Pre-order on CD.

STACKED RUBBISH TRACKLIST:
(Release: 14 August)
01. ART DRAWN BY VOMIT
02. AGONY
03. HYENA
04. BURIAL APPLICANT
05. GANGES NI AKAI BARA
06. REGRET
07. CALM ENVY
08. SWALLOWTAIL ON THE DEATH VALLEY
09. MOB 136 BARS
10. GENTLE LIE
11. FILTH IN THE BEAUTY
12. CIRCLE OF SWINDLER
13. CHIZURU
14. PEOPLE ERROR
Pre-order on CD or from iTunes,

DIM TRACKLIST:
(Release: 14 August)
01. 「HIKARI」
02. THE INVISIBLE WALL
03. A MOTH UNDER THE SKIN
04. LEECH
05. NAKIGAHARA
06. 「ERIKA」
07. HEADACHE MAN
08. GUREN
09. 「SHIKYU」
10. 13STAIRS[-]1
11. DISTRESS AND COMA
12. 「KANSHOKU」
13. SHIROKI YUUTSU
14. IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS
15. 「MORO」
16. OGRE
17. DIM SCENE
Pre-order on CD or from iTunes.

Ling tosite sigure to Release Best of Album and Perform at JAPAN NIGHT at London’s indigo at The O2

Japan’s breakthrough guitar act Ling tosite sigure (凛として時雨) will release their first ‘best of’ album internationally through JPU Records on 7 August, following their performance at JAPAN NIGHT at London’s indigo at The O2 on Saturday 11 July 2015.

Entitled Best of Tornado, the 14-track album features songs spanning the trio’s 10+ year career, from their early self-released album and EPs to their recent chart topping album still a Sigure virgin and last year’s i’mperfect. Each track has been brought back up to date by being brilliant re-mastered by Metropolis Studio’s John Davis (Led Zeppelin, Royal Blood, the Prodigy).

Ling tosite sigure first came to the UK as part of The Great Escape, an experience – which included being played on the Radio 1 Rock Show – was so central to the growth of the band that photos of their time in England have been used exclusively in the album’s booklet. Since then, the group’s international following has continued to grow, further strengthened when latest tracks abnormalize and Enigmatic Feeling became the opening themes for series one and two of Production I.G’s hit anime series PSYCHO PASS. Additionally, abnormalize’s official music video has impressively accumulated near to five million views on YouTube.

Best of Tornado will be available in the UK and Europe from 8 July 2015 digitally from Amazon MP3 and iTunes, and available on CD in the territory from 7 August 2015. Pre-order now.

Best of Tornado TRACKLIST:
01. JPOP Xfile [video]
02. Telecastic fake show
03. abnormalize [video]
04. illusion is mine [video]
05. Souzou no Security (2015 mix)
06. DISCO FLIGHT
07. moment A rhythm (short ver.)
08. Beautiful Circus [video]
09. I was music [video]
10. Azayaka na Satsujin (2015 mix)
11. Telecaster no Shinjitsu (2015 mix)
12. nakano kill you (2015 mix)
13. Enigmatic Feeling (2015 mix) [video]
14. Missing ling
15. Boukan

SCANDAL to Release GREATEST HITS Exclusively in the UK and Europe – 4 May

One of Japan’s leading all-girl groups, SCANDAL, will release a special collection of their greatest hits exclusively in Europe on 4 May 2015.

The powerful Japanese pop-rock band is currently preparing for their first world tour, taking place between April and May. To mark the occasion JPU Records will release a special compilation CD of the band’s biggest singles and fan favourite tracks.

Entitled GREATEST HITS – EUROPEAN SELECTION, the album will be SCANDAL’s first to not be released in Japan, and is instead exclusive to the UK and Europe. The collection features 15 tracks, including their feisty 2008 debut single DOLL – which has racked up over one million hits on YouTube – as well as seven of their top-ten chart smashing singles (Oricon Weekly Singles Chart) and four catchy pop-punk songs featured as theme-tunes and insert songs from popular Japanese anime.

This will be the first time several tracks from SCANDAL’s back catalogue has been made available outside of Japan, and includes a booklet containing lyrics translated into English and Romaji. This album will not be available for digital download or streaming.

SCANDAL – GREATEST HITS TRACKLIST
01. DOLL (video)
02. HARUKAZE
03. Midnight Television
04. Shojo S (video)
05. LOVE SURVIVE (video)
06. Queens are trumps
07. SCANDAL BABY
08. Taiyo to Kimi ga Egaku STORY (video)
09. KOSHI-TANTAN
10. Shunkan Sentimental (video)
11. Awanaitsumorino, Genkidene (video)
12. Kagen No Tsuki (video)
13. Pride (video)
14. SAKURA Goodbye (video)
15. Sayonara My Friend

Pre-order from: [  JPU Records Shop ], [  Amazon.co.uk ], [  Amazon.fr ], [  Media Markt (France) ]
[  Amazon.de ], [  Media Markt (Germany) ], [  Weltbild (Germany) ], [  JPC (Germany) ],
[  My Media Welt (Germany) ], [  Treffpunktmusikshop.de (Germany) ], [  Music Corner (Poland) ],
[  imuzika (Italy) ], [  Media Markt (Italy) ], [  levykauppax.fi (Finland) ], [  Record Shop X (Finland) ],
[  CDON (Finland) ], [  Weltbild (Austria) ], [  CD Soundtrack (Czech Republic) ], [  CDON (Sweden) ],
[  CDON (Norway) ], [  imusic (Denmark) ], [  CDON (Denmark) ]

SCANDAL is

HARUNA
Lead Vocals / Guitar

MAMI
Guitar / Vocals

TOMOMI
Bass / Vocals

RINA
Drums / Vocals

SCANDAL online:
https://www.youtube.com/scandalSMEJ
https://www.facebook.com/scandalofficial

JPU Records online:
http://www.jpurecords.com
https://twitter.com/JPUrecords
https://www.facebook.com/JPUrecords

KAMIJO to Mark 20th Anniversary with London Show

There is still time to grab the remaining few tickets for the London date of KAMIJO‘s 20th Anniversary Best tour, hitting The Garage in Highbury, London on 3 March. Tickets are on sale now from TicketWeb for £39.75 for regular tickets and £66.75 for VIP (all prices include extra charges).

The setlist for the show will include tracks from KAMIJO’s various bands through his 20 year musical career, including songs from LAREINE and NEW SODMY, to the symphonic, power metal stylings of Versailles and his new solo material. We spoke to him for an upcoming article in NEO Magazine where he told us he’s looking forward playing songs he hasn’t performed live in many years. The full interview will appear in issue 135, out from 19 March.

KAMIJO’s debut solo album Heart is available now from Amazon MP3, iTunes and Spotify. You can also buy the imported version, available in regular and limited edition packages.

Coldrain Announce Free Downloads + Pre-Order for New EP Now Open

Japanese newcomers Coldrain are about to embark on a European tour with Bullet For My Valentine (along with a few UK headline shows), but before then they are offering music fans TWO free download tracks.

Currently the metalcore-influenced group are offering their track ‘Inside Of Me’ as a free download when you sign up to their mailing list by clicking here. Then, as a gift to all that pre-order their upcoming EP Through Clarity, get an instant free download of ‘Die Tomorrow’ taken from Coldrain’s 2010 Japan-only EP Nothing Lasts Forever. You can pre-order Through Clarity right now for £6.99 from Coldrain’s online merch shop.

In the meantime, here’s the latest video from the boys; ‘Behind The Curtain’.