Show Notes:

Featured Artists
BUGA KINGZ - “友酒 Like?”, Wikipedia Page
Loptimist - “Hidden Agenda” (feat. Braille), Official MySpace
Verbal Jint - “1219 Epiphany”, Official MySpace
Jerry.K - “Free Yourself”, Official MySpace

Other Stuff
Man it was hard to pick just four songs for this. Maybe that’s why it took so long =P

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In the beginning, listening to Chatmonchy was a bit of a guilty pleasure. Their first hit single, “shangrila”, was fun, catchy, and lighthearted; a slight contrast to the harder sounding indie rock that that I was used to. But since then, Chatmonchy has been diligently evolving their music away from those humble beginnings into something truly remarkable.

Eriko’s earnest vocals are refreshing and surprisingly raw for such an adorable voice. Her guitar work, while simple, is deliberate and well executed. This goes for Akiko’s bass, Kumiko’s drums, and Chatmonchy’s overall sound as well.

“染まるよ” (somaruyo / stain) brings an incredible sophistication to their repertoire. The titular track is sublimely dreamy with a couple delightful twists as it builds up to its powerful climax. And just as gently as it began, it tenderly eases you out. Also of note is “RPG”. It’s lightweight, carefree and numbingly addictive.

Chatmonchy is a very mature band that doesn’t need to prove that they can thrive in a genre dominated by men. Its apparent they’re not trying to copy any one style or sound. Instead, they blaze their own trail creating music that’s sincere and true to themselves. And after 3 years of being in the mainstream, it’s this integrity that makes them unequivocally great.

Chatmonchy + smoke + bullet time = best PV ever.

“染まるよ”

Buy the latest single by Chatmonchy

This kid’s music is stunning. The songs he plays in his videos are long and complex and his fingerstyle of play on some pieces make things even more amazing. No need to say much more…just watch:

“More than Words”:

Pirates of the Caribbean Theme:

“California Dreaming”:

Check out Sungha Jung’s YouTube page. There’s over 125 clips of him rocking out. His videos on MySpace

There are a lot of other prodigies out there worth mentioning. This kid’s style is just one of the coolest.

via Guitar Flame, “Sungha Jung, no larger than his guitar”

Catch an another fire closely follows the September 3rd release of HYPER, HYP8R, HYPER by the explosive quartet lead by vocalist & drummer Maenosono Masaki (マエノソノ マサキ).

Biting into 8otto’s solid, “rocky” shell reveals a layer beneath. The initial fun and rugged sound of boisterous enthusiasm is backed up to the core by careful and deliberate artistry with some classic rock flavor.

The remix release features house and electro renditions of some of 8otto’s greatest tracks like “1977″, “0zero”, “BLOW”, and more by remixers like Tacteel, Chicken Lips, and 80kidz. While it may be good since the music is still 8otto at heart, how can it compare to the raw-yet-graceful sound of the original tracks?

HYPER, HYP8R, HYPER is the band’s “masterpiece of 8ottoyear 2008″. The 12-track release boasts standouts like “Bomb -Devil’s here version-”, “DESTINATION”, “REAL COKE’S FRIEND”, “CLASSIC” and “MACHINEGUN BEAT” among others.

8otto’s sound is as anomalous as their situation. The afro-clad Maenosono Masaki takes on the roles and responsibilities of both lead singer and drummer, and pulls it off exceptionally well. Alongside Masaki are Ryo (リョウ, guitar/chorus), Yoshimura Seiei (ヨシムラ セイエイ, guitar), and TORA (bass).

The band’s name is derived from the Italian word for “eight”: “otto” (オットー), which is how 8otto is pronounced. The band formed in Osaka in 1999 and have been signed with BMG JAPAN since 2006.

While watching a performance or PV by 8otto, one can’t help but be enveloped by Masaki’s dual contributions. It’s hard not to focus on the percussion and that’s probably certainly because the guy singing is also pounding away on the drums, making ‘em hard to miss or get lost in the mix. Yoshimura’s guitar cuts in throughout and shares the musical space — especially on tracks like “C”, off of the band’s debut album, we do vibration. Ryo and his guitar add to the treble-end of things, playing rhythm, puncuating, and contributing to the chaos. TORA’s bass looms in the background completing the mix…or starting it; like in “0zero”.

Watch the PV for “Bomb” off of HYPER, HYP8R, HYPER:

Thanks to last.fm user lops-sama for recommending 8otto.

Buy HYPER, HYP8R, HYPER
Buy Catch an another fire
Check out 8otto’s official MySpace

The latest release from the aptly named UPLIFT SPICE happens to be their first full album. It’s self titled and rightly so. For those of you who regularly check ignite, (which all of you should be doing :] ), you’ll already know that these guys couldn’t have picked a better name.

The first thing you’ll notice is Chiori’s incredibly powerful yet versatile vocals. It’s a very unique and punchy voice that can only be achieved by her sheer passion for rocking out hardcore.
That’s not to say the rest of the band are any less awesome. Yuuki (guitar), Atsushi (bass), Tobita (drums) and Chiori all work in perfect cohesion to create a melodic and exhilarating sound that’s truly theirs.

The album opens with “鬼” which acts as a sort of slingshot of an introduction leading into “カノジョ” and “hallelujah”. Other tracks to note (but definitely are not limited to) are the heartfelt “NGC224″, and the invigoratingly explosive “摩天楼”.

But it’s “未完成”, (mikansei / unfinished), where they truly shine. It’s superbly orchestrated and sung with profound sincerity. It’s as if they’re telling you a very personal story with it’s highs and lows, each second building off the last to an ultimate resolution. It may be difficult to understand the exact meaning of Chiori’s resolute lyrics, but somehow you’re still able to relate to them. And as the song comes to an end there’s a sense of closure as you’re left with a profound optimism.

UPLIFT SPICE’s first full album is just that; incredibly uplifting, intensely spicy, and not to mention straight-up awesome. Who needs energy drinks when you have these guys?

 
UPLIFT SPICE - “未完成” (mikansei / unfinished)
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The PV for “花火の色” (Hanabi no Iro), it’s from a previous release but still worth sharing :]

Visit UPLIFT SPICE’s official MySpace
Buy UPLIFT SPICE’s self-titled debut album

It goes with out saying that the lyrics on these sites are in Japanese. So, if your Japanese reading skills are rusty or lacking, plugging the lyrics into a kanji-to-hiragana or romaji translator can help greatly. If you can’t read all the words in the lyrics, try figure things out by comparing what you hear in the song with the kanji on the page. It could be a long but rewarding task. You’ll figure somethig out. Good luck and happy singing along!!

Know any other great Japanese music lyrics resources? Please share!

The latest single precedes the November 5th release of SCIENCE ROCK, the second album from the spacey rockers with a penchant for effects pedals and synthesizers.

The evolution-themed “Homosapiens Experience” begins, sounding like something from the “future” imagined in 60s sci-fi flicks. The metallic voice modulation quickly melts in with a chorus of vocals and a high-flying synth. The backing and building drum fill quickly transitions into a pulsating quarter-note pound as the “experience” launches.

Once the “Homosapiens Experience” winds up, it plateaus and doesn’t relent until the end. The entire song is sung in unison by vocalist/guitarist Taro Kohata (木幡太郎, コハタタロウ) and vocalist/bassist Yoshihiko Inami (稲見喜彦, イナミヨシヒコ). Drummer Masanori Hasegawa’s (長川正法, ハセガワマサノリ) keeps up the song’s frenetic beat until the end and even finds time to embellish with different fills and rhythm.

At just over 2:30 minutes, “Homosapiens Experience” is an odd composition sure to please rockers, futurists, and anyone in between.

The wonderful and wacky future-vibe should continue throughout avengers in sci-fi’s upcoming album SCIENCE ROCK. Another track on SCIENCE ROCK, “Beats For Jealous Pluto” is just as spacey as “Homosapiens Experience” yet considerably more erratic.The cosmic cacophony extends to the farthest reaches of the solar system.

The exhilarating “electric plus rock” played by avengers in sci-fi is without boundaries. The trio from Tokyo pledge to “continue to absorb, assimilate, evolve, and transmit the music flowing around the world”.

avengers in sci-fi formed in 2002. They released their debut, self-titled EP in ‘04 and their first album, avenger strikes back, in ‘06. The band performed at the Fuji Rock Festival in 2007.

Watch the PV for “Homosapiens Experience” by avengers in sci-fi:

Buy SCIENCE ROCK by avengers in sci-fi

Visit avengers in sci-fi’s offcial site

At the top of this column, you have the most powerful and influential forces: big-name actors, musicians, athletes, agents, and studio executives for example.  Below them is the backup that keeps them going:  the screenwriters, the newbie musicians, and the sound technicians on a low budget. These people keep the top of the column afloat.

We have absolutely everything in the entertainment industry within this huge pillar. Although incredibly massive, this pillar is dwarfed by the ever growing pillar of technology. Technology is rapidly changing, and the entertainment world is not keeping up.

Entertainment forces continually stall technologies that disrupt their current arrangements, but technology has a tendency to prevail anyway. For example, take Youtube or MySpace.  They both came flying out of the gates, fueled by content from major players in the entertainment field. The rights holders in the industry tried to stop them for infringing copyrights. However, even though they lost a good amount of content, these technology engines had enough steam not just to carry on, but to thrive.

Whether or not the entertainment industry is doing impressive things at the moment, it is ready for change. Whoever can bridge the gap between rapidly advancing technology and the entertainment world is going to find that there are a plethora of opportunities.

Many different types of engines are waiting to be built. If you can find where these pillars merge -attack! Plenty of wealth is waiting, but you’ve got to solve the problems to claim it.

A drama screencap. Some guy’s humorous caption read: “This is what love is like in Korea.”

Some StarCraft impressions on GAG-Concert:

There’s not much else to say, other than…now I really want to go back to Korea!! :) If you check out the YouTube clip’s related videos, there are some other hilarious StarCraft impressions.

Show Notes:

Featured Artists
Jesushairdo - “Anthem of the Aging Boarders”, Official Site
ARU - “Call You”, Official MySpace
flumpool - “labo”, flumpool “blossoms” into existence

Other Stuff
An amazing new project is in the works!!
The ARU find credit goes to Psycho_Dad. Thanks!
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes

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