purple SKY - A Japanese Music Collaborative (Jrock, Jpop and Visual Kei)

[review] exist†trace – VIRGIN

Kathy Chee — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:35:21 +0000

Veterans of the visual kei music scene, exist†trace are no virgins when it comes to churning out great songs. Though there’s not a lot of virgin territory on their third studio album (hint hint, it’s called Virgin); it includes five tracks from previous mini-albums. “WONDERLAND” starts out like the opening to a gothic horror [...]

[press release] May’n (Accel World, Macross Frontier) to release new album on USA iTunes

Kathy Chee — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:59:15 +0000

J-Pop superstar May’n will release her recent albums ”HEAT” and “If you…” in the USA iTunes music store on May 16, in conjunction with the singer’s upcoming American tour. May’n’s latest release “HEAT” (2012) reached Oricon’s Top 10 in its first week of release, including recent Japanese anime theme songs ”Brain Diver” (Phi Brain) and “Scarlet Ballet” (Aria the Scarlet [...]

INORAN – A Little Less LUNA SEA, a Little More “Nevermind”

Sarah — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:37 +0000

Call me ignorant, but I really didn’t know what shoegaze was until a few months ago. Or more accurately, I’d never heard of the moniker, though I was keenly aware of the concept: a subgenre of alt-rock that was so flippant, it made Kurt Cobain seem like Freddie Mercury. I’m not saying INORAN’s 15th anniversary of [...]

[live report] La’Mule – My ’90s Visual Kei Fantasy Realized

Sarah — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:19 +0000

If a magical visual kei genie appeared before me right now, granting me one wish, I know exactly what I would want: to travel back in time to the mid-90s. I can give up the instant intellectual gratification of Wikipedia and the oversharing aspect of Facebook for a couple of days just to do a [...]

[review] Vivid Covers – A 20th Anniversary Tribute to L’arc~en~Ciel

Kathy Chee — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:25 +0000

As cover albums go, Vivid Covers chose a tough act to follow. Twelve tracks of some of L’arc~en~Ciel’s most memorable songs covered by relatively unknown musicians. Though Cleopatra Records is known for releasing compilations and cover albums, Vivid Covers is the first to cover a well known Japanese artist. “Niji” was boring the first time around [...]

[interview] Dazzle Vision – Shocking, no. Loud? Yes!

Kathy Chee — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:38:02 +0000

Female fronted pop-metal band, DAZZLE VISION, is set to release their 6th studio album on May 4, 2012. After opening for Evanescence a few months earlier, recording a new album, and having Maiko’s death voice vocaloided, the band took a quick breather to answer some of our questions via email. pSKY: John, did you [...]

[press release] MAN WITH A MISSION @ Japan Expo 2012

Kathy Chee — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:46 +0000

A headline-making band of wolves “MAN WITH A MISSION” is coming to JAPAN EXPO 2012!!! With their first single released on 4/4/2012 ranking #6 (as of 4/16) on Oricon’s Weekly Single Chart and their first nationwide one-man live tour going sold-out immediately, MAN WITH A MISSION, a 5-piece rock band of wolves, are rocking away at [...]

[interview] Designing Decadence – Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates

Jen Wang — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:22:43 +0000

Anime Matsuri’s fashion show featured the spring collections of Alice and the Pirates and Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. Attendees were transported to a decadent past where ladies held tea parties and strolled through palace gardens. With dresses that mixed black with rich colors, Alice and the Pirates evoked sophistication. Its menswear was perfect for [...]

[live report + interview] Power FLOWing Through Music at Anime Matsuri

Jen Wang — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:07:33 +0000

The opening to 2001: A Space Odyssey crescendoed over the chanting crowd as FLOW took the Anime Matsuri stage. It was an unexpected yet appropriate introduction: the band had visited the NASA Johnson Space Center two days prior. Casually picking up their instruments, FLOW proceeded to play as though it was their last performance [...]

[press release] sasakure.UK Song with Hatsune Miku Translation Contest

Kathy Chee — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:27:09 +0000

Yokohama, Japan — April 11th, 2012 — HearJapan is proud to announce a new contest featuring a brand new song from sasakure.UK! Combining chiptune, pop and even progressive rock influences, as well as his own illustration and animation style, sasakure.UK is a one man tour-de-force. His fame around the world on video sites like YouTube and [...]