XANVALA Unleashes Defiant Digital Single “joke”!

“joke” Jacket Cover

Five-member alt-rockers XANVALA dropped the digital single “joke” on August 31, 2022. Locked and loaded, the band brings a rebellious spirit with this new work. “joke” is a riff-driven fierce track with a catchy modern sound that showcases the colors of XANVALA.

Speaking about the single “joke”, the band comments:

"The concept for the lyrics is a counterattack. The idea came to me from a movie and I envisioned a scene of oppressed people collectively rising up in revolt."

— Vocalist Tatsumi

"We didn’t skimp on time, work, or expenses to deliver the best we could and didn’t let anything compromise the quality at all. The only way to express oneself is from the inside out. You put it out to the world, as it is, and people will either love it or hate it. That’s the true form of art."

— Guitarist Yuhma

"The theme for this work is a graceful villain. I wanted to create a trap music atmosphere, so I researched many evil-looking game soundtracks."

— Guitarist Souma

"So far, this is the song that best synchronizes the concept with the visuals and the music. It’s kind of a new season of a non-Japanese series with an antihero. Please enjoy it."

— Bassist 70.

"The antihero of this new era has been born. Check out the badass side of XANVALA."

— Drummer Tomoya

The five-piece band successfully completed their 20-city Japanese tour “ASK”, and they announced a new one starting this December and ending in August 2023. With several sold-out dates during this year, the upcoming tour is a new challenge to break into bigger venues and reach more areas in Japan.

With the future looking brighter than ever, XANVALA has risen to become one of the most promising acts in the current Visual Kei scene. Be sure to check out the music video for “joke” below, along with the streaming links here!

BRATS Crowdfund Their Latest Release!

After a successful crowdfunding campaign earlier this year, Japanese girls rock band BRATS will release their new song "Spiderweb" on September 16. Promising a new, more aggressive sound, the band has released teaser videos for the new track on their YouTube channel, with more to follow on the road to release day.The music video was produced at Tokyo’s ultra-modern studio "BLACK BOX³", which houses cutting-edge technology and massive LED screens.

To commemorate the new song, BRATS will hold their second live show of the year at Shibuya Spotify O-WEST on Saturday, October 8, featuring new arrangements of previous hits like "Forget me not", "Ms. Downer", and "Dodatte Yokatta".

"BRATS-Spiderweb"

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Spotify O-WEST, Shibuya, Tokyo

Open 17:30 / Start 18:00

Be sure to check out the teaser for “Spiderweb” below!

Music Corner Week 118: GLIM SPANKY

GLIM SPANKY is a rock unit consisting of Remi Matsuo (Vocalist/Guitarist) and Hiroki Kamemoto (Guitarist); Remi began the group in 2007 after debuting at a school festival, Hiroki joined the band later and stayed to form the current unit. They made their major debut in 2014 with Universal Music under their Virginia record label with the mini album Shousou. GLIM SPANKY’s unique sound that was influenced by 60s and 70s rock and blues garnished much attention, pushing them into the spotlight. Their covers of Adele’s “Rolling Deep” and Janis Joplin’s “MOVE OVER” specifically received much attention due to Remi’s unique and husky vocal style. GLIM SPANKY’s style not only brought in Japanese listeners but has garnished fans throughout the world. Remi’s vocals and their western style rock influence with Japanese lyrics draw in listeners of all ages, making them a stand out rock unit in this age.

GLIM SPANKY first caught my ear with their album Walking on Fire that released in 2020; “By Myself Again” and “Story ni Saki ni” stood out being slower tracks and hearing Remi’s smokey vocals with minimal compositions made me fall in love - the perfect blend of rock and vocal. “Shousou”, “Homeroyo”, “Odorini Ikouze”, and “Ikari wo Kure yo” have a heavier composition involved and a more aggressive feel, especially with Remi’s vocals making it truly memorable. When you hear songs such as “Love is There”, “In the Air”, and “Utsukushii Ibara”, you get a nice serene feel while listening to them - showcasing GLIM SPANKY’s versatility as a rock unit. Their newest track “I Don’t Need Signal (Signal wa Iranai)”, immediately pulled me in with the aggressive opening, heavier composition, catchy chorus, and Remi’s husky vocals.

As GLIM SPANKY has been in the music industry for some time, they have aquired an extensive discography with seven studio albums: Sunrise Journey (2015); Next One (2016); I Stand Alone (2017); Bizarre Carnival (2017), Looking for the Magic (2018); Walking on Fire (2020); and their latest - Into the Time Hole (2022). They also have eight EPs and twelve singles/digital singles with their latest being “I Don’t Need Signal”. Check out their official website, Twitter, Instagram, and their latest music video “I Don’t Need Signal (Signal wa Iranai)” below!

Music Corner Week 117: Nishina

Vocalist Nishina got her start back in 2020 and is the self-dubbed “New Era Star with a heavenly naturally singing voice”. True to her name, her music is calm, yet has a hint of mysterious madness hidden throughout which attracts all listeners.  One of things that I absolutely love about Nishina is that she has this really soft but show addictive vocals that just can capture anyone. Combined with the sense of lyrical prowess that just spins a tale throughout every track and the nostalgic melody that can relax the listener as well.

Songs like “heavy smoke” and “centi” show off that relaxed style you can drift away in, and Nishina’s vocals add to the atmosphere overall. While slow tempo tracks are her forte, several mid-tempo works also make their way, making her no one trick pony. “Tokyo Marble”, “1999” and “Toumei Nakuro to Tetsubunno Aruaka” present this well, and, while not the strongest releases in her discography, they show that she isn’t afraid to mix it up and experiment outside her comfort zone.

While still young in her career, Nishina has collected an amazing amount of single releases, starting in October of 2020 with her 14 singles, and only one album, 1999, back in July of 2022. Be sure to follow her on her official website, Twitter, and Instagram along with the music video for 1999 below!

Two Japanese “monster vocalists” collide! Da-iCE’s Sota Hanamura and FAKY's Lil’ Fang team up for anime series ‘Orient’ opening theme!

“Break it down” Jacket Cover

Da-iCE’s Sota Hanamura and FAKY’s Lil’ Fang have teamed up to release ‘Break it down’, their opening theme to the second season of anime series Orient and its Battle of Awaji Island story arc. The song was released along with a lyric video.

The second season of Orient, which also began airing back in July, is based on the manga series of the same name, created by Magi writer and illustrator Shinobu Ohtaka. 150 years after demons suddenly appeared during Japan’s Warring States period, protagonists Musashi and Kojiro form the Band of Bushi to confront the demons in Hinomoto and follow their dreams in this battle-action anime series.

The opening theme is an unmissable collaboration between two of Japan’s “monster vocalists”: Sota Hanamura from Da-iCE, who has an incredible four-octave high-tone voice, and Lil’ Fang from FAKY, who sings with overwhelming power. Excited music fans quickly flooded social media when the tag-team was announced, with comments such as, “This collaboration is more than I could have ever imagined!”, “This is too hot”, and “I can’t wait to hear those two sing together at full power”.

Hanamura’s group Da-iCE composed the music and lyrics to the theme song ‘Promise’ for the 50th-anniversary movie ‘Masked Rider: Beyond Generations’ and the opening theme ‘Break out’ for the first season of ‘Orient’, while Lil’ Fang composed the music and lyrics to ‘It’s a small world’ for the 36th East Japan Women’s Ekiden tournament as well as the lyrics to ‘99’ for the TV drama series ‘RIKA-rebirth-’ and the movie ‘Rika: Self-proclaimed 28-Year-Old Pure Love Monster’. Through such projects, both artists have earned great acclaim not only as performers but as creative artists too.

Hanamura composed the music for ‘Break it down’, and Hanamura and Lil’ Fang co-wrote the lyrics. This kinetic song has an intense band sound that carries the two singers as their high-tone voices reach all-new levels of power. The lyrics echo the atmosphere of the ‘Orient’ anime perfectly, with lines like “Dreams that are laughed off as mistakes” and “Screaming beyond the boundaries of death” – red-hot lyrics that could only have been written by these two artists who love the series from the depths of their hearts.

In addition, the lyric video rdepicts the brave figure of Musashi and his friends as they take on their most challenging battle ever. These visuals combine with music and lyrics that will fill you with the courage to stand firm and face your fears, creating a powerful and inspiring video.

Be sure to check out Orient Anime series on the following platform:

- Crunchyroll

- BiliBili

‘Break it down’, a collaboration between Da-iCE’s Sota Hanamura and FAKY’s Lil’ Fang, is available now on your favorite music download and streaming platform here and check out the lyric video below!