On 23/06/2012 MEG hosted her one man live (shouldn’t that be one woman :P) 10TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY ‘Arrivee” at Tokyo’s SHIBUYA-AX.
Sendai Kamotsu (Nightmare’s alter ego band) and Golden Bomber have been added to the Kishidan Banpaku festival line up.
SPYAIR hosted a guerilla live on 26/06/2012, which they called Road to Nippon Budokan.
And finally;
HearJapan, the Japanese music digital download store will close on 30/06/2012 after 5 years. So with one less outlet, make sure you support your legal distributors of Japanese music.
Potentially an April Fool on 01/04/2012 but happily not, AN CAFE will resume actitives this summer with a new release and a 2-day performance at Yoyogi National Stadium in September. This band was one of my first introductions to Japanese music, so I’m very happy they’re back together.
Front man of BLOOD Hayato will be leaving the band for new opportunities.
On 08/04/2012, the duo CHEMISTRY disbanded to focus on solo activities.
Record label Dear Dolce will close on 05/06/2012, affecting the future of many bands.
Golden Bomber members have been incorporated into the Square Enix online game TorisetsuIXA. By completing quests players can view videos from the band as rewards.
Ikimonogakari will be arranging the theme song for NHK’s broadcasting of the London Olympics.
NightingeiL will disband after their final performance at Harajuku ASTRO HALL on 03/06/2012.
On 07/04/2012 and 08/04/2012 Perfume had a promotional music box at Shibuya 109 playing their new single Spring of Life. The 4 metre box had 40 earphone plugs to listen to the song, with 3 of those having special messages from the band members.
After previously being hospitalised, Plastic Tree’s drummer Sato Kenken has been discharged and will perform with the band at Nippon Budokan on 14/04/2012.
After the rumor shared here on Neo Kei on 04/03/2012, it has been confirmed that Raphael will be reuniting. They will host 2 lives on 31/10/2012 and 01/11/2012 to commemorate the death of their guitarist Kazuki.
X-JAPAN have been nominated in the “Best International Artist” catergory at GOLDEN GODS AWARD 2012, Americas biggest award for hard rock. This is the first time that a Japanese act has been nominated in this catergory.
There are a number of releases due from YUKI on 02/05/2012. First there’s double-A single Play Ball / Sakamichi no melody, the live DVD YUKI tour “MEGAPHONIC” 2011 featuring her Yokohama Arena performance from November, and the PV collection YUKI Video 3.
Music News
Even though announced on 01/04/2012, A (エース) will have their album Tales For The Abyss available on 06/06/2012.
AA= will be releasing his third album, creatively titled #3 will be released and available for download on 10/04/2012 through GANSHIN.
The only other multiple A act I know, AAAwill release their yet-to-be-titled single on 09/05/2012.
Applicat Spectra made their major debut with their albumSpectacle Orchestra on 04/04/2012.
Counteraction -V-Rock covered Visual Anime songs Compilation- is visual kei artists covering anime themes. Artists either covered or recorded include GACKT, X JAPAN, Golden Bomber, SID, DaizyStripper and Nightmare. Great stuff.
Visual kei band D will release a new single titled Dying message on May 30th.
The new single from Dolly will be Niji Iro no Canaria , out on 25/04/2012.
EAT YOU ALIVE will release their new single Lily on 25/04/2012.
Singer-songwriter Fukuhara Miho will be collaborating with Miura Daichi (I love his track ‘The Answer’) on the single Dream On on 16/05/2012.
GLAY will release their single Bible, with B-side Ano hi no shounen and chairty song Thank you for your love on 23/05/2012.
Kaya has a single due on 20/06/2012 called SALOME, based on the Oscar Wilde play of the same name.
Kyary PamyuPamyu will have her first album PamyuPamyu Revolution, out on 23/05/2012. She will also make her acting debut as herself on the TV drama Kazoku no Uta.
Leda (ex-DELUHI guitarist) has announced plans for his debut solo album due in the autumn, although no title yet.
mihimaru GT will release their latest best-of album THE BEST of mihimaru GT 2 on 30/05/2012.
As part of Mr.Children‘s 20th anniversary, they will release 2 best-of albums on 10/05/2012, entitled Mr. Children2001‐2005 [micro] and Mr. Children2005‐2010 [macro]. Before then, they’ll release a triple A-side single of Inori -Namida no Kinou- / End of the day / pieces on 18/04/2012.
Sadie have their new mini-album Red Line is available now (released on 04/04/2012).
Tokami will release best-of album on 06/06/2012, featuring songs re-recorded and re-mastered versions of songs released pre Starwave Records and tracks only available from their lives.
Concert News
As part of their 25th anniversary, BUCK-TICK will be holding their own open-air festival BUCK-TICK FEST 2012 ON PARADE in September.
Whilst DIR EN GREY are on hiatus due to injury, they’ll be releasing 2 documentaries in June/July, called TOUR2011 AGE QUOD AGIS Vol.1 (Europe&Japan) and TOUR2011 AGE QUOD AGIS Vol.2 (US&Japan).
Already making their Christmas plans, Princess Princess will be hosting lives at the end of the year, including 2 days at Tokyo Dome on 23/12/2012 and 24/12/2012.
Neo Kei 