Hysteric Lolita - Zetsubou no Spiral

    One of the goals of A-To-J Connections is to bring lesser-known, but very talented, artists from Japan to fans from the US and beyond. With this in mind I present just such an artist.
     Hearkening back to a day when idols could be bands and bands could be idols, we are introduced to Hysteric Lolita. Brought to us by Union Music Japan, a label sporting such acts as Verge, C-Zone 7, Aya Ikeda and Carat, this all-girl pop/rock band has all the earmarks of the “band idol” groups of yesteryear such as Princess Princess and ZONE. As the name implies, this group takes a unique twist by infusing Lolita fashion and aesthetics into their appearance and performance. Also, in relating their origins to those of an idol, their careers began as many idol’s do, as winners of a sponsored contest. In this case the contest in question was sponsored by Japanese fashion magazine, KERA. KERA is famous worldwide for not only its coverage of the latest, cutting-edge fashion, but also for its popular cover models, not the least of whom is worldwide superstar, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. From the readers of this illustrious magazine came the five-member group that we enjoy today as Hysteric Lolita.
    While on a largely independent label, Union Music Japan has been known for attempting breaks into the US market by way of anime conventions. Convention goers the country over may recognize Aya Ikeda, and Anime Expo goers specifically might recognize not only her, but also Carat and C-Zone. It is my hope that one day Hysteric Lolita gets added to that list of UMJ groups that have gone westward. With a pop/rock sound that rivals that of similar current acts like Rick Rack and SCANDAL, Hysteric Lolita brings together dual-vocals and rich harmonies into something that is both familiar and genre-defining. Their debut single “Zetsubou no Spiral” has been out for a few months now and Hysteric Lolita has been performing across Japan in support of it. Notably, they recently performed at LIVE JAM 2014 alongside other UMJ artists. Videos of this performance can be found on their official Youtube channel.
    Their debut single is readily available on Amazon Japan as well as the Japanese iTunes store. This is one group that is worth watching and one can clearly see that Hysteric Lolita is only at the start of what will assuredly be a very long career.

Hysteric Lolita Are:
●Vocal: Rani
●Keyboards & Chorus: Layra
●Bass: Basil
●Guitar: Noa
●Drums: Misa

Official Site: www.hystericlolita.jp