 BILLIE IDLE, one of the best rebel idol groups out there, is back at it again! This time around they've done an EP or mini-album they're calling "4-in-1: THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG". Each of the 4 tracks on "4-in-1" is focused solely on one member of the group. I was super excited when this was first announced, realizing it would be the first time Nozomi Hirano has ever sang solo in her entire idol career. Her song "どうせ消えてしまう命なら..." was actually the first to come out, with a really cute MV, and I knew the rest of this EP would be incredible based on that song alone. Unfortunately Nozomi's song is the only one here to feature ex-BiS members on backup vocals, but that doesn't make the other songs worse. It just makes them less cool in comparison.  Momose Momo The first track here is Momose Momo's song, "くわれそう". What strikes me immediately is how un-BILLIE IDLE-like this song is. It feels like a really standard idol song, especially considering Momo's voice. It's catchy though, I love the melody on the chorus. The production is pretty sweet, it's a cute song overall. Musically it does have a little bit of some of the group's signatures from their slower songs. Not what I expect from BILLIE IDLE, but not bad either.  First Summer Uika In contrast, First Summer Uika's song "恋のマジカルバイブレーション" is much harder and heavier on the power chords. I am absolutely in love with the little synth solo near the end too! Once again it's not really the sound we expect from BILLIE IDLE, but it's more the direction I was hoping for (especially from Uipon). It's super catchy too. It's so heavy that you can't help but headbang. I'm sure this one will translate really well live if they ever take these solo songs to the stage.  Yasui Yuuhi Yasui Yuuhi's song is another pretty basic idol song, unfortunately. Not that it's a BAD song though! The production is great and Yuuhi has an incredibly strong voice. I love her as a solo singer for sure. I was just hoping for a little more innovation from BILLIE IDLE after seeing what they could do on their albums up to this point. It has a lot of emotion but I don't get a sense of Yuuhi's personality. Her sheer vocal ability is what makes this song for me. She is really an amazing singer.  Hirano Nozomi Finally we get Nozoshan's song, which I've already said I adore beyond compare. This song is everything I wanted from a BILLIE IDLE release, as well as everything I wanted from a member of BiS. Everything about "どうせ消えてしまう命なら..." is perfect to the last detail. It's like a mini BiS reunion, with Saki, Tentenko, Uika, and Mitchel (the most surprising cameo of the year for sure!) I wish Lui was there, but she's probably too busy being a rockstar these days. I'm really torn on this release. REALLY, REALLY torn. I love BILLIE IDLE. As I've said, they're my favorite group out there right now. Nozomi's song is perfect, and Uika's song has the energy and power we've come to expect from BILLIE IDLE. The other two just fall kind of flat for me. I like the songs, I just don't like them as BILLIE IDLE songs. They're fine solo songs, which I suppose is what they actually are at the end of the day. I'm not sure any of the songs here are SUPPOSED to represent BILLIE IDLE; rather, they represent the individual members. In that way I love this EP. Looking at it as a BILLIE IDLE record though... it could have been better. All things considered, I'll still be listening to this a lot. Nozomi's song is honestly enough to push this up as one of my favorite releases of the year so far (it's THAT good). As far as idol music goes you can't go wrong with this release. If you want signature BILLIE IDLE though, just stick to the albums for now. Check out Nozoshan's song because it's pure perfection though. I would expect nothing less from writer and producer Kenta Matsukuma (BiS/BiSH).  L-R: Rio Michibayashi, First Summer Uika, Nozomi Hirano, Tentenko, Saki Kamiya, fashion designer NIGO I don't mean to sound harsh. This is NOT a bad EP by any stretch of the imagination. Every song is good, solidly produced and well-written. I love BILLIE IDLE to death and they really can do no wrong at this point. I just wish some of these songs had a little more personality to them. I don't feel like I know anything about Yuuhi or Momo after this. They are great singers for sure, but their songs didn't really allow their personalities to shine. Uika and Nozomi's did, and I can't help but wonder if it's because they're ex-BiS. Maybe the producers know who the popular ones are and put this thing together accordingly. It's a little unfortunate because I want to see Yuuhi and Momo shine the way I know they can. Especially with Yuuhi's incredible strong voice! I'll be following BILLIE IDLE closely, as always, and see where they go from here. I'm craving more of that punky synthpop they stole our hearts with from the beginning. -Justin BILLIE IDLE® IS: First Summer Uika Hirano Nozomi Momose Momo Yasui Yuuhi For More Information: Website: http://www.billieidle.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/b_idle_official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1VeRu87NHxaNuEt_a3jzw  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Recently, Morning Musume。'16 was able to come to Houston, Texas to participate in the popular Anime Matsuri convention as the guest of honor. The last time they were able to make it over to the United States for a convention (Anime Expo) was back in 2009 in LA. Since then, the lineup has completely changed and the direction of the group has evolved greatly. Lucky attendees of the convention were able to experience Morning Musume。'16 in all their glory throughout the weekend via a multitude of events. Their adventures at the convention began on the first day (February 26th, Friday). They attended the Opening Ceremonies, where they were introduced to a standing ovation. Miki Nonaka presented the group to the attendees using her English skills, which she acquired from her 8 year stay in Alabama as a young child. Before they were sent off-stage, a couple of hard-working fans were able to present a special welcome banner to the girls. This banner contained messages from various fans hailing from a multitude of locations. This gesture moved the girls and they were ecstatic to receive such a welcoming gift from their overseas fans. As they left the stage, they walked around the seats on the floor waving to everybody and proudly displaying the banner, before finally heading back to their seats.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Directly following the Opening Ceremonies, there was a Q&A Panel with the group. The girls specifically requested that the fans be allowed to sit as close to the stage as possible, in order to afford a more personal interaction. As soon as the attendees were seated on the ground surrounding the stage, the session began immediately in order to not waste a minute. Keep in mind that the following transcript provided contains rough translations of the answers. Fan: Now that she’s (Riho Sayashi) gone, she has opened the position of center ace that is unfilled in the group. So I was wondering which one of you plans to take that spot and how do you plan to do it? -EVERYONE RAISES THEIR HAND- Haruna Iikubo: Everybody wants to be the ace! Fan: Hi. ALL: Hi! Fan: Um, when members graduate, how do you guys go about deciding lines? Does the management decide or is it between you guys? Maa-chan got lots of Reina’s lines. Is it because she likes her or is it because management decides to give it to them? Masaki Sato: The management actually decides it. They listen to the voices and find the one that fits the line the most. Fan: Maa-chan, do you have any funny episodes about your new hamster? Masaki Sato: My hamster only listens to my father. So when my father is not around it won’t listen to anyone, but when my dad is there it will actually listen and sit down. Fan: Ayumi-san, now that Sayashi Riho is gone, do you have a favorite person you like to dance with? Ayumi Ishida: We’re in the middle of rehearsal for our spring tour. I MIGHT be pairing up with one of them. I really loved dancing with Riho but after she graduated I had more of a chance to dance with other people. It’s a different experience but I really enjoy it too! Fan: For the girls that have been to America before, how are you finding Houston and for the girls who have not been to America before what are your favorite things about America so far? Haruna Ogata: I’m Ogata Haruna! It’s my first time coming here in America and I really enjoyed the bagel from the lunch buffet. It was really yummy. Kanon Suzuki: I’ve been to New York back in 2014 but I feel like it’s really different. When I landed in the airport I thought the air was really different. I really wish, even for one month, I really wish I can live here then I’ll feel better. Haruna Iikubo: When we did the New York concert Kanon’s cheer was the loudest back then. Even in Houston she gets the loudest cheer, I’m impressed! Fan: Zukki, I know you’re going to be leaving soon and of course your fans are sad, but I want to know what are some of your happiest memories being part of Morning Musume。? Kanon Suzuki: I have a really great memory from when I was 14. For my birthday I received a book with a lot of messages from fans all over the world. It is really surreal that people know me through the internet and through people and relationships people got to know me and I feel really surreal. It’s my most precious treasure in my life. Fan: I’ve been waiting 7 years to meet Morning Musume。, I’ve been a fan since I was 11 years old. My question is, would you support overseas idols? Erina Ikuta: Because I am an idol fan as well, I would really like to see and support foreign idols as well. Miki Nonaka: I can speak English too so…. I really want to talk with idols overseas. Yeah I want to do a lot of things with idols overseas. I want to see a combination of our group and other idol groups. Fan: Hi Zukki. I wanted to tell you that you are one of my favorites. My sons introduced me to Morning Musume。 music. We went to New York in 2014 to see you in Manhattan and we had a blast. We had so much fun and my question for you is, what are you going to do after you graduate? Are you going to school or what’s your future look like? Kanon Suzuki: After graduation I would like to be a social worker, like a counselor and helper. I really enjoyed helping people through singing and dancing and after I graduate I won’t be able to do that in front of people but in another way I’d still like to help people out. Fan: I’m a big fan of video games. I love Final Fantasy, it’s one of my favorite series. I was wondering, are any of you fans of Final Fantasy? Which one is your favorite? If not, what is your favorite video game if any of you play video games? -THEY ALL INDICATE THEY DON’T PLAY FINAL FANTASY- Haruna Iikubo: Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest Online, Monster Hunter, Biohazard (Resident Evil). Oh and also Zelda! Ayumi Ishida: I like dance…dance appear please. -FAN DANCES AND IS NOTICED-  Fan: HI ODA! I have a question. So my question is, you have a lot of songs. I was wondering if there was one that you really liked to perform that means a lot to you. Sakura Oda: It’s a song that I’m not originally in, but I love ‘Roman My Dear Boy.’ Ayumi Ishida: I AM SHOCK! (In response to the fan asking Sakura the question instead of Ayumi, since she’s the one who picked him.) Masaki Sato: Rock, scissor, paper! –FANS PLAY AGAINST HER- -LAST MATCH IS TWO FANS AGAINST EACH OTHER TO BE ABLE TO ASK THE QUESTION- Fan: I wanted to thank you guys for coming here since I didn’t get to see you in New York. I honestly didn’t think I would have another chance to see you. So I wanted to ask Mizuki what you find the hardest part of being leader. Mizuki Fukumura: The hardest thing to do…because there’s so many of them, is to get all 12 of them in one place! Fan: Some of you already have been to America. Where are some other places you’d like to travel in the world? Haruka Kudo: I want to go to Brazil and see the real soccer there. Fan (Same person who asked the previous question.): Sakura I love you! Haruka Kudo: I AM SHOCK! I am shock. Fan: First of all I got introduced to the play ‘LILIUM’ last year. My favorite play! What was your best memory of doing that? Sakura Oda: I played Sylvatica. One of my last scenes is me jumping off from the tower. I actually really jumped off from the top tower. It was really scary for me! Fan: Obviously you guys are my favorite female Jpop group. My favorite male Jpop group is Arashi. So I was wondering if you also like Arashi and who’s your favorite member from Arashi? Haruna Ogata: A little while back we were doing a fitting and someone told me that if you put Morning Musume。 in Arashi I’m like the Ohno position. So I’d really like to see him and meet him one day. -IT’S MIKI’S TURN TO PICK AND SHE NOTICES A SIGN AND PICKS THAT PERSON- Miki Nonaka: Welcome home Miki. Fan: First I would like to welcome you back home. –FANS CLAP- Now, being able to speak both English and Japanese, what was your initial feeling when you were chosen to be in Morning Musume。? Where do you want to take it in the future? Miki Nonaka: Yeah I can speak Japanese and English, both of them. So I really can speak Japanese more than English so I thought I had to study English too, but I really like doing concerts in my country Japan too. But I really really love to do concerts overseas, this time in Houston. I’m so excited so I couldn’t hardly wait for this event. So yeah I’m very happy to come overseas. Thank you very much! Maria Makino: I am Maria. Nice to meet you! I love baseball, and you? –NOTICES SOMEONE WEARING A FIGHTERS CAP- Fighters! I love Fighters! Fan: Are the Fighters going to win the Japanese series this year? Maria Makino: Of course! Number one! -FAN YELLS ‘ERIPON SMILE’ BECAUSE SHE HAD A SERIOUS FACE FOR A MOMENT. SHE SMILES WIDELY- Fan: My question is to the newest members. What’s been your favorite experience since joining the group? Akane Haga: I was in the play ‘Triangle’ last year and I was in drama club. So it was a really good experience for me to be in an actual musical. Maria Makino: Because I love Michishige Sayumi. For me to be able to be a member of Morning Musume。 and to be able to meet Sayumi was the biggest and nicest experience for me. Miki Nonaka: So the biggest…the biggest is right now!!! Haruna Ogata: If I wasn’t a member of Morning Musume。 I wouldn’t have been able to come abroad, so just being here is the biggest experience for me. Mizuki Fukumura: Thank you so much everyone for all the questions you asked us. So tomorrow we’re going to have a live concert and we have practiced the MC in English, so look forward to it…come and enjoy. -Q&A ENDS-  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Much later in the evening, A-To-J Connections hosted our Hello! Project panel (with a heavier focus on Morning Musume。, of course) which was a major success. We even had the pleasure of having Aika Mitsui (former 8th Generation member of Morning Musume。) attend a portion of our panel. There was also a fan-held party called Hello! Disco that was held partially during (and after) our panel. At this party, fans gathered together to have a great time celebrating their common interests in Morning Musume。'16 and Hello! Project as a whole. Aika actually made a surprise appearance at this party as well, much to the delight of all attending fans.
The next day of the convention was also quite busy for the group (February 27th, Saturday). The day kicked off with a Press Conference, where various news outlets were able to interview Morning Musume。'16. Following this was a special autograph session that was held specifically for Super Pass holders of the convention. Attendees were allowed to get any official Anime Matsuri or Morning Musume。'16 merchandise signed by the girls. This session was especially loved by fans because it granted time for some very fun and personal interactions with the members. At the end of the autograph session, the girls took a group photo with the fans in the back. This photo, we were told, would be featured on the official site for a time. The final event of the day, which was the event most people were waiting for, was the concert itself. The concert was an absolute success, with an extremely high attendance rate (of fans and newly interested attendees alike). A link to our full concert report will be provided below. On the final day of the convention (February 28th, Sunday), there was a final autograph session held specifically for general attendees. Like the Super Pass session, this provided fans with a wonderful opportunity to interact and have fun with the girls as everyone was able to get their beloved autographs. From here, Morning Musume。‘16 left the convention after an extremely exciting and eventful weekend. Fans were able to share in a special kind of experience with Morning Musume。'16 at Anime Matsuri, the kind of which you don't see normally even in Japan. There is no doubt that this will be long remembered as one of the most exciting Hello! Project events in the USA, and all fans who were able to attend will forever cherish it. For more coverage of Morning Musume。'16, check out our official concert report and our exciting interview (links provided below)! - Teepu Morning Musume。’16 Is: - Fukumura Mizuki (譜久村聖; 9th Generation) Leader - Ikuta Erina (生田衣梨奈; 9th Generation) Sub-Leader - Suzuki Kanon (鈴木香音; 9th Generation) - Iikubo Haruna (飯窪春奈; 10th Generation) Sub-Leader - Ishida Ayumi (石田亜佑美; 10th Generation) - Sato Masaki (佐藤優樹; 10th Generation) - Kudo Haruka (工藤遥; 10th Generation) - Oda Sakura (小田さくら; 11th Generation) - Ogata Haruna (尾形春水; 12th Generation) - Nonaka Miki (野中美希; 12th Generation) - Makino Maria (牧野真莉愛; 12th Generation) - Haga Akane (羽賀朱音; 12th Generation) A-To-J Concert Report: http://a-to-jconnections.com/idols/-take-off-is-now-morning-musume16-in-houston A-To-J Interview: Official Morning Musume。’16 Links Website: http://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/ Google+: https://plus.google.com/+morningmusume/posts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Morningmusume.Official/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorningMusumeMg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/morningmusumechannel UP-FRONT LINK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upfrontlink/ UP-FRONT LINK Twitter: https://twitter.com/UpFrontLink Anime Matsuri Link: http://www.animematsuri.com/ All pictures ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Used with permission.  BRAND-NEW BRAND-NEW IDOL SHIT. BiSH is back yet again with their major label debut, and it goes hard as hell. The rebel idols debuted their new song "DEADMAN" live on their recent tour, but the PV has finally been released and it's beautiful. The group is like a cyberpunk girl gang, smashing shit with their sledgehammers and medieval flails and whatever else while crazy retro lights flash all around. It all culminates in Momokan falling in a hole on the beach. WATCH IT. BiSH - DEADMAN MV The song is the most punk thing you're gonna hear all year. Even as a group known to open shows with a Stalin song, this STILL comes as a surprise, but a very welcome one. After the pummeling hardcore verse we get one of the catchiest choruses BiSH has ever released, and then... it ends! No word yet on if this is the short version (video is credited as "official") but this is the same length as the song they played live. While I do hope there's a longer version coming up, this length perfectly suits the days of classic hardcore punk where bands would play their entire discography twice just to fill up their time slots.  I can't wait until BiSH has another album for us. This song is already killing me as it is, but a whole album of cyberpunk BiSH would probably give me a heart attack. The only question is, who's the sukeban if Chitti got demoted? Probably not Momokan. -Justin  BiSH Is:
Cent Chihiro Chitti (Captain.....?) Aina the End Hug Me Momoko Gumi Company Lingling Hashiyasume Atsuko For More Information: Website: http://www.bish.tokyo/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BiSHidol 
It's clear from the opening track that BABYMETAL is back and better than ever. "Road of Resistance" is a fantastic power metal piece which SCREAMS DragonForce (I only found out later that Herman Li and Sam Totman are actually playing on the song, which is probably why it screams DragonForce). The song was released as a single in 2015 and even featured on some re-releases of BABYMETAL's debut album, so the stylistic shift has clearly been in the works for a while. After a quick refresher of "KARATE", it's time for some new songs.  "Awadama Fever" is actually pretty classic BABYMETAL. It's got the metal flavor but is a heavily electronic song, being the most idol-like thing on the album so far. The chorus is super catchy in true idol form. It's maybe a little TOO similar to songs like "Gimme Choko!!" in a way that makes it hard to differentiate from anything off the first album, but it's catchy and I love it just the same. "YAVA!" is pretty unique and one of the most stand-out tracks on the first half of the album. It's just a little bit of flamenco ska with awesome vocals I can't get enough of. A little later we get "Amore", which has some more DragonForce-esque guitars (though probably not actually DragonForce this time) and even another slight hint of flamenco metal influence. The vocals are great, and I'm sure this would be really good in a live setting. "Meta Taro" is a bit of an odd one, with its childlike melody. It's somewhere between a kids lullaby and a military march. I'm into it, if only for the novelty. It's another one I think would translate much better live. It's actually really catchy too. At this point listeners may become pretty divided: the Japanese edition of the album features "Syncopation", but the "Out of Japan" edition replaces it with "From Dusk Till Dawn". The version I got comes with the latter track. "From Dusk Till Dawn" has these really soft yet high-pitched vocals on the verses, leading up to an explosive chorus. Still, I can't help but feel the production on this one is a little lacking. About halfway through the song there's a dubstep drop, because... well I don't know why. It adds nothing. Otherwise I do like the song, I'm just feeling extra-critical because they replaced an entire song for this release. I do like that BABYMETAL is taking a slightly different direction here; I'm all for a little bit of variance. "Syncopation", on the other hand, is a fantastic song. It's fast, heavy on the power metal guitars, and the vocals are incredible.  The next couple tracks are easily the heaviest. "GJ!" has these pounding drums and amelodic verses leading up to a cute idol chorus, because this is still BABYMETAL. "Sis. Anger" (a play on St. Anger, because duh) is a pretty heavy song compared to what we've had so far, probably the heaviest on the album. There's not really a sense of "anger" in the vocals, but this is BABYMETAL we're talking about. It's an awesome song either way. A song somebody could die to in the bit when it's played live. So far, the second half of the album is where the real appeal has been for me. "No Rain, No Rainbow" is a BEAUTIFUL ballad and a great introduction to the "last three tracks" bit of the album where it seems every album this year is putting some of the best songs. "Tales of The Destinies" has a nice mix of styles going for it, and some of the most emotive vocals on the album up to now. It brings some much-needed character to the album. There's just so much going on! I love the solos and the instant changes in tone and tempo. Finally things come to an end with "THE ONE". This song is possibly perfect. The vocals on both the original and English versions are amazing, the composition is beautiful, there's just nothing wrong here. "THE ONE" serves to let you know that BABYMETAL has something really special going for them, even if they occasionally let you forget that with some of the less-memorable songs on this album. I'm not sure what to say my overall opinion is on "Metal Resistance". There are some incredible songs here. There are some forgettable ones too. I think it sounds like a natural progression for the group, though. Even when things sound a little bit stale, there's a sense of maturity in the vocals and songwriting alike. It's like BABYMETAL is embracing the ability of fans to see them as legitimate artists rather than a meme, and I love that. Even if the structures are similar, there's a lot here to enjoy and there's definitely a sense of progression over what the group was at the time they first reached global fame. I'm hesitant to say it's better than their debut album, but I'm also hesitant to say it's not. I think "Metal Resistance" can stand on its own as an album without comparison to BABYMETAL's previous work. It's more of the same but it's a little bit new as well. It's a collections of strong songs with a couple less strong songs thrown into the mix. It's an enjoyable album, and really what else could you have wanted? -Justin Metal Resistance: Road of Resistance KARATE Awadama Fever YAVA! Amore Meta Taro Syncopation (Japanese exclusive) From Dusk 'Til Dawn (Non-Japanese editions) GJ! Sis. Anger No Rain, No Rainbow Tales of The Destinies THE ONE BABYMETAL is: Suzuka "Su-Metal" Nakamoto Yui "Yuimetal" Mizuno Moa "Moametal" Kikuchi LINKS Website YouTube Idols are usually a pretty simple concept; a bunch of girls (or boys sometimes) together in a group to sing really simple and catchy pop music aimed at a very targeted demographic. Once in a while though we get some idols and idol groups who break the mold. Groups like BiS, Babymetal, and PassCode. But even LESS frequently, we get a song or two that absolutely SMASHES the mold into something totally unrecognizable. I'd like to talk about some of the latter category. Songs presented in no particular order. Disclaimer: I won't be talking about any Jun Togawa songs in this article. As one of the most unique pop singers of all time, her entire discography would fit right in here. I don't have time to casually write a novel, so just know that Jun Togawa is the reason any of these groups exist. BiS Kaidan - Suki Suki Daisuki (I might have lied about Jun Togawa) BiS (or Brand-new idol Society) is a group which will probably find a lot of coverage in this article. In this particular instance, they teamed up with the infamous harsh noise troupe Hijokaidan to make something so horrifyingly anti-idol that the group actually got banned from Budokan. Across the two "BiS Kaidan" albums, BiS mostly released remixed versions of their own songs, blended with some fresh feedback-ridden violent noise from their friends in Hijokaidan. It's the opening song on their debut collaboration album I'm interested in, though. "Suki Suki Daisuki" is a song by the legendary anti-idol singer Jun Togawa (there she is). It is, in my opinion, one of the best pop songs ever written. BiS took this classic and beloved song threw it on the ground and smashed it to bits with a cinderblock. From the shots of sharp feedback to the screams of pain and terror from the BiS girls, this song is an experience from start to finish. The vocals are adorably sweet, but they're buried so deeply that there's no chance they could escape the hellish landscape of this song. The repetition of "suki suki daisuki" during the chorus is the perfect contrast to the unimaginably loud slaughter that is this song. There is simply no way to explain the anti-idol powerhouse BiS without this song. It's a perfect work of ear-shattering art. The video for the song features the girls in blood-stained schoolgirl uniforms, biting and kicking and smashing various objects around the studio space. Hijokaidan are in the background, smashing their guitars and throwing around a bloody pig's head. This might just be the most fun you can ever have watching an idol music video. It's pure insanity. Each BiS Kaidan album had a closing track which was even noisier and more abstract than this, but Suki Suki Daisuki is the perfect way to introduce anybody. After all, it was MY first BiS song.  BiS - Our Song It's BiS again! This is another cover, featured on their 2012 album "IDOL is DEAD". The BiS take on Shinichi Osawa's "Our Song" is pure and simple shoegaze at its finest. Shoegaze is a common enough genre, being both revived and mutilated by some of the best and worst alternative rock bands of the 2010s. BiS took that formula and made something amazing. Shoegaze may have been invented in Europe, but I've never heard of a shoegaze group out of Japan who wasn't incredible. BiS takes a sugary sweet pop song and sings it over a wall of swirling guitar chords. The bends and twists of the music go perfectly with the dreamy group vocals. In contrast to "Suki Suki Daisuki", this song is beautiful. It maintains the catchy pop "requirements" of idol music, but shoegaze is a genre which has never been (and maybe never will be) fully explored in pop music.  Yukueshirezutsurezure - Kyousoukaichinari Yukueshirezutsurezure is an enigma in the relatively new field of Yami-Kawaii idols. They could probably be seen as one of the founders of the subgenre, along with their sister group Zenbu Kimi no Sei Da (who are featured on this song). Yukueshirezutsurezure take the style of sickness vs cuteness and brings it to full blast, making some of the most unique pop music I've heard in years. They have a relatively straightforward structure, at first, but then the screams come in. Screaming in idol music has been popular lately; BiS dared to try it, and Babymetal popularized the concept of metal and hard rock idols. What I'm saying is that screaming has been around in idol music for a good handful of years. I say this because Yukueshirezutsurezure brings something terrifyingly new to the table. This song is straight out of your worst nightmares, being catchy and horrific at the same time. The group's screams are some of the most intense sounds I've heard in the entire genre of idol pop, and definitely deserve recognition for that. The music takes such a sharp turn, it's pretty jarring. The image of these girls dancing in the forest might look almost innocent, but I'm convinced that they're demonic creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to tear your soul apart. This song is cute, but maybe too cute for comfort. If the first verse makes you feel like they're hiding something just wait for the chorus. You might never turn the lights off again.  BILLIE IDLE - moments This song is incredibly hard to find, and doesn't exist on YouTube. Sorry about that!  As far as the groups formed by BiS alumni go, BILLIE IDLE is one of the most interesting. Still, a lot of their music doesn't really go as far as to be something I could include on this list. There's a lot of pop structure and cute melodies in their short discography; why are they here? It's "moments". "moments" is why they're here. "moments", the fifth song on BILLIE IDLE's debut album "IDLE GOSSIP", is... something. The first verse is a rap followed by a loose and unstructured mix of screaming and groaning. Then it's suddenly a rock song, and a catchy one at that. The chorus slows down to become a ballad, and we're thrown right back into a rap verse after that. This song is ALL OVER THE PLACE, and I LOVE it. There's also a guitar and synthesizer solo at one point. In the middle of the song, though, not where the bridge is normally meant to go. BILLIE IDLE threw all semblance of structure out the window for this song, and I'll always respect them for taking that risk.  Tentenko - Good bye, good girl Tentenko is another ex-BiS member, who started her career as a DJ shortly after BiS disbanded. Musically, this song isn't actually that unique; it's an extremely 80s-style throwback vintage however many other words I can say that all mean "it sounds old". This is less of a "wow listen to how crazy and different this is" and more of a "really cool that somebody so modern and influential is making music that hearkens to one of the best eras in J-pop". The song pretty much speaks for itself. Tentenko is a super talented musician who broke free from the idol life to self-produce music and release it on her own label.  Togawa Kaidan - Suki Suki Daisuki (I definitely lied about Jun Togawa) Remember way up at the top, when I talked about the BiS cover of "Suki Suki Daisuki"? Well Jun Togawa herself covered it (self-covered, is that a thing?) with Hijokaidan. How many times is Hijokaidan gonna be a part of a version of "Suki Suki Daisuki"? Not enough, it seems. Jun Togawa's noise version of her own song doesn't feature any of the screams experienced on the BiS version, but instead we're treated to Jun Togawa's unparalleled talent. On this song, her voice is cracking, harsh, and husky. You know she would never have it any other way. Through her moans and grunts, it's clear this song is no longer meant to be the pop masterpiece it once was. Instead, we're treated to Jun Togawa's take on murdering a classic in the best possible way. This song isn't better or worse than the BiS version, or even the original; they all occupy some plane where every song is "Suki Suki Daisuki", and every song is perfect. -Justin   I've mentioned before that BILLIE IDLE is my favorite idol group currently, and possibly of all time. I was beyond ecstatic when they announced they would release an EP where each of the four songs would focus solely on one member. I was sure First Summer Uika would get the first single and Hirano Nozomi (my personal favorite member) would just be passed over. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to news that Nozoshan's song, "Douse Kiete Shimau Inochi Nara..." was the first to get a video, and that video was out right now! どうせ消えてしまう命なら... MV
I'm really happy to hear Tentenko and Saki Kamiya singing together again as well. Not to mention, the song was actually composed and produced by Kenta Matsukuma! It's like a greatest hits of rebel idols of the past ten or so years. I was excited for "4 IN 1: The Official Bootleg". Now I absolutely can't wait. I need the other three songs immediately. "Douse Kiete Shimau Inochi Nara..." is perfect! I love this song, I love Hirano Nozomi, and I love BILLIE IDLE. -Justin BILLIE IDLE® IS: First Summer Uika Hirano Nozomi Momose Momo Yasui Yuuhi For More Information: Website: http://www.billieidle.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/b_idle_official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1VeRu87NHxaNuEt_a3jzw  
"lost AGE" starts right where Maison book girl's debut album "bath room" left us last year; synths that are so melancholy they have no right to be so bouncy. Somehow the music is both cheery and sad at the same time. I will say that this song isn't as catchy as some of the cuts from their album, but I love it just the same. In the video, the girls dance around in white gowns, almost mechanically alongside the beat. Everyone in Maison book girl has a similar vocal style, but it serves their style pretty well in my opinion. It's all very soft and minimalist with a very slight tinge of discomfort.
Interview with KOTO: First Overseas Live at Taiwan's 3D LIVE REVOLUTION×LIVE PLUS (Part 2)3/17/2016  KOTO with A-To-J Tranlator/Correspondent, Darice Chang Here is the second half of our interview with KOTO when we caught up to her during her first ever overseas live which took place in Taiwan where our translator and correspondent, Darice Chang, was lucky enough to meet her! KOTO took the stage at the 2-day event "3D LIVE REVOLUTION X LIVE PLUS" at Taiwan's Pipe Live Music and shared the stage with several idols from both Taiwan and Japan! This included a special 2-man live with Taiwanese idol, Tira! The crowd was hyped and energetic and she won over many Taiwanese idol fans and we hope that she will eventually win over the hearts of many more fans worldwide! KOTO is a solo recording artist with a unique style and sound that has made her a front runner in the indie idol scene. She recently released her first album "Platonic Planet" and has been very active recording and performing in Japan. You can follow her on social media for more information (links at the bottom of the article) and look forward to more news on her in the future from A-To-J Connections! You can find an earlier interview we conducted with KOTO here. You can also find a live report from an earlier show we covered in Japan here. We also will close out this half of the interview with a summary of some recent KOTO news for those who perhaps find it hard to get information on her outside of Japan!  KOTO backstage @ Taiwan's Pipe (PC: Darice Chang) [Part 1 of the interview can be found here.] A-To-J: Your songs are in Japanese but how do you think they’re accepted throughout the world? A-To-J: KOTOさんの曲は日本語ですが、他の国ではどう受け入れられていると思いますか。 KOTO: My songs are very electronic… I think people that like cute things really like my songs! So I think people that like Harujuku and Harajuku fashion like my songs. The songs are also fast paced so I think people that like high tension songs like them as well. This is also why I want to go to places that have “kawaii” culture. KOTO: テクノポップというかエレクトロなサウンドなので、かわいいものとか好きな人が好きだと思うんですよ。だから原宿系なファッションとかアーティストさんが好きな方は好きなのかなって。後、結構早い曲なので、ノリノリなものが好きな方に受け入れてもらえると思うので「カワイイカルチャー」があるところに行きたいです。 A-To-J: How do you think the audience in Taiwan will react to your style of music? A-To-J: 台湾のファンはKOTOさんの曲のスタイルにはどう反応すると思いますか？ KOTO: As you saw from the reactions yesterday, I don’t think there are a lot of songs of mine that require you to use your voice (to cheer). Other idols have “mixes”… I’m pretty sure I surprised them by dancing all of the sudden but they cheered along with me and it made me very happy! KOTO: 昨日見てもらった感じなので、どんな反応したかわかるんですけど、たぶん声を一緒に出したりする、KOTOの曲が少ないんですよ。他のアイドルさんは「ミックス」とかが多いと思うし…いきなり踊りだしてびっくりしたと思うんですけど、でも声出すところは一緒になってやってくれてたので、嬉しかったです。 A-To-J: Which country do you think will accept your songs the most? (Other than Japan) A-To-J: どの国が一番受け入れそうですか？ KOTO: What do you think? KOTO: どうですかね、どこだと思いますか？ A-To-J: Me? I actually think America would be very accepting since we have different events such as conventions that are Japanese pop culture themed and there are a lot of people that like anime and “kawaii” fashion. A-To-J: 私ですか？アメリカも受け入れてもらえると思います。日本のポップカルチャーのコンベンションや様々なイベントがあるし、アニメやカワイイファッションが好きな人がいるから。
KOTO - Taiwan Live @ Pipe Live Music A-To-J: Is there any other language you would like to perform in? A-To-J: 他の言語でパフォーマンスしてみたいですか？ KOTO: There are other languages I would want to perform in but I’m very bad at anything other than Japanese, but I would want to try in English with proper pronunciation. KOTO: したいのはあるんですけど、めちゃめちゃだめで、日本語以外だめで…してみたいです。英語とかも頑張って発音よくしたいけど、すごいカタコトになっちゃう。 A-To-J: Please tell us about today’s fashion. A-To-J: 今日のファッションについてちょっと教えてください。 KOTO: For my costume, I thought of Taiwan and wore a China dress. KOTO: 衣装は台湾を意識してチャイナドレスにしました。 A-To-J: Where did you get your costume? A-To-J: どこから買いましたか？ KOTO: This is from a web store called “Kawaii Youfukuya-san (Kari)”. I also have attached hair bun covers. As for my personal clothes, I’m wearing my original goods. KOTO: これはネットにある「かわいいお洋服屋さん（仮）」というところで買いました。後はお団子カバーをつけたり…私服は自分のグッズを着てます。 A-To-J: Are your original goods made for here or did you bring them from Japan? A-To-J: グッズは日本で作って売ってるものですか？それともこっちのために作ったものですか？ KOTO: They’re sold and made in Japan but we did bring some for this live. KOTO: もう日本で作ってて、今回も持って来ました。 A-To-J: It has your name on the hoodie! A-To-J: ジャケットにも「KOTO」って書いてますね！ KOTO: Yes, along with my Twitter handle name. KOTO: そうです、これはツイッターのIDとか書いてます。  KOTO's nails (PC: Darice Chang) A-To-J: How did you choose this Twitter handle name? A-To-J: そのIDはどうやって決めたのですか？ KOTO: I actually made a mistake for the name… I wanted to put “Kocchan” in romaji but I ended up putting in “Koccyan” (pronounced as “Kokkyan”) But I submitted this username and I couldn’t change it… So now it’s this. (Laughs) KOTO: これは…間違えちゃったんですよ。最初は「こっちゃん」というのを入れたくって、ローマ字で…そしたら間違えちゃって「こっきゃん」になっちゃったんです（笑）でもこれで登録したちゃったので変えられなくって… A-To-J: What about the numbers? (925) A-To-J: その数字は？(925のこと) KOTO: The number is for my birthday, September 25th (9/25). KOTO: 誕生日です、9月の25日生まれなので。 A-To-J: I thought at first the “cyan” part meant cyan as in blue and that you liked blue a lot. A-To-J: 最初にみたときは英語の「cyan」（シアン）だと思って、青が好きなことだと思っていました。 KOTO: Oh no, it was just a mistake! KOTO: あーそうなんだ！間違えちゃった(笑) A-To-J: It’s ok though, the mistake is very cute. Oh, and your nails are very cute too! A-To-J: 大丈夫、かわいいから！ネイルもかわいいですね！ KOTO: I put pandas on them. Also its winter time so I did my “knit nails”. (Nails that are shaped like knit sweaters) KOTO: ネイル、パンダにしました。後、冬だからニットネイル。  KOTO backstage @ Taiwan's Pipe (PC: Darice Chang) A-To-J: Not every artist gets to perform overseas, how are you going to use this experience once you get back to Japan? A-To-J: アーティスト全員が海外でライブできるわけではないですが、この経験を生かして日本でやりたいことは？ KOTO: I want to be able to perform and be able to convey my feelings through my performance to anyone in any country. KOTO: どの国の人にも心に伝わるようなライブをしたいです。 A-To-J: To help accomplish your goals, what can your fans do to support you? A-To-J: KOTOさんの目標を達成するために、ファンができることはありますか？ KOTO: Since I release a lot of info on my Twitter, I would like them to follow my Twitter. I upload photos and information about my lives so I want them to see it. Since it’s difficult for overseas fans to come to my lives, they can check out my YouTube channel or buy my album from Amazon. For people in Japan, since I have a lot of lives, I hope they come to at least one of them. KOTO: 結構情報を出してるのはツイッターなので、良ければツイッターをフォローしていただいて、写真とかライブ情報をあげてるので、見てほしいなと思います。海外の人はライブに来るのが大変だと思うので、YouTubeとかアマゾンとかでアルバム変えるのでゲットしてもらったり、見てもらって…興味持ってもらえれば嬉しいです。日本の方は、ライブの数が多いので、良かったら遊びに来ていただけたらな、と思います。 A-To-J: How many lives do you normally do? A-To-J: どのぐらいライブしていますか？ KOTO: I do about 20 lives in one month! The most I’ve had in one month is 32 lives. KOTO: 1ヶ月に20本ぐらいあったり。一番多いときは1ヶ月で32本ありました。 A-To-J: Wow, that must be hard and you still go to school? A-To-J: 大変じゃないですか？それで学校も行ってるんですか？ KOTO: Yes, I’m in my second year of high school so I have to go to school as well. KOTO: 行ってます、高２なので。通っています。 A-To-J: To accomplish your goals, is there anything we can do as A-To-J Connections? A-To-J: 目標を達成するために、私たちA-To-J Connectionsが出来ることは？ KOTO: Since I want more people to know about my lives and songs, I’m very happy you guys are interviewing me. I would like you guys to spread more about me to the rest of the world. KOTO: もっといろんな人にKOTOのライブとか曲とか知ってもらいたいので、こうやって取材してもらって嬉しいし、いろんな世界の人にKOTOのこと伝えてほしいです。 A-To-J: Where should the overseas fans go to check out more things about you? A-To-J: 海外のファンはKOTOさんのこともっと知るためにどこをチェックすればいいでしょうか？ KOTO: On YouTube, I have a channel called “KOTO Channel” and I also have a homepage, Twitter, Instagram and Cheerz. KOTO: YouTubeに「KOTOちゃんねる」というのがあるので、それと…後はKOTOのホームページ、ツイッター、インスタグラムとチアーズもあります。 A-To-J: Lastly, can you give a message to your overseas fans? A-To-J: 最後に海外ファンに向けてメッセージをお願いします。 KOTO: Thank you for reading this interview and I hope you take interest in me. If you do, please check out my YouTube channel and please come to one of my lives, it will make me very happy! I would like you guys to know more about me, thank you very much! KOTO:: 今回のこの記事を読んでいただいて興味を持ってくださったら嬉しいです！もし興味を持っていただいたら是非Youtubeとか…後できたらライブとか来てくれたらすごく嬉しいです。KOTOのことをたくさん知ってくれたら嬉しいです、よろしくお願いします。
Besides her first release "Platonic Planet" (available on Japan iTunes and Amazon) KOTO recently released her new mini album on the site "OTOTOY". OTOTOY is a site that releases music files of different formats from a variety of Japanese artists. The mini album is titled "Tenkomori Mini Album" and consists of all the songs from her series of monthly releases of songs composed by Kissa Sasaki. This online package also includes jacket photos, lyrics, notes by Kazumi Namba as well as a radio sound file that includes discussions on various topics from KOTO and Kissa Sasaki. Also in recent KOTO news, a shop called "KOTOSHOP" just opened on March 13th within a cosmetic shop called "ABC Cosme Store" in Harajuku Takeshita Doori. It's a special temporary pop-up shop.The shops sells some of her CDs and live DVDs as well as t-shirts from her lives and her hoodie (pictures of the hoodie can be seen above). These are all items that are typically only sold at her live events so this is an exciting development for those who are not able to attend. There has been no official tweet or notice, but fans who have asked the KOTO staff have said that they are planning on keeping the shop open until the end of August. Look forward to more information on these developments as well as coverage of KOTO releases past and present coming soon from A-To-J Connections! For More Information Please Follow KOTO On Social Media! Twitter: twitter.com/koccyan925 Instagram: instagram.com/koccyan925 Blog: ameblo.jp/hidecyobin Website: /kotora.tokyo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIRroOmDntRlYly3BCj69AA The above interview was conducted by Darice Chang with post translation and content by Tiffany Fujii. KOTO - Omatsuri GALAXY Live MV  Yes, you read that title correctly. The lovely JPop idol group callme recently released a brand-new music video for their upcoming song ‘Can not change nothing’. The video opens with the three of them surrounding a floating cube, with them randomly switching spots as they deliver their lines. It then transitions into a scene of them walking in place, reminiscent of something similar to stop-motion animation. The next scene has them all lying down only to transition to some squares on screen. Throughout all this we see the girls strike various poses.  Wait! There’s a catch! The whole video cleverly plays off of the idea of the song’s title. As all these still or stop-motion sections proceed, you see the shadows move around the members and objects to indicate that time is passing, but everything remains the same. I really liked this simple yet extremely effective way of expressing the meaning of the song. The song itself follows a similar theme and style to their first album. It’s cool, relaxing and enticing. It manages to feel impactful and tickle your senses without overloading you. This is a main reason that I love their music so much. Thankfully, this song does not fail to disappoint in that regard. My one complaint is that I feel like they should try to evolve their music a little beyond what’s in their first album. This song feels like it should be in that album, not as a new single leading to a new album. This is merely how I’d prefer it though, and I know many others will be happy with the consistency.  Ultimately though, the biggest bummer is that the video is so short. Being spoiled by other groups who post complete music videos, it’s really demoralizing to get into a song then be cut off halfway through, which is generally when songs tend to shift slightly or throw something exciting at you. Still, this is an awesome new song from an already amazing group. You should definitely check it out, and I can’t wait until it releases on April 6th! - Teepu callme is:
Can not change nothing Product Information: http://avex.jp/callme/discography/
callme’s Official Site: http://avex.jp/callme/ callme’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/callme_official callme’s Official Instagram: https://instagram.com/callme_official/ callme on mumo Shop: http://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1?jsiteid=MSW&artist_id=CALLM callme on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/callme/id968272102 callme on cdjapan: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/person/700706365  Serena Kozuki (上月せれな) is an idol we've talked about in the past (Look here for another review), but we're still not done getting through some of her great singles from last year. She recently released a new one and before we cover that we're going to cover her first two that were released following her move to youthsource records! These are "Saikyo Melody 2" and "VISION". Saikyo Melody 2 (2015) Track List 1) Saikyo Melody 2 2) Onaji Sora no Shita de 3) Saikyo Melody 2 (Karaoke) 4) Onaji Sora no Shita de (Karaoke) First up on "Saikyo Melody 2" is the title track itself, which is essentially a re-recording of the original "Saikyo Melody" released in 2014. Everything I said about that song before still stands, though this version has MUCH better production and the song sounds much cleaner. This most likely came about thanks to a shift to a different label that coincided with the release of this single. It also has a ska-like element to the instrumentation this time around which sounds fantastic and adds to the song's infectious quality. It'll have you singing along in no time! The B-side to this single is a SUPER pretty piano-driven ballad called "Onaji Sora no Shita de". This is something of a departure for Serena and it's a welcome shift as her voice lends well to this type of song. I also love the violins that kick in later on the track, it's a nice touch that once again reflects on the new higher level of production present in this release. Everything on this track in general is really well-composed and beautiful. Serena Kozuki once again proves that she has a wonderful singing voice. The single closes with the instrumental tracks of these two songs. Saikyo Melody 2 (Live) Onaji Sora no Shita de VISION (2015)  Track List 1) VISION 2) Guru Guru Hajike-tion 3) VISION (Karaoke) 4) Guru Guru Hajike-tion (Karaoke) The second single we're going to look at is "VISION". "VISION" is a Serena Kozuki single which was released in 2015, which is the year much of her best work thus far was released. In keeping with the trend, "VISION" is one of the better songs in her catalog. It's a little more downtempo than the stuff we've covered previously from Serena, but it's a really nice song that takes the fun parts of "Saikyo Melody 2" but keeps the track itself nice and simple. This isn't a bad thing as it makes it a song that a crowd can really get into at a live. Add to this the fact that the chorus is cute and bouncy and you have a hit on your hands. I love it. The B-side to this one is "Guru Guru Hajike-tion", which is a colorful and bright techno pop song. It reminds me of something you would hear in a game of Pop'n Music, to be honest. Maybe channeling a little bit of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, even. I'm definitely a fan. Where "VISION" moved slow and steady, this song throws that all out the window and gives us a song that is a bit more along the lines of what we've been hearing from Serena in her previous releases. The production shines through on this track as songs of this type can sometimes be hard to make sound clear, but this one does so perfectly. Another outstanding release from one of our favorite indie idols! The single closes with the instrumental tracks of the aforementioned songs. VISION (Live) Serena is one of our favorites idols at A-To-J Connections and we hope that you can find songs you like too! Keep an eye out here for more on Serena in the future!
-Justin For More Information: Blog: http://ameblo.jp/sere7-kozuki/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Serena_Kozuki |
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