 Recently A-to-J Connections made the trip to Anime Matsuri in Houston, Texas to cover the show and interview some of the amazing guests. Among those guests was Gacharic Spin who are no strangers to overseas performances. They previously made their overseas debut at Anime Matsuri in 2011 and have performed at many conventions and events since, including J-POP Summit in 2015. They took some time out of their busy schedule right as the convention was coming to a close to talk to us about their time at Anime Matsuri and about some of their experiences performing overseas. We hope you all enjoy it!
Gacharic Spin is a six member band featuring four instrumentalists and two performers. (Performer Nenne was unable to attend Anime Matsuri and did not take part in this interview). They formed in 2009 as a four-member band and took on their current configuration in 2013. In 2014 they had their major label debut with Victor Entertainment and released a compilation album that featured some re-recorded tracks from their early period. In 2015 they released their single, "Don't Let Me Down" which was chosen to be the ending theme for "Dragon Ball Kai". In September 2016 they released their fourth full album, Kakujitsu Hendo -KAKUHEN-. The four instrumentalists of Gacharic Spin also take part in the band Doll$Boxx.  BOØWY, the legendary rock band who took Japan by storm in the 80s, has teased some form of return in 2017 through the above image. The minimal ad has been appearing all over Japan, and fans are flocking to the #BOOWY0807 hashtag to spread discussions and predictions. BOØWY has also launched a 35th anniversary site HERE which details what appears to be a reissue of sorts. Could BOØWY really be reuniting after all these years, or is this merely a quick reissue to commemorate the anniversary? Let the speculation begin! -Justin  We were lucky to recently be given the opportunity to interview DJ and Sound Producer TeddyLoid and we are very excited to bring it to you! Teddyloid has been on our radar for a while now and his work encompasses several genres and fields. He has contributed to anime soundtracks, such as Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt OST, and has worked with artists such as MIYAVI, Taku Takahashi (m-flo), Tetsuya Komura, CHANMINA, Bonjour Suzuki, and Aina The End (BiSH), just to name a few. Besides this, he has also made many convention appearances in the US including Anime Expo and Anime Central.
This interview covers everything from his early interests in music, his varied career, the recent "SILENT PLANET 2" project, and his upcoming work. We hope that you enjoy this interview as much as we had doing it and be sure to check out the links at the end to learn more about TeddyLoid! Also, be sure to catch him at his upcoming appearances at Anime Expo and San Japan!  LA-based international music label ZOOM LENS has announced today that they will be collaborating with adult manga site Fakku for a compilation album and art book. The album, titled Metempsychosis, will feature music from artists such as Meishi Smile, The Bilinda Butchers, LLLL, and Thought Tempo. Metempsychosis will be out digitally (June 27th) and on vinyl (July 5th) via ZOOM LENS, with a CD and artbook to be available from Fakku.
-Justin  Indie math rock darlings tricot are back with their aptly-titled third album, and it's really something special. The band recently signed to the US label Topshelf Records to expand their reach, and are no doubt planning a US tour to seal the deal. 3 may very well be some of tricot's best work to date, combining their impeccable sense of melody with intricate guitar lines and time signature shifts.
 With the recent news that Cornelius would be returning in 2017 with a brand-new studio album, it was only a matter of time before we got to hear some new music. Today, Cornelius released a music video for the opening track on Mellow Waves, entitled If You're Here. You can hear the gorgeous 6-minute ballad beneath the cut, as well as see the official track list for the album. Mellow Waves will be out digitally worldwide on July 21st, but listeners in Japan can get a physical copy as early as June 28th.
-Justin  On the 25th anniversary of Boris' formation, the band planned for this upcoming new album to be their last. A "love letter" to their fans, the next Boris album Dear instead represents a newfound invigoration, as the band has found themselves full of life once again following their 2016 tour surrounding the anniversary reissue of their seminal album Pink.
 For all Japanese Rock Music fans worldwide France has done it yet again! Today we’re going to spotlight a relatively new artist on the scene, Lightning. Lightning is a French guitarist/singer/composer. He is arguably the first French artist inspired by Japanese music who has signed with a Japanese record label. Appearing on French news, playing live concerts in Japan, and generally making an impact on the Japanese music scene, Lightning has started his career on the right foot.
In 2015, "Lightning" released his first solo album titled "BREAK THE CAGE". The following year he released a single titled “MEMORIES”. After his "Break up tour 2016", which took him to Europe and North Africa (Paris, Bruxelles, London, and Tunis specifically), he ended with a concert in Tokyo on December 26th, 2016. A great end to what will almost definitely be the first of many such tours.  Gaining popularity from the anime "Death Parade" (an anime where they provided the opening theme) BRADIO is a rock band like no other incorporating genres like funk and soul into a sound that is all their own! We recently talked with their vocalist Takaaki Shingyoji about their start, their unique sound, and their recent works! Check it out!
BRADIO's name stands for "Break the Rule And Do Image On" and they originally formed in 2010 with their first demo being released in 2012. Following two mini-albums, 2014 saw the release of their first single "Otona Hit Parade/Step In Time" and the following that following year their single "Flyers" was chosen as the opening for the anime "Death Parade". 2015 would also see the release of their first full album "POWER OF LIFE". BRADIO released their most recent single "Back To The Funk" in November 2016 and in February 2017 they released their second full-length album, "FREEDOM".  Every now and then, a band climbs up through the cracks of the indie scene and really blows me away. With their debut mini-album, Fukuoka's Polkadot Stingray is the most recent band to have that effect on me. With their tight instrumentation and Shizuku's impeccable vocal performance, this group combines a sense of tunefulness with some of the most intricate guitar performances I've heard in a while.
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