Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Doopees "Forever Yann Music Meme 3"
Track list added

Mai "Maiself"
Track list added

Various Artists "bakuretsu! New Wave 1980"
Artwork added

Compilation of Crue-L released songs, selected by Kahimi Karie.

Various Artists "Kahimi Karie Presents Crue-L Crystallization"

(title / artist)
1. Mo'R (Idjut Boy Reprise Mix) / Crue-L Grand Orchestra
2. Duet With Bird / Port of Notes
3. La Dolce Vita / Fujiwara Hiroshi feat. Kahimi Karie
4. Small Music / Kanda Tomoki
5. Circle 2 (KT's Short Edit) / Museum of Plate
6. For promotional Use Only / Tokyo God Night
7. Still Be Your Girl (Ajinomoto Mix) / Crue-L Grand Orchestra
8. Cherish Our Love / Love Tambourines
9. Welcome To The Jungle / Port of Notes
10. Cannival Carpenter (Type G) / Crue-L Grand Orchestra
11. geshi / Karin
12. Unknown Language / Port of Notes
13. David Hamilton / Kahimi Karie
14. F# / Museum of Plate
15. mori wa dekakeru / Port of Notes
16. Tangerine (Reprise) / Eli+Hiroshi
17. 3rd Way To Home / Fran-Key
18. La Dolce Vita (Version Piano) / Fujiwara Hiroshi

Crue-L KYTHMAK111DA
Out 10/10, ¥2600 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon

Cornelius "Sensuous"
Track list added

Various Artists "Punch the Monkey! Box"
Artwork added

Manna, the pop unit of Kamomiya Ryō (early Pizzicato Five) and Kajiwara Motoko, will play a free live show, for the first time in 13 years!!

Manna Plays & Sings vol.4
8/28, at Apple Store Shibuya

Starts at 20:00
Entrance: Free!

I didn't know of this compilation until I saw it sold at Jet Set Leger. This is a selection of songs that have been previously released (or at least for the most part) on the popular "Groovy Sauce Collection" vinyl series from Nakatsuka Takeshi's (Qypthone) Delicatessen Recordings.

Audio samples at Victor

Various Artists "Groovy Sauce -Arrabbiata-"

(Title / Artist)
1. Moon River / Nakatsuka Takeshi feat. Igarashi Harumi
2. a note from sky / Fujisawa Shiho
3. so good so right! / Che Sa Mossa
4. An uplift state / NA-3LDK
5. vivre sa vie / Miura Makoto
6. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) / The Lowbrows
7. you'll be allright / Iwaya Shigeru
8. Les Musician / Fujisawa Shiho feat. Pecombo
9. Faraway Beach / NA-3LDK
10. Things in there / Fujisawa Shiho
11. The Happiest Street In The World / Qypthone
12. Cheese Cellar / Nakatsuka Takeshi

Victor VICL-62036
Out now (8/23), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, , Amazon U.S.

17 years after their 1989 return, Sadistic Mika Band (also "Sadistic Mica Band") are back with a brand new album, on which popular singer and youth icon Kimura Kaela is their guest singer! Original band members Katō Kazuhiko, Takahashi Yukihiro, Takanaka Masayoshi and Ohara Rei are all part of the line-up, and wrote ten brand new songs together for this album.
The album will be out in two editions, a limited one containing a bonus DVD of a promo video for "Time Machine ni onegai" featuring making-of footage of the Kirin Lager commercial that aired last spring.

While the band's official English spelling is now "Sadistic Mikaela Band", it's still to be read "Sadistic Mika Band", so make no mistake.

Sadistic Mikaela Band "Narkissos"
サディスティック・ミカ・バンド 「Narkissos」

1. watashi wa Big-Bang, Bang
2. Sadistic Twist
3. in deep hurt
4. Last Season
5. King fall
6. Sockernos
7. Tumbleweed
8. Jekyll
9. Low Life and High Heels
10. Narkissos
11. Time Machine ni onegai (2006 Version)

Limited edition (CD+DVD)
Columbia COZA-227/8
Out 10/25, ¥3465
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower, Amazon U.S.

Regular edition (CD only)
Columbia COCP-33931
Out 10/25, ¥3000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, , Amazon U.S.

Finally a life sign from the Doopees! A "Doopee Time 2" album was first announced for July, but then postponed. Now we get what looks like an EP, follow-up to Yann Tomita's "Forever Yann Music Meme 2" released last March which included one Doopees song.

For those who didn't know, it was made public in the 2006/7 issue of magazine Sound & Recording that Caroline Novac's voice is really Ohno Yumiko (Buffalo Daughter). Until then it was always a kept as a secret, though suspicions could be found in a few places on the net.
As for Caroline's image, it's said to be model Nakamura Ayano who has been appearing in several TV commercials recently, notably ones for Seven Eleven.

Doopees "Forever Yann Music Meme 3"
ドゥーピーズ 「フォーエバー・ヤン ミュージック・ミーム3」

1. My Spinning Wheel
2. Air Vibes
3. Love Songs

Audio Science Laboratory/bounce/NMNL ASL-RS0003
Out 9/30, ¥1239 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon

See also:
Yann Tomita "Forever Yann Music Meme 2"

Cornelius "Breezin'"
Artwork added! Those who bought "Music" can maybe predict what the CD and inside artwork will look like!

Legendary Shibuya-kei label Crue-L, which lately is more focused on house and electronic music, will release a 12" of song "Beep It", from Cornelius' upcoming album "Sensuous"! The 12" will also contain remixes by Luger E-Go (Takimi Kenji)!

Cornelius "Beep It" (12")

A1. Beep It
A2. Beep It (Luger E-Go Dub)
AA. Beep It (Luger E-Go Remix)

Crue-L KYTHMAK113
Out 11/13, ¥1400 (excl. 10% tax)
Order:

migu aka Araki Yūko, a great female drummer who has toured with Cornelius and others, has a second solo album coming out! The album will feature Oyamada Keigo (Cornelius), Nagoshi Yukio, and is produced by guitarist Shimizu Hirotaka.

migu "From Space"

1. from space
2. no matter
3. floating
4. kimi no naka boku no naka yume no naka
5. from space strings
6. touch wood
7. OSHIRO
8. in my pocket
9. hitori ja dekinai kara tetsudatte kudasai
10. rom brain unō

Atsugua ATS-012
Out 9/6, ¥2381 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon

Jet Set Leger opens!
Nomoto Karia will DJ for one hour from 18:30 on 8/25 (Friday)

With contents similar to the recently released "Technoroid - Japanese 80's New Wave Sampler" comes a 2-CD compilation on the same theme. Once again this is a good introduction to Japanese 80's new wave/punk, and seems to contain more essentials than "Technoroid" which adventured a bit more on the rarity side. Nomiya Maki is again in there with her first album's most powerful track, "genbaku Rock".

Various Artists "bakuretsu! New Wave 1980"
オムニバス 「爆裂！ニュー・ウェイヴ1980」
(Title / Artist)

CD 1
1. Crazy Dream (Single Version) / Friction
2. Robot Love / Lizard
3. Manekin ningyō / 81/2
4. konchūgun / Halmens
5. daijobu / P-Model
6. shiroi Highway / Hikashū
7. Top Secret Man / Plastics
8. Good / Plastics
9. You May Dream / Sheena & the Rokkets
10. fuku no tane / Chakra
11. hyokkorihyoutanjima / The No Comments
12. anata ni Overheat / Pinups
13. joō heika no Chess Game / Spy
14. genbaku Rock / Nomiya Maki
15. Yakimoki / Cosmic Invention
16. Roppongi no Ben-chan / The Number One Band
17. Midnight Rock'n'Roll Party / Chris
18. Radar Man / Togawa Jun
19. Bye Bye (Single Version) / uchōten

CD 2
1. Warszawa no gensō / The Stalin
2. Cell Number 8 / Battle Rockers
3. hageshii ame ga / The Mods
4. tamashii kogashite / A.R.B.
5. City Surfer (Single Version) / Anarchy
6. Louise / Panta & Hal
7. Sweet Inspiration / Sheena & the Rokkets
8. Lemon Tea / Sunhouse
9. Zero / jisatsu
10. Robot In Hospital / Bolshie
11. Masturbation (Live Version) / Masturbation
12. Jerusalem no kutsujoku / aburadako
13. wa, wa, wa, / The Rabbits
14. Loud Machine / The Loods
15. Tango (kanketsu Version) / Jagatara
16. zai chūgoku teki shōnen / Rosa Luxemburg
17. Lightning Scarlet (Single Version) / Willard
18. Tango / Machida Machizō + Kitazawa-gumi
19. aogeba sonshi / Endō Michirō

Victor VICL-62129~30
Out 9/21, ¥2980
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower, Amazon U.S.

Kahimi Karie "TBA"
Kahimi's next album will feature... Cornelius!!!

Happiness Records, the label of Nakatsuka Takeshi (Qypthone), will release a second compilation of its "LOHAStyle" series that began this year. I'm especially eyeing this one for the solo track by eli (girl it's U, ex-Love Tambourines).
For those not in the know, LOHAS (short for "Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability") is the magic keyword in Japan right now, and it finds its place just about anywhere.

There will be a release party on 9/9 limited to 50 people, details at Happiness Records.

Various Artists "LOHAStyle ~forest"
オムニバス 「ロハスタイル ～フォレスト」

(Title / artist)
1. goodbye / naomi & goro
2. over the rainbow / Kama Aina (Aoyagi Takuji), RT (Takada Ren), Moose Hill (Itō Gorō)
3. yorokobi no uta / mount sugar
4. Time After Time / eli
5. Dindi / Saitō Maya
6. Heart Of Gold / Hayase Naohisa(?)
7. Pretty Girls Don't Cry / KAAS
8. kōkon no Beguine / Ōta Yuki
9. cancion de cuna / tico moon
10. ai no sazanami / NUU

Long Happiness HRAD-00018
Out 9/6, ¥2300 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, Amazon U.S.

Kawakami Tsuyoshi and His Moodmakers "Singers Limited"
Track list added

You can now add the current week's release calendar (as shown at the top of the agenda home page) to your own site or blog, and it's fully customizable to suit your needs!

If you're interested, check out the easy installation instructions.

Comments and suggestions are of course very welcome.

Update (2007/5/11): The same is now possible with Agenda: Magazine.

Kawakami Tsuyoshi and His Moodmakers "Singers Limited"
Artwork added

Kahimi Karie's next album is set for release just three weeks after her Morocco road movie DVD "Kochab". Producers will include Cornelius(!!!), Jim O'Rourke, Yann Tomita and Ōtomo Yoshihide.

Kahimi Karie "Nunki"

1. yobitsugi
2. I'm in the rain
3. All is splashing now
4. He shoots the sun
5. Le cheval blanc
6. Night train
7. sono hoka ni
8. taiyō to tsuki
9. Mirage
10. Camelia
11. Plastic bag
12. You are here for a light
13. aruki tsuzukete

Victor VICL-62135
Out 10/25, ¥2900 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon,

Fender Rhodes player Ino Hidefumi has a 4th 7" out tomorrow, containing two tracks that appeared on his great first album "Satisfaction". Like all his previous 7"'s, this is a keeper that will surely soon become a rarity. His official site says "I'll only press vinyl as 7" (maybe)."

Samples at Juno Records (UK)

Ino Hidefumi "What are you doing the rest of your life? / Solid Foundation" (7")

A. What are you doing the rest of your life?
B. Solid Foundation

Innocent IREP-0004
Out 8/19, ¥1200 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set (once out), Juno (UK), Moodsville (Japan only?)

Cornelius "Sensuous"
Artwork added

"'Akiharabara @ DEEP' Original Soundtrack"
Track list and artwork added

Crazy Ken Band "Galaxy"
Track list added

West/Rock/Woods "JAMZZ#2 Song Selected by Sunaga Tatsuo"
Track list added

Mai "Maiself"
Artwork added

Harco "Be My Girl ~kimi no Daily News~"
Artwork added

"ninkyō hiroku ningen gari", "kaiki! yuurei Snack nagurikomi!" (DVD)
Artwork added

Just one month after the release of the first of the series, Muro and Konishi Yasuharu are back with a second compilation of Japanese animation breakbeats remixes!

Various Artists "anime breakbeats II" (to be confirmed)

columbia*readymade COCP-50954
Out 10/25, ¥2500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia

(Track list and artwork to be added when available.)

Puffy and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra have formed a new unit called... Puffy×Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra! Surely intriguing. The first single is due at the end of September.

Puffy×Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra "hazumu Rhythm"
PUFFY×東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ 「ハズムリズム」

1. hazumu Rhythm
2. hazumu Rhythm (Backing Track)

Ki/oon KSCL-1041
Out 9/20, ¥778 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, Amazon U.S.

Indies lounge pop unit Sonicberry Favour's singer Yoshimi has a first solo album being released on abcdefg*record. The album is produced by Hidenobu Ito (aka Urara Hikaru).

Yoshimi's blog
Yoshimi's MySpace

Yoshimi "yyy..."

1. intro
2. Kiss shite ii no ni
3. otona ni narenai
4. aishiteru aishitenai
5. first love
6. good-bye
7. shigoto mo koi mo...
8. ima sugu aitai
9. finally
10. outro

abcdefg*record a-g034
Out 9/20, ¥2520
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower

Harco, who will next year celebrate his 10th anniversary since his debut, has a new single of which the title song is a collaboration with Kaji Hideki, and is being used used in a TV commercial for Kaō. Other artists featured on the 4-song EP (some call it single, others mini-album) are Kicell, Bebechio and Beautiful Hummingbird.

Harco "Be My Girl ~kimi no Daily News~"
Harco 「Be My Girl ～君のデイリーニュース～」

1. Be My Girl ~kimi no Daily News~ (Harco × Kaji Hideki)
2. mahō no Step (Harco × Bebechio)
3. amane ni tozasarete (Harco × Kicell)
4. Candle Night (Harco × Beautiful Hummingbird)
5. Be My Girl ~kimi no Daily News~ (without vocal)

Witz MTCA-3008
Out 9/20, ¥1429 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, , Amazon U.S.

Qypthone leader Nakatsuka Takeshi has a new solo album coming up. The album is to feature Toki Asako and will include some of his works for TV commercials.

Nakatsuka Takeshi "Girls & Boys"

1. Girls & Boys
2. Your Voice
3. Stars In Your Eyes
4. Make Her Mine
5. Love is...
6. Brand New Story
7. Calling Your Name
8. Cheese Cellar
9. Giulietta
10. So Good
11. kita no kuni kara
12. Dear Dad

Victor VICL-62078
Out 10/25, ¥2500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, Amazon U.S.

A month after the release of the compilation for aquagirl, Akakage will release a 12" of his latest tracks. Included is "Nowhere To Go" featured on the compilation and which should appear on his upcoming album set for release this fall. This 12" is the first release from his own label, Unformat Recordings.

Akakage "akakage ep 2006#1" (12")

Expected tracks
Nowhere To Go feat. David Boyles
Splash!
Brasilian Colors

Unformat UFR-0001
Out 9/14, ¥1400 (excl. 10% tax)
Order:

(Track list and artwork to be added when/if available.)

Akakage has a new dance music mix CD coming soon, in collaboration with select shop aquagirl. Akakage has a new album planned for release this fall, which will include the song "Nowhere to Go" found on this compilation. This song will also be released in September on vinyl.

Various Artists "akakage presents aquagirl ~Luxe~"

(Title / Artist)
1. Not That I'm Asking For (i-dep Remix) / Jazzida Grande
2. Back In Love (Mixshow Edit) / Mynt feat. Kim Sozzi
3. Phenomenon (Extended Remix) / Pyroclastic
4. Be My Side (Promo) / Flanders
5. Loader Than Words / Michi Lange
6. Nowhere to Go / akakage feat. David Boyles
7. Sweet Child O'Mine (Minimal Chic Shining Mix) / Flat Pack
8. She Got Me On (UK Club Mix) / Paul Johnson
9. Swimming Place (Peter Heller Main Mix) / Julien Jabre
10. Miracles (Kiko Navarro afroterraneo Mix) / afro-mystic
11. After Solar / Marcella & Leo Moreno
12. Dedicado (House Version) / Rivera Rotation
13. Show Me (Fanatix Mix) / Shaheer Williams feat. Stephanie Cook
14. Let it Go (RIMA house mix) / RIMA feat. Julie Dexter

Pony Canyon PCCA-02299
Out 8/18, ¥2500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon

Accompanying the opening of Jet Set Leger in Harajuku, Halfby has a refreshing set of a polar bear-shaped 9" and polar bear T-shirt being released at a friendly price (considering that's about the average price for just a T-shirt around here). The 9" contains 2 songs from the album "Green Hours" plus a previously unreleased track!
This will be limited to only 300 sets, so better be quick!

Halfby "Polar Bear Mask EP" (9"+T-shirt)

Soulful Lover Puppy
Flicker Song
Stroll of Stag Beetle

Second Royal/Jet Set ?
Out late August mid-September first week of October at Jet Set Leger, 10/19 online, ¥4200
Order: Jet Set (once out)

Yes! Cornelius' 5th album is coming! It will include title tracks from the new singles "Music" and "Breezin'" as well as the song "Gum" that's being used in a Vodafone commercial (also included on the "Music" single).

The album will feature collaborations with Kings of Convenience ("Omstart", and some vocals on "Music"), and drummer Araki Yūko on "Fit Song". "Sleep Warm" is a cover of Dean Martin.

Cornelius "Sensuous"

1. Sensuous
2. Fit Song
3. Breezin'
4. Toner
5. Wataridori
6. Gum
7. Scum
8. Omstart
9. Beep It
10. Like A Rolling Stone
11. Music
12. Sleep Warm

Warner WPCL-10367
Out 10/25, ¥2800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, Amazon U.S.

To celebrate the release of the two Watanabe Productions mix CDs, there will be a party this Thursday at Aoyama Fai featuring DJs p&art sasanoooha, Mitsy, Gee (GTS), Gyūzō (Dengeki Network / Tokyo Shock Boys), okite Porsche (Roman Porsche), and more. Entrance is free to those who bring one of the two mix CDs!
Since it starts early, and I'm told p&art sasanoooha (who can rarely be caught in Tokyo) is set to play around 6pm, the plan is: skip work and go!

Watanabe Productions setsuritsu 50shūnen Mix CD Release Party
on 8/10 (Thursday)
at Aoyama Fai

DJs:
Mitsy mōshiwake (President)
Gee mōshiwake Jr. (GTS)
p&art sasanoooha mōshiwake West
Gyūzō mōshiwake Jr. (Dengeki Network)
okite Porsche mōshiwake Jr. (Roman Porsche)

Guest DJs:
Mickey Curtis
Nakagawa Shōko
Abe Asami

Starts at 16:30, ends at 22:00
Price: Free for those who have an invitation or who bring one of the mix CDs, otherwise ¥1000 incl. soft drink
20+ year old, bring an ID in case

Is it a first compilation that makes a genre "official"? If so, better watch out for 萌えテクノ ("moe techno")! With nearly 100,000 hits on Google (at time of writing) and this new compilation from the T4P indie label, the said genre sure seems like it's here to stay for a while.

For those not in the know...
moe interj. Otaku slang that sort of means "cute", in a maid or nekomimi way.
"moe techno" mixes that otaku cosplay and anime-goe (female voices that sound like anime) culture with techno-pop. Artists that are being classified as moe techno include Perfume, capsule, YMCK and applehead.

Various Artists "moe Techno poppuu"
オムニバス 「萌えテクノぽっぷぅ」

1. Manicure dan / Lovely Fat-chan
2. Urbangarde / ninpu wa Pop
3. normal pop? / ijiwaru (normal extended club mix)
4. pLumsonic! / Galactic Gate
5. applehead / sewing machine
6. Double Youth / mirai wa benri ni ~ 24hours open mode
7. Oral Vampire / kaidoku
8. Hosoe Shinji feat. Angel-N / kimi no tenshi
9. Bespa☆kumamero / Nylon Wave
10. isogo turumi / Plastic Love
11. zenmai / denchi Surf (06' version)
12. kazaha / bosabosanobato
13. The Electrick Love / Static Love
14. Honey Mannie / Sister
15. porapora / mizu no fuwari

T4P SRTP-1004
Out 9/6, ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon

The two recent films by Sugisaku J Tarō that I've written about before have been scheduled for release on DVD! The films feature dozens of subculture stars, such as Yokoyama Ken (Crazy Ken Band), Paradise Yamamoto, Gyokō, Anzai Hajime (Tamori club), Yamada Gorō, and Ebisu Yoshikazu.
Both DVDs will include making-of contents and bloopers as well as audio commentary.

A Man's Graveyard Production official site
Trailers for the two movies

"ninkyō hiroku ningen gari" (DVD)
「任侠秘録人間狩り」
(Main feature 73 mins. / 4:3)

King KIBF-406
Out 11/8, ¥3800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon (pre-orders 25% off!)

"kaiki! yuurei Snack nagurikomi!" (DVD)
「怪奇！幽霊スナック殴り込み！」
(Main feature 78 mins. / 4:3)

King KIBF-407
Out 11/8, ¥3800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon (pre-orders 25% off!)

Game music and techno-pop fans be on the look-out! 8bit Project is a new unit produced by Itō Toshiharu (ex-Mansfield), and featuring special guests Matsutake Hideki (Logic System, and also the said "4th member of YMO") and Saitō Hisahi (of YMO homage band Y Setsu O). The album includes covers of YMO, theme songs from Studio Ghibli, Cutie Honey and Evangelion, and much more.

8bit Project "Familiar Computing World"

1. koi no Maiahi (Dragostea Din Tei)
2. Cutie Honey
3. sakuranbo ~ Happy Days ~ Smily ~ Planetarium
4. Twilight
5. shinseki Evangelion Medley: zankoku na tenshi no These ~ Angel Attack ~ Decisive Battle ~ Symphonie Nr. 9 (Beethoven) ~ Fly Me To The Moon ~ jikai yokoku
6. mezase Moscow
7. Rydeen
8. Game Center arashi
9. Birthday Eve ~ D
10. Goldfinger '99
11. Studio Ghibli sakuhin Medley: kaze no toori michi ~ Nausica Requiem ~ jinsei no Merry Go Round
12. Power Hall
13. Champione ~ Locolotion ~ Shanghai Honey ~ hana
14. koi no Maiahi (Dragostea Din Tei) (Reprise)
15. 21seki no Schizoid Man (Including: Mirrors)
16. Computer Game "Circus no Theme" (Bonus track)
17. Technopolis (Bonus track)

Joint XECJ-1002
Out 8/23, ¥1905 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, Amazon U.S.

Zazou was the pre-Crazy Ken Band unit of Yokoyama Ken, Hiroishi Keiichi and Onose Masao. This is a priced-down re-release of the 2003 greatest hits album, it contains 16 remastered tracks from Zazou's two 1990 albums, selected by Yokoyama Ken, plus a previously unreleased track (as of 2003).

Zazou "Zazou Best"

1. oshare dorobō
2. Joy Hous
3. boku no Christmas
4. Sweet Pop Music
5. kanojo wa Gorgeous
6. tenshi to senshi
7. kurutta taiyō
8. Old Apartment House
9. zoku sotsugyō
10. yakei
11. Down Town Express
12. Adieu
13. daidaiiro no jikan
14. Love Communication
15. aishi no kikoku shijo (Modest)
16. Neurose Bell
17. Do The Joy Style

Warner WPCL-10349
Out 9/6, ¥1905 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon

(Artwork to be added when available.)

The label sure has been on the quiet side lately but... "Final"!?? Let's go find out what will happen to Usagi-chang, at the 4th yearly Night Fever event. This time, the event is held in the evening and should probably end before the last train.
Expect Aprils and macdonald duck eclair to give somewhat unusual performances under the monickers Aprilspoko and The Electric Tomato.

Usagi-chang Night Fever!! -Chapter01 Final-
on 8/26 (Sat.)
at Shinjuku Marz (map)

Live:
- EeL
- MissWonda
- Aprilspoko
- Micro Mach Machine

Opening act: sono na wa Spade

Mini live:
- The Electric Tomato (macdonald duck eclair)
- Hazel Nuts Chocolate

VJ: Panoramagic

DJ: wantarou, Furuya (shiryō)

Opens/starts at 17:30
Price: adv. ¥2300 (reserve at Usagi-chang), door ¥2500
Bring a photo ID! (I know what I'm talking about...)

Contemporary piano trio West/Rock/Woods, a word game from the names of members Nishijima Toru (contrabass), Iwase Tappy (drums), Hayashi Masaki (piano), is to play rock, pop and new wave songs from the 60's to the 80's selected by Sunaga Tatsuo in an "alternative jazz session" concept.

West/Rock/Woods "JAMZZ#2 Song Selected by Sunaga Tatsuo"

1. Tetrahedron (West/Rock/Woods)
2. Moonlight Shadow (Mike Oldfield)
3. Each and everyone (Everything But the Girl)
4. Love Cats (The Cure)
5. Living Through Another Cuba (XTC)
6. Only Love Can Break Your Hearts (Neil Young)
7. Oh Yeah (Roxy Music)
8. Black, Brown And Gold (Peter & Gordon)
9. Dr. Mabuse (Propaganda)
10. Dark Adaptation (West/Rock/Woods)

P.J.L. MTCJ-3033
Out 8/23, ¥2572 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon

jenny01's 3rd major mini-album is produced by Sunaga Tatsuo. It will contain a cover of Ōnuki Taeko's "tokai", a song produced by Abe Noboru (Studio Apartment), a remix of debut song "Monologue" by Ikeda Masanori (Mansfield), and appearances by Takamiya Eitetsu (Little Big Bee), Okuyama Minako and Takizawa Kentarō.

jenny01 "Listen or Love"

1. tokai
2. rain rain
3. Melody
4. sabaku no jūtan
5. New Season
6. My first recipe (Remix)
7. Monologue (Remix)

Imperial/Teichiku TECI-1139
Out 10/4, ¥1905 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, Amazon U.S.

For the month of August, Rice Cafe (a café located nearby Komazawa University) is transformed into Rocketman Cafe, celebrating the release of Rocketman's great 3rd album "Love, sea & music". While it doesn't mean Fukawa Ryō will be present, the cafe will be playing mixes he prepared, which include songs from his new album. The café's popular Emilia sauce omrice should be worth a try!

Rocketman Cafe

From 8/1 until 8/31

At Rice Cafe
4-5-5 Kamiuma B1F, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo (map)
Tel: 03-3487-4360

Opening hours: 11:30 to 25:00 (Sunday 11:00 to 21:00)

Cornelius "Breezin'"
Track list added! A new album titled "Sensuous" is expected for release on October 25, so stay tuned!

Cubismo Grafico Five "Pop Pollution"
Track list added!

Second Royal artist Collette is having 4 songs from the recent mini-album "Le petit ange de Collette" released on two limited 7"'s.

Collette "The Love Song Never Sung" (7")

A. The Love Song Never Sung
B. Bended Song

Second Royal EMF-013
Out 8/10, ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set (once out)

Collette "Dixie Soundcrash" (7")

A. Dixie Soundcrash
B. B.M.D.

Second Royal EMF-014
Out 8/10, ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set (once out)

Once again, a technological improvement that will most likely only be used by myself. It's really just meant to save me a bit of cut & pasting once in a while, but just in case anyone else is interested, here's how to get started using the Agenda's freedb protocol service.

In the Agenda, CDs that have been released will sometimes show a discreet "DiscID" code at the bottom of their entry (e.g. DiscID 9e0c4e0c for Rocketman "Love, sea & music"). For those CDs, the track titles can be requested directly from the Agenda by using your CD player software's freedb feature. Of course, many CDs get listed on freedb's official CD database early, and it's good to keep submitting to freedb, but for those CDs listed here and which aren't up on freedb [yet], you can try querying the Agenda.

To set-up your freedb-compatible software to query the Agenda, use the following settings. In Windows software CDex look for the Remote CDDB tab in Options/Settings, in Easy CD-DA Extractor it's Options/freedb Settings.

• Protocol: HTTP
• Server: www.chipple.net
• Port: 80
• Path: /~chipplen/mt/agenda/cddb.php
  (Some clients may not allow setting the path, but it may work anyway if they correctly use the Host header in their request.)
• Also enter your email address (or something fake like a@b.c)

The Agenda's freedb protocol service only handles a basic set of queries, and has been tested with CDex and Easy CD-DA Extractor 10.

Of course it doesn't accept track list submissions, as those should always be sent to the real freedb. However, if you've bought a CD of which the track list is already found on the Agenda but which is not yet available through its freedb protocol service, you can email me to contribute the CD's DiscID (precising the CD's artist and title, or sending its Agenda entry's URL) and I will then make it available. To find a CD's DiscID, there's software such as DiscID Calculator (Windows, requires wnaspi32.dll to be in the same folder).

That's about it! Anyone still reading? :)
Comments, suggestions and bug reports are always welcome.

Nomoto Karia feat. Asia Engineer "jiyūdo." (download)
iTunes link added!

Jet Set has a new shop opening in Tokyo on August 25! The name is Jet Set Leger, and it will be located in the B1F of LaForet Harajuku! To celebrate the opening, there will be in-store events, described below, and also tons of free promo goods (tote bags, slipmats, stickers, mix CDs, and also secret ones). There will also be exclusive releases only sold at Leger, including a Halfby polar bear-shaped picture 9" + T-shirt set!

All details can be found on the announcement page (Japanese).
Gotta love that flyer illustrated by Watanabe Peko.

Opening in-store events

8/25, from 18:30
DJs: Nomoto Karia (columbia*readymade), Harvard (Escalator)

8/26
DJs: Mu-Stars (Kakubarhythm), DJ Oshow, Sakurai Kyō

Following the recently out single "Screw The Plan", Halfby's first on a major label, a second one is being released in October.
The first edition will contain a sticker.

Halfby "Halfbeat"

1. Halfbeat
2. Shout To The BPM
3. Edision Street
4. Halfbeat (Half Beat Happening Mix)

Toy's Factory TFCC-89186
Out 10/25, ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Play-Asia, Amazon, , Amazon U.S.