Tokyo's Coolest Sound

The Moonriders have officially retired indefinitely at the end of 2011. Here's a 2-CD live album of a special concert held in Tokyo on May 5 last year to celebrate the band's 35th anniversary.

Moonriders "moonriders Live at Mielparque Tokyo Hall 2011.05.05 'hi no tama Boy Concert'"
ムーンライダーズ 「moonriders LIVE at MIELPARQUE TOKYO HALL 2011.05.05 "火の玉ボーイコンサート"」

1. daisan no shokutaku ~ machigawanasa ~ Poincaré yosō
2. miwaku no minato
3. ano ko no Love Letter
4. sukanpin
5. yoidore Dance Music
6. hi no tama Boy
7. gogo no kifujin
8. chichūkai chihō no tenki yohō
9. Ramutei no mama
10. Wedding Song
11. miwaku no minato
12. kami to kuchibeni to Balcony
13. Ramutei no Theme
14. hotaru no hikari
15. hamabe no uta

Moon Riders Records XPCA-1016
Out 1/25, ¥3620 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, YesAsia
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Trauma techno-pop unit Urbangarde has a first DVD coming, which contains all of their numerous video clips from their indies days to now, plus various previously unseen footage.

A one-man live show will be held at Shibuya AX on March 20.

Urbangarde "Propaganda Video 2012" (DVD)
アーバンギャルド 「プロパガンダヴィデオ2012」

A.D.SIDE.
Skirt kakumei
datenshi Pop
kodomo no renai (2012 Edit)
tokimeki ni shisu (2012 Edit)
sono shōjo, ningyō ni tsuki

B.C.SIDE.
shūsei shugisha
Sailor fuku o nuganai de
mizutama byō
Commercial Song
4gatsu sensō
Concrete Girl
koi o shi ni iku
Lovecraft no sekai
kizudarake no Maria (OFF AIR ver.)
Print Club (OFF AIR ver.)
koi o shi ni iku (afternoon ver.)
momoiro Chronicle (ending roll)

Bonus tracks
datenshi Pop (BAND Performance ver.)
ouchi de dekiru! Urban Dance Lesson (mizutama byō, onna no ko sensō, Robot to watashi)
osoto de dekiru! Urban Dance Lesson (Skirt kakumei, tokimeki ni shisu, Vagabond, Virgin)

Universal UPBH-1301
Out 1/25, ¥3715 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Play-Asia, Amazon (26% off *), HMV (15% off *), Tower Records (Japan only) ^†, YesAsia
* Discount at time of writing
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

TV commercial

For a 4th month in a row here's another compilation selected by Sunaga Tatsuo, of songs from the catalog of Japanese jazz label Venus Records which releases works by foreign artists.

Tracks of the previous installments can be sampled on the label's site by choosing a CD and clicking the track titles.

Various Artists "Sunaga Tatsuo no yoru Jazz digs Venus Jazz Opus IV"
オムニバス 「須永辰緒の夜ジャズ digs Venus Jazz Opus Ⅳ」

(Title / Artist)
1. Sayonara Blues / David Hazeltine Trio
2. Afro Blue / Eric Alexander Quartet
3. Fly Me To The Moon / Nicki Parrott
4. Two Love Birds / Simone Kopmajer
5. Road Song / Dan Nimmer Trio
6. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To / Barney Wilen
7. I'm A Fool To Want You / Brian Lynch Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra
8. Blue For You / Adela Dalto
9. My Favorite Things / Harold Mabern Trio
10. Speak Low / Bill Crow Quartet
11. Ugetsu / One For All
12. NO.1 Gymnopedie No.1 / Steve Kuhn Trio

Venus Records VHCD-01066
Out 1/21, ¥1886 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†, YesAsia
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

See also:
"Sunaga Tatsuo no yoru Jazz digs Venus Jazz Opus III"
"Sunaga Tatsuo no yoru Jazz digs Venus Jazz Opus II"
"Sunaga Tatsuo no yoru Jazz digs Venus Jazz Opus 1"

Here's a tribute album to Sakamoto Ryūichi, produced by Tobeta Bajune and featuring plenty of great electronic artists such as Atom, MimiCof, DJ Yogurt and more. A cover of "dennōgiwa" also features Ōnuki Taeko.

The album is released on Sakamoto's 60th birthday, and comes from the electric sheep label that released "YMO Rewake" last year.

Various Artists "Ryuichi Sakamoto Tribute"
オムニバス 「坂本龍一トリビュート -Ryuichi Sakamoto Tribute-」

(Title / Artist)
1. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence / Tobeta Bajune
2. War and Peace / yuanyuan
3. Riot in Lagos / Atom (Atom Heart)
4. Perticepation Mistique / Hanno Yoshihiro
5. bibō no aozora / Ngatari
6. Self Portrait / Fugenn & The White Elephants and Shintaro Aoki
7. Ballet Mecanique / MimiCof
8. 1919 / Sabi
9. saru to yuki to gomi no kodomo / antennasia
10. Thatness and Thereness / DJ Yogurt
11. Tibetan Dance / no.9
12. The Last Emperor / Sabi
13. The Other Side Of Love (feat. Cokiyu) / Tobeta Bajune
14. dennōgiwa (feat. Ōnuki Taeko) / Tobeta Bajune

electric sheep ELSP-0011
Out 1/17, ¥2667 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Sampler clip

New wave/post-rock band tokyo pinsalocks has a new album out just now! This is produced by Miura Shunichi of Kera & The Synthesizers.

Two tracks can be sampled at MySpace. Also, recent non-album track "Salon de Tokyo (remixed by miurashun)" can be downloaded for free at Diesel:U:Music.

tokyo pinsalocks can be caught live in Tokyo on Valentine's day (Feb. 14) at Sangenjaya Heaven's Door, opening bands include (M)otocompo and Merpeoples.

tokyo pinsalocks "Hallelujah Girls"
tokyo pinsalocks 「ハレルヤガールズ」

1. [NUDE]
2. Swimming Girl
3. NO Camouflage
4. YOU->I
5. Unlucky doughnuts
6. Attention Please
7. Lula Hallelujah

Kimono DDCH-2329
Out now (1/11), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†, YesAsia
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Hirado Yūsuke is the pianist and leader of jazz band quasimode. Here's a first solo album that features appearances of bird, Hatakeyama Miyuki (Port of Notes) and more. Included are covers of Amy Winehouse, Burt Bacharach, Carole King among others, and also originals such as lead track "umaretate no Melody" that features singer bird (see video below).

Some songs can be sampled on the official release page (click the buttons next to song titled).

A show will be held at Blue Note Tokyo on January 29 (also at Billboard Live Osaka on Jan. 26, and Blue Note Nagoya on Jan. 27).

Hirado Yusuke "Speak Own Words"
平戸祐介 「Speak Own Words」

1. Taxi Driver Theme
2. umaretate no Melody feat. bird
3. I'm In Love
4. Against The Invisible Wall feat. Tomoki Seto (Cradle Orchestra)
5. And Far Away
6. A House Is Not A Home feat. Motoharu (Soil & "Pimp" Sessions)
7. Down To The South
8. Love Will Bring Us Back Together Feat. mabanua
9. Spectrum
10. No More Sadness (Solo Piano Version)
11. Music feat. Hatakeyama Miyuki
12. Love Is A Losing Game

EMI TOCT-28029
Out 1/11, ¥2667 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"umaretate no Melody feat. bird"

Japanese electro label PROGRESSIVE FOrM has a first label greatest hits compilation coming that covers from the label start in 2001, hence the title of "01:11" (reads "one eleven"). Included are tracks by MimiCof, Aoki Takamasa (one song featuring Tujiko Noriko), and many more.

Several now-rare tracks are included, the whole at a nice price. Check out the sampler clip below.

Various Artists "01:11"

1. Ryoichi Kurokawa / Sea In You
2. Ametsub / Lichen with Piano
3. Aoki takamasa / Pipe Tale - Indigo Rose feat. Tujiko Noriko
4. RADIQ aka Yoshihiro Hanno / Till The Dawn feat. Damiana Terry
5. Shuta Hasunuma / Exchange Groove
6. MimiCof / Pulled Up (Serph Remix)
7. Nao Tokui / Pan Pacific
8. Caelum / Kyrie (Exclusive Mix)
9. Pleq / Good Night (Go-qualia Lucid Dreamin Non Rem Sleep Mix)
10. 30506 / VVV
11. Fugenn & The White Elephants / Narcissus
12. eater / Schoolyard
13. Aoki takamasa / Kes.
14. Ametsub / Sahsanoha

PROGRESSIVE FOrM PFCD-29
Out 1/11, ¥1500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Album trailer

Let's start 2012 with a bang! Finally here's a new album by Nomiya Maki! This time she celebrates 30 years of her singing career by doing self-covers in collaboration with various other artists. Featured are Cornelius, Kaji Hideki, Takahashi Yukihiro, DJ Fumiya (Rip Slyme), Kuchiroro, Suzuki Keiichi & Sokabe Keiichi, Your Song Is Good and more. Also included are a few new songs: one produced by Towa Tei, used recently in a TV commercial for drink Soysh, and a bonus track performed by Maki's 80's band Portable Rock (with lyrics written by Konishi Yasuharu)! Intro and outro tracks are produced by Rekishi (ex-Super Butter Dog).

A special site has been opened for the release. Don't miss the video for "Superstar"!

A premium show will be held on March 19 at Shibuya O-East. That's almost exactly 11 years since Pizzicato Five's last show at the same place (I was there!). All details at Tokyo Gig Guide.

An LP edition of this album seems to also be planned for March. Details will be posted when available.

Nomiya Maki "30 ~Greatest Self Covers & More!!!~"
野宮真貴 「30 ～Greatest Self Covers & More!!!～」

1. Maki no rekishi / Produced by Rekishi
2. Tokyo wa yoru no 7ji (The night is still young) / Produced by DJ Fumiya (Rip Slyme)
3. watashi no shiranai watashi / Produced by Towa Tei
4. Baby Portable Rock / Produced by Hyadain
5. Superstar / Produced by Miyavi
6. Sweet Soul Revue / Produced by Daishi Dance
7. Magic Carpet Ride / Produced by Cornelius
8. Twiggy Twiggy / Produced by Kuchiroro
9. minna waratta (They all laughed) / Produced by Takahashi Yukihiro
10. usagi to watashi / Produced by Suzuki Keiichi & Sokabe Keiichi
11. kanashii uta (Triste) / Produced by Ōhashi Trio
12. Message Song / Produced by Kaji Hideki
13. hi no ataru ōdōri (On the sunny side of the street) / Produced by Your Song Is Good
14. Maki no yabō / Produced by Rekishi
15. Sweet Renaissance / Performed by Portable Rock

Sony AICL-2343
Out 1/25, ¥2914 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, YesAsia
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Soysh TV commercial "watashi no shiranai watashi"