Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Eccentric female rap electro-pop unit suiyōbi no Campanella has a new album out now! Several videos have been unveiled to promote the release. Check them out below!

suiyōbi no Campanella "Zipangu"
水曜日のカンパネラ 「ジパング」

1. Shakushain
2. Cho Hakkai
3. Medusa
4. Ra-
5. Twiggy
6. uran-chan
7. Light kyōdai
8. Ono Imoko
9. Nishi Tamao
10. Match uri no shōjo

Tsubasa Records TRNW-0150
Out now (11/11), ¥2315 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"Ono Imoko"

"Ra-"

"Medusa"

sugar me, the solo project of Teraoka Ayumi, has a 2nd album out now. The album features musicians including Itoken, Yoshizu Takuho (number0), Aoba Sōki, Ōwada Yōko, Babi, Olde Worlde, Ishizaki Hikaru (cafelon), and It's a musical's Robert Kretzschmar.

A special live event will be held at O-Nest in Shibuya on January 23, 2016, with Keishi Tanaka and Annie The Clumsy. Details here.

sugar me 「AROUND the CORNER」

1. Rabbit Hole Waltz
2. Emily
3. Watch Your Back
4. To Be Alright (sugar me band ver.)
5. La Nuit Secrete
6. I Don't Know Why
7. If I Could Tell
8. Spider WEB

Rallye RYECD-232
Out now (11/4), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†,
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"Rabbit Hole Waltz"

Halfby aka Takahashi Takahiro has a brand new 5th album out now! This successes "Leaders Of The New School" (2014), and features VIDEOTAPEMUSIC, Alfred Beach Sandal, Hashimoto Tsubasa (cero) and Electric Sisters. Expect danceable exotic soundscapes of Halfby's trademark, with a Hawaiian touch as the title hints.

A 7" of "Kids" and "Rover" has also been released! Find it at Jet Set.

HALFBY "INNN HAWAII"

1. A.L.O.H.A
2. Welcome To Old Island
3. Birdsong
4. Plate & Cola
5. Pearl Harbor
6. A.L.O.H.A 02
7. Rover
8. Slow Banana feat. Alfred Beach Sandal
9. Mauna Kea Night Sky feat. Electric Sisters
10. Hula Girl
11. Sweet Kamehameha
12. Morning Glass Coffee feat. VIDEOTAPEMUSIC
13. Kids feat. Alfred Beach Sandal

felicity PECF-1129
Out now (11/11), ¥2500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, (World), (Japan)
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"Slow Banana feat. Alfred Beach Sandal"

Trailer clip

Vanilla Beans have a new single coming this month, the follow-up to album "Vanilla Beans IV" released last February. Included are three brand new songs!

This comes with big news, as they have moved from Tower Records' T-Palette label to major label Avex! But also, they have officially announced a self-imposed objective to sell a total of 15,000 physical CDs, counting this single and an upcoming album in 2016, otherwise they will break up... This objective is said to be quite high compared to their past sales. The label even put up a counter showing how much pieces have been sold so far.

The limited edition comes with a bonus DVD of the music video for "onna wa sore o gaman dekinai" and making of footage. Also notice their somewhat different looks. :)

Vanilla Beans can be seen in a free in-store event at Shibuya Marui (8th floor) on November 16 from 19:00. More in-store live events should follow the single's release. Check their latest schedule here.

Vanilla Beans "onna wa sore o gaman shinai / Beanius / lonesome X"
バニラビーンズ 「女はそれを我慢しない / ビーニアス / lonesome X」

1. onna wa sore o gaman shinai
2. Beanius
3. lonesome X
4. onna wa sore o gaman shinai (Instrumental)
5. Beanius (Instrumental)
6. lonesome X (Instrumental)

DVD
"onna wa sore o gaman shinai" music video + Making of

Limited edition (CD+DVD)
avex trax AVCD-83397
Out 11/18, ¥1800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Regular edition (CD only)
avex trax AVCD-83398
Out 11/18, ¥1000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"onna wa sore o gaman shinai" (Short ver.)

Nomiya Maki has a new album coming! Following her live album from last year, "Miss Maki Nomiya Sings Shibuya-kei Standards", this time she takes some of those standards (and then some) to the studio! Included are songs by Pizzicato Five, Flipper's Guitar, Ozawa Kenji, The Scooters, Roger Nichols & Small Circle of Friends, and many more, with guest appearances by Corinne Drewery (Swing Out Sister) and Kaji Hideki. Plus, Konishi Yasuharu contributed Japanese translation of the title song, included as a bonus track, in a first collaboration with Maki since Pizzicato Five split up in 2001.

The album's art direction is by Shindō Mitsuo, and the limited edition comes with a bonus deluxe "Shibuya-kei visual book" (56 pages, B6 size) designed by himself and containing many new photos.

Hear audio samples of all tracks on this special page.

Shows will be held at Billboard Live Tokyo on November 19 and 20 (details), and in Osaka on November 13 (details. Also check out the special room at Pass the Baton in Omotesando Hills until November 23 where many items owned by Maki and friends are being sold (details).

Nomiya Maki "What The World Needs Now Is Love"
野宮真貴 「世界は愛を求めてる。 What The World Needs Now Is Love ～野宮真貴、渋谷系を歌う。」
(Japanese title: "sekai wa ai o motometeru. What The World Needs Now Is Love ~Nomiya Maki, Shibuya-kei o utau.")

(Original artist in parentheses)
1. Tokyo wa yoru no 7ji (Pizzicato Five)
2. What The World Needs Now Is Love (Burt Bacharach)
3. Love So Fine (Roger Nichols & Small Circle of Friends)
4. aru hi totsuzen (Toi et Moi)
5. chūō Freeway (Arai Yumi "Yuming")
6. Dreaming Day (Yamashita Tatsurō)
7. Oh! Honey (The Scooters)
8. Glass no ringo (Matsuda Seiko)
9. ongaku no yō na kaze (EPO)
10. Latin de Let's Love mata wa 1990 Summer Beauty keikaku (Flipper's Guitar)
11. Paris no koibito / Tokyo no koibito (Mizuki Arisa, song written by Konishi Yasuharu)
12. bokura ga tabi ni deru riyū (Ozawa Kenji)
13. sekai wa ai o motometeru ("What The World Needs Now Is Love" Japanese version, lyrics translated by Konishi Yasuharu) (Bonus track)

Limited edition (with special 56-page book)
Universal Music UICZ-9056
Out 11/11, ¥3700 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Regular edition (no book)
Universal Music UICZ-4336
Out 11/11, ¥3000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Album digest

Ryoma Maeda & Romantic Suiciders has a first album out now! Ryoma Maeda (aka milch of source, producer for EeL) is joined by keyboardist Hajimetal (daredemo Esper) and drummer Shigeyuki Kimura (arakajime kimerareta koibitotachi e) for this unique synthesizer garage punk band.

Check out their Bandcamp page to learn more and hear some of the tracks.

Ryoma Maeda & Romantic Suiciders "Synthesizer Garage Punk Band"
Ryoma Maeda & Romantic Suiciders 「シンセサイザーガレージパンクバンド」

1. Runaway Girls
2. Fancy Rider
3. Underground Residence
4. Never-Ending Perversion
5. Against
6. Pistols
7. Flow Ballad
8. Fancy Rider (TK fū remix)
9. Pistols (AFX fū remix)

milch record MILCHREC-002
Out now (10/21), ¥1852 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Bandcamp, CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records (Japan only) ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Digest clip