shoegaze - muso japan

Skip Skip Ben Ben Japan Tour, Split EP, and Japanese LP Release

Taiwan’s Ben Ben Lin, founding member of Skip Skip Ben Ben has been busy with a number of announcements recently, the first of which was that she will be touring Japan in November. Her band came to Japan in the spring and this time around she will be performing solo in the tour that will consist of five shows in four cities. Accompanying her on the tour, aptly called “Two People from Taiwan” will be fellow countryman Hom Shenhao.

The second bit of news came from Tokyo’s fast rising indie label Hands and Moment, who will be releasing Skip Skip Ben Ben’s album Sacrifice Mountain Hills on October 22nd. The album, which features some brilliant artwork by Chou Yi, was previously released by Maybe Mars is absolutely worth checking out if you haven’t had a chance already.

The most recent news out of Ben Ben’s camp was the release of a limited edition split 7″ featuring SSBB and Hot&Cold. The limited edition vinyl is available in black and white via Chicago-based Gary Records’ Bandcamp page.

[Japan] EUPHRATES

The 2014 Japan Shoegazer Festival kicks off in less than a week with the first event taking place in Osaka on September 7th. Between the two shows – the latter on the 27th in Tokyo – the bill is loaded with well-known artists in Japan’s shoegaze scene: Zeppet Store, cruyff in the bedroom, The Florist, cigarette in your bed, Plastic Girl in Closet, and of course Lemon’s Chair among others. Though the most impressive lineup in the event’s history will attract attention thanks in large part to these names, the bill sports some perhaps lesser known talent that is well worth watching.

EUPHRATES is one such band, though Japan Shoegazer Festival devotees will certainly know the name. The Osaka-based four piece and member of Japanese shoegaze label High Fader Records frequents the middle of the festival’s lineups and remains quite active within its local music scene, planning and performing at events like “EUPHRATES Presents High Fader NIGHT”.

Since forming in 2012, what name they may have made for themselves to date has been crafted with dreamy vocal melodies and explosive, at times danceable choruses. “Come With Me” is the ultra-catchy fan favorite at gigs, drawing the largest applauses and eliciting about as much movement as you’ll see at the Japan Shoegazer Festival. Having seen the growth of cigarette in your bed, another High Fader product, this year, it would seem that EUPHRATES are near the front of the line to emerge in the near future. To date they have no proper released material, but perhaps their two most recognizable songs can both be heard on the band’s Soundcloud page.

Fore more info on a band that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on, follow EUPHRATES on Twitter. Have a listen to their songs “Come With Me” and “Stargazer” below:

[kiirorecords & JAPAN SHOEGAZER FESTIVAL V.A]

Over the last month or so the anticipation of this year’s Japan Shoegazer Festival has been building. This year’s edition of the event has reverted back to it’s previous two city format, with the first leg taking place in Osaka and the second in Tokyo. This year’s Shoegazer Festival features a whopping thirty artists (twelve in Osaka and eighteen in Tokyo) and a ton of DJs, shaping up to be the biggest events in the fest’s history.
A couple months ago event organizer and guitarist of annual headliner Lemon’s Chair, Masashi Imanishi announced a that a special promotion with net label Kiiro Records would take place at this year’s festival. Around that time Kiiro Records, whose catalog consists largely of free-to-download pop releases, put out its most recent shoegaze compilation titled Forever Shoegaze. While details were completely unknown at the time, it was assumed that some sort of collaborative release was in the works. Today the details were announced via Imanishi’s blog.

People who attend the event will receive a free copy of the Japan Shoegazer Festival-exclusive compilation, kiirorecords & JAPAN SHOEGAZER FESTIVAL V.A. The full track list of the limited edition CD-R was released today as well. Though it does include some songs that have appeared on previous Kiiro Records comps, it marks the first physical release by the label. It’s a pretty nice bonus for folks who are able to attend what has to date been a really enjoyable day of music. One can asuume that when the Japan Shoegazer Festival concludes, this release will make its way to Bandcamp as well. The track listing for the CD is as folows:

01. SAPPY / 天国のフィーリング
02. adgreen. / mieko maiko
03. The Feedback Radio’s / smile
04. HUSH / Dumb
05. kazuma / I am waiting last summer
06. penguin airways / heatdown
07. PARASOL/ Sometimes
08. 17歳とベルリンの壁 / サーチライト
09. Cuicks / warp to the next door
10. daisyblue / early wing
11. ヨシオテクニカ / 夜汽車で見た古い夢 Old dream takes somewhere
12. magao / 海へ沈む
13. magu / 轟音少女はうつむかない
14. なゆたのつぶて / 星座
15. the Jinn’s / din
16. nina likes light blue skirt / Wednesday
17. cosmos / 素晴らしい世界

To check out more of Kiiro Records’ releases visit their Bandcamp page.

[Japan] Aysula – “Release Me”

I took a trip to Sakae for some Saturday afternoon wandering around and stopped off on the way at Nagoya’s famed File Under Records where a copy of the debut from local shoegaze outfit Aysula was waiting for me. I’d caught them last year at the Japan Shoegazer Festival in Nagoya and their abundance of what many Japanese shoegaze bands lack – a face blasting amount of guitar noise by way of their ridiculously loaded pedalboards – was one of the more impressive aspects of the evening. At the time there was only a little of their music available at the time, and most of that was the series of live videos on Youtube I’ve come to be accustomed to.

In June, however, the band released their debut effort titled, in an almost beckoning way, Release Me. I popped the CD in as soon as I got home and, while this is based on a mere couple listens through, it’s phenomenal. It’s got the shoegaze guitar noise that distinguished them at the JSF event, and on the recording the somewhat whiny, moody vocals really stand out a lot moreso than on Tsurumai Daytrip’s PA (understandably). The album has a really dark feel throughout. That guitar sound produced by the more than 70 pedals in their arsenal is all I need. Tracks like “Sphere” and “Remark” stuck out from their live performances, but “Lay Down Your Feathers”, the closest thing to a pure shoegaze track on the album, is the early favorite.

It’s a really impressive debut, and an important one for the city as Nagoya has started to produce its share of talent as the shoegaze scene in Japan continues to grow more and more. The band has also been announced as a participant in the Osaka leg of this fall’s Japan Shoegazer Festival. You can give them a follow on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to check out their homepage as well for info on how to purchase their CD. There are some “trailers” available on Aysula’s Soundcloud page as well.

[Japan] Ether Feels – “Twilight Dreams”

Osaka shoegazers Ether Feels have released their new 3-track EP “Twilight Dreams” this week. The EP, which features re-recorded versions of some of their earlier material, includes the fan favorite “Raindrop Sparkle” sandwiched between two other songs which feature regularly at the trio’s gigs – “Morning Star” and “Paddy”. The improved recording quality does well to really capture the band’s light, somewhat melancholy brand of shoegaze capped by the dreamy vocal lines of frontman and principal songwriter TOMO which really carry well on this new EP. Having released a bunch of material previously, “Twilight Dreams” is the most mature of their works thus far and with a new lineup in place it will be cool to see a new full length in the future.

Here’s a preview of “Raindrop Sparkle” from the album which is available on Amazon (JP).

Kiiro Records’ New Compilation “FOREVER SHOEGAZE”

Japanese net-label Kiiro Records has released a new compilation titled FOREVER SHOEGAZE. The label, which has released a lot of great comps in the first half-year or so of its existence usually focuses on “listenable pop music”, but this time around (as the title would entail) it is all shoegaze. The comp features 11 Japanese bands and 4 foreign artists.

As with all of Kiiro Records’ releases, FOREVER SHOEGAZE is 100% free to download via their Bandcamp site. It’s been a highly anticipated release and the allotted free downloads have gone quite quickly, so if you see the “700 yen” tag, don’t panic. Just scroll to the bottom of the Bandcamp page and click on the mirror to the free download.

While you’re at it check out some of the other releases they have thrown together.

http://kiirorecords.bandcamp.com/album/forever-shoegaze

Muso Planet volume 6 Now Available! 第６号配布中！！

Here it is! Muso Planet volume 6 is now available for download. We had a slight content change at the last minute but are pleased with the way the issue turned out. Thank you to everyone involved! The issue can be downloaded here.
Featuring:

★Sounds Better With Reverb☆
★Barcelona Indie Label Siete Senoritas Gritando☆
★A Review of 2014 In Latin America☆

And the tracklist:
1. Flying Vaginas (Italy) – “Happiness and Flour”
2. Loomer (Brazil) – “Road to Japan”
3. the.city (Japan) – “Fall”
4. Ummagma (Ukraine) – “Risky”
5. Surfer Rosa (France) – “dead in your life”
6. AERO_fALL (Russia) – “Off The Beam My Dreams”
7. Sounds of Sputnik (Russia) – “Astronomical Summer”
8. Luna Ghost (Australia) – “Future End”
9. Miners (Australia) – “Soft Focus”
10. Sexores (Spain) – “Shinigami”

Muso Planet Volume 6 Coming 6/30! 第６号は６月３０日に発行予定！

Muso Planet volume 6 will be released on the June 30th! We discuss shoegaze music in Australia with Jimmy from Sounds Better With Reverb and take a look at Spanish Indie Label Siete Señoritas Gritando. Jairo takes a look back at Latinoamerica Shoegaze in the first half of 2014, while looking at releases in the region during the Internet era.
With features on and free music from:
★Ummagma (Ukraine)
★AERO_fALL (Russia)
★Sounds of Sputnik (Russia)
★Luna Ghost (Australia)
★Flying Vaginas (Italy)
★Loomer (Brazil)
★Miners (Australia)
★Surfer Rosa (France)
★the.city (Japan)
★Sexores (Spain)

[Russia] New Music from Pinkshinyultrablast!

Yes, it’s true: Pinkshinyultrablast have released new music! Well, at the moment it’s just one new song, but seeing how it’s been five years almost to the day since the release of Happy Songs for Happy Zombies, even a second of new music would be welcome. The band posted their new track, “Umi”, on Bandcamp today, making the announcement via their Facebook page. Perhaps bigger news is the mention of a new album somewhere in the (hopefully) near future. Definitely exciting news for shoegaze fans everywhere. The new track is as wonderful as could have been expected. Download it for free on Bandcamp.

[Spain] Sexores’ Debut Full Length “Historias de Frío”

Hailing from Quito, Ecuador, but currently based in Barcelona, Spain, Sexores have released their long-awaited debut full-length album Historias de Frio. Though the album has been finished for some time, it has finally made it to the Internet and can be purchased at Sexores’ Bandcamp page. It’s a gorgeous 8-track effort showcasing Sexores’ dreamy shoegaze sound with big noisy textures, warm synths, and stunning vocals. Give the title track a listen and prepare to get hooked: