Band Feature: ICE ELEMENT

A band I stumbled across during the Red Bull Live On The Road contest last spring caught my eye. A new band, just formed by the vocalist, SYOGO in 2012. That band was ICE ELEMENT. 

Though young, they have already self-produced and released 1 single, 4 mini-albums and 1 full album, as well as a dvd of their Music Videos. The music video's themselves, are also produced by the band. Their desire to commit to their music evident by their consistency and growth. 

Eager to share their music, the band aims to keep their Lives frequent, as well as their activities online via their YouTube channel. Their music is also available by mail order via their OHP!

Meet the members and read the interview after the break!

Band Feature: ICE ELEMENT Teaser!

Happy Holidays everyone!!! We hope you're having a great time with family, friends and food! But of course, what holiday would be complete without music? And so, we bring you our next band feature, ICE ELEMENT! Check out their comment video below and look forward to reading their article up Monday!

They've also just released a new PV Preview for their upcoming track アテナ. So check that after, and tell 'em Lixx sent ya!

Happy Holidays!

Stylish Wave COUNTDOWN '14-'15 on NICO NICO LIVE 12/31

If you're like me and not in Japan for New Years, here's the next best thing! Stylish Wave will be airing their year end count down through NICO NICO. You need to register to watch, but registration is free! Make sure you don't miss your favorites. The set times are below in JST!

Watch HERE!

[- Time Table -]

15:30-15:50 えんそく

16:05-16:25 黒百合と影

16:40-17:00 DuelJewel

17:15-17:35 LUCHe.

17:50-18:10 アルルカン

18:25-18:45 BORN

19:00-19:25 GIGAMOUS

19:40-20:05 Moran

20:20-20:45 RoNo☆Cro

21:00-21:25 the Raid.

21:40-22:05 Jin-Machine

22:20-22:45 Jupiter

23:05-23:30 GOTCHAROCKA

23:50-24:15 Lycaon(カウントダウン)

24:30-24:55 NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST

Pre-Order: VYPER Japanese Music Magazine Vol. 003

Pre-Order for Volume 003 is now up!

VYPER music Japan and JapanFM are proud to announce that you can already pre-order the next issue of VYPER Japanese Music Magazine on the new website: www.japanfm.fr

This issue is full colour, but there's also a surprise so read on!

Cover Artist
Crossfaith

Also in this issue: 
coldrain
Crossfaith
ONE OK ROCK
SATSUKI
DEATHGAZE
Japan Touch
heidi.
SCANDAL
exist trace
fudanjuku
ADAMS
Black Gene For The Next Scene
THE BLACK MASQUERADE

Back Cover Artist
ONE OK ROCK

BONUS!
A exclusive poster of SATSUKI during La Java !

56 colour pages. Release date: Jan 15/15. Price: 4€

Bonus poster 砂月 -Satsuki- !

The Weekly Quickie: My Bacteria Heat Island, Plastic Tree, ONE OK ROCK, AKi, DaizyStripper, REDRUM, FIXER, LUCHe.

 
We've got a lot of new releases announced this week, starting with My Bacteria Heat Island.  At their one man live at Takadanobaba AREA, they announced they will be releasing a new mini-album in April 2015.  No exact date or title as of yet, but we'll be sure to keep you posted.  They also announced their next one man taking place at AREA on July 20.

Infuzzion Episode 5: Airing December 20th!

Tune in this Saturday to catch our latest episode! 

This month we focus on Christmas! Take a walk down memory lane as we share with you some of our favorite Christmas moments. And of course, all the holiday jrock you can handle!

Don't worry, you'll still get your news and updates too!

So join us this Saturday, December 20th at 9pm (GMT -5). 

Tune in HERE!

And chat with us using the #jrockradio via twitter. 

We'll see you there!

Jrock Radio AWARDS - Re-Airing!

Did you miss it? Fear not, this Sunday it plays again! 

Tune in HERE! Check your air times below:

Buenos Aires (Argentina) 12:00

Santiago (Chile) 12:00

São Paulo (Brazil - São Paulo) 13:00

Bogota (Colombia) 10:00

Lima (Peru - Lima) 10:00

Caracas (Venezuela) 10:30

Mexico City (Mexico - Distrito Federal) 9:00

Madrid (España) 16:00

Asuncion (Paraguay) 12:00

Montevideo (Uruguay) 13:00

Los Angeles (U.S.A. - California) 7:00

New York (U.S.A. - New York) 10:00

Rome (Italy) 16:00

Toronto (Canada - Ontario) 10:00

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 13:00

Moscow (Russia) 18:00

Jakarta (Indonesia) 22:00

Tokyo (Japan) 0:00

The Weekly Quickie: Kamijo, VAMPS, ADAMS, D=OUT, Dir en grey, MICRO HEAD4NS

 
This week, it's all about the lives!  Starting with Kamijo who announced a world tour including two US dates in LA and New York.  The tour celebrates his 20th year making music and includes music from Versailles, Lareine, and New Sodmy as well as his solo work.  Keep an eye on his homepage for dates and ticketing information.

Review: liraizo - Himitsu Club

liraizo (リライゾ) (from left to right): Kili (Ex-AND), Yuuto (Ex-Screw), Yuki (Ex-Mix Speaker's Inc.), Touma (Ex-Circus), Suzune (Ex-AND)

A band of familiar faces from AND, Screw, Circus, and Mix Speaker's, Inc., liraizo (リライゾ) began activities September of this year. The band consists of Yuki (v), Kili (g), Touma (g), Yuuto (b), and Suzune (d). Himitsu Club is their first mini-album, a circulated and extended release of a live-only single under the same name and consists of six tracks. Being a fan of AND, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to pre-order the mini-album so I could listen to the full tracks as soon as possible.

Cover for Himitsu Club (Circulated Edition)

Fashion Fraction: Taka's Product Recommendation

Hello fellow Lixx readers!

Welcome to the Fashion Fraction's Product Recommendation~

Today I will share with you some of my favourite products I use for skin and hair care. Later I shall talk about my favourite makeup and hair styling products but, before you can get into any of that, you need to take care of the base.

HAIR

Organix Shampoo + Conditioner

Organix brand shampoo and conditioner are wonderful and I've been using them for years. They have numerous types of shampoos/conditioners for whatever state your hair is at. For instance, currently I am using the Biotin & Collagen mix for thicker and fuller hair (as it states on the bottle). I have naturally thin hair and, in order for me to achieve those voluminous Visual Kei hair styles, I need to pump up my strands. I have also used their Awapuhi Ginger for repairing my hair after extensive bleach treatments and their Coconut Milk to nourish my hair- using it in between the Awapuhi Ginger. If you use the same shampoo/conditioner for too long, you can give too much of a good thing to your hair. You need to regular change it up- maybe between 2 or 3 different kinds. Organix is the perfect brand to do that with.

Double Discounts For Christmas At YesStyle!!

Now Available From YesAsia!

SAMMYdress: Check Out The Latest Discounts Of The Season!

Press Release: LiSA Releases SAO ED Single "SHIRUSHI"‏

LiSA delivers another Sword Art Online collaboration single!

LiSA has released her 7th single “SHIRUSHI” worldwide!

The lead track “SHIRUSHI” is featured as the ending theme song for the popular TV anime series, Sword Art Online II Mother’s Rosario arc, which is currently airing. 

The second song was also used as the ending theme song for Sword Art Online II’s , Calibur Arc, titled “No More Time Machine”.

To top it off, LiSA’s mega hit single, “crossing field” ”, which was featured as the opening theme song in the first season of Sword Art Online (Aincrad arc), has been specially produced with English lyrics.

The original “crossing field” song has continued to be a best seller, with a total of 340,000 downloads worldwide!

This is highly anticipated single boasts three incredible tracks, creating another LiSA x Sword Art Online collaboration that fans have been waiting for! 

“SHIRUSHI” Track listing 

01. SHIRUSHI (Sword Art Online II Mother's Rosario ED)

02. No More Time Machine (Sword Art Online II Calibur Arc ED)

03. crossing field -English ver.-

【LiSA Official Website】 http://www.lxixsxa.com

【LiSA Official English Website】http://www.aniplexusa.com/lisa

【LiSA Facebook】http://www.facebook.com/lxixsxa.jp

【Twitter】 http://twitter.com/LiSA_OLiVE

The Weekly Quickie: Black Gene for the Next Scene, D=OUT, SuG, L'arc en Ciel, BABYMETAL, Hybrids, Dangercrue Records

Bad news for fans of BFN.  Drummer Sala has announced he will be departing the band and retiring from music after their tour final at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM on January 4.  In his official statement on their ohp, he states that he feels he is not able to be the drummer he wants to be for BFN and so has decided to step down.

EVENT: SATSUKI on Japan.FM

Don't miss SATSUKI LIVE on Japan.fm!!

Tune in Monday, December 8th at 8:30pm in UTC+01

www.japanfm.fr and be sure to get your questions in either through their forum or post on the Facebook event page here!

Up to 90% OFF! CDJapan Clearance Sale!

CDJapan is offering big discounts on stocked CD, DVD/BD, Books, Collectibles, Apparels, and more until December 17, 2014 11:59:59PM (Japan Standard Time UTC+9). The quantity of eligible items are limited, so hurry to place your order!

New Sailor Moon Items at J-List.com!

Are you a Sailor Moon fan? Me too! And I'm loving the new version by Toei Animation. Our friends over at J-List are having a sale, and they've stocked their warehouse FULL of items ready to ship to you! But it's not just Sailor Moon, they have everything! So be sure to go check them out and take advantage of their EMS deal as well - get everything in time for Christmas!

J-List is shipping out hundreds of packages daily, including tons of Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Pokemon, and Fuku-bukuro products. In addition to our popular EMS Cash Back sale, which gives you up to $50 back when ordering from the site using EMS, we're happy to offer free shipping on all J-List anime and kanji T-shirts and shrinkwrapped visual novels shipping from San Diego, all month long!

J-List is currently helping our customers get orders from Japan in time for Christmas with our awesome EMS Cash Back Sale, which gives you $20 back as a use-anytime store credit for EMS orders of $100 or more, or asugoi $50 back for orders of $200 or more, when you order using EMS. EMS is the super-fast, super-reliable shipping method that will zip products to your door from Japan in only a few days, will tracking and insurance the whole way. But now we've got another great deal: through the end of December, get free shipping on all J-List T-shirts and shrinkwrapped "H" games shipping out of San Diego! Think of all the awesome stuff you can pick up!

Anime North Update

The Anime North Registration page at animenorth.com will be updated soon, but there is already some information that is available for AN 2015. As with last, the same attendance cap is in place and pre-reg will open on January 2nd.

There will be a change in pricing for Anime North 2015. For the first 5000 Weekend/Group admissions, the price will be $50 for individual and $45 for group, each. For the remaining 10,000 Weekend/Group admissions, the price will be $60 for individual and $55 for group, each. The difference from last year is that the price will increase after a set number of admissions are sold instead of at a specific date.

Also:

The Momiji Award Brunch has been cancelled for Anime North 2015. We apologize to all congoers who have enjoyed this event during past years.

via: Facebook

EVENT: Livestream with LIN ~the end of corruption world~ at XENON

 
XENON Fashion and Music Shop will be continuing their livestream series with LIN ~end of corruption world~.  Fans will be able to ask questions and interact with the band through Skype.  The event takes place on December 13 from 8-9pm and is completely free, so make sure to head down to Little Tokyo to chat with the band!

Xenon -Japanesque Rock + Shibuya Style-
319 E 2nd St. #119 Los Angeles, CA 90012
Located inside Little Tokyo Mall

Event Page

★MC HOST★
DJ Meirlin
Ryo(ex.LF-laissez faire-)

Press Release: SCANDAL Releases Their Latest Album, “HELLO WORLD”‏

As previously announced, the girls rock band, SCANDAL will be on their world tour starting next year visiting the U.S., U.K. France, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Although this will be their first ever world tour appropriately named SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 “HELLO WORLD”, the girls are anticipating over 70,000 fans along the way.

Today they release their latest album, “HELLO WORLD”, with the same title as their soon to be historical world tour! Kicking off this amazing album is the upbeat new single “Image”, which was written and composed by MAMI. With superstar producers Seiji Kameda and Tetsuya Komuro having a hand in this project, the album is without a doubt going to be a BIG hit with the fans!

Since their debut, their previous five albums have all ranked in the top 5 of the Oricon Charts in Japan and with “HELLO WORLD", the girls take another step forward releasing this promising new album!

[iTunes]
Hello World - SCANDAL - (Canadian purchase link)
Hello World - SCANDAL - (USA purchase link)


[Amazon]



Track listing

1. Image
2. Your song
3. love in action
4. Departure
5. Graduation
6. Yoake No Ryuseigun
7. Onegai Navigation
8. Runners high
9. Honn Wo Yomu
10. Can Beer
11. Winter story
12. Oyasumi
13. Place of life（feat. Tetsuya Komuro）


Official website
http://www.scandal-4.com

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scandalofficial

Twitter
https://twitter.com/scandal_band

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/scandalSMEJ

Blog (Japanese only)
http://ameblo.jp/scandalblog-4

The Weekly Quickie: BIOSPHIA, ViViD, CELL, Vent Croix, Minori, Tokami

 I hate to say it, but I've got a whole bunch of bad news for you this week.  To start things off, the disbandment of BIOSPHIA.  The band released a brief statement on Tuesday announcing that they will disband following their one-man live on April 2 at Osaka MUSE.  No official member comments as of yet, just a few apologetic and very disappointed tweets.  Their latest single, Suicidal Diva, coincidentally released the same day as the announcement and there don't appear to be plans for any further releases.

Fashion Fraction: Focus On [Visual Kei]

Welcome to the second "Focus On..." article for the Fashion Fraction here at Project: Lixx!

As previously mentioned on the past few FF articles, today we're going to be focusing on my favourite fashion genre: Visual Kei!

X Japan

Now, before people get their panties in a twist, Visual Kei can be perceived as both a fashion and music genre. This is dependent on a person's interpretation. That is the true beauty of Visual Kei!
The basic, easy-to-Google definition of Visual Kei as a whole is "a Japanese music movement and subculture that has been popular since the 1980's. The artists wear makeup, have elaborate hairstyles and costumes, usually coupled with androgynous aesthetics." (according to the Visual Kei Wikipedia entry). As it is with every large generic genre, there are many subgenres that branch off with a basis in the large idea but a compilation of other ideas that make it what it is.

The subgenres of Visual Kei that we will be talking about today are Kote Kei, Angura Kei (eroguro/chikashitsu), Tanbi Kei, Nagoya Kei, and Neo-Visual/Soft Visual.

The Weekly Quickie: MeteoroiD, The 3rd Birthday, MAXIMUM THE HORMONE, MORRIE

It's not unusual in the visual kei scene for a band to make drastic changes to their image, but few are as drastic and complete as the recent reboot of MeteoroiD.  If you follow the band, you already know that their guitarist, Yutori, left the group back in September and was replaced by Mikado.  It seems the change in lineup has inspired a change in...well, everything else.  The technocolored, electropop band, METEOROID has become the dark, metal-inspired MeteoroiD.  They are so committed to the change that they have even removed their previous discography from their ohp and set any previous PV releases on their YouTube channel to private.  They have also announced the release of three consecutive singles:  Sokubaku on January 23, Fukushu on March 11, Kuroshoubi on May 13.  Check out the preview above to get a taste of their new sound.

Review: The Black Swan - The Hopeless

About the Band:  The Black Swan, founded by ex-NEGA frontman, Jin, officially started activities in March of 2014.  He is joined by guitarists Itsuki and Makoto, bassist Rena and drummer Len.  Their homepage describes them as a group that "...are sure to cause a sensation even in the scene where the true meaning of Visual Kei is dead."  With a dark look and violent sound that sets them apart from the crowd, I can't say they're wrong.  Released October 15, The Hopeless is their first single.

Hey, Do You Know: ARVISE?

As I was looking around for bands that have the 'umph' factor that I like, I stumbled across a band called ARVISE. Though they are fairly new from what I see, I was caught by their sounds. I LOVE  the roughness in Sho's voice in their demo video #2. They have me so hooked on this song, that I'm listening to it while writing this! I would love to hear more from this band because they have so much potential. This is one to watch! I'll leave you with that, so give them a listen and let me know what you think! 

-Iris 

Press Release: SCANDAL Releases Newest Single and Announces World Tour!‏

SCANDAL releases newest single “Image” AND SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 "HELLO WORLD" announced!!

Today the 20th single by SCANDAL has been released via iTunes and is also available worldwide for international fans as well. This catchy new song was written and composed by MAMI (Guitar & Vocals) and depicts the bands’ current “image”.

Check it out on 

Also for next year SCANDAL has officially announced their first ever world tour, SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 “HELLO WORLD”!

SCANDAL will start their tour in Japan with a historical 31 live shows, which is the most shows the band has ever played during a single tour, and then go out to perform in five international countries including the U.S., U.K, France, Taiwan and Hong Kong!

Stay tuned for the dates and location updates through SCANDAL’s “HELLO WORLD” tour special site!

http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/scandal/worldtour2015

Official website

http://www.scandal-4.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/scandalofficial

Twitter

https://twitter.com/scandal_band

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/user/scandalSMEJ

Blog (Japanese only)

http://ameblo.jp/scandalblog-4

Press Release: EGOIST, New Single “Fallen” Now Available!‏

Featured as the ending theme song for the anime series “PSYCHO-PASS 2”!

Since their formation, EGOIST, consisting of producer ryo (supercell) and vocals Chelly have been actively touring in Japan and internationally. Their newest single, “Fallen” is featured as the ending theme song for the TV anime series “PSYCHO-PASS 2”, and is a fast beat tune that perfectly matches with the anime series. It has been over a year since their last single release and today they release this new track for the fans that have been eagerly waiting!

iTunes
Canada


USA 

Official HP

http://www.egoist-inori.jp

Twitter

https://twitter.com/chelly_egoist

Facebook (supercell/EGOIST)

https://www.facebook.com/supercell.JPN

The Weekly Quickie: Mix Speaker's, Inc., SuG, Maximum the Hormone, UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ, DOG in the PWO, BABYMETAL

We reported a couple of weeks ago on the addition of vocalist NIKA (ex-MoNoLith Keita) to the Mix Speaker's, Inc. lineup.  On November 14, Mix Speaker's, Inc. released a demo on their YouTube channel of a new song recorded with their new lineup.  They will perform their first live with Nika on December 7 at Shinjuku BLAZE, kicking off a short one-man tour titled "Ghost House."

Dan's Pick "人間椅子 (Ningen Isu)"

Welcome back!

For this month's pick, I've got something a little more in my wheel house, if you know what I mean.

人間椅子 (Ningen Isu) formed in 1989 with their first album, which was self-titled. Shinji Wajima (guitars/vocals), Ken-ichi Suzuki (bass/vocals), Nobu Nakajima (drums/vocals) are a wonderful metal band with HEAVY (Get it? Heavy? 'Cause it's metal??) Black Sabbath influences.

This track, "Namahage," starts off by dropping a massive boulder in your arms and making you trudge through the mud with some slow, heavy guitar and bass, pounding drums, and these demonic growls/moans. Which I find fitting, because the bass player looks like a demonic monk to me. ANYWAY... After that the pace is kicked up a bit more with some slightly faster drumming. I really love the part before the chorus, though. Things get dark! A creepy high-pitched tone starts floating in the song while Suzuki takes up the vocals with some (once again fitting) demonic singing. The riff is HEAVY and you know I loooove when that double pedal starts rolling. After that is the chorus, then it's rinse and repeat. 

In the second go around, though, is when things really pick up. If you're not a fan of the slowness, just give it some time and you will be rewarded. This song really gets kicked into high gear with some good old fashioned metal. Nothing flashy, just fast and heavy playing. After some shamisen-like playing, Wajima starts playing just a bit more furiously and then cranks out a pretty rad solo. After the solo, they go back into the beginning of the song to the mud-trudging boulder carrying. However... Just when you think the song is over, and it starts to fade off...... BLAM! Nakajima starts cranking out some double pedal bass with Wajima and Suzuki following suit with fast fast guitar and bass playing. 

The whole song makes me imagine riding a bike. You start off by going up a mountain at a gruelingly slow pace, like if your bike was stuck in the highest gear. After a punishingly slow ascent, you crest over the top with no time for a break. It's straight down after that, in an insane downhill ride that has you holding on for dear life. BUT YOU'RE HAVING SOOOO MUCH FUN! And there's no boulder or mud to trudge through. That's kinda what this song is like for me. This is definitely a band I might cut off a toe to see live. Preferably not either of my big toes, though. 

- Dan

Visit their website!

http://ningen-isu.com/

Like them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/ninngennisu

Buy their music!

Infuzzion Episode 4: Airing November 15th!

Yes, it's tomorrow!

We're back with our 4th episode - and you know you don't want to miss it!

This month we take a look at the past as well as the present. We've selected a few artists to look at, where they were, and who they are now. Catch some of your old favorites, as well as the new ones to add to your growing collections!

And of course, we'll have some new releases, reviews and updates on happenings in the coming month. 

So be sure to join us! And don't forget to use the hashtag #jrockradio to chat with us during the broadcast. Otherwise we talk to ourselves....

When: November 15th, 2014; 9-11pm EST

Where: http://www.jrockradio.net/player

Jrock Radio AWARDS 2014

SOON!

On Sunday December 14 the Jrock Radio AWARDS end! Fans have been voting for the 10 best bands of 2014. If you tune in to: www.jrockradio.net/player you can listen to the special live broadcast!

Also! They will be giving away (5) Posters 60×90 cm and (3) CDs. To participate check out the Facebook Event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/279337158857204

So get sharing, and get voting!!! Good luck to all the bands!

The Weekly Quickie: CLOWD, DIV, Liraizo, My Bacteria Heat Island, Shonenki, REIGN

Boy, do I love a mystery.  Word of the formation of a new band has reached my ears, but details are very hush-hush.  The group is called CLØWD and so far, we have nothing more than an official site displaying a teaser video and a countdown clock.  The band image is also quite vague, with each member standing behind bars with covered faces.  Any guesses on who they could be?

PV Analysis: Black Gene for the Next Scene - 'DDD - Dead Devil Dancing'

Regular readers of Project: Lixx will surely know Black Gene for the Next Scene (abbreviated as BFN / Black Gene) as previously featured in PV analysis with their single 'Welcome to Monster World'. Formed in 2011 by Ice on vocals, Toki on guitar, Rame on bass and Sala playing drums, their 5th maxi-single released in July 2014 features 'DDD - Dead Devil Dancing'. The PV shows off a demonic aspect and threads a short and fractured narrative with swaths of performance.

Band Feature: Hybrids

Hybrids are a Jrock-inspired visual band from France who say their interests are music, sex and rock!  These guys bring a little bit of the East to the West with their unique sound and style.  They've toured through Europe with popular Japanese bands such as Anli Policino and Eat You Alive and their first album, Human Paranoid, just released this July. 

Meet the members:

NAO
DoB : 26.08
Instrument brand of choice : gretsch
Favorite colour : purple
Favorite clothing brand : roschell
Favorite food : porc au caramel
Most known for saying / catch phrase : Caaaaat  !!

Yune

DoB : 29.11

Instrument brand of choice : ESP

Favorite colour : red

Favorite clothing brand : Roshell, black baccarat

Favorite food : pasta

Most known for saying / catch phrase : Let's rock !!!

Jay
DoB : 17.10
Instrument brand of choice : Schecter
Favorite colour : yellow
Favorite clothing brand : Carhartt
Favorite Food : hamburger
Most known for saying / catch phrase : I'm too lazy

 

Sae

DoB : 20.04

Instrument brand of choice : ESP, Ampeg

Favorite colour : pearl aqua blue

Favorite food : salmon sashimi

Most known for saying / catch phrase  : what do you think?

 Tatsu
DoB : 05.06
Instrument brand of choice : tama, meinl, vic first
Favorite colour : purple
Favorite food : dairy
Most known for saying / catch phrase : fla ta ta ta tcha ta drag ta fla ta fla fla ta ta ta ta pouf