Saturday night, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing a local New York City music group called FiRESiGN. Comprised of lead vocalist Aya and bassist Masaki Yamada, the two have a long-standing background in music, with Masaki originally being the lead singer in the heavy metal band Ezo (formally known as Flatback). Coincidentally, Ezo has been named as an influence for such artists as Steve McDonald of Redd Kross and Michael Steele of the The Bangles. With that said, here’s the interview. Enjoy. More »

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Greetings Rekuruers and welcome to another edition of The Weekly Bento. This week saw the continuation of Rekuru’s Akira Kurosawa Tribute Month as well as the finish of New Year’s Resolution Week. As always, below I’ve compiled a list of this past week’s happenings for your viewing pleasure. Your welcome. See you next week! More »

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The J-Rock community sighed in relief after holding it’s breath for X JAPAN’s live video shoot in Hollywood on January 9th, to go off without a hitch, or a last-minute cancellation. Thankfully it appears as though everything went as planned for the 4-song promotional music video production. Fans began arriving hours ahead of time, with the first 100 receiving glowsticks with painted X JAPAN logos. The total attendance was estimated around 8,000 fans storming Hollywood Blvd. to get a glimpse of their idols. With a custom laser light show, 2 helicopters, 20 big rigs, 3 camera cranes, dozens of pyrotechnic cannons, and hundreds of staffers, the shoot was a wild success!

See numerous incredible photos at Oricon and X Freaks forum. More »

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I heard my first Japanese rock song about 10 years ago. Since then, I’ve had an “on-again, off-again” love affair with Asian music. The following is my list of resolutions for 2010 that involve listening to, purchasing from, and exploring the J-Rock and J-Pop worlds.

1. Learn more of the classics. I already listen to many of the originators, innovators, and pioneers like BUCK-TICK, Malice Mizer, X JAPAN, GLAY, and T.M.Revolution, but I really need to familiarize with more than “just what I like.” I need to branch out from the standards in my collection and really dig deep into the catalogs of bands like Shonen Knife, The Alfee, and BOOWY. More »

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As the international popularity of Japanese rock rapidly increases, 2009 can count itself amongst the most noteworthy years for the scene. Below is my list of the most significant events in the J-Rock world for the past 365 days. More »

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Time for the Weekly Bento and with it, a week’s worth of articles for you to catch up on. This week was packed full of christmas cheer in celebration of everyone’s favorite gift-giving holiday. In addition to that, other articles such as anime youtube videos to check out, the adventures of Michael Moore in Japan, and even some cute Aardman Studios animations were there to round out the week. More »

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Two years after announcing their reformation and promises of a U.S. live show, veteran Japanese visual kei superstars X JAPAN have announced the filming of 4 new music videos to be set in Hollywood. Apparently you have to sign up for the event on their website to get an “invite” but then you also get to meet the band. More »

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