How much does a release schedule suck that I don’t even bother to write a column about it? The last time I looked ahead was back in January. Heck, I don’t think anything was released in April to get my attention.
I’ve seen articles criticizing the major labels’ habit of stacking all the best releases for the end of the year. With so many releases by big name artists hitting at one time, releases that deserve attention are bound to fall through the cracks. What’s that saying about too much of a good thing?
I’ll give this column the old college try, but man … do I miss ICE magazine.
UA is set to release her first new album of original material in two years, titled Golden Green, so says Bounce.com. The album hits stores June 20. In addition to the pre-release single "Oogon no Midori/Love scenes", Golden Green contains 10 tracks, including "Melody La La La", "Paradise alley/Ginga cafe", "Moor" and "San Andreas Fault". Think Sync engineer Zak (Matsumura Kazuyuki) produces.
Cocco continues her comeback with a new album titled Kirakira, scheduled for release on July 25, so says Bounce.com. Recorded in Okinawa and London, the album contains 18 tracks, including the theme song for the NHK program Do~Suru? Sakyuu no Atashi, titled "Harehireho". Cocco is scheduled for appearances at the Rock in Japan Festival and Rising Sun Rock Festival this coming summer.
toddle releases its second album, titled dawn praise the world, on June 8, so says Bounce.com. The album contains 10 tracks and is produced by bloodthirsty butchers’ Yoshimura Hideki. The article itself gets into a lot of flowery language about the album’s sound, but I think I’ll reserve my judgment till I hear it. On the same day, swarm’s arm, which features toddle bassist Kobayashi Ai, also releases an album, titled 3285D.
I’ve actually seen this bit of news elsewhere — notably JPOPSUKI — but now my trusted news source wrote about it (albeit late), so I may as well write about it.
Onitsuka Chihiro is releasing a new single on May 30, titled "everyhome". The single arrives 2 years and 7 months since her last release. The Frozen Call fan site has been keeping track of Onitsuka’s activities and mentions a new album in the pipeline for later in the year.
It also looks like exhaustion was the cause of Onitsuka’s nearly 3-year break. The rapid release schedule of the Japanese music machinery took its toll, and now, she writes at her own pace. The Bounce article says she’s written only 10 songs in that time, compared to the three albums’ worth of material in the same amount of time from 2000-2003.
I find it admirable Onitsuka put the skids on her own career for the sake of her muse. As prolific as the Japanese release schedule is, sometimes I question its frequency with top artists. And honestly, I prefer to hear from some artists, including ones I like, a little less frequently. (Hello, Yaida Hitomi?)
bloodthirsty butchers releases a new album, titled Guitarist wo Korosonaide, on May 16, so says Bounce.com. The album will be the first release of the butchers’ new self-run label, 391 tone. The creation of the label also comes at a time when the band is about to celebrates its 20th anniversary. Yoshimoto Nara, who designed the cover of 2005’s banging the drum, returns to design the cover of the new album.
Quruli releases a new single on May 30, followed by a new album on June 27, so says Bounce.com. Details about either release have not been revealed, but the band launched a recording diary on its official site to keep fans informed of new developments. The release of the new album follows the departure of guitarist Omura Tasshin last year.
Norman Lebrecht profiles Górecki for La Scena Musicale, mentioning the popularity of his Symphony No. 3 back in the early ’90s. The composer wrote the symphony in 1976, and by the time it scaled the UK charts, his style had changed.
The two string quartets he wrote for Kronos require headphones to get a full appreciation. Both works explore the extremes of introspection and expression, and when they get quiet, they get really quiet. But they are so beautiful even when they’re inaudible.
I imagine this new work also requires headphones. It’s rather remarkable that Górecki completed the work in 1995 but held onto it for a decade. His reason? He doesn’t know.
UA is set to release a new single, titled "Oogon no Midori/Love scenes", on May 5, so says Bounce.com. "Oogon no Midori" has been described as "acid pop" (huh?), while "Love scenes" is reminiscent of her old single "Milk Tea".
CD Japan e-mailed me an announcement a few days back mentioning one of the coupling tracks was written by Hatori Miho of Cibo Matto.
For the last two albums, UA hasn’t really done anything appropriate for a singles format. Does this mean a return to more melodic terrain? As challenging and daring as her work has been lately, something tuneful would be a welcome direction.
The conspiracy theorist in me would like to think the latest delay in the release of Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy has to do with W. Axl Rose getting his ass handed to him by the Arcade Fire. Chinese Democracy was supposed to be released on March 6, the same day as the Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible.