Tokyo a la Mode. Web Magazine for Japanese Fashion and Urban Culture

Jrock Revolution

By Bobby /Apr 21, 2007
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Created by Japanese rock superstar Yoshiki of X JAPAN, Jrock Revolution, the first multi-artist music festival in North America to exclusively showcase Japanese rock music (jrock for short) straight from Japan, launches May 25 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Boasting a variety of artists, some of which have already performed and released albums in Europe, the U.S., and Japan, Jrock Revolution answers the wishes of curious music lovers and tens of thousands of jrock fans alike. The festival is scheduled to run May 25-26 and will feature alice nine., Vidoll, DuelJewel, Kagrra, Miyavi, D’espairsRay, Merry, girugamesh, and MUCC. 

Jrock Revolution spawned as the brainchild of Yoshiki. With his ear for talent and intent to please audiences, Yoshiki senses the desires of jrock fans and the desire for new music by all music fans. As the mentor and producer of globally successful jrock bands such as Dir en grey, Yoshiki is also responsible for introducing this pool of Japanese rock talent to an ever-growing stateside audience.

Once an underground commodity, jrock is now a very real musical alternative for audiences everywhere. Thanks to the accessibility provided by the Internet, it has never been more popular than it is now. Flaunting pure musicality, immaculate artistry, and a remarkable rapport with listeners, Japanese rock artists have sparked international interest as they tour other countries, music festivals, and culture conventions outside of Japan.

Tickets for Jrock Revolution will go on sale April 21 at 10 A.M. through TicketMaster/Music Today. Information and updates will be available at www.jrockrevolution.com, the festival’s official Web site.

Price: $35 per day, $60 for two day pass to both nights

Line Up*
Night 1: alice nine., Kagrra, Miyavi, DuelJewel, Vidoll
Night 2: MUCC, girugamesh, Merry, Déspairs Ray

Doors will open at 7:00pm for both nights.

For even more information, check out Yoshiki’s MySpace.

BAND INFO:

alice nine.

Inspired by everything from films, love stories, stars, Japanese colors/hue, as well as the four seasons, alice nine. (spelled in all lowercase, with a period) runs on life, with its members pouring personal experience and their own changing thoughts, ideas and imaginations into the band’s music. In 2005, the band toured Japan with label mate Kagrra, and sold out its mini-album Alice In Wonderland. One of alice nine.’s singles, “Akatsuki/Ikuoku no Chandelier,” was used as the opening and ending themes for the anime series Ginyu Mokushiroku in 2006.

Vidoll

Pretty doll or throwaway puppet? Ironically, visual kei ensemble Vidoll’s name can mean both. Keenly armed with that perspective of its unpredictable value to the music business, Vidoll has sold out two maxi-singles, “if...rebotomin” and “if...torikabuto”, and a March 2004 single, “Wagahai wa, Korosuke Nari...”, between nationwide tours. In April 2004, it made its European debut, releasing compilation album Bijinkei in France. In December, 2006, Vidoll performed before the full house crowd at Tokyo’s Shibuya Kokaido Hall (now called CC Lemon Hall).

DuelJewel

Long before the current wave of Japanese musicians performing overseas countries took place, indie group DuelJewel had already wet its feet, making its U.S. debut in 2002 at the Project A-Kon convention in Dallas, Texas, as the first visual kei band to perform in the United States. DuelJewel has since appeared in Virginia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. They also plan to tour America this summer

Kagrra,

Inspired by ancient Japan, rock group Kagrra, (pronounced “kagura,” spelled with the comma) released its first mini-album, nue,> in 2000, which quickly sold out. After a flurry of successful releases, the band produced its last independent work, Ouka Ranman (Sakura in Full Bloom), in the autumn of 2003 before turning major with the single “Urei” (Grief) in January 2004. In 2006, Kagrra, broke into the Japanese major charts with its single, “Utakata”.nue,>

Miyavi

Initially the youngest member/guitarist/backup screamer for indie band Dué le quartz, Miyavi emerged from the band’s 2002 breakup a solo artist. A skillful, versatile vocalist and guitarist, he made his major debut with the single “Rock Counterattack ~Superstar Demands~” in October 2004. Elaborately festooned with tattoos, piercings, and nail polish, Miyavi is a visual and sonic spectacle who, for all the decoration, devotes himself to his audiences and delights in surprises: A spur-of-the-moment show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, collaborating with hip-hop DJ and percussionist comprised his American debut this past February.

D’espairsRay

This rock band, D’espairsRay, first crossed international borders in 2004 when Japanese bands were still unknown to foreign land.  They started out activities abroad in Europe and debut stateside in 2005 for their very first American headline tour, hitting San Jose, San Francisco, and Dallas.  In fall of the same year they played Europe once more and returned to West Coast America, opening for Genitorturers, playing in 8 states.  In 2006, they released their first album in Europe and received tremendous response from local fans.  They were also among the last few bands to play at the legendry rock club CBGB in New York.  In summer, they were invited to participate in the Wacken Open Air metal festival in Germany again garnering vast attention from press and music lovers.  In winter of 2006, they headlined a European tour, appearing at 14 venues in 8 countries, with their popularity only growing forth.  In July 2007, they are also slated to appear at rock festivals in Finland. 

Merry

Tokyo-based Merry debuted in 2002 with three versions of the maxi-single “Haikarasan ga tooru,” all of which sold out in pre-orders. After selling out two more maxi-singles, it made its full-length debut, Gendai Stoic, which sold over 10,000 copies the day of its release. In 2005, Merry’s major debut, Nu chemical rhetoric, was so anticipated that it hit No. 10 on the major charts the day before its official release. In 2006, Nu chemical debuted in Europe; so did follow-up album Peep Show. And in December 2006, Merry played its first overseas gigs in Munich and Paris.

girugamesh

Hardcore/metal rockers girugamesh prove that Japanese indie scene is alive and kicking, roaring and bellowing. After forming in 2004, the band released its first single, “Kaisen sengen,” which debuted at No. 10 on the Japanese indie charts and sold out. Four more singles, two of which were available at tour concerts only, also sold out. girugamesh has toured Japan multiple times and released its first full-length album, 13’s reborn, in 2006.

MUCC

In August 2006, the members of MUCC (pronounced “mukku"Y were featured as musical guests at Otakon, the largest Japanese culture convention on the East Coast, playing to two full houses at Rams Head Live in Baltimore. That was their ninth year. Now at a decade together, MUCC has proven itself to be not only prolific, having produced more than ten unique releases to date, but long-lasting--and with throngs of Stateside fans to boot.

About Yoshiki

Drummer, pianist, composer, producer, and label executive Yoshiki is best known for creating the landmark rock band X JAPAN and spearheading Japan’s personal rock sub-genre, visual kei. Among a vast multitude of other artists and musicians, Yoshiki has worked with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, legendary Beatles producer George Martin, and Roger Taylor of Queen. He has composed music for various films and TV programs, arranged Kiss’s “Black Diamond” for piano (which received critical praise), worked as a producer with the PolyGram label, and shaped works whose sales have surpassed 50 million CDs. In September 2005, the first single of Yoshiki’s solo project Violet UK, “Sex & Religion,” was distributed through and debuted as the No. 1 download on iTunes Japan. X JAPAN has sold over 2 million videos and more than 20 million combined albums and singles to date.