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J-Summit NYC on August 29th!

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Fans, another J-Summit event is upon us. Once again, there will be a variety of great musical acts performing at the event, from Lilac to Nobuya. This one will be special because major recording artist, Rie Fu, will be coming to the event. You anime fans may know her for the 1st ED for BLEACH, "Life Is Like A Boat".

Here's the press release.

This time, we will spotlight on female artists:

Special Guests from Japan:
A singer songwriter from Sony Music, Rie Fu, known for the international famous anime hit song 'Life is Like a Boat', (BLEACH), 'I Wanna Go To A Place...', (Gundam SEED DESTINY), and an excellent female singer, Le'cil (R&.

New York:
A jazz singer, Taeko Fukao, Pop Smear that features an Australian singer, George Hague, and a NY-based singer songwriter, Lulla. There will also be the most reputable rock trio, Lilac, Yoshi Amao/Samurai Boot Camp! (Samurai Sword Fighting), a hip-hop dancer, Nobuya, and a dance duo, Manami&Megumi.

Special Event
HI-HO! hide x Odsho Yukata Fashion show (Tokyo Fashion Festa New York)

Venue : The Studio@Webster Hall / 125 E 11th Street NYC
Doors Open at 5PM / Show starts at 5:30PM. 18+ ID (Valid ID's are required)
Tickets: $10 (advance) / $12 (door)
Special: $3 Asahi beer till 7:00pm
Asahi T-shirts & HI-HO! Hide x odasho Goods Raffle present


Performers
Japan
Rie Fu (Sony Music) / electro-pop singer songwriter
www.riefu.com
www.myspace.com/riefunakoshi
Le'cil (R&B ) : www.myspace.com/lecil0919

New York
Lilac (Rock) : www.myspace.com/lilacofficial
Pop Smear (electro/pop) : www.myspace.com/popsmearofficial
Lulla (Folk Rock) : www.lullatunes.com
Taeko Fukao (R&B/Jazz): www.songbirdtaeko.com
Nobuya (Perform) : www.myspace.com/nobuyan
Manami&Megumi (Perform) : www.myspace.com/howtolive_manami
Yoshi Amao/Samurai Boot Camp

JSNY Membership:
1) Join us on Facebook : j-summit New York
2) E-mail us [your full name] and [email address] to jsummitny@gmail.com to be added to our JSNY mailing list
( $10 admission and win Special Prize – Asahi googs, HI-HO! Hide x Odasho Goods etc.)
 
Join us
We welcome various types of artists, such as singers, bands, dancers, and performers! Please send us your bio at jsummitny@gmail.com.

If you want to see some kick-ass Japanese female performers on stage, then you don't want to miss J-Summit this Sunday, August 29 at Webster Hall!

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Viv's thoughts wo Kikeyo!

Recording went by really smoothly this time, minus the false starts we had (we had to do 3 takes for the intro -,-)

And it went by really fast.

What I'm most excited about is we actually PLAY MUSIC NOW! 8D

Much love to JapanFiles in providing awesome tunes.

As we began looking for songs to play, Tony found the first and last one (H&MC and BESPA). When I picked 9mm, I really felt the flow of the songs didn't go well and requested a change. While browsing through the library, I got frustrated in picking a song and ended up telling Tony he should pick the song list this time and I'd pick the next.

For some reason, we stuck with 9mm in the end.
I still feel it breaks up the flow though, but oh well. It's recorded and done.

After recording the 2nd episode, I decided to get ahead of myself and begun doing some research on songs to play. I've been in a certain mood lately, so I feel the ones I picked this time is much better.

Thanks to everyone for listening. We hope you'll tune in to our next show

V

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"KIKEYO" Episode 2 Afterthoughts by Tony

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"KIKEYO" Episode 2 Afterthoughts

Hey everyone, Tony here. Hope you guys enjoyed Episode 2. Vivian and I had a lot of fun doing this one.

I'm glad that we got JapanFiles as a partner for our podcast. I really like the amount of music they have. They cover pretty much all your tastes.

Regarding the "military manga" issue, I  was actually planning to go even further. But, I wanted to make sure that I didn't tread into any controversial territory. This whole issue is very sensitive as it is. All I can tell you is that August is not a great month for Japan.

Vivian's topic was really great. It amazes me the degree that fangirls are willing to go to get their favorite artists to come here. I wonder how they learn how to lie about their management skills. From Wikipedia? From MTV?

I also learned the importance of being really prepared. Unlike the first episode, I felt a lot better. I felt more controlled. I usually don't do audio/video work, but I know that the more I do it, the more I will be better at it.

I also have been thinking of the show going on uStream in the near future. It's amazing how popular live-streaming has become and I believe that it's going to stay hot for quite some time. We are discussing on how to utilize it the best way we can.

One more thing: the soundbites. I just can't help but laugh that my voice is being used to possibly create awkwardness. I know I have a high pitch in my voice. Don't you find it sexy? :]

Episode 3 will be up around September! Expect more interesting topics, music, and also hype for October's New York Anime Festival. Stick around!

- Tony

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Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, & Echostream Performing at FETES 2010 at NYAF!

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BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, ZAZEN BOYS, AND ECHOSTREAM TO PERFORM AT FAR EAST TO EAST SHOWCASE AT NYAF

Bands Join Puffy AmiYumi For Concert In NYC’s Irving Plaza

Norwalk, CT, August X, 2010: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) todayannounced bands Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, and Echostream willcome together with previously-announced musical guest Puffy AmiYumi for aconcert at the Far East To East Showcase (FETES) on Sunday, October 10,2010. FETES is produced by Superglorious, a live event production firmresponsible for orchestrating events with a very eclectic and excitingmix of artists. The New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, andJapanese pop culture convention, will take place October 8-10, 2010 atthe Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. It is created by andco-located with the New York Comic Con. Boom Boom Satellites, ZazenBoys, Echostream, and Puffy AmiYumi will all appearing at NYAF forspeaking sessions and autograph signings prior to their show. NYAF hasadditionally announced seiyuu and singer Minori Chihara and Japaneserock band VAMPS will also appear as guests, and comics legends Stan Lee,John Romita, Sr., and John Romita, Jr. will headline the New York ComicCon.

Presented in Irving Plaza (East 15th Street, New York, NY) for thefirst time, FETES is proud to take place in this historic venue, andwill be presenting a roster of performers fully befitting the concerthall.

“FETES 2010 is a one-night-only, once-in-a-lifetime lineup,” FETESManager Hayden Brereton said. “With FETES going into its third year,we’re pulling out all the stops to produce an event that offers a verydiverse selection of top artists. Fans of pop, electronic, rock,alternative or just great live music will fall in love with the Far Eastto East Showcase this year!”

“Created as a night of music that brings together musical artistsfrom both America and Japan, focusing on the borderlessness of song, andcreating an evening appealing to anime fans, audiophiles, and casualNew Yorkers interested in something new, FETES has been a uniqueattraction at the New York Anime Festival since 2008,” NYAF and NYCCShow Manager Lance Fensterman said. “And we could not be more humbledand thrilled looking out at the artists who’ll be taking the stage thisyear!”

Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, Echostream, and Puffy AmiYmi willall be appearing at the New York Anime Festival and New York Comic Conthroughout the weekend for panel discussions and autograph signingsbefore taking the stage on Sunday night at Irving Plaza. Tickets toFETES are $22 in advance and are separate from NYAF and NYCC admission.FETES tickets can be purchased now at www.superglorious.com orwww.livenation.com.

Tickets for NYAF or NYCC may be purchased at www.nyanimefestival.comor www.nycomiccon.com. Other information about the shows, as well asnews about the Reed Pop Culture Group, which also organizes Star Wars Celebration, is available at Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

ABOUT BOOM BOOM SATELLITES:

Electronic/Rock unit Boom Boom Satellites — bassist/programmerMasayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima — first brokein Europe in 1997. Absorbing both electronic and rock elements, theycreated a completely new and unknown sound, which not only establishedthem as an exciting new band, but also boosted their profile as one ofthe most distinguished music producers in Japan. Their first single, 4 AMoment of Silence, was released in Europe in 1997 and triggered ravereviews from such definitive European music magazines as Melody Maker,who compared their debut impact to those of the Chemical Brothers’ andProdigy’s. In 1998 the band embarked on a 3 month US tour with Moby, andshortly after they began receiving — and still keep receiving —requests for remix work from various artists such as Garbage, Josh Wink,and many more, which proved that their sound could be acclaimed andaccepted internationally. When Oliver Stone and Luc Besson chose aband’s track to use in the film Yamakashi, it reinforced interest intheir music from industries out side of the music business. In 2004 theband continued their film work by producing the soundtrack album to theanimated film Appleseed. Boom Boom Satellites contributed four newsongs, including the movie’s main theme, Dive For You, to thesoundtrack, which also included music from Paul Oakenfold, BasementJaxx, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2007, their 6th album EXPOSED wasreleased. Japanese lead track Easy Action was featured in 3D live actionanime film, Vexille (directed by Fumihiko Sori), and was included inthe soundtrack which also features Asian Dub Foundation, Underworld, andThe Prodigy. EXPOSED was produced in an attempt to find the answer forthe band to the long-standing question from the industry that tends toappreciate genre specific music, namely, Rock vs. Dance. In this albumthey have reached an answer — Rock AND Dance, both can exist at the sametime and same place. Hence the new follow-up greatest hits album, OVERAND OVER. Coming in September 14, 2010 from SonyMusic IndependentNetwork, this album is thoroughly re-mastered and re-mixed by themembers themselves, and allows the listeners to appreciate it as acompletely new album rather as a simple compilation of pre-existingtracks.

<Boom Boom Satellites official homepage>

www.bbs-net.com
www.myspace.com/boomboomsatellites
www.facebook.com/boomboomsatellites

ABOUT ZAZEN BOYS:

Zazen Boys are Mukai Shutoku / Vocal,Guitar.Synth , Matsusita Atsushi / Drums , Yoshida Ichiro / Bass , Yoshikane Sou / Guitar

Zazen Boys were formed in 2003 by Mukai Shutoku,former leader ofJapanese rock band Number Girl. In a word, Zazen Boys aspire to be `LedZeppelin in kimono`. Their eclectic style is complex but raw, rangingfrom funk in irregular time, to Captain Beefheart combined with Minyo(traditional Japanese folk songs),to angular guitar-driven punk-ballads.Mukai`s lyrics are in Japanese, and the unique worldview that theyexpress are based around two key concepts:`shogyou-mujo` and`seiteki-shodo`, meaning roughly `the transience of this world`and`sexual impulse`. To date, Zazen Boys have released 4 albums and 2singles, all through their own label Matsuri Studio. Their latest album`Zazen Boys 4` was produced by Dave Fridmann (49th Grammy Winner forBest Recording Engineer),It opens with `Asobi`, a dark and broodingnumber performed entirely on drum machine and synthesizer, reminiscentof early deep house, and then on to `Honnoji`, a raging 16beat-psyche-funk rock tune, and so on. Zazen Boys` awesome live showsreach almost 100 per year, and their music continues to stir hearts allover Japan and beyond.  (www.mukaishutoku.com)

ABOUT ECHOSTREAM:

Echostream’s music draws the audience into a singular world, wherehaunting melodies swirl over grooving beats and unique instrumentation.Drawing on classical sensibility, the music includes techniques andarrangements normally only found in stuffy concerts populated bygrey-haired old ladies. Here, those same instruments are let loose likebeasts released to roam the wilds in search of adventures. Pianos,French Horns, Mandolins, Theremins, and of course the standard rock fare— drums, bass, guitars — abound, blending and accentuating one anotherto create a sound that is just as at home in a movie, on TV, or in agame, as it is on a festival stage. Echostream is not a new band,although you may only now be discovering them. Over a history of fiveyears, two self-released albums, multiple licenses for TV andcompilations both domestic and abroad, and many large-venueperformances, the band has honed its sound and skills to an exceptionallevel.  (www.myspace.com/echostream)

ABOUT PUFFY AMIYUMI:

Puffy AmiYumi, composed of singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura, debuted in 1996 with the million selling single Asia No Junshin.Since then, their music has made them household names in Japan,leading to numerous hit songs, commercial appearances, and even theirown television show. In 2000, Puffy AmiYumi began releasing albums andtouring in the US. In 2004, Cartoon Network created an originalcartoon, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, which became one of the mostwatched cartoons in the world — havin g been broadcast in 110 differentcountries. In 2006, Puffy AmiYumi were appointed the GoodwillAmbassadors of the Visit Japan Campaign for the US. In 2009,Puffy AmiYumi performed in Europe for the first time in front of 5,000+people in Paris’s Japan Expo. In the same year, they sang the theme songto the Naruto film Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire. Their latest album, Bring it!, includes All Because Of You and I Don’t Wanna written by Avril Lavigne and her producer Butch Walker, Hiyori Hime written by the Japanese female rock icon Sheena Ringo, the theme song to the new Genjianime series, and other songs written by numerous stellar song writers.In September 2010, PuffyAmi Yumi will perform in Hong Kong and Taiwan.In the following month, they’ll be coming to NYC.(www.puffyamiyumi.com )

ABOUT SUPERGLORIOUS:

Superglorious is a music event production company that specializes increating unique live music presentations. With a special emphasis ondistinctive sounds, engaging performance, and high production values,Superglorious unifies a diverse collective of artists to createsoundscapes that are meant to entertain and inspire. The firm’s strongunderstanding of the local music industry and global approach to art hasallowed artists from across America, the Far East, and Europe to boostand extend their connections to audiences across New York City.Utilizing a holistic approach to its projects, Superglorious offers awide range of expertise that includes artist and equipment coordination,online and street marketing, print design and artist booking. Itsconstant pursuit of excellence offers challenging and excitingopportunities for both artists and music lovers. (www.superglorious.com )

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:

The New York Anime Festival takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Centerin Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creatorsof New York Comic Con.  The New York Anime Festival showcases the bestof anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanesecinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, andfilms from around the world. The festival features exclusive andextensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the someof the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, andexplores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of bothtraditional and cutting-edge Japaneselife. (www.newyorkanimefestival.com)

ABOUT NEW YORK COMIC CON:

New York Comic Con is the East Coast’s biggest and most excitingpopular culture convention. Our show floor plays host to the latest andgreatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys,movies, and television.  Our panels and autograph sessions give fans achance to interact with their favorite creators.  Our screening roomsfeature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hiteither big or small screens.  And with dedicated professional hours,New York Comic Con is a market place, bringing together the majorplayers in the entertainment industry.  New York Comic Con is the secondlargest pop culture convention in America and the only one that takesplace in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of theworld — Gotham City.  (www.newyorkcomiccon.com)

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the NewYork Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2),and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF).  New York Comic Con was launchedin 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture worldof public events.  In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a totalof 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked byCrain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago’s McCormick PlaceConvention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans theopportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, andartists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatestin comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, andtelevision. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launchedUFC Fan Expo in partnership with the UFC – the world’s leadingprofessional mixed martial arts organization – and it formed a strategicpartnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closelywith PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.

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DramaFever Adds Japanese TV Shows Online For American Audience!

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Hey everyone, our good friends at DramaFever now have Japanese TV shows up on their website! Check out the press release!

DramaFever Adds Japanese TV Shows Online For American Audience

Partnership with FUNimation Entertainment brings American Audiences Popular Live-Action Animated Series

MOYASHIMON
MOYASHIMON

New York, NY - August 9, 2010

DramaFever.com announced that it has obtained North American online distribution rights from FUNimation® Entertainment, an American anime leader, for the hit live-action CG-animated situation comedy adaptationof the award-winning manga series “Moyashimon,” (2010), written by Masayuki Ishikawa and directed by Akira Iwamoto. The content deal launches DramaFever’s Japanese showpage. Premiering the series to American audiences in high-quality with professional English subtitlesfor its 70% non-Asian audience, DramaFever, the leading video website for mainstream U.S. audiences interested in direct-from-Asia entertainment, is one of only three places where Americans can view thepopular Japanese series.

LINK: http://www.dramafever.com/drama/768/Moyashimon/.

DramaFever will stream a simulcast of the new Moyashimon episodestarting Thursday August 5 at 3PM Eastern, just hours after it hits theair on Fuji Television Network, Inc., the leading and largest Japanese broadcast television network. DramaFever will release Episode #5, entitled “Love Potion” online. The previous four episodes of the11-episode series, which began airing weekly in July 2010 will also beavailable at the same time. New episodes will be added weekly around the same time every Thursday.

"Japanese animation enjoys a cult-like following, drawing millionsof fans in America. This deal with FUNimation, given it’s reputation for acquiring top-rated anime series, gives DramaFever a strong, forward-thinking position in the US market as demand for Japanese entertainment grows globally," said David Hou, Vice President ofDramaFever.

Adapted from Masayuki Ishikawa's comedic popular manga, Moyashimon,the situation comedy follows Tadayasu Sawaki (played by Nakamura Yuichi), a 20-something student at a Tokyo university who has an unusual superpower, which makes him able to see and talk to comical,quick-witted microbes who mock him and give running commentary as headjusts to his university life. Moyashimon, the manga, has beenpublishing since 2004 by Del Ray Manga, followed by an animated version, which hit the airwaves in 2007. The series continues to grow in popularity, coming to the US for the first time in July via a partnership between FUNimation and Fuji Television Network, Inc. which allowed FUNimation to simulcast content from Fuji TV’s late-night dedicated anime programming block, NoitaminA, and gave FUNimation rights to sign the deal with DramaFever.com.

With the release of Moyashimon, DramaFever will be adding another manga-turned-live action show, entitled “Team Astro”, plus two classic “Tokusatsu” (live action superhero) series from the 1970’s, “Iron King”and “Super Robot Red Baron.”

ABOUT DRAMAFEVER.COM
Privately-held online video content distribution company, DramaFever.com was launched in New York in August 2009 by co-founders Suk Park and Seung Bak with the mission of making the best of Asian programming available to English-speaking American and Canadian audiences. Drawing on their experience in media, publishing and finance, DramaFever establishes licensing deals with the leading Asian networks to stream select titles in high quality with English subtitles or dubbing. DramaFever.com users can watch videos for free or pay just $4.99 per month for premium membership, which includes uninterrupted advertising-free programming, access to exclusive content and other advanced features. All subscribers can also participate in discussions,rate shows, request programs, sign up for show alerts and get thelatest news on trends and developments in Asian drama, celebrities, and entertainment. As of April 2010, the company has deals to stream over 100 titles representing 5,000 hours of content, spanning all genres ofmedia and storytelling beginning with television hit series from Korea, including suspense thrillers, historical dramas, romantic comedies and documentaries. Film, music video, reality television and other programming will be added each month, along with content from other countries. By the end of 2010, subscribers will be able to watch videos on DramaFever.com across multiple platforms. To learn more, visit www.DramaFever.com.

About FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation(r) Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NavarreCorporation, is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula forlaunching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com.

# # #

Here's a sneak peek of the show!

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Podcast: "KIKEYO!" - Episode 2: "Moe, Fangirls, Oh My!"

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KIKEYO! EPISODE 2 - "MOE, FANGIRLS, OH MY!"

Played: 202 | Download | Duration: 00:52:50





We're back with our 2nd episode. We tackle some interesting topics in this episode. Here's the synopsis!

0:00-1:13 -"Intro"
1:16-3:58 - Song: HIGH & MIGHTY COLOR, "Fly Me To The Other Moon"
3:59-9:36 - "Military Manga: U.S. Goes Moe"
9:41-12:31 - Song: 9MM PARABELLUM BULLET - "Vortex"
12:32-20:47 - "J-Rock PR: You're Doing It Wrong"
20:48-32:26 - "Kore o Kikeyo!: Music Recommendations"
32:32-33:08 - COMMERCIAL FOR CHILDHOOD EVENT AT KINOKUNIYA
33:09- 35:31 - "Outro and Song: BESPA KUMAKERO - "Haguregumo"

You can find & purchase the following songs listed on JapanFiles.com!

HIGH & MIGHTY COLOR - "Fly Me To The Other Moon"
9MM PARABELLUM BULLET - "Vortex"
BESPA KUMAKERO - "Haguregumo"

JapanFiles.com is your source for awesome Japanese music.  A wide variety of Japanese artists can be found you on the site. Go there now! You can visit the site by clicking the logo below.



SBR will be at the Childhood event this Sunday at Kinokuniya Bookstore! Come on by to check out an amazing Japanese act and say hi to us!

See you guys next time for our next episode!

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Childhood at Kinokuniya on Aug. 22nd



Don't forget to join us on Sunday, August 22nd, at Kinokuniya Bookstore where we will host Childhood, a hand-flute and piano duo from Japan.

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J-Rock Electro Duo BOOM BOOM SATELLITES Hitting American Shores Once More!

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Boom Boom Satellites is touring America once more and releasing a U.S. record here! Here's the press release.

Genre bending Japanese Rock-Electronic duo BOOM BOOM SATELLITES to release best-of album OVER AND OVER - Digital/Disc On Demand: Sept. 14th, In-stores: Oct. 19th, 2010 on Sony Independent Network (SIN) and announce upcoming US tour dates.

Thoroughly re-mastered and re-mixed by the members themselves, OVER AND OVER allows listeners to appreciate it as a completely new album rather than a simple compilation of pre-existing tracks, 6 of which were never before available in America. Featuring 17 tracks that span over 6 Albums and 3 EPs, OVER AND OVER is the duo’s first US released best-of album.

Absorbing both electronic and rock elements, Tokyo’s BOOM BOOM SATELLITES created a completely new and unknown sound; a sound that NME stated was “like The Prodigy fighting Underworld with bloody big sticks.” This sound not only established them as an exciting new band, but also boosted their profile as one of the most distinguished music producers in Japan.

 

The brain child of Bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima, BOOM BOOM SATELLITES have been combining distortion-drenched rock and punk guitars, with electronic dance music and heavy jazz elements to constantly evolve and refine their innovative sound over the last decade.

  

In support of OVER AND OVER, Boom Boom Satellites will be launching their OVER AND OVER US Tour in October 2010. Tour stops will include:

Oct. 6th - Philadelphia,
Oct. 8th – Albany,
Oct. 12th – Delaware,
Oct. 13th – DC,
Oct. 14th - Baltimore,
Oct. 16th - Connecticut,
Oct. 17th - Boston,
Oct. 19th - New England,
Oct. 21st - NY/CMJ,
Oct. 25th - LA,
Oct. 27th - San Francisco,
Oct. 29th - Portland,
Oct. 30th - Seattle,

More dates TBA.

This will come off the heels of their Japan 2010 Tour which featured them on the main stage of the legendary Fuji Rock Festival, alongside Massive Attack and Atoms For Peace, and above Vampire Weekend and Donavan Frankenreiter. Their bombastic three-piece live show featuring female drummer Yoko Fukuda is not to be missed.

It's not only music fans who are captivated with their mind blowing live performances, their music has also caught the attention of prominent anime film creators and Hollywood motion picture producers. A number of tracks from the group's album, Full of Elevating Pleasures, contributed to the soundtrack of the CGI anime film Appleseed. "Easy Action" was included on the soundtrack of the mammoth anime film Vexille. Their tracks "Scatterin' Monkey" and "4 A Moment of Silence" from their first album Out Loud, were featured in the film The Dark Knight and "Shut Up And Explode" became the opening theme song for the PlayStation Store exclusive and later television anime series Xam'd: Lost Memories.

Artist: BOOM BOOM SATELLITES
Title: OVER AND OVER
Genre: Rock/Electronic
Label: Sony Independent Network (SIN)
Release Date: Digital - Sept.14th, In-Stores - Oct. 19th, 2010
Marketing: Press, Online, Radio Promotion, and National Tour

OVER AND OVER track listing with accompanying pedigree

1) Kick It Out (from the Japan release ON)* 
2) What Goes Round Comes Around (from Exposed)
3) Looking Glass (from Japan release Umbra)*
4) Pill (ON)*
5) Morning After (Exposed)
6) Light My Fire (from Japan release Photon)*
7) Let It All Come Down (Full Of Elevating Pleasures)
8) 40-Forty (Photon)*
9) GIRL (ON)*                      
10) Moment I Count (Elevating)
11) On The Painted Desert (Out Loud)
12) Intergalactic (Exposed)
13) Soliloquy (Umbra)*
14) Panacea (Umbra)*
15) Stride (Elevating)
16) Easy Action (Exposed)
17) Shut Up And Explode (Exposed)

 * Never Released before in America

Watch the video for "Kick It Out":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnuvJgYR3jU

Fans, this is a great opportunity to check out one of Japan's most innovative & amazing acts out there. If you love music in general (especially hard electronica/rock), then check out Boom Boom Satellites when they hit your town!

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Tales of Earthsea doesn't hold water !

                                                


August 1, 2010- Sara Barton

   It was an early Sunday morning as hundreds of movie patrons stood on line for the New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF) US Premier of, Tales of Earthsea, directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki.  

  Tales of Earthsea is based on a fantasy book series by Ursula K. Le Guin.  It is a beautiful story that is set in a medieval world of castles and dragons that has been thrown into chaos by an imbalance of magical forces and is being over taken by a dark sorcerer on a quest to attain immortality. Meanwhile,troubled young Prince Arren (Matt Levin)  flees after murdering his father. He then crosses paths with the master wizard Sparrowhawk (Timothy Dalton) and young girl Therru (Blaire Restaneo), and the“adventure” begins. 

    Talesof Earthsea, meets the Miyazaki standard of stunning visual quality. The artistry is reminiscent of a beautiful renaissance painting, it as if history has come to life. However, it doesn’t fit with films edgy style.

    It’s a dark film; the characters are psychologically tormented. The director cleverly uses them astools to reflect a world that is numb, afraid, and lacks hope. This causes the film to be disconnected, making it difficult for the viewer to identify with the characters, especially Prince Arren, the protagonist.  

  Goro Miyazaki uses sophisticated styleof storytelling. He tries to balance how the story unfolds, by how much thecharacter’s reveal about themselves and their past; a devise often seen in independent films. It is very ambitious, yet it fall flat, showing director’s inexperienceand the studio’s poor script writing abilities. This leads to the films slow timing. After 40 minutes of watching it there’s almost little or no information about the characters and the viewer must piece it together himself.

   Surprisingly, the film was a hit with children at the NYICFF premiere, especially the action sequences.

  It’s no secret that Goro Miyazaki directorial debut won him the, Worst Director award and Worst Movieaward at Bunshun's Raspberry Awards in 2006. This award ceremony recognizes the worst of Japanese cinema, the same as the Golden Raspberry Awards recognize the worth of North American cinema every year.

  Tales of Earthsea is a film that tookseveral risks, but it fails to take flight.It's a vinegar and water film; the cinematic elements Goro Miyazaki uses don’t blend together. I admire that the director took a creative risk. It obviously shows that he has his own style. Goro Miyazaki tried to fit into his father’s artistic mold, when he clearly needed to break away from Miyazaki tradition, and follow his own path. Nevertheless,with a few more years of experience Goro Miyazaki has the potential to become agreat filmmaker.


“Tales From Earthsea” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for some violent images.

TALES FROM EARTHSEA

Opens on Friday in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu.

Directed by Goro Miyazaki; written by Goro Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, inspired by the manga “Shuna’s Journey” by Hayao Miyazaki and based on the “Earthsea” series by Ursula K. Le Guin; music by Tamiya Terashima; produced by Toshio Suzuki; released by Walt Disney Studios/Studio Ghibli. In Manhattan at the Angelika Film Center, Mercer and Houston Streets, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes.

WITH THE VOICES OF: Timothy Dalton (Sparrowhawk), Willem Dafoe (Cob), Cheech Marin (Hare), Mariska Hargitay (Tenar), Blaire Restaneo (Therru) and Matt Levin (Arren).



Links:

New York International Children's Film Festival: 
http://gkids.tv


Disney's Official Tales of Earthsea website:

Studio Ghibil:
www.ghibli.jp/





NYICFF Now Presents The 10-PASS Card
DISCOUNT ADMISSION FOR YEAR-ROUND SCREENINGS AT IFC!
USE FOR YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, OR GIVE AS GIFTS!

$80 10-pass is valid for 10 adult or child admissions to NYICFF year-round screenings at IFC Center.
(Regular admission is $13 adult and $9 child.)

For more details and to purchase 10-pass CLICK HERE!

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Look Back At Japan Town: Thank You From SBR

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We’d like to say thank you one more time to everyone who stopped by our booth at Japan Town last month.

Everyone brought us great gifts to give away.
Thank you Lilac, Uzuhi, and Superfortress for CDs.



Thank you David Hou of DramaFever for giving us "premium subscription" gift certificates. His website represents a new generation of Asian pop culture power.
www.dramafever.com



Thank you Sumi-san of Kodansha International for giving us wonderful books.
 “Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential” is written by Brian Ashcraft (of Kotaku) and has just arrived in stores near you.



Visit Kodansha International at: www.kodansha-intl.com

Thanks also go out to Chris "Phire" Scott for entertaining us with his wit and charm!

And at last but least, we want to say thank you so much to Hiroshi Kono of Mar Creation Records. His appearance and generous contribution made our day 1000% better.

His label is unbelievable because its catalogue has so many different kinds of artists from different music genre and ethnicity. And as you may have noticed, Hiroshi himself is a superb artist. He performs under the name “ Mar Project”. If you are interested, check out his latest album “ Stepping Stone” or compilation CD” Samba do Mar” a great collection of the music from Mar Creation Records.

And of course, look forward to another ZAMZA performance this fall in New York City.

Mar Creation Records website:
www.marcreation.net/

Hiroshi also co-organizes a monthly Japanese music showcase “ J-Summit”.
www.myspace.com/jsummitnewyork

Check out footage from past "J-Summit" events:
June 6, 2010:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHSabBpYS7A
May 16, 2010: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWo3FzFFS3E

All our friends (May…thanks for a lift!) and J-music fans, keep listening! We’ll do our best!!

Here's a picture of two of our lovely staff members!

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