Voyaging across the black seas of infinity… One of the groups that seem to have made a strong impression in recent years is occult outfit Necronomidol. Originally founded by Ricky Wilson, an ex-pat American musician who had spent time dabbling … Read More
The year in J-pop… 2018 saw some turbulent events in the world of Japanese music, including some line-up changes and one significant retirement. But among the stories were some good record releases – and more than a few newer acts … Read More
The Red & White Idol Show One of the groups that helped dissipate the winter blues at the last Hyper Japan event (see J-Pop Go’s review) was BANZAI JAPAN. This idol outfit are focussed on promoting the culture of Japan … Read More
Winter wonderland adventures With the winter months closing in, the appeal of a long weekend of Japanese pop culture is always difficult to dismiss. London’s Olympia paid host to Hyper Japan’s annual festivities once again (albeit in a slightly smaller … Read More
The UK’s biggest Japanese cultural event is back… Hyper Japan is the UK’s biggest convention of J-culture and anime held in the UK. First staged in 2010, Hyper Japan is designed to promote all aspects of Japanese culture, encompassing food, … Read More
Pink pop perfection Synthpop artist Tentenko has been busy in her own particular technicolor world of music for a number of years, a journey which has resulted in this new eponymous album venture which showcases a variety of pop flavours. … Read More
Rock trio deliver heavy-duty tunes… Japan’s continuing interest in guitar bands has seen a curious renaissance in recent times, particularly from female-fronted rock acts. From the garage punk aesthetic of Mutant Monster through to the Heavy Metal leanings of BAND-MAID, … Read More
Gothic Pop perfection Die Milch’s 2013 debut Metronom demonstrated a confident hand at combining classical influences with more contemporary pop elements. There was a dynamic quality to compositions such as ‘Rosaria’ that managed to deliver effective melodies that stuck in … Read More
Tokyo Idol Action… TOKYO FLAVOR are a sub-unit of sorts, each unit named after various regions of Japan (consequently there are also Osaka and Kobe Flavor outfits). Active since 2015, TOKYO FLAVOR consists of members Niina, Yurika and Mayumi. The … Read More
Anison Pop Go! The multi-talented Taketeru Sunamori has chalked up a career as a novelist, a composer and, more lately, a DJ among his list of accomplishments. As a student, he contributed voice dramas to popular Japanese site Niconico Douga … Read More