Official J-rock News

the GazettE recently released their tenth album MASS on CD and digitally in Europe through JPU Records. We took the opportunity to speak to the band for a rare English interview, ahead of an even rarer online lottery event exclusive for overseas fans who bought the CD. Congratulations! Tenth album! It’s a big milestone. Could you tell us about getting your first major release? What were your feelings and hopes in those days? RUKI: The first album we released under a major contract was our second, NIL. Looking back to those days, there are some parts that feel the same...

A collaboration 20 years in the making. Japanese rockers BACK-ON will finally release a track with the godfather of Japanese rock / hip hop; JESSE (RIZE / The BONEZ), the man responsible for naming BACK-ON two decades ago. "Kill The Beat featuring JESSE' will be released digitally from 30 July, 2021. It sees the creative forces go back to the music that influenced them in the 90s and early 2000s, paying tribute to their roots and the music they love. Rock meets rap. English meets Japanese. True crossover mayhem crammed into 3-and-a-half-minutes. The news was revealed via a special video...

Emerging Japanese rock band One Eye Closed combine EDM with djent in new summer single 'Never Forget'. The track is available to download and stream today, along with its beautifully shot music video, filmed on location at Enoshima, Japan and featuring Hetsumiya Shrine. This shrine is thought to bring good luck to couples who write their wishes on pink ema (votive tablet) hoping for true love. A bitter-sweet location for a song looking back on a relationship from both sides. 'Never Forget' features guest vocals from voice actress and producer Nikki Simmons. One Eye Closed and Nikki Simmons worked together...

Japanese rock band NEMOPHILA have recorded a special video message for overseas fans. It comes ahead of their exclusive overseas album OIRAN Extended Edition, out from 25 June; and their pre-recorded live performance 'Soko to Koko', available to stream from 19 June 2021. In the video message vocalist mayu speaks in Japanese about the concept behind OIRAN Extended Edition, followed by guitarist SAKI who offers further information in English. SAKI offers up some previously unannounced details about the album too. As well as latest track DISSENSION being exclusively re-recorded in full English for the album, all of the band's previous...

Japanese pop-rock band SCANDAL has released the video to new single 'Ivory' today – the band's second single of their 15th anniversary year! The two-track single is available to download / stream from midnight in your country. SCANDAL has reached legendary status in Japan where all nine of their studio albums have ranked in the charts at position five or higher. This latest single is written, composed and sung by SCANDAL's powerful guitarist MAMI, and co-arranged by the musician Kohei Munemoto (KAT-TUN, KinKi Kids, Mika Nakashima), and also features an acoustic version of the track performed entirely by MAMI. SCANDAL...