Thirteen years after the death of singer Ozaki Yutaka, a tribute album featuring his music sees a March 24 release. The two-disc set includes an impressive list of guests. Among the participants (with track contributions in parentheses) include 175R (“Juu-Nana-Sai no Chizu”), Utada Hikaru (“I Love You”), Okamura Yasuyuki (“Taiyoo no Hahen”), Cocco (“Dance Hall”), Mr.Children (“Boka ga Boku de Aru Tame ni”), plus other tracks by Saitoo Kazuyoshi and Makihara Noriyuki. The tribute also includes a cover of “Juu-Go no Yoru” by Crouching Boys, a band featuring Ozaki’s son Hiro Ozaki.
m-flo announced its next collaborative single will feature Korean singer BoA. Details of the release have not yet been determined, but March 17 has been set as the release date. Continuing in the pattern of previous releases, the single will be billed under the name “m-flo Loves BoA”, and in return, Verbal makes an appearance on “Someday One Day”, a track off of the singer’s latest single, “Love and Honesty”.
Singer Hajime Chitose announced her marriage through a diary she writes for her official web site. Hajime met her husband, a 27-year-old restaurant manager, last year. Hajime also wrote she’s expected to give birth this summer. As such, she is taking a break from her career to spend time with her new family.
Quruli announced the dates of its one-man tour starting in March on its official web site. The “Quruli One Man Tour 2004 — Anshinshiro, Hianna wa Hazushite Aru” begins with a performance in Kyoto on March 30 and ends with a concert at Budokan in June. The 31-date tour is the first Quruli has embarked since recruiting new drummer Christopher Maguire.
Quruli is also tenatively scheduled to perform at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas in March, and the band has booked a TV appearance on the music program Factory.
Quruli’s fifth studio album hits the stores on March 10.
Art-School has begun searching for a new bass player, the band’s official site reported. The site did not say whether the band will hold open auditions. Original bass player Hinata Hidekazu announced in December 2003 he was leaving the band to pursue other projects. Guitarist Ooyama Jun also said he was leaving but cited fatigue for his reason.
The site also reports Art-School will release a live album in March, as well as begin recording sessions with Number Girl and Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann.
Pizzicato Five is set to release a limited edition six-DVD box set on March 31. Titled The Band of the 20th Century: Pizzicato Five The Six DVD Set, the set includes the DVDs BS Fuji ‘Music Index’ Studio Live (tenative title), Ugoku Josei Jooi Jidai, Miss Pizzicato Five Superstar, and three volumes of readymade TV. Pizzicato Five disbanded on March 31, 2001, and the DVD release marks the third anniversary of the duo’s dissolution.
Source: Bounce.com with additional reporting by Musicwhore.org
Quruli, Kishidan and Polysics are some of the Japanese bands applying for showcases at the annual SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas. The SXSW Asia site listed 19 bands all vying for spots at this year’s festival, to be held March 17-20.
Bands from around the world perform at SXSW, and for the past seven years, the festival has hosted Japan Nite. Past participants from Japan include Number Girl, Cocco, Love Psychedelico and Zoobombs. An early list of this year’s participants includes N.E.R.D, Ozomatli, the Hives and the Crystal Method.
A full list of participants will be published in mid-February. Bands from Japan tentatively appearing at the 2004 festival (subject to change) include:
Supercar has set Feb. 25 as the release date of its next album, titled Answer. Details of the album have not been determined, but the recording of the album has been documented on the band’s official web site by its bassist, Miki. Supercar releases a new single, “Last Scene”, on Jan. 28. Yoshinori Sunahara produced the band’s most recent single, “BGM”.
Mad Capsule Markets will release its first new album in three years on March 31. Details of the album were not yet determined, but the album is expected to contain 12 songs, including the band’s forthcoming single, “Scary”. “Scary” will be bundled with an action figure when it’s released on Feb. 4.
L’Arc~en~Ciel will release another new single on March 3, the band announced. The rock quartet is already scheduled to release its first single in three years, “Ready Steady Go”, on Feb. 11. Both singles precede the release of a new album to be released on March 31.