Category: CD/DVD Releases


Psydoll, I Psydoll CD

Igor’s first Psydoll CD – I Psydoll from 2004.

After a few months buried under work Igor has finally got around to writing an update. Today, I’m just want to show off my Psydoll CD, which I picked up at the Artism Market in April when I got a chance for a chat with Nekoi Psydoll and the gang.

Psydoll are a concept band whose sounds are built around the idea of escaped rogue robots from a slightly darkened near-future Japan:

Japanese companies (including S#NY, Mit#ubishi, Hit#chi, S#nyo and P#nasonic) usually use the word “DOLL” to name their production robots for military, business and home use. However, PSYDOLL (Psycho-Doll) are illegal robots manufactured and remodeled without proper licenses and with enhanced abilities unlike other “DOLLs”. View full article »

David Bowie's new albumHey there folks. I got quite excited when I saw that David Bowie is releasing a new album. I got even more excited when he said it would be streaming for free on iTunes for a limited time (how kewl is that?!).

You will need to be on your PC or iPad to listen, but that is no hassle right. Okay, just go to:
http://itunes.com/davidbowie

And once your iTunes opens up to the DB page you will see an option to stream the album. This is a limited time thing so GO NOW young alt person!

Tokyo-based heavy electro unit, Vanished Empire, are set to release their new album, The Unnameable Symphony, on December 13. The album concept focuses on the myth of of Cthulhu and includes nine tracks – five songs plus four remixes by other artists. There will be a release party for the new album at the Darkest Fest event to be held at Club Crawl Shibuya on November 26. This promises to be a great album with powerful vocals from DJ Chihiro and the musical genius of 2 Bullet’s Dee Lee on programming and keyboards. The album will be released on the Darkest Labyrinth label which has quickly developed a reputation for quality production of artists in the Japan scene.

2nd album [The Unnamable Symphony]
Dec 13th, 2010 Release
Label: Darkest Labyrinth
Distrubution: Daiki Sound, CD baby, Tainted Reality
Disc number: DLVE-2
Limited: 1000
Price: 2,000yen

Playlist:
1. Necronomicon Prologue
2. Mindless Outer God
3. Temple Of R’lyeh
4. At The Edge Of Kadath
5. Al Ajif Epilogue
6. Mindless Outer God (Tragic Black Mix)
7. Temple Of R’lyeh (Takuya Angel Mix)
8. Temple Of R’lyeh (Noir du’Soleil mix)
9. Temple Of R’lyeh (marlee mix)

official WebSite
http://www.myspace.com/vanishedempire

Online shop:
http://darkestlabyrinth.ocnk.net/

Calmando Qual are set to release their new maxi single, “Deadman’s Party” on December 22, 2010 through Darkest Labyrinth, Starwave Records. Release details from the label are as follows:

Calmando Qual’s second maxi single since their comeback. The horror rock show constructed in their previous work, Doors, is given an even deeper expression in this release. Within its dark party rock style is a danceable avant-garde sound, and lurking behind its developing romantic edge is a twisted love story. After stepping through the Doors into the great hall that lies beyond, enjoy the party within to your heart’s content! A release event will be held at Ikebukuro Chop on November 20.

Line-up :
Vocal: Hibiki
Guitar: Tak
Bass: Kenka
Drums: Maya

Live Schedule :
Nov 20 Ikebukuro Chop (Release Party)

new maxi single “Deadman’s Party” Nov 20, 2010: available for pre-sale at live venues
Dec 22, 2010: on sale in stores
Disc number: SWCQ-2
Label: Starwave Records
Distribution: Daiki Sound, Tainted Reality, CDbaby, Code 7
Price: 1,890yen (tax in)
Limit 1000 copies

Playlist:
1. Haunted Home
2. The monster
3. Blood Red Shoes
4. UNDEADMAN
5. Deadman’s Party

official WebSite
http://calmandoqual.com/
http://www.myspace.com/calmandoqual

Online Shop:
http://darkestlabyrinth.ocnk.net/

This is just a short update on two bands that Igor really loves.

2 Bullet are now under the Darkest Labyrinth label headed up by Blood’s and GPKISM’s ax man Kiwamu. I lost the official release, but from vague recollection the album should be available towards the end of the year. 2 Bullet are an anti-totalitarianism unit with a hot, tactical industrial sound. Look to the links list to find a connection to the band’s homepage.

BAAL, possibly the most intense hard-hitting industrial band in the scene today, are also heading towards recording new songs. This is an eagerly anticipated follow-up to the band’s Religion 616 release back in 2007. The band had already shown itself to be a rapidly maturing high-caliber unit with Religion 616 and the new release should be awesome. It is still early days yet and how or where it will be released is under wraps, but Igor and the rest of the BAAL groupies are really looking forward to the next chapter.

Baal :: Religion 616

Baal :: Religion 616

One of the hard-hitting electro-industrial rock groups in Tokyo’s underground scene, Baal represents the future of heavy industrial music. Featuring uber-femme U-tarou on hellastic vocals, Mikito orchestrating the guitar and digital sounds and Chihiro on drums, Baal ignites any event it appears in. With multiple tours of Europe, and one tour in Australia with Angel Spit, Baal is coming up from beneath the radar to infect ordinary society.

Religion 616 represents the latest evolution of the band with songs pumping out an infectious grimy industrial sounds with power vocals and more.

Baal :: Religion 616 track list
1. Dead Rock Enemy – 3:03
2. Religion 616 – 4:04
3. Judgement Night – 3.14
4. The Hardliner – 3.11
5. Survive – 3.23
Total time: 16:57

You can find the band site at http://www.baaljapan.net/ and their online shop at http://www.baalstore.com/

Hello blog. It has been quite a while since I had anything to write about in this hallowed tome. Should I apologize? I don’t think so.

Anyway, as a small update, I received a most interesting package filled with a steel metal CD, cassette, poster and (most interesting of all) some cotton candy.

Well, I am not quite ready to do the CD review yet, but will drop some bread crumbs in the near future.

Glimmer Void

Dead Scarlet Records has just released Glimmer Void’s debut 5-track album “Souls Parade” in digipack cd, limited edition.
Glimmer Void is a band from Athens, Greece, that combine ethereal female vocals with dark atmospheric melodies, influenced by the Gothic, neo-folk and neo-classical music scene.

Bio
Originally formed in Athens, in September 2004 by Stelios Mastrodiamadoglou (keyboards, guitar), Thalia Makri (vocals, lyrics) and George Kokkoras (drums, percussion), Glimmer Void started working on experimental ideas to create songs that combine ethereal female vocals with dark atmospheric melodies.

The band felt completed only after Vaggelis Babadelis (guitar) and Diana Rahmanina (cello) joined in
The process of recording began no sooner than the year 2006 and the result of it was the debut album “Souls Parade” consisting of 5 tracks.
“Souls Parade” is now out thanks to Dead Scarlet Records.

At the present time, there are two new members, George Skoufas, (male vocals and bass guitar) and Dimitris Zannis at the guitar, after Vaggelis left the band.

Glimmer Void is now giving live concerts to the Greek audience and continues writing new songs for their next album.

I feel very honored to be able to do a review about the contemporary classical music site of Frederik Magle. Frederik Magle is a composer, concert organist and pianist based in Denmark. His works are mainly modern tonal-based classical and film music. Frederik Magel has composed a variety of instrumental and vocal ensembles as well as solo music for violin and piano. His work stretches across genres from full orchestral works to modern electronica.

All items reviewed in this post are available for download on the site with but you will need to register on the Magle International Music Forums to gain access to all works (access is free). This works quite nicely as you can discuss the works further online.

There were around 10-12 tracks available online, but I have selected four to review on JGoth.com – Rising of a New Day, The Shadow, Far Away and Lullaby.

Rising of a New Day is a powerful piece bursting with energy with lively strings and brass alluding to the moment the sun breaks the horizon with all the promise of a new day. There is a quieter interlude perhaps alluding to the still-sleeping creatures, before the sunburst sequence returns again. The piece culminates with drums and finally the music quickens its tempo to exude the feeling that the day has truly arrived. I find it to be an inspiring piece reminding me that every new day has the potential to be a great day. This song is only available in the Forum so you will need to register to listen. Another interesting light-themed piece is Let there be Light, a heavier piece available here. However, I personally find Rising of a New Day the more satisfying of the two to listen to and worth registering to get access to.

The second piece is Skyggen (The Shadow), one of 20 songs based on fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen on the album Sangen er et eventyr (The Song is a Fairytale). The Shadow is a vocal piece backed by cello, piano and bass. It is an interesting piece, capturing the fantasy tale’s essence. However, the vocals are in Danish so I was unable to fully appreciate the track. You can find this track and Fra et vindue i Vartorv (From a window in Vartorv) on the main site here.

One of my favorite tracks on Frederik Magel’s site has to be Far Away, an ominous piece of electronica. Starting slow there is a feeling that something dark is approaching. Then it breaks out into gamboling keyboards as the darkened being comes into view. It is a fine piece of work that captured my imagination especially in the fast-tempo sections with keys and percussion playing off each other. About two-thirds of the way in the music lets up before unleashing a high-tempo, more uplifting tone. I definitely recommend taking a look at this piece through the forums here – remember you need to register first before getting access to tracks released on the forums.

The final track I looked at is Lullaby. As the title suggests this is a very peaceful piano work. Its tempo is slow to begin with and slowly fades to lull you to sleep.

There are plenty of other downloads on this site and I would recommend anyone looking for more modern classical works to take a look at this site. My favorite was Far Away, but many more tracks have found their way to my iPod this weekend.

Links:
Frederik Magle’s site
Frederik Magle downloads
Magle International Music Forums

According to the Destruct System Web site they have been recording a full album with new track due out this Summer. It’s early days yet, but I look forward to hearing a complete album from this band.

The band has five samples and one full recording available in MP3 format on the site (just click on sounds).