Tag Archive: Agent Murder


Dark WatersWith the growing interest of Japanese Gothic music over the watered-down Visual Kei (which is still often mistaken as Japanese Goth), so too has the number and quality of Gothic music releases increased. Perhaps the best way to get into this exciting avenue of the Japanese underground scene is through omnibuses of leading artists in the scene.

Dark Waters, released in late 2006, does an admiral job of introducing the world to JGoth by featuring a compilation featuring 12 artists in Japan. The tracks run the gamut from harsh electro-industrial and EBM to death rock and hardcore industrial. This is the first time for all the songs to be on CD, with a number of purely new tracks and those that were only available in CD-R format at events.

The label, Deathwatch Asia, is based in Osaka and through connections in Tokyo and Nagoya has resulted in a nation-wide mix of artists. This ensures a healthy cross-section of Goth-industrial music from throughout Japan. This album is perfect for anybody seeking a broad view of the true Gothic scene in Japan.

The album starts with a hard industrial beats from 2 Bullet’s Drain People’s Blood (Cold War Remix). This is followed hard electronic industrial Satanic Panzer Unit (SOTF Remix). The third song is a very danceable remix of Agent Murder’s Ballet of the Unhatched Fools. Psycho Dream’s self-titled track mixes traditional sounds and beats with heavy guitar riffs all backed by the soft vocals of the lead singer. This is followed by the soft rock ballad of Satanyanko’s Little Abandoned Cat in the Dark (sadly this quickly maturing group broke up shortly after this recording), probably the best track on the album.

The next song on the menu was Jet Pepper Tower’s Nocturnal Cabaret, and this straight rock piece jagged against the other tracks on the CD. It would be great on a J-Rock compilation. The CD got back into order with the next track from Baal, a downright scary piece of cybernetic electronicka and industrial noise with a powerful femme voice leading the action. The next track was an ultra-heavy industrial grindcore of Despair’s Junk War (Riot Command Mix). This leads into an inspiring self-titled, heavy rock-industrial piece from Destruct System.

This was followed by the fine electro-Euro-friendly-beat Death Wish from Sins of the Flesh. The next track was a fun tongue-in-cheek electro-slash called Bad Movie Disco King from Aural Vampire. The CD finished with the electro-rock Future by Future from Speecies.

Being in Japan I have had access to a number of the songs on CD-R or seen the live versions, but the CD was still very fresh to listen to. There were a couple of tracks that I did not like, one that really should not have been on a Goth CD, but in general it was a great selection of tracks. On the technical side all the recordings were professional, crisp and clear.

The price is also amazing – just 1,500 yen in Japan, or 10 Euros for over 60 minutes of a very fresh music scene – making this a great item to get for someone into J-music styles or international Goth or if you are just looking for a new sound to love!

Dark WatersDark Waters Track List
1. 2Bullet :: Drain People’s Blood (Cold War Remix) – 5.23
2. Demonoid 13 :: Satanic Panzer Unit (Sins Of The Flesh Remix) – 6.38
3. Agent Murder :: Ballet Of The Unhatched Fools (Re-Hatched) – 4.03
4. Psycho Dream :: Psycho Dream – 3.31
5. Satanyanko :: Little Abandoned Cat In The Dark – 3.48
6. Jet Pepper Tower :: Nocturnal Cabaret – 7.31
7. Baal :: On The Surface 2006 (Start The New Brutal) – 6.08
8. Despair :: Junk War (Riot Command Remix) – 3.07
9. Destruct System :: Destruct System – 3.44
10. Sins of the Flesh Death Wish (Mayan Sacrifice Mix) – 6.15
11. Aural Vampire :: Bad Movie Disco King – 5:18
12. Speecies :: Future By Future – 4.42
Total time: 60:17

Available From:

2BulletLocation: Tokyo, Japan – Genre: Industrial, Electro, Techno

Combining a unique mix of thumping electronicka with thrashing guitar-led industrial rock makes 2Bullet’s a very addictive and enjoyable record even three years after its initial release. 2Bullet began in 2003 in Tokyo. The term 2Bullet refers to power balance or pointing a gun at each other, a metaphor of MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction). The album, Democratic Violence was released in August 2004. They have uploaded a new EP that is free to download here, but for today I am focusing on their 2004 album Democratic Violence.

The lyrics of most of the songs carry a strong political message against totalitarianism and empire that makes it as relevant today as when it was initially released. Considering the U.S. government’s strategy to subjugate Afghanistan and Iraq (and possibly Iran) through military action, the current monitoring of civil society, rendition programs and the like, this thumping industrial album should connect well with anyone who is against senseless war.

The first track, Democracy starts with an ominous back beat that explodes into a wave of industrial rock. Underneath the powerful electronicka the vocals may have been focused on the rise and fall of South American Junta’s in the 1970’s & 80’s, but has gained even deeper meaning with the controversial U.S.’s engagement of the Middle East:

Is this democracy?
Is this hypocrisy?
Is this your justice?
Is this your business?

Likewise it refers to violent endings of some of the junta’s in the past, but connected with the downfall and ultimate hanging of Saddam in Iraq.

Your time has come
You lost your power
You’re dying lie
Hanging by your tie
Your life has failed
Your rule is dead
Yours is not democracy

This is not to say that the song supports this kind of action – the band is against all forms of totalitarianism and authoritarian control.

The other tracks are carried through with speeding electronicka and heavy guitars from DeeLee (who also does the ax-work for Agent Murder). The only exceptions would be Liquid Seed which is more like an acid trip and the tragic Lost, which focuses on the internal permanent damage of a soldier and the guitar-heavy Tell Me Something, which expresses the pain of killing in war. One of my favorite tracks is Shockwave with its powerful guitars backed by keyboards and percussion with the anthem-esque chorus:

Follow the army, this is reality
Heads up! Wake up! Just become a shockwave!
Follow the government, this is the violence
Heads up! Wake up! Just become a shockwave!

My call on this CD is that it is a MUST HAVE for those interested in Japanese underground music. Whereas many Japanese groups (famous or not) tend to have limited appeal (relying on the “Japanese” tag for selling themselves, 2Bullet’s Democratic Violence stands on its own as part of the international Goth-industrial scene with a sound that is really tuned for an international audience. For 1,500 yen for nearly 50 minutes of quality sound you cannot go wrong!2Bullet Democratic Violence

Democratic Violence :: track list

1. Democracy (5:41) ** +
2. Pray For Me (5:28)
3. Drain People’s Blood (5:38) * +
4. Survivor (5:06) +
5. Liquid Seed (3:44)
6. Tell Me Something (4:23) **
7. Shockwave (3:31)
8. Lost (5:31)
9. Tell Me Something -remix- (4:45)
10. Survivor -remix- (5:24)
Total time (49:01)
* Available on MySpace
** Downoadable remix available on MySpace
+ One-minute samples on 2Bullet’s site

Available on:

Wreckords
iTunes

Finally a few videos for you to check out!

2 Bullet slideshow (Music: Worthless Future)

[youtube 3SSpyO-iwC8]

Humankind (Live)

[youtube 62HQU3zyxrU]

MORE VIDEOS

 

Gizenrou small

Location: Tokyo, Japan – Genre: Metal, Hardcore, Industrial

Gizenrou/Earth of Hypocrisy is a hot dark metal album I picked up from Agent Murder back in March 2006 and at the time decided to write a review of it on the old site. However, it still has the crisp hardness it did when I first reviewed it, so I decided to redo the review for the new JGoth.com site.

Earth of Hypocrisy plays hard and fast with instrumentals loud and crisp and lead singer Awi’s eerie vocals come out nice and strong. This release takes you to the core of Agent Murder and is one of the most satisfying recordings I’ve picked up in the Goth/underground scene.

Right from the start your mind is assaulted by the thrash anthem Imaginary Number “N”. If you like your metal fast and dark, or your Goth hard and fierce, or just something that freaking rocks your ears off then give this album a try. The album consists of seven tracks along with four remixes to give you a good balance of the Agent Murder’s true metal sound and remixed electronic versions.

I liked their first album, a lot, but the new release is a quantum leap – the sounds are more mature, more balanced and focus on the essence of the band. It is just a fantastic piece of dark metallic work.

Production quality is high with everything coming through crisply and having Awi’s voice right at the forefront of the songs gives them a lot more power. The drums, guitar and bass are played with fury and to perfection. The members know where to let rip and when to lay off the rage holding all the songs together well. The move towards more Japanese vocals than seems to have freed Awi up to focus on impaling the lyrics the way they were intended adding more powers to the tracks.

There has been no skimping on the recording, the disc production printed matter and case are all professionally mad. It looks and feels like a bought CD should be. For 2,000 yen Gizenrou is very good value with both production and creative quality kept very high and a sound that has popular appeal.

Igor’s final call: Agent Murder have been the dark princes of the Goth scene for a long time, but this time they have thrown down the gauntlet and emerged as one of the true lords of the realm. Whether you buy the album or not, keep an eye on this band, because with the new sound and focus Agent Murder is looking hot.

But don’t take my word for it. I wouldn’t trust a gaijin as far as I could throw one! Have a listen to a couple of tracks yourself on the Agent Murder Myspace site (Agent of Murder and Lucy’s Blue Birdcage are from the new album).

[Editorial note: due to illness of one of the band members Agent Murder has been out of circulation for a while, but are due to be back and around in November. Their main site is down at the time of writing, but you can hear some of their work through their MySpace account.

Agent Murder偽善楼/Gizenrou/Earth of Hypocrisy Track List
1. nと云う虚数 :: Imaginary Number “N”
2. 姦淫 :: Adultery
3. Lucyの青い籠 :: Lucy’s Blue Birdcage *
4. 卵の殻をつけた愚者の踊り :: Ballet of the Unhatched Fools
5. 身代 ~ :: Agent of Murder *
6. 無言の石 :: At the Edge of Your Death
7. 幻想即興罪 :: My Fantasie Impromptu
= Bonus Remix Trax:
8. 偽善楼 :: Earth of Hypocrisy (Original remix)
9. 姦淫 ~ :: Adultery (2 Bullet remix)
10. nと云う虚数 :: Imaginary Number “N” (Original remix)
11. 幻想即興罪 ~ :: My Fantasie Impromptu (Original remix)

MySpace samples are marked by a * above. There are also two sample from their earlier album

Unlike most releases from Japan’s underground, Agent Murder has got local and overseas mainstream distribution through Amazon in the US and Japan.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.jp

Black metal from Agent Murder with white core from Suicide Squad plus three other heavy bands at Chop!

Where: Club Chop
Address: Floor B1, 2-46-3 Ikebukuro Toshimaku, Tokyo 171-0014 :: 〒171-0014 東京都豊島区池袋2丁目46−3 :: Map
Bands: Agent § Murder, Suicide Squad, 白病, Dazzle & Cassandra
Price: 2,000 yen adv. :: 2,200 yen @ door
When: :: Open: 17:30 :: Start: 18:00

Agent Murder :: Murder TV PicturesNo written report (it freaking rocked!), but pictures from last month’s Murder TV event which celebrated the launch of Agent Murder’s new album Gizenrou. Bands appearing along with the murder boys were: 2 Bullet, Mamono, Aural Vampire, Destruct System. There are a total of 46 pictures for you to peruse at your leisure.

See Murder TV pics :: Thumbnail list

Castle-master, Genet, took TDC to a new level with the best mix of live Goth-flavorings yet!

Despite the Osakan invasion from Midnight Necropolis, the Goths were out in force @ TDC and they were the best-dressed, most-dressed Goth’s I have seen. The crowd was larger than the last two events and the punters had decked themselves out in costumes you wouldn’t believe… except Igor, who’s really just a nerdy dreg capable of sleeping in a dumpster when required. But I digress.

Execution of tonight’s event was superb. Past TDCs have been great, but TDC 13 was just damned slick. All the sets were nailed tight and the night moved with a feline grace. This level of quality shows TDC as a true international-class underground event that SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. There should be tours for this.

Gaijin invasion
Between the regulars, the irregulars, the new arrivals, and an Australian guy with a very big camera, the foreigners were a major minority @ TDC 13 and the gaijin/local mix looked fantastic. Maybe around 20 or so exquisitely dressed and painted Gothic gaijin were igniting the landscape throughout the night.

Bands!
There are good bands out there that will never get a night at Tokyo Dark Castle, but TDC is the quality-assurance sticker for Japan’s Goth scene. Any band making it to TDC is worth seeing – not only at TDC, but wherever they play. So, if you’re looking for some J-Goth and not sure where to look then you can’t go wrong with the bands who have done a tour or two of the Castle.

Tonight’s bands were on fire. Hell, they were infernos from start to finish. No flubs, no anarchic over-runs, no worried looks, just plug it in and rip through the f*cking set. It was a Hell Yeah, kind of night folks.

Satanyanko
These Osakans were back for revenge after their first blooding in Tokyo saw them stuck in a distinctly non-Goth club event. Taking the first slot Satanyanko let rip from the start. The band has forged itself into a moody, lively punk group who work the stage with aplomb. It was great to see the axes getting it on and lead-kitty Rie-nyan putting out some great femme angst in her vocals.

Auto-Mod with Tamaki Carmilla
Tonight’s set was driven hard like a rivet to the forehead. True veterans of the business, Auto-Mod know their craft and can deliver any night of the week, but tonight they were playing like a band possessed. Great dark rock sounds from the Goth-Daddy and his crew. It’s sad to note that tonight was Tamaki Carmilla’s last performance with the band – her dark femme voice added an extra dimension to the band.

Destruct System
It’s great to finally hear these guys as I’ve heard such good things about them. They had a lot of aggression going from the start and were obviously seasoned performers – very smooth delivery of the hard stuff. I bet they must have been shocked by the foreign gothers madly seeking to buy their CD (selling CDs is usually a very tough part of the business).

Cut the Crap
Igor was too busy socializing outside to catch these guys, but when the other Gaijin came out they were totally fucking pumped. Why? The tiny bassist had blew them to bits. Man, why do I always miss out on the legendary bits? Now, I have just got to get my ass to one of their gigs. More CD hunting could be seen after their set.

Jubilee
Oh, these guys know how to work the crowd during a set. The veteran Glam-gothers from Osaka got going at a nice pace, then cranked it up to another level mid-way through the set. Good sound throughout and the mid-set ignition was great.

Selia
Ah, it was time to enjoy the more ambient/classical sounds of Selia. Truly a siren of the night, Selia had all sitting to appreciate a voice that could make you cry…

Unfortunately, my night drew to an early close thanks to a phone call. After a quick exit to take the call, Igor found himself talking to some drunk who had the wrong number. The drunk was looking for his friend, but ended up befriending Igor and scoring himself an impromptu English lesson in the process…. Alas, the wind was taken from my sails, my wings were clipped. It was such a shame as I was looking to catch…

Euthanasie!
I missed them (DAMN!), but let me just do a short spiel, because they are one hot electro-industrial band with a mad dose of sex appeal. They do a mighty set working a slick delivery style into their sounds and building the energy the whole way through. Definitely worth catching wherever they play. Sorry Andro!

Ah, a lovely night. ‘Twas a pity it was cut short by that most peculiar phone call…

Tokyo Dark Castle #14 :: October 29
This takes place on Halloween and you know what that means?! A Goth parade through the streets of Shibuya before the night kicks off! The event promises to be just as good, or even better than TDC 13 and will be the second last TDC of the year. Check Tokyo Dark Castle.

The operative word for Agent Murder’s Adultery, was FUN! It showed a lighter side to Awi, whom I had previously seen at pure Goth events, like Tokyo Dark Castle (see TDC12 Report) and another much darker show earlier this year. It was a night for appreciators of good, live performances to get together and enjoy.

Urga Space
Firstly, let me just say that the Club Urga has a nice, well-laid out space. The club is relatively easy to find and one simply descends the stairs to the club. The bar and obligatory sales tables are nicely tucked into the entrance alcove allowing a comfortable capacity in the main area of 80-90 people. The amps’ sound quality seems to be much better than some places I’ve been to. Yep, definitely a nice space.

People
The space was filled to a pleasant 75-85 people. Most were female and they certainly were into the live experience. They were here to see their bands of choice and also listen to the other acts during the night. The bands seemed to enjoy an even pull of fans so you could always see 20-30 people right in front of the stage getting into the music of the moment.

Mamono
I must admit that I didn’t catch much of Mamono’s set, but they seemed to be getting it on with the crowd. The first thing I noticed was this freaking inflatable shark being thrust into the audience. It was two meters long and the band was having a loverly shark play with the audience as it bounced back and forth during the closing stages of their set. From the two minutes that I heard them, I could sense a nice J-Rock sound and was impressed to see they had a full band, including a real drummer! I had some positive vibes about these guys and am sorry I did not haul ass to the event sooner – sorry guys!

2 Bullet
Oh YES! This band is HOT! 2 Bullet churned out military-industrial sounds that just kicked! Agent Murder’s ax-man, Dee Lee, also does the ax-work for this outfit, and what fine work he does too! A funky mix of keyboards and hard guitar, along with impressive vocals with some cutting lyrics to boot. I think they won a lot of fans that night, including Igor. Was Igor excited? Yes, very damned excited! I picked up their CD soon after their set, which is great value – featuring 50 minutes for just 1,500 yen. I fully recommend catching them on September 19, when they’ll be playing with Aural Vampire @ Live Inn Rosa (I’ll post that later).

最鋭輁E(Motoki?)
Well, I didn’t go up to the front for this, but Motoki (or Maki?) had his fans eating out of his hands. It seems he has quite a reputation for his shows. It was a playful set as one man (in a three-piece white suit) and his guitar entertained and interacted with the audience. It was quite amazing hearing the calls of “Maki! Maki!” throughout the second half of the set! Not Goth, dark or industrial, but entertaining and a polished performance.

Agent Murder
Ah, Awi and the boys were having fun tonight. I’ve always enjoyed Agent Murder’s sets and this was no exception. The amps @ Urga brought out the vocals (grocks and screams) really well tonight very crisp sounds indeed. The performance was tempered a bit to appeal to the varied audience base, but that didn’t reduce the entertainment value for dark followers like Igor. A very solid performance plus some really neat spot-work ensured everyone had a good time and enjoyed their introduction to Awi’s style of Goth.

Taiheiyou Belt
A nice pop-visual performance. While the recorded music played in the background, the performers got into their vocals up front. They had jaunty sailor costumes and were unabashedly enjoying their time on stage. Igor was slooking around the back during this set, but it was plain to see that this trio could warm the audience’s cockles for a nice night out.

Special Session
Oh, it was special, very special, but in a way that you wouldn’t expect. I could tell you (hell, I got pictures!), but the dark-walkers will chase after me with rivet guns if I ever revealed the truth…

Final Comment
It wasn’t the kind of event I was expecting, but it was a very enjoyable night and had a lot going for it. Essentially, it was about bringing together a range of good acts and their fans together so we could all get a taste of some different sounds. Like Genet’s Jail League series, it was taking the live Goth scene to a broader audience. Genet’s metal nights bring in more guys. Awi’s mix brings in more girls. In both cases the quality of the acts were good so anyone, regardless of the band(s) they came to see, would enjoy the entire night and might find a new sound they want to follow deeper. From the dark-walker perspective, this is the kind of show that helps introduce people to bands in the Goth scene and hopefully pull them into the dark scene proper.

Remember kids, MORE GOTHS = MORE GOTH EVENTS = MORE FUN!!

Igor enjoyed the night and the acts. While not all the acts were my cup of tea, I’ll definitely continue to follow Agent Murder and have become an instant follower of 2 Bullet. I also want to see Mamono again to catch their full set and find out what the deal is with that freaking blow-up shark!

Alice in Wonderland meets Alice in Chains. Simply a magical night filled with leather angels, lacy devils, good music and alcohol – yes, always the alcohol. Igor buzzed in at one o’clock and kept buzzing until the end. Not a dull moment, and no angst that you might associate with a Shibuya night. Quite simply a devilish night of fun.

Deseo is easy to find and the maps (notorious for leading you astray) actually led straight to the club. Of course it was easy to spot with members of the crowd enjoying some light conversation outside the club between shows. They got a dressing room out the side, so now you guys know why people slinked off around the corner.

The costumes…. Oh the costumes! Imagine your copy of Gothic & Lolita Bible had burst open and all the models had spilled out onto the club floor. That would be nothing compared to TDC. The costumes of the girls and some of the guys were exquisite. Shiny, frilly, lacy, laced up, tied down, etcetera, etcetera. It was all there. The place was like nothing I’ve seen in Tokyo before, and this was the Golden Week edition of TDC! Imagine what Halloween must be like!

The entrance area was a nice coffee shop size. After thrusting my yen and proving I was over 18 years old (first time to show ID in 11 years) I received my re-entry stamps and a ream of paper. Ye gods, more fliers than you’ve seen in your whole miserable life. Great I thought and started ferreting the fliers into various pockets on my person noting with satisfaction the complimentary CD from Sins of the Flesh. Woot! Two drink tokens too. Double Woot! Another promo CD was received shortly after. Triple Woot!

I managed to snark the last part of the Euthanasie set, but I was just getting into things so I can only say I liked the sounds a lot.

Slinking closer to the speakers, I had a rather nice surprise. The amps must have been set at 9 instead of the Spinal Tap 11 that a lot of the smaller events tend to favor (especially if there’s some death metal to be played). It was quite refreshing to be able to enjoy the music without jamming plugs into my ears. Ahhh, bliss.

Euthanasie finished and it was time to get the second free drink. I enjoyed a conversation with a maid-cossied fellow while I was waiting for service. I must say he looked quite elegant in the straight maid costume. I wound up spending a little too much time outside (there was only one guy at the bar) and had to rush in for Genet’s Auto-Mod with Tamaki Carmilla. Genet’s the organizer of TDC and truly is the Goth-father of Japan’s underground music scene. He’s been in the business since 1979 (and I know his real age!) and is a polished performer, playing with the crowd and indulging in some witty repartee with Tamaki (the Japan underground’s answer to Elvira). Very polished the whole way through with Goth-rock, followed up by his new metal/neo-punk style.

Somewhere during this set as I slooked my way to the front, I managed to spill half the rum and coke all over myself. Didn’t matter, I was having fun and got a lovely shot of Genet’s boot.

More drinks then back inside for Agent Murder. I first saw the lead, Awi, at a Kichigai event at Bar Jap. The Kichigai event was mad! Essentially it finished up a blood/cutting performance. Anyway, TDC saw Awi getting pretty wild on stage and showing no signs of stopping. I enjoyed seeing the drummer getting up for a bit of a scream in the second half, but it would have been even cooler if another member took over the drums while he was screaming. That would have got a big woot from the crowd and saved us from programmed drumbeats.

He also gave a first-hand introduction into the sempai-kouhai (master-pupil) relationship by getting a little bit too crazy and receiving a boot up the patoot from the TDC sempai for his troubles. I was having a great time so not sure what the exact problem was (going waaay overtime, a bit of verbal castigation, too wild on stage, I don’t know). He even wrote an apology on the TDC Web site earlier this week. It just goes to show you that even in the hedonistic lifestyle of underground music, the traditional structures will hold strong. Before the end of the set, Awi kind of glud over the rails and I managed to support him from going splat (now I didn’t expect that).

More drinks then back for Gadget. These guys were the highlight for Igor’s night (yeah, I play favorites). Very cool performance and seeing the girl smacking the hell out of the drum kit was just hot. Loved the sound the whole way through. I completely missed the crowd leap by the lead singer, but I think there needs to be more people up front for a successful surf. Very lively band that I’d be happy to see again.

After Gadget, I was pretty vogued out, just swanning around. I got to take a photo of Genet and got to talk with U-Tarou and (maybe) Mikito of Chronotrigger, Jude from Sins of the Flesh and others. I picked up a bit of Phantasmagoria at the end of their set, but missed Falling You as I got into a quite an interesting discussion with Despair’s lead singer, Rieu (hey Rieu!). It was really amazing to get the chance to meet all of these guys and others during the night.

Alas I missed Selia’s operatic performance in the middle of the night and neglected the DJ sets due to my need to consume alcohol between sets (another bartender would have solved that problem). So props to those unsung heroes at the back, DJs Taizo, Chihiro and Violet and VJ Kihito.

A fantastic night, a fairy tale night, that sadly finished at 6:30. I walked out with seven CDs and fine memories of what went on stage and the people I got to meet there.