Tag Archive: Japan Goth


Hard-hitting industrial cyber rockers BAAL were on fire at the Bayside+Genocide 2010 event on October 10. They were joined by over 20 high quality bands from indy scenes across Tokyo. BAAL have been around for a number of years and have several international tours to Europe and Australia under their belt. The band is working on a new CD, which should deliver another dose of powerful music to its fans. Once again, excuse the film and audio quality – that’s just my little camera melting under the aural onslaught. Great band.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV3NVOoo87o[/youtube]

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/

Tonight I decided not to go to a really hot-looking event in Ikebukuro Chop which included, among others, Jet Pepper Tower and Speed-ID. It is kind of depressing being here in my tower missing out on these things. Hopefully there will be another wild night at Chop or Urga that I can go to.

Actually tomorrow night there will be a good event at Urga with bands like Nicht and (drool) Destruct System. Hmm, maybe I will have the energy to go there.

Here is an interesting event featuring The Royal Dead in the band line up. I cannot speak of the other bands, but it is worth a look.

When: June 13 (Sat)
Where: Urga Shinjuku
Address: Address: B1, 2-42-16, Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 東京都新宿区歌舞伎町2-42-16 B1F
Tel: 03-5287-3390
Live: Gregor Samsa, Nazoo, Queen of Wand, The Royal Dead, Vanished Empire, Himemanik, Vukanian Medium, CyberDeath.
DJ’s: NAR, JOTA, CHIHIRO, MANIK, dB
Open: 17:00 Start: 17:30
Price: Adv 2000 yen :: @ Door 2400 yen View full article »

The third Machinery Magic night will include cybernetic dolls, Psydoll, the militant industrial rock of 2Bullet. They will be joined Shredni, Yuko and other band for a mechanized Thursday night. Definitely an event worth dropping in on.

機械魔術 :: Machinery Magic Vol.3
When: March 20 (Thursday)
Where: Urga Shinjuku
Address: Address: B1, 2-42-16, Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 東京都新宿区歌舞伎町2-42-16 B1F :: Google Map
Tel: 03-5287-3390
Live: Psydoll, 2Bullet, Yuko, Shredni and more
Open: ???? :: Start: ????
Price: 1,500 yen adv. :: 1,800 yen @ door.

[Goth/Industrial Live] Featuring cyber-goths Psydoll, tactical industrialists 2Bullet and wickedly cool Sawdust in Me this promises to be one helluva night. They will be joined by Gregor Samsa and Re:Del. The event starts early so you should expect an extended night of La Machinerie (yeah, I’m a Psycho Bitch fan!).

Incidentally, if you have not done so already, 2Bullet has released its new EP, Anarchism, for free download online, just Go here to hear their latest material – it rocks.

Machinery Heaven Vol.2
When: February 9 (Saturday)
Where: Urga Shinjuku
Address: Address: B1, 2-42-16, Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo :: 東京都新宿区歌舞伎町2-42-16 B1F :: Google Map
Tel: 03-5287-3390
Live: Psydoll, 2Bullet, Sawdust in Me, Gregor Samsa and Re:Del
Open: 16:00 :: Start: 17:00
Price: 2,000 yen adv. :: 2,500 yen @ door

Sawdust in MeMortification Made Me is the debut EP from Osakan femme-driven Sawdust in Me (MySpace). Formed in 2005 Sawdust in Me is a female duo consisting of Haji (vocals and programming) and Hinowa (vocals and performance). The music is club-play ready with its combination of EBM and distorted breakbeats. However, what makes the CD special however, are the two vocalists whose diverging voices create the six vocal variants with two screaming, singing, spoken voices playing throughout the CD. An extra plus is that the work has been the re-recording and mixing by Jude from DeathWatch Asia. The combination of varied vocals and professional recording makes this CD something any club goer of J-Music lover would enjoy. Don’t be fooled by the cakes and pretty animals, that’s just a cover for the evil inside!

The first three songs, Define, Envy, My Way Out start out as straight dance floor tracks before the vocals kick in. Once the screaming begins the songs take on a more serious mien. As the two vocalists play off each other’s voice ranges, the songs become quite a deep listening experience without losing their pop-appeal. Thirteenth starts the heavy EBM beat and kicks in some radio-voiced vocals.

Substitute knocks you like a tsunami with evil bitch screams crashing down over the sound. Clever mixing of the music and vocals makes this a quite unique industrial track – almost, but not quite – as heavy as Despair. This is probably my favorite track of this EP.

The final track, Heaven, is the instrumental sign-off track featuring slow, heavy Gothic keyboards with glitch beats thrown in for added effect.

Overall, I find this CD to be a really accessible dance CD with the twin vocalists giving it a real kick as a unique piece of work, although I would have liked a couple more extended tracks going over four minutes. It is definitely worth checking out.

Sawdust in MeMortification Made Me :: Track List
01. Define (3.00) – Sample
02. Envy (3.36) – Sample
03. My Way Out (3.03)
04. Thirteenth (3.28) – Sample
05. Substitute (2.47)
06. Heaven (2.49)
Total Time: 18 minutes
Price: ¥1000 / Euro 7.00

You can find distribution on the DeathWatch Asia distribution list or simply buy direct from Music Non Stop internationally.

Baal Japan Location: Tokyo, Japan – Genre: Industrial, Metal, Electro

Baal has an infectious, indeed virulent industrial sound. This review covers the first EP (CD-R alas) from the band, Territory of B.A.A.L. that has been built up by reworking earlier singles and new material. Their blend of industrial programming and guitar from Mikito, percussion from Chihiro and voice from U-Tarou has resulted in a kind of cybernetic industrial rock that plays hard, fast and is very, very addictive to see on stage. This CD manages to capture the live sound very closely, giving you a glimpse into the heady world of Japanese underground rock.

The CD contains six songs, all running at a frenetic pace. The first song, Bloody Logic Communication (re-mastered), speedballs along with the heavily warped digital sounds and powerful percussion giving a sense of urgency. U-tarou’s powerful voice plays over the instruments.

Wreckage (re-mastered) plays like an industrial anthem for the underclass with U-tarou exploding through the chorus and carries it through the verses.

Vermin (new track) is hard and powerful from the start with vocals exploding seconds into the track and driving through the violent beat of the track.

Myrrha (new track) is more a smashed-up rhythm created by real industrial sounds with samples steam hammers and chains. It is a slower track by this album’s standards.

On the Surface (2006 neo brutal version) starts slow, but builds up to very heavy (and yes it is brutal) sound, with a fast tempo and stacks of power.

The final track, Collapse of Rusty Kingdom (New) would be a moonlit ballad by Baal’s standards, with a slower tempo with steam hammers and the like forming the sound. It is a slow(er) instrumental track which makes a perfect finish to this adrenalin-pumping EP.

The only downside to this is the price – 2,000 yen – 12 Euros – $16 – which seems a bit expensive for an EP. Of course, for a fan, or appreciator of good hard industrial sounds, the price would not be an issue.

Overall, while I have enjoyed Baal’s previous work, I see this as a much more mature piece of work. The re-mastered tracks and the new additions have helped deliver a balanced EP from a band that has risen quickly in the ranks of the Japanese Goth scene.

Baal JapanTerritory of “B.A.A.L.” :: Track List
1. Blood_Logic_Communication (re-mastered) – 4:40
2. Wreckage (re-mastered) – 5:40
3. Vermin (new) – 4:06 – Sample
4. Myrrha (new) – 2:15
5. On the Surface (2006 neo brutal version) – 6:24 – Sample
6. Collapse of Rusty Kingdom (New) – 3:22
Total: 27:21

Note, there are more samples throughout their regular site and via their MySpace site.

You can buy the CD through PayPal. To get there, just click the link marked “Sound” on the left-hand side of the page and you should see the EP in the resulting page.

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

TOKYO DARK CASTLE EXTRA — While at Tokyo’s largest Gothic event (Report here), I managed to take a little video of Baal performing Wreckage on stage! This is still my favorite song from the band and just pumps the crowd as you will see. Unlike previous JGoth home videos this one is quiet enough that you won’t have to rip your headphones off screaming “Igor! You C-Nut!” Yes, I discovered the volume control! Do you fancy a couple of minutes of the live Baal experience from the pit at TDC?

A special thanks to the band for giving me the okay to show this little viddy!

Want more? Check out Baal’s official site or Baal on MySpace for the real Baal experience!

There are a few other videos on my YouTube space, but beware… I didn’t know about the volume control for those.