Tag Archive: 2Bullet


Club Theatic Goth Event TokyoI still have not had enough time to get into the site yet, but this event is too good not to mention! On Sunday March 10 from 3:30 pm, the Goths will be invading Ikebukuro Rosa Live Inn in Tokyo! Organizers are calling this Gothic 2013 SPRING FESTIVAL, and festive it is!

Featured bands include Psydoll, Vanished Empire (DJ Chihiro and 2Bullet’s Dee Lee), Suicide Squad, Dark Insanity, Zodiaque, Hernia_44, PeaceToPieces and Gothic Logic! There will also be DJs Chihiro, Wakana and tAk, along with exhibition space, fang makers, dancers and more! THIS IS NOT AN EVENT TO MISS!

Where: LIVE IN ROSA :: Map
When: Sunday MARCH 10
Start: 15:30
Price: Book/w flyer 3,000 yen (+1 drink) :: @Door 3,500 yen (+1 drink)
* If you want to book just do a quick search of the band and send them a mail – Psydoll or Vanished Empire (via 2Bullet’s Dee Lee) should be cool. Any problems? Buzz me and I’ll see what I can do!

SorAutogen (Latvia)ry, I was going to post this on the weekend, but I had to do things in order to eat.

It’s Monday, but something good is happening in Tokyo! It’s dark, got industrial bands and now, best of all (for me), is I can actually go!

Autogen hail from Latvia and have a great industrial sound. They will be joined by local rock industrial unit 2Bullet and two other local indie bands making my Monday AWESOME! 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

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

 

Cyber Monster is just that, a monster cyber-themed party taking place in the three-tiered Studio Cube 326. The DJ’s include Sisen, Takuya Angel and Chihiro. Live sets include Vespa Kumamero, 2Bullet and Cold+Sleep. There will also be special gigs from Soyuz Project and Temple of Tears from Australia. Along with the music and screaming there will also be a bevvy of GoGo-virtual girls including Psydoll’s Nekoi! There will also be exhibitions from a few underground artists and even a replica fang booth!

Overall it sounds like a fun way to spend your Sunday!

November 25, 2007 :: Tokyo Cyber Monster 04
Where: Studio Cube 326 Minato-ku (near Tamachi station.)
Address: 3-2-6 Kaigan Minato-ku, Tokyo :: 〒108-0002 東京都港区海岸3-2-6 :: Map
Tel:0 3-5439-9199
Bands: Vespa Kumamero, 2Bullet, Cold+Sleep, Soyuz Project and Temple of Tears from Australia.
DJ’s: Chihiro, Takuya Angel Sisen
Exhibitions and fang booths!
Open: 16:30 :: Close 22:30
Price: 3,000 yen adv. :: 3,500 yen @ door

Cyber Monster

2Bullet[FREE DOWNLOADS!] Totally cool! Tactical industrial with a strong sense of irony – wearing military regalia, with an anti-totalitarianism stance. Their fast, hard-hitting industrial sound packs quite a punch and keeps hitting throughout the trax. But THE BIG NEWS is that the SONGS ARE FREE and you can DOWNLOAD and you can SHARE them. The guys reserve some rights of course (like no re-sale), but the general idea is to get this sound out to as many people as possible. So tell your online and real-life friends about 2Bullet and their downloads!! Get your DJ friends to take a gander. Tell the world! Four full songs are up along with another coming later in the year.

Click here and start downloading!

http://2bullet.net/xoops/modules/contents0/index.php?id=8
The band will also be doing a new live gig on the 25th of November.


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!