FLOPPY – “Deus Ex Machina”
Review by: Sabrina

FLOPPY (Kobayashi Sharaku of Metronome, and Hiromu Toda of Shinjuku Gewalt) are back and better than ever with their latest full-length album, “Deus Ex Machina”. Fans of electronica will be delighted by the nostalgic trip down 8-bit memory lane brought to you by the masters of chip pop (also known as game pop).

Only recently has video game music become a respected genre, worthy of its own orchestral concerts and high-attendance conventions. Mostly, this is due to the fact that the technology behind video games has improved to the point that listening to a game score is no different from the quality of a movie soundtrack. However, those of us who grew up in the 8-bit world of the Atari 2600, or Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.” remember fondly the blips and bloops that accompanied our adventures through various side-scrolling worlds. Video game music has finally come full circle with FLOPPY, who take the sounds of video game music and use them to create lasting pop melodies.

Video game connoisseurs are sure to instantly recognize the laser blasts and sound effects from a variety of their favorite, classic games in every song. Anyone who’s ever looked for a legitimate outlet to relive their dork days as a button-pushing gamer need look no further! A combination of bright, happy sounds and funky, high-speed rhythms, along with playful vocals, make FLOPPY’s album a must have. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, or just for something that defines Japanese pop culture, FLOPPY are it!

Report by Sara Crane
Photos provided by DEAD END ©2009

It’s not every day one gets to see living legends in action, but on the afternoon of August 15th, 2009, thousands of hot, tired, music fans had the opportunity to do just that, as they were about to witness the re-emergence of legendary rock band DEAD END.

Though much of the crowd appeared to be too young to be first generation DEAD END fans, there was a nervous excitement in the air before the band took the stage. Fans were definitely ready and waiting. Whether they had experienced DEAD END first hand, through parents and older siblings, or whether vocalist MORRIE’s most recent project, “Creature Creature”, had grabbed their attention, these fans were expecting something big. And they got it.

From the moment the band took the stage, they had the FULL attention of the audience. Tens of thousands of eyes were glued to the stage, as guitarist You rocked out with the intro to “Danse Macabre”, and the audience erupted in to screams for more.

Minato’s sometimes pounding, sometimes hypnotic drum work paved the way for “Psychomania”, during which You once again let rip with an amazing guitar solo that left the audience breathless. Next up was “I want your love”, which was Minato’s turn to shine, as the bass in this song rang out loud and clear, even to fans in the back of the massive hall.

Observers would never have guessed that this band last played together more than a decade before. From the hard rockin’ songs, to the sultry and seductive “Serafine”, their musicianship was tight, timing perfect, and the members were absolutely ON. The audience wailed for more as MORRIE strutted out on to the central cat walk and struck a pose, working up fans on either side of the stage.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, DEAD END should count themselves as some of the most flattered men in music. Listening to their live, one could easily pick characteristics out of the music that can be found in today’s most popular bands. Even if one has never heard DEAD END before, it becomes immediately obvious that they’ve influenced bands such as L’arc~En~Ciel, Buck-Tick, Luna Sea, and more.

Perhaps it was this taste of “something familiar” that caused the youngsters in the crowd to embrace this band so whole heartedly, or perhaps it was the energy of long-time fans and the band alike, but the screams never let up throughout their set, even when the band played a new song, “Dress Burning”.

Unfortunately, their short set was over with just six songs, but it ended with an amazing performance of the fan favorite “Perfume of Violence”, which sounded better than ever. They say the best things only get better with age, and DEAD END songs are no exception!

DEAD END are: MORRIE (vocal), You (guitar), CRAZY COOL JOE (bass) and Minato (drums).

Set List:
Danse Macabre
Psychomania
I Want Your Love
Serafine
Dress Burning
Perfume Of Violence

exist†trace – “Ambivalent Symphony”
Review by: Sabrina

There’s nothing ambivalent about it; these girls ROCK. From the opening of the very first track, Exist Trace pounds their way onto the v-kei scene. Produced by veteran electronica artist, Narita Shinobu, the mastering of this album is amazingly clean and crisp, something rare for a rock album by an indies band. The overall delivery is a far better quality than even some major artists bring to the table.

“RESONANCE” is the only proof Exist Trace needs to show that all-girl bands are just as capable of producing resonant, lasting metal melodies as the guys (and in this reviewer’s opinion, much BETTER than most of the male-fronted bands out there). If “RESONANCE” wasn’t enough, they instantly switch tracks with “海の雫(Umi No Shizuku)”, a gorgeous rock ballad that showcases vocalist Jyou’s power. “海の雫(Umi No Shizuku)” sounds a lot like an homage to fellow indies Rentrer En Soi’s “鴉色の胎児 (Karasu Iro No Taiji)”, and well done at that.

“-overture-” marks Exist Trace’s brief, but excellent foray into electronica, with overtones of dark synth overlords Depeche Mode. This song was combined with haunting visuals on screen for the intro to their recent one-man live at Meguro Rockmaykan. (Don’t miss them live if you have the chance!)

“Ambivalence” brings us back to more intense, minor key rock that will have you dancing in your chair, and “forward” propels you into high-speed metal that will have you headbanging so hard your headphones will fall off.

The only slight fault with this album is the tiny bit of pitch wavering in the vocals for the opening verse of “Wrath”, though it’s soon corrected. The final track, “「終わりのない世界」 (Owari No Nai Sekai)”, leaves the listener in high spirits with its return to major key, power chord-driven pop rock, similar to some of Gackt’s more commercial rock melodies.

It’s seriously unfortunate that such talented ladies should have to play second fiddle to the boys, just because of their sex, when the truth is, they rock harder and display more talent in just one short album than many of their more popular counterparts. Combine that with the excellent sound quality of this album, and it becomes one CD you definitely don’t want to miss out on!