Tag: music | RocketNews24

music

Yes, Zima’s robot band will play metal and electronica, as long as you compose it for them

yesterday by Casey Baseel
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Zima never really took off in the U.S.. Molson Coors’ clear malt beverage never even made it out of puberty in its home market, lasting just 15 years before the last Zima made for American consumption shipped in 2008.

In Japan though, it’s been a solid hit, particularly at clubs. The company recently asked the lofty question of whether the way human beings party is advancing at the same rate of other aspects of our modern lifestyle, and has decided to give it an evolutionary kick in the backside by creating a robot party band.

Jun 13, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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Last week Beijing Capital International Airport experienced a number of flight cancellations in addition to delays lasting more than three hours due to inclement weather. In the past this has caused rage and destructive acts of violence from grounded passengers. This time, however, a small miracle occurred. Within the cabin of one of many flights stuck in runway limbo, members of one of America’s acclaimed orchestras put on an impromptu performance to sooth their stir-crazy cabin mates. By the end of the five-minute piece everyone on board was all smiles, clapping and cheering for the string quartet. Keep reading for a special YouTube clip of this musical magic.

Jun 9, 2013 by John Stuart Translations
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Remember making all those mixed-tapes after the Walkman burst onto the scene at the beginning of the 80s (for those of you who grew up with all things digital, ask your dad)? Do you have any of them left? Perhaps there are a few stuffed away at the bottom of the sock drawer? If you still have all or part of that collection, Sanwa Direct can help. Their new 400-MEDI002 cassette to MP3 converter makes changing those old analog compilations to digital format cheap and easy.

Jun 7, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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Karaoke in Japan is quite different from what you find across most of the Western world. Rather than letting wannabe rock stars take to the stage in a crowded bar, most karaoke parlors in Japan offer private rooms for all of their customers, whether singing in a group or taking time alone to do some hitokara. Unfortunately, these closed quarters can lead to some awkward scenarios when single men and women share the mic at office after parties…

Earlier this month My Navi News conducted a short survey of the single women employed by the company. They asked 200 of these working ladies whether or not they’d ever had a man do something at karaoke which really made them want to draw away, and if so, to explain it in detail. The results were quite the eye-opener.

Jun 5, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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This year marks the 20th anniversary of Sailor Moon. Since the series’ start as a manga comic serial in Kodanhsa’s Nakayoshi anthology, its team of planetary-themed, pleated skirt-wearing protectors of humanity have appeared in five seasons of televised anime, three theatrical features, a live action TV drama, and numerous video game adaptations.

Sailor Moon also inspired a live-action stage musical, with 27 variations and over 800 performances during its 12-year run that ended in 2005. As part of the franchise’s 20th anniversary festivities, a new version of the musical is set to open this fall, and producers have just announced the starring cast.

Jun 5, 2013 by Master Blaster
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The annual Air Guitar World Championships held in Oulu, Northern Finland celebrates the beloved guitar without actually using them. Instead, participants channel all the energy, attitude, and athleticism of playing rock guitar into their invisible air guitar while performing on stage.

With the 18th championships being held in August this year, RocketNews24 has assembled our finest imaginary guitarists, Stardust Sato and Fantastic Hatori, to represent us. However, the two must first face the qualifying round. Find out if they made the cut after the break.

May 28, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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After shooting to stardom in 2012 with hit song Gangnam Style, artist PSY has become something of a household name the world over. Disinterested Japanese netizens may still be confused as to what all the fuss is about, but the artist has become so popular that he was invited to perform at a football match in Italy last week.

Unfortunately, spectators were far from impressed and mass booing erupted part way through the artist’s brief set.

May 25, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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It’s taken several years, but as anime and computer generated vocaloid songs continue to grow in popularity abroad, Japanese pop music has solidified a passionate overseas fan base. Go to YouTube and do a search for the opening or closing theme of a major recent anime hit, and you’ve got a decent chance of finding a foreign fan doing a cover, either while strumming a guitar or with the vocal-less karaoke mix from the song’s single playing in the background.

But that’s not good enough for Russian band, Pudra (meaning “powder”). This quartet of teenage girls goes all out with their anime song performances, with full arrangement and polished videos. And while many foreign cover artists rewrite lyrics in their native languages, Pudra sings all of their J-pop renditions in their original Japanese. Read More

Japanese band with American singer wants to turn music industry on its ear with free downloads and gigs

May 23, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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There are a couple of standard job categories most foreigners working into Japan fall into. You’ll find plenty of English teachers and IT professionals, along with some financial service providers and executive recruiters. A few of the best-looking even end up as models, actors, or writers for RocketNews24 (thankfully the boss forgot his contacts the day he interviewed me).

But American expat Nelson Babin-Coy is aiming for something a little different: indie rock star. Read More

Heavy Industry without the Heavy Equipment

May 12, 2013 by Preston Phro
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Here at RocketNews24, we like to bring you the latest and greatest, whether it’s (potentially) killer mechs or adorable new fonts! But sometimes it’s nice to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of raw human ingenuity. Read More

Two Boys in the Philippines Wow the World with Cover of R&B Classic

May 1, 2013 by Master Blaster
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The two boys seen above are Aldrich Lloyd Taloding and James Walter Bucong from the Philippines. Their video having been uploaded to YouTube about a week ago is already nearing one million views and comments such as “Freaking beautiful!” and “I got goosebumps.”

Apr 26, 2013 by Oona McGee
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Japan and Korea have never had an easygoing relationship. So it’s little surprise that Japanese netizens were up in arms when the above photo appeared online. Taken at Tokyo Dome during a concert by hot Korean boy band “2PM” (which has a related group called “2AM”), it shows an enormous audience packed with enthusiastic K-pop fans on their feet, hands in the air, giving it up for the handsome lads.

But looking closely, it’s obvious that some of these fans aren’t genuine. In fact, they’re crudely implemented digital reproductions. So how and why did this happen?

Apr 19, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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In what is slowly turning into spate of borrowed creativity this month, Taiwanese singer Yufeng Xiao’s track “Paper Kite” has come under criticism for its startling similarity to Japanese band B’z own “Mouichido Kisu Shitakatta” or “I wanted to kiss you one more time”.

Whether or not you’re familiar with either artist, we highly recommend turning your speakers up and taking a listen to these tracks after the jump. You won’t believe your ears.

Apr 12, 2013 by Master Blaster
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Just today I was flicking through my iPod to get to a song I wanted to hear, but my thumb quickly began to fatigue with the constant, slight motions. “There’s got to be a better way,” I thought to myself when suddenly I heard news of a “brainwave remote control” which could allow me to simply will my favorite songs into playing.

Developed by Yasue Michikura of Keio University this technology will allow you to select a song just by thinking about it. Even better, this technology could be used to get more in-touch with your own feelings.

Mar 19, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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As reported here on RocketNews24, a special, limited-time-only café in honour of legendary British rock star David Bowie opened on March 18 this year. Keen to see if the real thing was as far out as the earlier press release, our reporter headed down to Ginza, Tokyo to check it out.

Mar 16, 2013 by Michelle
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Are you tired of combing through iTunes or Pandora in search of the perfect song? Well you’re in luck! Now your headphones can read your mind and select the exact playlist to suit your mood.

Mar 7, 2013 by Master Blaster
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Now that everyone has probably sobered up from last year’s Rolling Stones and Suntory collaboration, a new rock legend is bringing a slightly classier offering to Japan.

For just a few weeks of March, in Ginza, Tokyo you can enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Thin White Duke – David Bowie.

To promote The Next Day – his first album in 10 years – Sony will be converting part of their building into the David Bowie Café with a special selection of food and décor.

Mar 6, 2013 by Master Blaster
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A chart surface on the Internet recently titled: 100 American College Music Majors Analyze Japanese Musical Talent and the Relationship with the Number of Members.

How exactly this information came together is unknown, but the name suggests that 100 American music students were surveyed about several Japanese music acts past and present. Those results were then plotted against the number of members in each band.

The results certainly do suggest that there is a correlation between the number of members in a music act and the perceived crappiness of said act. So lets examine this more deeply with some samples and a translated version of the chart above.

Feb 27, 2013 by Esther
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Korea’s chart-topping boyband BIGBANG has been cited in Korean high school music textbooks as an example of plagiarism.

The above image was taken by a second year high school student moments after she received the book. She then uploaded it to Twitter where it has since shocked many Korean Internet users.

Feb 22, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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Proving once again that Gloria Estefan was right and that the rhythm is gonna get you, Japanese DJ Kazuhiro Abo’s fantastic video shows a 10-minute session he did during visit to a kindergarten as part of a workshop appropriately titled ”Kids and Music”. Although it takes the little ones a while to get moving at first, once they’re all up on their feet they’re bouncing and spinning around as only kids can do.

The full cute, chaotic video after the jump.