Since the start of their career, electro-pop duo CAPSULE has utilized virtual studios in the production of their music. Now, a new world has been created using VRChat, one of the world’s largest social VR platforms, to bring the world of CAPSULE’s latest album, METRO PULSE, to life. Along this exciting announcement also came the news that the duo would hold a virtual concert titled CAPSULE Live in VRCHAT “METRO PULSE” on August 5.

 

In a virtual world that transcends the limitations of reality, the members of CAPSULE have been transformed into avatars to share their latest Synthwave and city pop album METRO PULSE. Fans are invited to use this opportunity to experience the world of CAPSULE in an entirely new way. The duo continues to lead the Japanese electro scene.

 

The overall production of this live performance will be handled by ANNIN, a joint production of Activ8, the company behind the legendary VTuber Kizuna AI, and ASOBISYSTEM. Additionally, the concert will be produced by ReeznD, who has experience in live-action music videos and XR live performances. Kinu, who previously performed at the SANRIO Virtual Festival, will supervise the production.

 

■Stroll around the CAPSULE HOUSE, seen in CAPSULE’s music video, in VR

The venue for the virtual concert is CAPSULE HOUSE, a special world in VRChat. The CAPSULE HOUSE, seen in the pair’s music video, has been recreated, and as you go deeper into the house, the door to the live performance venue will appear. The CAPSULE HOUSE is open to the public now, and can be visited by logging in to VRChat. Be sure to pay close attention to the countless gimmicks scattered around the house!

<Comment from CAPSULE>

“We’re looking forward to sharing our latest work, METRO PULSE, in a new way. We’ll see you all at the CAPSULE HOUSE in VRChat.”

 

■Official Concert T-Shirts to be available

To commemorate the virtual live event, CAPSULE’s first e-commerce site has also been opened. The first item to be made available will be an official T-shirt.

 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the electro-pop duo CAPSULE, 18 celebrities with close ties to the duo have commented on this auspicious occasion. These celebs are active across a wide range of industries, including music, film, fashion, and manga. Music Natalie’s 25th anniversary special feature, which has just been released, includes plenty of favorite songs and events from CAPSULE’s past releases along with comments from various contributors.

 

As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, an analog version of the duo’s synth wave and city pop-centric 16th album Metro Pulsereleased last December will be released on May 24, 2023. This is the first time since the release of the single JUMPER in November 2008 that CAPSULE’s works have been released on analog vinyl. Fans shouldn’t miss this exclusive product!

 

▶︎25th Anniversary Comment Contributors

AMIAYA / Ayase / Souichiro Uchida / Eiichiro Oda / Kyary Pamyu Pamyu / Kenmochi Hidefumi / Kentaro Shinozaki (Rittor Music) / Shonan no Kaze / Toshio Suzuki / Kazuaki Seki / Goro Taniguchi / Teddyloid / Toshihiro Nagoshi / Perfume (A-chan, Kashiyuka, Nocchi) / MIKIKO / MEG

Electro-pop duo CAPSULE is celebrating their 25th anniversary. To that end, the legendary creators have announced that their 16th album Metro Pulse will be released on December 14, 2022.

Metro Pulse is largely a synth wave and city pop album with a completely original and timeless sound. Promising to take listeners on a trippy tour through a unique soundscape, hype around the album is already starting to spread.

The album will contain ten tracks including newly-updated album mixes of three popular singles: Hikaru no Disco (the theme song for the film Knights of Sidonia), Future Wave, and Virtual Freedom. Overall, fans can expect an uplifting collection of songs.

Curiously, the eighth track on the album, Starry Night, is a reimagining of an earlier song that Nakata and Toshiko recorded as teenagers before they formed CAPSULE. This is included to celebrate the duo’s 25th anniversary. A limited-edition release of Metro Pulse will feature a version of this song that is more similar to the original, along with a bonus disc featuring instrumental versions from an unreleased cassette tape as a campaign bonus.

The newly-released CAPSULE artist photo featured the duo in 3D and was created by filmmaker, music video director, and CG designer Kentaro Saisho. Previously, he worked on the music videos for Future Wave and Virtual Freedom.

The music duo CAPSULE is celebrating 20 years since their major debut, and their third new single for 2021 Virtual Freedom is now streaming. The highly-anticipated music video has also been released. 

 

Virtual Freedom Streaming Links

https://capsule.lnk.to/virtualfreedom

 

Virtual Freedom takes listeners on a trip through the history of synthesizers and submerges you in layers of interwoven soundscapes.

 

Virtual Freedom Music Video

https://youtu.be/ouD9PVPI1Xk

Director: KENTARO SAISHO 
3DCG supervisor: HIROMU KONNO
Production: Totte.Co., Ltd

 

A song-sharing campaign is also underway! Follow Warner Music Japan’s Twitter account and use the Twitter share function on Apple Music, Spotify, or LINE MUSIC to share Virtual Freedom with the hashtag #VirtualFreedomCP. 50 random people selected will receive the original cassette tape photographed for the cover of the Virtual Freedom album! 

Japanese electronic band CAPSULE is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its major debut! The group’s two members, Yasutaka Nakata and Toshiko Koshijima, have announced the release of their third new single for 2021, Virtual Freedom. The track will release on streaming platforms on December 10 and follows Hikari no Disco and Future Wave. Cover art for the song featuring an old-school cassette tape has been revealed ahead of the song’s release. 

 

Composer and producer for the band Yasutaka Nakata also serve as the music producer for popular group Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. 

 

Virtual Freedom can now be pre-added or pre-saved on Apple Music and Spotify. Be sure not to miss out on this new song when it drops later this week!

Celebrating 10 years since her major debut, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will release her fifth full-length album Candy Racer on October 27, 2021. This will mark the singer’s first full-length album release in three years, her last being Japamyu in 2018.

 

 

Limited Edition

Regular Edition

The fifth album, titled Candy Racer, will be produced by CAPSULE’s Yasutaka Nakata. It will feature 11 tracks, including the recently released single GENTENKAIHI, of which the wacky music video has amassed over 1 million views on YouTube. Previously released tracks Kimi ga LINE Kuretara and Gum Gum Girl will also be included, along with world fabrication, a cover of a pre-electronic CAPSULE track originally released in 2005.

 

Creation of the album brought together a number of creative minds who have worked with Kyary Pamyu Paymu over the years, including Steve Nakamura serving as art director, Ken Hanzawa acting as photographer, Kumiko Iijima returning as the singer’s stylist, and Shinji Konishi as Kyary’s hair and makeup artist. All of these individuals were with Kyary at the time of her debut, and have returned to encourage her to not only stay connected to her roots, but to move forward without hesitation.

 

The limited edition version will come with a special 64-page flipbook.

 

A number of bonuses have also been announced, from stickers, clear pouches, and mobile stand keychains. These will be available while supplies last, so fans looking to get their hands on some of this swag are encouraged to preorder the album.

 

Are you looking forward to hearing Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s new tracks?

 

This year marks the 20th anniversary since CAPSULE—the music unit formed of Yasutaka Nakata and Toshiko Koshijima—made their major debut. The duo released their first new song in six years on June 4. Titled Hikari no Disco (“Disco of Light”), the track is the newest release from CAPSULE since their last album WAVE RUNNER dropped in 2015. It was written as the main theme for the anime film Sidonia no Kishi: Ai Tsumugu Hoshi (Knights of Sidonia: The Star Where Love is Spun). CAPSULE released a special video featuring the song and clips from the film on Friday.

 

 CAPSULE x Knights of Sidonia – “Hikari no Disco” Special Video

 

Knights of Sidonia is a mecha and space opera manga series by Tsutomu Nihei who is also known for other popular series such as Blame! and Aposimz. The series is a bestseller in Japan and has won the Kodansha Manga Award and Seiun Award. An anime adaptation by Polygon Pictures aired from 2014-2015 in line with the animation studio’s 30th anniversary. The anime film adaptation, which also released on Friday, sees the return of the staff who worked on the anime series.

 

CAPSULE are holding a share campaign for the release of Hikari no Disco. To enter, you need to follow Warner Music Japan on Twitter (@warnermusic_jp) and share Hikari no Disco from Spotify, Apple Music, or LINE Music with the Japanese hashtag #ひかりのディスコCP. 50 random people will be chosen to receive the song on cassette tape with the main track on side A and a karaoke version on side B.

 

©弐瓶勉・講談社／東亜重工重力祭運営局

This year marks the 20th anniversary since CAPSULE—the music unit formed of Yasutaka Nakata and Toshiko Koshijima—made their major debut. Tomorrow will also mark the first new song from the duo in six years. Titled Hikari no Disco (“Disco of Light”), the track is the newest release from CAPSULE since their last album WAVE RUNNER dropped in 2015. The band also released a new artist photo to promote it.

Hikari no Disco was written as the main theme for the anime film Sidonia no Kishi: Ai Tsumugu Hoshi (Knights of Sidonia: The Star Where Love is Spun). The film is based on Tsutomu Nihei’s Knights of Sidonia manga and will also release tomorrow on June 4. The new song can be pre-added and pre-saved on Apple Music and Spotify so it will be automatically added to your library when it’s released.

 

Knights of Sidonia is a mecha and space opera manga series by Tsutomu Nihei who is also known for other popular series such as Blame! and Aposimz. The series is a bestseller in Japan and has won the Kodansha Manga Award and Seiun Award. An anime adaptation by Polygon Pictures aired from 2014-2015 in line with the animation studio’s 30th anniversary. Now, the staff who worked on the anime series return for the release of the new movie tomorrow.

 

Hikari no Disco takes Yasutaka Nakata back to his synthesiser sound roots. The track has a laid-back driving-through-the-city feel to it. If you head on over to Warner Music Japan’s Twitter page and answer the four questions in the questionnaire, you can hear a 30 second snippet of the track before it’s released.

 

CAPSULE will premiere the music video for the new song on their official YouTube channel at 12:00am (JST) on June 4. A 12-hour live stream of CAPSULE’s discography is also began playing on their YouTube channel today at noon. That’s everything from their first album High Collar Girl (2001) to their 15th album WAVE RUNNER (2015).

 

Don’t miss the premiere of CAPSULE’s brand new track Hikari no Disco.

 

©弐瓶勉・講談社／東亜重工重力祭運営局

Music unit CAPSULE, which was formed by world-famous producer Yasutaka Nakata, is releasing all their albums on Apple Music and other worldwide music streaming services from July 10, 2020.

 

After debuting in 2001, Yasutaka Nakata has gone on to release 17 albums with CAPSULE and three albums in partnership with model Kate Sakai as the music unit COLTEMONIKHA. Nakata also produced albums for the soundtrack to the sensational drama Liar Game in which Shota Matsuda played the main role. All the above albums will also be released on subscription services.

 

This is just what fans across the world have been waiting for. As CAPSULE will be celebrating their 20th anniversary next year, make sure to check out their playlists.

ageHa is set to host one of Japan’s biggest countdown parties again this year, falling on December 31, 2019 once more.

Headlining the ARENA is English DJ and producer Sigala. He released his debut single Easy Love in 2015 which shot to number one on the UK charts. Since then, he has continued to pump out club and festival bangers such as Sweet Lovin and Say You Do. Seven of his nine singles have gone platinum, proving that he is one of the main players in the scene right now.

Another headlining act for the show, this time from Japan, is CAPSULE, the music duo spearheaded by internationally-acclaimed Japanese DJ and record producer Yasutaka Nakata who is the official producer for two of the biggest names in Japanese music: Perfume and Kyari Pamyu Pamyu. CAPSULE plan to put on a special performance for the countdown party.

 

banvox is also making a return from last year’s ageHa countdown concert, and CYBERJAPAN DANCERS are entering the fray for a special showcase.

In the WATER area of the venue, which is produced by WORLD CLASS and TCPT, France-based bass house duo Loge21, who have piled up t he releases since Confession, will perform in Japan for the very first time. DJ Remo-con will join the line-up as a guest too.

 

Over at the ISLAND area, the latest in cutting edge hip hop will take to the stage. Several DJs representing Tokyo will join rapper Jin Dogg, who is garnering attention right now, including HOKUTO, KEKKE, CHARI, and FUJI TRILL.

 

Finally, the BOX area will give rise to trance tunes, with performances from DJ KAYA, NORIO SP, FULLMOON RAVE, agefarre, and more.

But that’s not all, because the famous Robot Restaurantーa major tourist attraction in Shinjukuーis making an unexpected collaboration with ageHa to put on their first ever show outside the restaurant.

A variety of other celebratory things are planned for the countdown party to chime in the new year, including servings of toshikoshi soba, omikuji fortunes, goshuin seals, and more. If you happen to be in Tokyo for the New Year, then don’t miss out on this very special event.

Driving the Japanese pop culture scene, ASOBISYSTEM’s annual grand party ASOBINITE!!! is back! The party will be held on Saturday 20th July at Shinkiba ageHA @STUDIO COAST.

 

Japan’s most iconic producer Yasutaka Nakata will be firing up the party as the resident DJ. He will be accompanied by many sensational guest performers including the DJ queen DJ Kaori; who was the resident DJ for ageHa’s 15th anniversary concert THE BEST PARTY!! Nakata’s main music unit CAPSULE will also be performing on stage for the first time in two years! TJO, TeddyLoid and many more big name DJs will also feature at the event.  

Filled with summer vibes, the WATER stage will be hosting the event BIKINI NIGHT. The lineup of famous performers includes MITOMI, TOKOTO, BUNNY, iamSHUM and SHOTA. This party is going to kick off by the spacious poolside and there’s no doubt the night is gonna be a splash!

 

VIRTUAFREAK will be managing a spin-off stage with an army of famous VTubers who have influenced many creatives! Witness an army of wildly enthusiastic VTubers as they tear down the BOX stage at ageHa! The lineup includes Miori Ehara, Virtual Cat, and even Wani and Komori (Wani no Yaka & Hashiyan Takasaka)!

 

Limited early bird tickets will be released on Tuesday 28th May during the afternoon.  This summer festival of Japanese stars is something you don’t want to miss so check it out as soon as you can!

With summer fast approaching, concertgoers are gearing up for this year’s music festivals and live shows. We previously covered numerous Japanese bands and artists performing who overseas this year in parts one and two of this feature, but since the previous entry, even more acts have been announced.

 

Here is a new list of artists embarking outside Japan this summer.

 

Suchmos

For the first time in their career, rock group Suchmos are set to embark on their first ever Asia Tour this June. They will hit up 6 locations, beginning in Hong Kong before heading to Taipei, Seoul, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing.

 

▶︎ Suchmos ASIA TOUR 2019

2019/6/2 @ Music Zone @ KITEC, Hong Kong

2019/6/7 @ Legacy Taipei, Taipei

2019/6/9/ @ YES24 Live Hall, Seoul (*w/ HYUKOH)

2019/6/12 @ B10 Live, Shenzhen

2019/6/14 @ Modern Sky Lab, Shanghai

2019/6/16 @ Tango Live (Floor 3F), Beijing

 

Suchmos Official Website: https://www.suchmos.com

 

→News Update (June 1, 2019)
Following unexpected illness of one of their members, Suchmos have cancelled all remaining dates on their upcoming overseas tour.

 

 

【NEWS】
アジアツアー追加公演が決定しました。

■6/28(金) ジャカルタ
会場は後日発表

■6/30(日) バンコク
Moon Star Studio 1

▼公演詳細はこちら▼https://t.co/HzrqIYa1FQ pic.twitter.com/ooz5TLntDL

— [ALEXANDROS] (@alexandroscrew) 2019年4月13日

[ALEXANDROS]

Rock band [ALEXANDROS] are also heading on tour in Asia throughout June and July. The band are currently on their “Sleepless in Japan Tour” in promotion of their newest album Sleepless in Brooklyn and will take their concerts across Asia for 8 shows, starting with Shanghai on June 21 and wrapping in Seoul on July 21. This also marks their first time performing in Shanghai and Beijing.

 

▶︎ Sleepless 2019 Asia Tour

2019/6/21 @ Modern Sky Lab, Shanghai

2019/6/23 @ Beijing Omni Space, Beijing

2019/6/28 @ Jakarta (*Venue TBA)

2019/6/30 @ Moon Star Studio 1, Bangkok

2019/7/5 @ Music Zone @ E-Max, Hong Kong

2019/7/7 @ Legacy Taipei, Taipei

2019/7/19/ @ Bentley Music Auditorium, Kuala Lumpur

2019/7/21 @ MUV HALL, Seoul

 

[ALEXANDROS] Official Website: https://alexandros.jp

 

 

SAKANAQUARIUM 2019 “834.194”
6月28日 上海＆6月30日 深セン公演

明日5月1日12:00よりチケット販売が始まります。
券種・プレイガイドはサカナクションHPに掲載しています。https://t.co/GyH6y5B25n

— sakanaction (@sakanaction) 2019年4月30日

Sakanaction

Sakanaction have announced that they will play in Shanghai and Shenzhen at the end of June. Upon unveiling the news the band created their own Weibo account, a Chinese social media platform. The rock band will release their new album 834.194 in June, their first album release since sakanaction was released 6 years ago in March 2013. The Asia dates were added to their ongoing Japan tour. This will be their second set of headline concerts outside in Japan since they performed overseas for the first time back in 2013 in Taiwan. The band are known for their use of cutting-edge technology at their shows, so foreign fans can look forward to seeing what they have in store for them next month.

  

▶︎ SAKANAQUARIUM 2019 “834.194”

2019/6/28 @ Modern Sky Lab, Shanghai

2019/6/30 @ A8 Live, Shenzhen

 

Sakanaction Official Website: http://sakanaction.jp

 

BAND-MAID

Earlier this month, five-piece maid rock band BAND-MAID announced the European leg of their 2019 world tour, one which will begin this June and one whose decided theme is Gekidou, or “tumultuous.” All shows on BAND-MAID’s 2018 world tour sold out completely. The initial European leg of their long-awaited new world tour will take them to 3 countries for 4 performances. They will then head to the US in September.

 

Related Article: BAND-MAID Announces European Leg Of ‘Tumultuous’ 2019 World Tour

 

▶︎BAND-MAID WORLD DOMINATION TOUR 2019 【激動】 ~gekidou~

6/22 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall

6/23 – Paris, France @ Le Trabendo

6/24 @ Bochum, Germany @ Zeche

6/26 @ Hamburg, Germany @ DAS LOGOS

9/26 @ NYC Gramercy Theater, US

9/28 @ Dallas Cambridge Room, US

9/30 @ LA ECHOPLEX, US

10/1 @ LA ECHOPLEX, US

 

World Tour Info: https://bandmaid.tokyo/contents/241952

BAND-MAID Official Website: https://bandmaid.tokyo/

 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, CAPSULE, m-flo & More

The biggest names in Japanese pop music are set to take over Los Angeles at QTAQUEST LIVE and OTAQUEST KICK OFF PARTY which is set to take place at THE NOVO by Microsoft on July 3, 2019. Both OTAQUEST LIVE and OTAQUEST KICK OFF PARTY serve as the opener to Anime Expo, the biggest anime convention in the US, which will run from July 4 to 7. CAPSULE, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Crazy Boy, HIROOMI TOSAKA and m-flo are set to deliver Japanese entertainment to US lovers of Japanese music and entertainment.

 

Related Article: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Yasutaka Nakata & CRAZYBOY to Perform at QTAQUEST LIVE in Los Angeles

 

▶︎OTAQUEST LIVE

Date: July 3, 2019

Time: OPEN 17:00 / START 18:30

Location: THE NOVO by Microsoft, Los Angeles, California, US

Line-Up: CRAZYBOY / HIROOMI TOSAKA / m-flo / CAPSULE / Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

 

OTAQUEST KICK OFF PARTY

Date: July 3, 2019

Time: OPEN/START 22:00

Location: THE NOVO by Microsoft, Los Angeles, California, US

Line-Up: ☆Taku Takahashi / TeddyLoid / Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE) / …and more

 

Event Website: https://live.otaquest.com/

Tickets: https://www.axs.com/events/372261/otaquest-live-tickets?skin=novo

 

Ai Otsuka

This year, Ai Otsuka celebrates her 15th anniversary since her debut. The singer-songwriter released her greatest hits album Ai am BEST, too in January this year, and she is currently in the midst of her nationwide Japan tour. 5 Asia dates have been added to the tour. Her previous Asia tour took her to just three cities: Taipei, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, but this year she is spreading her wings and will perform in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai and Taipei.

 

▶︎ AIO PIANO at ASIA vol.2　

2019/7/17 @ Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall, Guangzhou

2019/7/19 @ 特侖蘇音楽庁, Chengdu

2019/7/27 @ BANDAI NAMCO SHANGHAI BASE DREAM HALL, Shanghai

2019/7/28 @ BANDAI NAMCO SHANGHAI BASE DREAM HALL, Shanghai

2019/8/17 @ ATT SHOW BOX 大直, Taipei

 

Ai Otsuka Official Website:  http://avex.jp/ai/

 

 

If you love Japanese music and a Japanese band or artist are coming to a city near you this year, then be sure to show your love and support by getting your hands on a ticket to see them live.