URBANGARDE - Tokai no Alice (PV)
New CD “Koi to Kakumei to URBANGARDE”
rel. 6/19!
URBANGARDE to perform at Japan Expo 2013 in France
Japanese “Trauma Techno Pop” band URBANGARDE will return to France to perform at Japan Expo in Paris, July 4-7, 2013. URBANGARDE made their French live performance debut at Toulouse Game Show (TGS) in December 2012.
Special Announcement Video:
http://youtu.be/H0St3ow4JYk
http://jrock247.com/2013/05/urbangarde-to-perform-at-japan-expo-2013-in-france/
101A - Live at Keonji HIGH
Photo Set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eiku_suyama/sets/72157633548951333
101A Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/101Aofficial
![URBANGARDE – JRock247 Interview (2013) Pt. 2
[excerpt]
Let’s talk about subculture. Is it URBANGARDE’s mission to destroy boring, generic pop music?
YOKOTAN: I don’t know if pop music is necessarily boring, but there are times when I feel that my personal taste in music makes me an outsider. Right now in Japan, subculture is no longer “sub” and it’s completely become main culture. There are many more people who are intoxicated with the image of themselves as “part of the subculture.” Subculture is not a status. It used to be a tiny niche that was very personal and few people understood. I have to say that I have doubts about the recent subculture “religion.” This is why I think that it’s my mission to protect the minimum standard where “Good things are good,” not the music that wants to be promoted by those subculture wanna-be’s just so they can look cool.
TENMA: I love subculture. This is why I’ve felt uneasy for the last few years where “subculture” has been shortened into “subcul” (“sabukaru”) and made into a neat little category. As rock musicians, we’re involved in the current state of rock music, and rock music has a death sentence right now. We feel the need to explode the deadlocked subculture. “Pop” music should literally be music to “bursts!” It’s not pop if it’s made just to be liked by everyone.
Read the complete interview on JRock247!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/f7009a1a310a0f28ac18bdd099b85ba1/tumblr_mhkv38ldZE1rn99mao1_500.jpg)
URBANGARDE – JRock247 Interview (2013) Pt. 2
[excerpt]
Let’s talk about subculture. Is it URBANGARDE’s mission to destroy boring, generic pop music?
YOKOTAN: I don’t know if pop music is necessarily boring, but there are times when I feel that my personal taste in music makes me an outsider. Right now in Japan, subculture is no longer “sub” and it’s completely become main culture. There are many more people who are intoxicated with the image of themselves as “part of the subculture.” Subculture is not a status. It used to be a tiny niche that was very personal and few people understood. I have to say that I have doubts about the recent subculture “religion.” This is why I think that it’s my mission to protect the minimum standard where “Good things are good,” not the music that wants to be promoted by those subculture wanna-be’s just so they can look cool.
TENMA: I love subculture. This is why I’ve felt uneasy for the last few years where “subculture” has been shortened into “subcul” (“sabukaru”) and made into a neat little category. As rock musicians, we’re involved in the current state of rock music, and rock music has a death sentence right now. We feel the need to explode the deadlocked subculture. “Pop” music should literally be music to “bursts!” It’s not pop if it’s made just to be liked by everyone.
![URBANGARDE - Geiger Counter Culture
JRock247 Review by David Cirone
[excerpt]
URBANGARDE’s albums have always struck me as mad scientist creations — vocally and musically, there’s an assemblage of parts that shouldn’t work together, but somehow manage to create a machine that produces magnificent, unique results.
Yokotan’s soft, coquetteish vocals are the spotlight of much of Geiger Counter Culture, and they’re made more effective by the mix of fellow vocalist TENMA’s harsh, domineering voice.
“Sayonara Subculture” and “Yameru Idol” are shining achievements in songwriting. “Yameru’s” smart lyrics skewer Japan’s idol religion, and I can’t imagine any other band pulling this off with such a mixture of elegance and malice.
Read the complete review at JRock247!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/934eae5b36187e27854ef854a60443ef/tumblr_mhd6heEdrp1rn99mao1_400.jpg)
URBANGARDE - Geiger Counter Culture
JRock247 Review by David Cirone
[excerpt]
URBANGARDE’s albums have always struck me as mad scientist creations — vocally and musically, there’s an assemblage of parts that shouldn’t work together, but somehow manage to create a machine that produces magnificent, unique results.
Yokotan’s soft, coquetteish vocals are the spotlight of much of Geiger Counter Culture, and they’re made more effective by the mix of fellow vocalist TENMA’s harsh, domineering voice.
“Sayonara Subculture” and “Yameru Idol” are shining achievements in songwriting. “Yameru’s” smart lyrics skewer Japan’s idol religion, and I can’t imagine any other band pulling this off with such a mixture of elegance and malice.
New track by Japanese alternative/noise band 101A.
“Forbidden Sky”
Listen to the 2:30 preview:
https://101a.bandpage.com
![URBANGARDE – JRock247 Interview (2013) Pt. 1
[excerpt]
How would you define URBANGARDE’s style?
YOKOTAN: We want to be “POP.” No matter what kind of expression or style we might try, I feel bored if it’s not POP. Since we live in the modern age, POP is the best fit to embody our times.
TENMA: POP music. Just as Andy Warhol put all the irony into POP art, we chose music to “explode” or “POP” our current era in time. Our music is called trauma techno POP. The “Trauma” part is simply the inevitable hardships we all find in life.
There’s a lot of blood in your music videos. Why is blood so important to URBANGARDE?
YOKOTAN: Blood is flowing in our bodies now, right this second. We sometimes forget this fact. We take it for granted that we live everyday, or we think there’s always tomorrow, so we don’t want people to forget that this precious thing is moving inside us all the time.
TENMA: Blood is the outpouring of life, and it’s the visual effect that can express life most emotionally. There are two sides to this world. The body is covered by skin in the same way an internal organ is covered with blood. To visualize the true essence of a thing, it must always be accompanied by blood. When creators create, they shed blood.
Read the complete interview on JRock247!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/56e69dfde5428427a3b180d430115e69/tumblr_mh23krBMSk1rn99mao1_500.jpg)
URBANGARDE – JRock247 Interview (2013) Pt. 1
[excerpt]
How would you define URBANGARDE’s style?
YOKOTAN: We want to be “POP.” No matter what kind of expression or style we might try, I feel bored if it’s not POP. Since we live in the modern age, POP is the best fit to embody our times.
TENMA: POP music. Just as Andy Warhol put all the irony into POP art, we chose music to “explode” or “POP” our current era in time. Our music is called trauma techno POP. The “Trauma” part is simply the inevitable hardships we all find in life.
There’s a lot of blood in your music videos. Why is blood so important to URBANGARDE?
YOKOTAN: Blood is flowing in our bodies now, right this second. We sometimes forget this fact. We take it for granted that we live everyday, or we think there’s always tomorrow, so we don’t want people to forget that this precious thing is moving inside us all the time.
TENMA: Blood is the outpouring of life, and it’s the visual effect that can express life most emotionally. There are two sides to this world. The body is covered by skin in the same way an internal organ is covered with blood. To visualize the true essence of a thing, it must always be accompanied by blood. When creators create, they shed blood.
JaME Interview with URBANGARDE!
http://www.jame-world.com/us/articles-92541-interview-with-urbangarde.html
