Sunday, June 21, 2015

Calling Records: Christian Rock label in Japan!



Great news.
We are happy to announce the launch of "Calling Records", that is probably the first Japanese record label which focuses on "Christian Rock" exclusively. Calling Records is established by 3 people, Tak Nakamine from Imari Tones, Hiroki Miki from CLOD, and Shinichi Ohara from Soul of Faith.

As the first product from the label, Calling Records will release "Calling from you Vol.1", which is a compilation album contains 10 songs from 5 Japanese Christian bands - CLOD, Soul of Faith, Atsuki Ryo with Jesus Mode, Indicator, and Imari Tones.
CD release party/gig is planned on 8th August Saturday, at Shimokitazawa Voice Factory, Tokyo, Japan. The CD will be available on BandCamp and other online outlets accordingly.


This is a very positive news. Not like "major industry breakthrough" but it will have a positive impact on Japanese Christian music scene in a long run.
These Japanese Christian bands united and working together, it means more power, more love and more music. This is a new born hope for still very small Japanese Christian rock music scene.


Please check the CD when it's released.
Please come to the CD release gig if you are in Japan.

Also please like Calling Records' facebook page.

Calling Records website







嬉しいお知らせです。
僕たちはここにCalling Records (コーリングレコーズ)の発足をアナウンスします。
Calling Recordsは、おそらく日本で最初の、「クリスチャンロック専門レーベル」です。
Calling Recordsは、Imari TonesTak NakamineCLODの三木裕季、ソルフェイのオオハラシンイチの三人によって設立されました。

最初のプロダクトとして、Calling Recordsはコンピレーションアルバム「Calling from you Vol.1」をリリースします。アルバムには日本の5つのクリスチャンロックバンドによる10曲が収録されています。収録アーティストはCLOD、ソルフェイ、熱きリョウとジーザスモード、IndicatorImari Tonesです。
レコ発ライブは88()に下北沢ボイスファクトリーにて行われます。
その日にCDは正式にリリースされ、順を追ってインターネットでも販売される予定です。

これはとても前向きなニュースです。大きな音楽業界でのブレイクスルーということではなく、長期的に見て日本のクリスチャンミュージックシーンの中で良い影響を持つことだからです。これらのクリスチャンロックバンドが団結して力を合わせることは、より大きな力、より大きな愛、そしてよりたくさんの音楽を意味します。これは、今はまだ小さな日本のクリスチャンロックシーンに、新しく生まれた希望だと言えます。

どうぞCDをチェックして、
88日の下北沢ボイスファクトリーのレコ発ライブに足を運んでいただき、
そしてまたレーベルのFacebookページを「いいね」していただければと思います。

Calling Records ホームページ



Monday, June 1, 2015

Skies of Tokyo video and other songs we recorded in Germany

Hello this is Tak (aka Tone) from Imari Tones, Japanese Christian heavy metal band.

Earlier last month, I took this old hard disk drive and checked what was in there, just because I wanted to archive our past works including audio and video.
What I found among many things was a funny set of movies; Movies of the sky.

Those movies were dated in 2006-2007.
All of them, just movies of skies. Sunny skies, cloudy, some raining, looking up from the ground.
Then I remembered what they were for: I wanted to make a video for "Skies of Tokyo". A song we recorded in Germany.





If you don't know (well, this band has a long history), we have an experience of recording songs with a renowned producer from Germany.
In September-October 2006, we Imari Tones flew to Germany and recorded 3 songs with Sascha Paeth, a famous producer who worked with Angra, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, Edguy, and Avantasia (Wow).

The songs we recorded there (at the Gate Studio, Wolfsburg, Germany) were Karma Flower, Iron Hammer, and Skies of Tokyo.

Although we didn't get a major release in Japanese music industry, those 3 songs were included in our independent release "Japanese Pop", the first album we have sung in English, also the last album before we became a "Christian Band".

Now these 2 songs out of 3, Karma Flower and Iron Hammer, they have been a staple of our live show set list for a long time now.
However, this song "Skies of Tokyo", we haven't played live for a very long time. Actually, if my memory is correct, we have played it just once.

So I thought it was good time to put some spotlight on this song again.
Now I made this music video, using those movies of skies and live show footage.

This lineup that flew to Germany and recorded "Japanese Pop" album (Tone -Guitars&Vocals, Baba - Bass, Haratti - Drums) only lasted for a couple of years, 2006-2007. After that, I went on and started the band all over again, to become a Christian Heavy Metal band soon later.

Surprisingly, this lineup (Tone - Baba - Haratti) played only 3 live shows in public.
(Probably because we focused more on recording work with our producers.)
This "Skies of Tokyo" video features the footage from 2 shows out of those 3. (For the other 1 show, unfortunately video doesn't exist.)

This song "Skies of Tokyo" is a heavy metal ballad type song, with some melodic&soulful guitar playing. The song is basically about the environmental issue, about how we human beings are destroying mother nature without knowing it. I think it sounds more realistic and impending after the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster happened in 2011.

Maybe it's good time for us to play this song live again.


So just for your listening enjoyment, these are the other 2 songs we recorded with Sascha Paeth in Germany.
Those songs are on the album "Japanese Pop", still one of our most popular albums.
It's available on iTunes, BandCamp and other places.



"Karma Flower"

This was actually the first song I sang the word "Jesus Christ" in the lyrics.


"Iron Hammer"



We are going to post more stuff on YouTube this year.
Both old and new stuff.
So stay tuned!

Thanks and God bless!
Tak / Imari Tones (Japan)