Video Upload Week 5

Finally, we finished uploading all the movies using the last year material.

Since we came back from the last year tour, we had so many things going on in our personal life. We had to face those things. It was something we had to face and now we have answers. We are getting ready to take the next step and go strong.

Here is the music video of the song "Testimony".

This was the first track of the album called "Victory In Christ".

Spiritual wise and Faith wise, that album "Victory In Christ" is still our best album. It's not really a "modern" metal album. Sometimes it sounds more like "indie rock" rather than "heavy metal". But that's our music. We are a garage pop rock band who's wearing a heavy metal mask. (By now you probably know that?)

Next video is from our "high school" performance during the last year The Extreme Tour. It was a high school gig in Montana.

Playing a high school gym is, kind of like playing a big arena. Soundwise, it's not really good venue, but it was fun. We felt just a bit like a big band playing an arena concert. I hope you can feel the fun, too.

The last video is from our last gig on the last year tour.

It was indoor gig at Great Falls MT.

Sound issue, too much bass in the movie, but it was a blessed gig.

We feel happy when our music make you smile.

Thank you for all the people there enjoy our music.

And we really want to say to each of you, thank you very much for finding us.

We are an unknown independent band from Japan.

We didn't choose a popular path. We don't play J-Pop. We don't play cookie-cutter heavy metal. We play, Christian-J-Pop-Indie-Garage-Metal, so to speak. Our music is not for everyone. But we play our music for someone who needs hope, faith and love. Because we ourselves need those things.

So thank you very much for finding us.

Sharing songs on YouTube is fun.

Making videos for YouTube is fun, even though they are home made style movies.

We have so many songs on our catalog, including our "Before Christian / Japanese alternative pop band" era. Maybe we want to upload more of those Japanese language songs. We are not sure if you guys will appreciate those Japanese language songs, but we will do it in a future.

I don't know how long it will take. Not all of our songs are on iTunes yet. It will take some more time to get our music really out. But let us do it and give us some more time.

Because we came here to share our music and love.

Tak / Imari Tones

Video Uploading Week 4

We've kept uploading our movie materials again this week.

It's kind of funny because our friends from The Extreme Tour already started this year's tour in USA/Canada, while we are still uploading movie from last year.

We feel kind of being left behind but we know we are not.

Because we are busy preparing to bring this "The Extreme Tour" to Japan in October. We are the only ones who can do this in Japan. So far several gigs are booked in Yokohama for them. We need some more help from local churches. Please pray so that we can connect with local churches in Japan.

This week we made this music video for our favorite song "Truth".

It's still "home made" style music video, but we think it turned out very good.

So check it out and enjoy!

Next video is our performance at Nuart Block Party, which we did in Moscow ID, September 2012.

That was a very nice street festival and nice stage.

Musically speaking it was definitely one of our best performance during the tour, or during the whole year.

My personal favorite moment was when we changed the setlist on the spot by the request from our friend, and played this song "Testimony".

and this is the whole show:)

(If you have some 30 minutes to watch it, as always...)

We really want to visit and play this festival again. But not this year.

We have some homework to do here in Japan.

And we are working on it very hard.

We are making whole new sound in a rehearsal room to totally revamp our music. (Well, not really, because we still sound like us after all.)

And we can't wait to play it to the world.

Maybe when we are ready. In 2014, I guess.

So, even though we don't tour overseas this year, we are not wasting our time.

We are preparing for a huge blessing.

Meanwhile, our local gig schedule in Yokohama is:

July 13th Saturday: El Puente, Nishi-Yokohama

August 21st Wednesday: Necoya, Kotobukicho

So check it out, Yokohama/Tokyo locals!

(Check it out later for YouTube movies, non-local people!)

Okay, now I'm heading for a Van Halen concert at Tokyo Dome.

We have waited for it for a long time.

(Last time they came to Japan, it was 15 years ago.)

It's great to be a rock fan!

Life is always tough.

I've been recieving messages from our friends in the world, they've been having hard time and going through tough things in life.

Please remember I'm praying for you always.

You are in my mind always.

And your suffering here on earth is not in vain.

It will turn into a blessing when Jesus comes.

(That's our Faith, right?)

"Even God's own son, suffered well well on earth..."

(from my pastor's reggae song called "Optimistic")

(This is his website by the way)

http://www.yaoyokohama.com/

God bless you all and May God be with you always!

Thank you very much!

Tak / Imari Tones

Video Uploading Week 3

I know it's actually funny we are still uploading these tour videos from last year now.

But it took us some long time to check and edit them.

This year fall, in October, we are going to do this "The Extreme Tour" in Japan.

We are really praying for this, because it's not really an easy thing.

Anyway here are some videos we uploaded this "week 3".

Here is a "home made" music video for the song "First Pop".

This song was on the album "Welcome To The School", which we recorded in 2008.

We have beein playing the song live for a long time now but we have finally come up with a song video for it.

At first we tried to combine some footages from several shows but when we put the footage from X-Fest (Stevenson WA, 2 September 2012), it was just perfect fit. So that's how we made the video. Quite simple.

Next movie is when we played some high school in Idaho.

It was in Coeur d'Alene ID.

We The Extreme Tour team played the high school during lunch time. It was crazy. For a Japanese band like us, playing an American high school was something unreal, because in Japanese schools things like this is almost impossible to happen. Yes it was a crazy experience, but it was fun.

Hope you can feel the vibe.

Next movie is actually not from the last year tour.

Actually it's our latest performance, a local gig we played at Rokudenashi, Sagamihara, on 25 May 2013.

I know, it's a small, very small, local bar gig with some drunken dudes.

In Japan we mostly play that kind of gigs (though we play some better gigs sometimes), partly because we don't like to play those "Live Houses" where many Japanese bands usually play.

Some of you may not like this performance because the show starts with Tak's "Kanpai!" call. But that's how we play the small bars in Japan. It may be a small dingy place, but we are proud to be there playing our Jesus Rock music to our friends. Just like Paul said in Corinthians1 9:19-23.

We are now working on so many new songs for our next endeavor, and we played some of those new songs at this gig. And Tak's guitar was at its top notch. We thought it's worth uploading the video for the record.

Please enjoy, as always, if you have time. (It's a 40 minutes show.)

Last video is something ridiculous.

It's from one of our recent local gigs in Yokohama.

Some of you may know that Tak started learning skateboarding since last year after the tour (He was inpired by some skatepark experiences during the tour).

As soon as he learned some tricks, he wanted to introduce this new essence to his live performance. And here is something he tried first.

Simple and easy, "10 shove its in a row" challenge (with his guitar on).

I know it's ridiculous. But audience seemed to like it, because in Japan not many people skate and seeing skateboarding itself is still kind of new.

I'd like to add, this performance was done in April 2013, and now Tak can also do some kickflips! LOL (He learned it just after this show. Not bad for a Japanese guy who has been skating only for 6 or 7 months, right?)

Okay that's all for today.

Check our YouTube channel for more movies and live footages.

In 2013 we are going to focus on Japan gigs and also preparing ourselves for next future endeavor, but we will keep updating and posting stuff.

See you soon!

Thanks and God bless you all!

Tak / Imari Tones

R.I.P. Hideki Yoshimura (bloodthirsty butchers)

We can't help but post this.

Hideki Yoshimura, singer/guitarist from "bloodthirsty butchers", our most favorite Japanese rock band, has passed away at age 46.

Whole Japanese rock community was shocked and saddened at the news.

His music inspired many Japanese rock bands, especially indie/underground bands like us.

They were never a "popular" band, but their music kept inspiring us and gave us courage to keep playing music, even if underground.

We lost the greatest rock musician in Japanese music history.

Rest In Peace, Hideki Yoshimura.

吉村秀樹追悼

bloodthirsty butchersの吉村秀樹が亡くなってしまった。

書かずにはいられない。

僕はいつも、日本で一番好きなロックバンドはbloodthirsty butchersだと言い続けてきたが、

どちらかといえば、

あれもこれも好きだけどブッチャーズが一番好き、

というのではなく、

むしろ

bloodthirsty butchersこそが唯一好きな日本のロックバンドだったのだ。

ちょっとでも流行っているものや、嘘くさいものはどうしても毛嫌いしてしまう

ひねくれた嗜好をしている僕だけれど、

ブッチャーズだけは、本当に好きになることができたのだ。

僕は日本のミュージシャン、バンドでいうと、

1970年代は荒井由実、

1980年代はEarthshaker、

1990年代は熊谷幸子、

2000年代はbloodthirsty butchers

が好きなバンドだ、

と言い続けているけれど、

ことその中で、

2000年代に自分のバンドを始め、

同時代を歩きながら接してきたこと、

そして何度もライヴを見てきたこともあって、

bloodthirsty butchersは

それらの大好きな日本人ミュージシャンの中でも

もっとも身近なバンドだった。

46歳、そしてこのタイミング、

とても早過ぎる旅立ち、

それは間違いない。

それについての感慨や、考えは、

とても文章にして書けるはずもない。

バンドページの英語のコメントには、

言葉の問題もあって陳腐なことしか書いていない、

けれども、

そこに書いたように

彼らはその長いキャリアの中で

決してポピュラーなバンドではなかった

流行したりしたこともない

彼らはとてもキャリアが長いベテランなので

売れる売れないにかかわらず、

いつでもそこにいるような気がしたし、

いつまでも居てくれるような感覚も持っていた

でも音楽を聞くと

いつでも、これで最後になってしまうんじゃないか

それくらいの芸術的なテンションの高さがあった

また、決して売れているわけではないミュージシャンとしての

彼らの歩みは、想像するまでもなく、

大変な道のりであったに違いない。

それは、数年前にリリースされた彼らのドキュメンタリー映画にもきちんと描かれている。

よくぞここまで音楽を作り続けてくれた

現実には、その言葉こそがふさわしいのではないか

2010年にリリースされた「無題 NO ALBUM」は本当に衝撃的なくらいに素晴らしい作品だった。

あの作品を聞いた後、僕はあまりの素晴らしさに「日本のロックはもうこれを最後に聴かない。これ以上のものはもうあり得ないからだ。」とそう決めてしまった。

ここ数年、僕は自分のバンドでたびたびアメリカで演奏させてもらっているが、

アメリカに行く前に、ほとんど必ず、ブッチャーズのライヴを下北なり渋谷なり新代田なり見に行って、日本のロックバンドのアイデンティティと、その精神的なルーツというものを、、、、とにかく気合いを入れていたんだよ。ブッチャーズを見て。

アルバムごとにほぼ必ず一度はライヴを見るようにはしていたはずだけれど、

最後に見たのは、昨年の初夏あたりの渋谷のワンマンだったか。会場はnestだったと記憶している。素晴らしいライヴだった。文句なしの演奏であり、幸せだった、そしてばっちり泣かされてしまった。

かつて同じnestで+/-{plus/minus}を見てMegalomaniacで泣いてしまったように、

black outで、oceanで、ばっちり泣かされてしまった。

確かに僕は音楽については涙もろい方ではある。

もうあの吉村さんを見ることができない、

これが一期一会というものか、

でも本当にあの吉村秀樹という人は、

その人となり、芸術家としての、そしてその存在感は、

本当に出会うことができてよかった。

それしか言葉が出てこない。

幸いなのは、

あの「無題」に続く新作のアルバム、

すでに完成して、リリースを待つばかりだという、

そのタイミングで旅立ってしまった吉村さん、

そこに何を感じたらいいのか、それは人それぞれだけれども

不謹慎だが

あの傑作である「無題」に続く、

さらなる傑作を、そして、それを吉村秀樹という超弩級の天才音楽家、天が与えた芸術家の、

その遺作として、聴くことができる

とにもかくにも「無題」に続く新しいアルバムを

聴くことができるという事実に、

喜びを感じている自分がいる

ミュージシャンの性というべきか

そこから何を読み取ることができるか、自分は

早過ぎる

とても早過ぎる

まさかこんなに早く吉村秀樹が逝ってしまうなんて

もっと走り続けてくれると思っていた

ずっとそこに居てくれると思っていた

まさかこんなに早く

でもそこに何を見出し、

何を感じるか

いいことばかりじゃない

何を思い、どういう選択をしていったらいい

自分は

本当に正直なところ

実の父親を亡くしたときよりも

ショックが大きいくらいだ

以前も書いたことがある言葉だけれど

もう一度言わせてほしい

日本のロックのもっとも素晴らしいもの

それはブッチャーズにこそある

もしそれに異論があったとしても

ブッチャーズこそは

日本のロックのもっとも美しいものである

ここには異論を挟ませない

そして

bloodthirsty butchers

吉村秀樹

あなたこそが

僕にとっての日本のロックのすべてだった

彼らの魅力を伝えることはとても難しい

動画もあまりYouTubeに上がっていない

新しいところの楽曲と、

クラシックとひとつずつ紹介するのであれば、

このふたつだろうか

"Ocean"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1AJb5XD9pA

"7月"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzL35D2hdlE

僕にとっての

日本のロックが

これで本当に

終わってしまった

さようなら

吉村秀樹

bloodthirsty butchers

Video Upload Week 2

As we are working on plenty of new songs in a rehearsal room and gigging locally in Yokohama, we are uploading those movies from The Extreme Tour last year. (Because, you know, touring in USA is a big thing for a Japanese band. Those movies are important history of us.)

Also we made some song videos for YouTube.

Here is one of them.

What we wanted to do was, to make a video using the photos from the tour.

Because we had so many nice photos taken during the tour.

So we wanted to use those photos in a song video.

So here is a song called "Precious".

I know couple of months ago we uploaded a quite good live version of this song, but here is an "album version".

Interesting thing is, we tried to use the photos from all the cities we visited, but when we actually made the video, those photos from just one city were enough to make a single video. 

So those photos used in this video were from Coeur d'Alene ID.

It was a happy gig with awesome people.

I think you can feel the happy vibe of The Extreme Tour.

It's definitely the coolest Christian missionary tour in the world.

Again, thank you for all the people we met during the tour, and all the other bands we toured together.

(The Lacks, DaMac, Colton&Zara, and The Burn-Ins)

Also, we uploaded some movies from X-Fest, Stevenson WA.

X-Fest was awesome Christian music festival with great faith and spirit.

We were super stoked to play there, and it was one of our best performance during the tour.

(And there we finally figured out some sound problems we had had on the tour. So it was really a blessing for us to play that festival.)

Here is a song called "Karma Flower" (still one of our most popular songs, we guess)

and here is the whole show (if you have some 30 minutes to watch the whole show).

We are going to do this "The Extreme Tour" in Japan, in October this year.

3 bands from USA/Canada are coming to play with us in Japan.

If any church, or any of you, are willing to help us make it happen, like lodging, funding, transportation, or booking shows, please let us know.

We need all kinds of help.

We will visit any part of Japan, if those things are provided.

THANKS and GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

In Christ,

Tak / Imari Tones

Video Upload Week 1

Video editing takes time. I know that for sure.

It was August-September 2012 we took part in The Extreme Tour 2012.

And we finally finished editing movies from that tour and started uploading them to YouTube.

Live performance movies, I'm not sure if people like them or not.

I wonder how other musicians and bands are doing about those videos.

However, we take these live performances seriously in our music career and history.

So we record them as much as possible and upload somewhere on the internet.

It's not really subscriber friendly. Because some people just prefer listening those free tracks on YouTube and don't care much about live performance movies.

We know that, too.

We want to upload and share many songs of ours on YouTube or SoundCloud, so that people can listen to them for free. (In a hope of people will like them and buy the album/song.)

So we made some "home made" music videos using those footage from the tour.

Here is the song called "Iron Hammer".

Iron Hammer is included in the album "Japanese Pop".

"Japanese Pop" is definitely our "most expensive" album, being produced by German heavy metal legend "Sascha Paeth" (Avantasia, Heavens Gate, producing bands like Kamelot, Edguy, Rhapsody).

It was before we became a Christian band, but "Japanese Pop" is still one of our most popular albums.

And "Iron Hammer" is one of our most popular songs in our live shows.

It's heavy, it rocks, and easy to play....well, not that easy.

But it's true it's one of the easier songs to sing.

We can play that song even when Tak's voice condition is not good.

That's why we play that song more often on the tour. Because when on the tour, Tak's voice condition often gets worse.

Anyway, "Iron Hammer" is still a special song for us.

And finally we made a video for that song.

Please enjoy the song and headbang!!

Also thank you for the show last week at El Puente, Nishi-Yokohama.

It was a blessed gig, even though Tak got a cold and voice was not the best.

We played many new songs. Those songs are heavy, heavy, and heavy! Super hard rocking tunes!

We are a band based in Japan, while our internet activities are for worldwide market. There is some information gap between our Japan life and oversea world, but we are gigging, practicing, and working hard on our music.

We are preparing our new sound for the moment we will "take on the world" (I hope my English is correct).

So let's keep on rocking together!!

God bless you all!

Tak / Imari Tones