"The Imaginary Number Boy 3" music video

Hello this is Tak from Imari Tones, Japanese Christian rock band.

Today I want to show you our new music video, called "The Imaginary Number Boy 3".



Let me tell you about this song. Long ago, back in 2004, our band Imari Tones was formed as 3-piece band. We wrote a song called "The Imaginary Number Boy 2" (虚数少年2) and played that song a lot. That song is on our "Hero of the Lights" album.
Approximately 10 years later, we finally wrote "Part 3", just like some Asian B movie.

So we made a homemade music video for this song. This is already 6th music video from our new album "Revive The World". It is really an entertaining music video and it's got some traditional Japanese vibe, as it was filmed in a traditional Japanese Tatami room.

In this video, "Hyakunin Isshu" (百人一首), Japanese traditional card game, is featured. Hundreds of years before Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, there was Hyakunin Isshu. I guess Japanese people like card games so much.

So watch the video and we hope you will like it.

If you like the music, here is our new album "Revive The World".

"Revive The World" on BandCamp
https://imaritones.bandcamp.com/album/revive-the-world

"Revive The World" on iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/revive-the-world/id1049191149

Thank you very much!
God bless you all!
Tak / Imari Tones (Japan)

New album "Revive The World" released!

Hello this is Tak from Imari Tones.

Today I want to announce that our new album "Revive The World" is finally released.

It is available on iTunes, BandCamp as well as other digital outlet and streaming services like Spotify.

Physical CDs are available on our BandCamp page, where you can buy directly from us. (We autograph those CDs.)

Here is the BandCamp link.

https://imaritones.bandcamp.com/album/revive-the-world

and here is iTunes link.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/revive-the-world/id1049191149

Let me tell you just a little about this album.

Our band Imari Tones, was formed around 2004 and started playing "Christian music" in 2008. We toured in USA throughout 2009-2012 and we have been doing "The Extreme Tour Japan" now 3 years in a row in Japan. Now we are getting some recognition in Japanese "Gospel" music scene.

This album "Revive The World" is a result of those experiences and we can surely say this is one culmination of our musical journey.

It has wide variety of music and diverse songs, progressive beats, shredding guitars (of course!), sweet melodies. While it has some of our heaviest sounding heavy metal riffs, it also has this Indie/Garage vibe which is quite natural because we are basically an indie/garage band from 21st century that loves doing things in DIY way.

However, above all those things, the most important thing about this album is its SPIRITUAL element. The music in this album is designed to give you this "Spiritual Uplifting" feeling. I don't know how to describe this, but in a nutshell, this album makes you happy, cheerful, full of hope and spiritually high. I don't know if you would agree but I personally think that is what "Christian music" is supposed to be.

As you see, this album "Revive The World" has some cool artwork/album cover. One of our Japanese heavy metal friends who was also a painter did this artwork for us. I don't know if this artwork could be called "Christian" or not, but it definitely has some cool "spiritual" vibe and it fits very well with the music on this album. We have already got some very good responses about this artwork and arguably this is one of the best artwork we have got for our music.

Our music have been always "personal" since we are an indie band that focuses more on people's everyday life than big things on TV and newspaper, also because we always wanted to sing about "personal" relationship between us and God. However, this may be the last we make music in this manner. We are already working on our next album, after finishing recording this "Revive The World", but that next album is going to be a little bit different.

Our next album/project is called "Jesus Wind" at this point. That will be a "concept album" about Japanese history. Japanese History from a Christian viewpoint. That album, of course, will be "kicking ass" heavy metal album, but probably not as "fun" as its previous works. It would be HEAVY, it would be INTENSE, but it sometimes be "sad" because it is based on history. And our human history has often been, sad.

Some of you may know and some may not, but I always said openly "I will quit this band after we have made a concept album about history of Japan". I said it because making a concept album based on our own history would be a really difficult task. I thought we would never be able to do that.

However, now we are working on it. Not to be worried, as we don't have a plan to call it quits so far. Quite opposite, we have a further plan after that. After we have successfully made the concept album (if we could), our next direction will be towards more to Japanese traditional music. When we say "traditional", it does not mean acoustic folk music using Koto and Shamisen. It would be still heavy metal music. But we probably will be going for more "tribal" Japanese stuff.

So we are going for "bigger" things, so to speak, after this new album "Revive The World". That's why I said this may be the last album we play and sing about "personal" stuff, our own personal life and personal relationship between God. We will probably singing more about History, Nation, Japan, its people and its relationship between God. Future as well as Past, and maybe just a little bit of Politics. It would be a difficult task. I'm not even sure if I want to do that. But yes, it will be more for Japanese people, rather than playing internationally and singing in English.

We have made/recorded so much music, so many independently recorded albums so far. Those music were very personal.

If you want "Christian Heavy Metal" albums singing about this spiritual uplifting relationship between us and God, just listen to this new album "Revive The World" or pick up one of those albums we did since 2008, "Victory In Christ", "Japan Metal Jesus" and "Heroes EP". They were the Christian metal records we have made, singing about God's glory on a personal level, singing mostly in English language for international audience.

Or if you want "Japanese rock" albums which are about Japanese life, just pick up one of those albums we (or Tak did by himself) made 1998-2006, such as "Hero of the Lights", "Entering The New World", "Kodomo Metal" and "fireworks". They are also very personal music, from a boy grew up in a local city in Japan. These music are sometimes based on metal, sometimes based on alternative and, of course, sometimes based on J-pop. They are sung in Japanese language in Japanese cultural context and not necessarily for international audience, but they are yet very important "spiritual" messages from Imari Tones. Those music are on our BandCamp page too, but now we have a plan to "revamp" some of these old "Japanese" albums, remixing songs and re-record some tracks. We will release them on iTunes and other outlets when we finished working on them. I'm not sure if you people are interested in these "Japanese" albums we made before 2006, but we want to present them in a right way sometime in a future.

Those music are all personal, from bottom of our heart, it's our offering of LOVE. It IS our life, literally, as we have put so much effort on this music for a long time.

Starting now we will be working on "History" album, and "Traditional/Tribal" project after that.

It will be a tough work. God only knows if we can do that.

But well, for now, we are very happy to give you "Revive The World". I want you to celebrate together. Because, just like I told you above, this is definitely our musical goal, musical height and culmination of our personal Love, Faith, and Music.

We hope to be more successful and be able to tour in more places. Not only in Japan, not only in USA, but also in Asia, Europe and South America. We want to visit you and we want to see you. So now I'm praying to God.

Thank you for reading this long email/blog and thank you for bearing my "Not So Perfect" English. I really hope my English is correct.

Thank you very much,

God bless you all.

Please God guide us all so that we can make a better future according to Your Will and Your Plan.

In Jesus' Name.

Tak / Imari Tones

Imari Tones "Revive The World" press release! (sort of)

Hello this is Tak from Imari Tones, Japanese Christian rock band.

We’ve been working on this for a while now.

At first we said we were going to release our new album “Revive The World” in September. However, we are an independent band with limited resource.

This month we have been really busy preparing for Matsubarako Vibration Jam (Sep 21-23) and The Extreme Tour Japan (November) and we decided it’s the best for us to released the album in October.

So here is our official “press release” kind of statement. Let’s see if my English improved a bit!

For Immediate Release

Date: September 18, 2015

Title: Japanese Christian Metal Band IMARI TONES releases “Revive The World” to heal this spiritually wounded world

Yokohama, Japan - September 18, 2015 - Japanese Christian heavy metal band Imari Tones releases “Revive The World”, a new album with musically diverse and spiritually elevated songs.

Japanese rock band Imari Tones, known as “The First Christian Heavy Metal Band from Japan”, releases their new album titled “Revive The World” on October 20th. This album is a result of their years of touring and playing both in Japan and USA, including their independently executed “We Are Okay, We Rock Tour 2011”, their inclusion in USA nationwide Christian missionary music tour “The Extreme Tour 2012” and “The Extreme Tour Japan” which they now have been leading 3 years in a row.

While they are known as a band playing 1980’s style classic heavy metal such as Stryper, this album contains much more diverse songs, such as progressive rock song “Unlimit”, down-tuned alternative song “The Imaginary Number Boy 3” and 1970’s sounding message song “Unknown Road”, with influences from Rush, Led Zeppelin and Living Colour. 

The band was formed in 2004. Since they started playing “Christian Rock” in 2008, Imari Tones has been touring, writing, recording independently and gained a unique position in the world of Christian music, as they try to convey God’s words to Japanese people. On this album “Revive The World”, their super-positive, spiritually elevated high energy heavy metal music is shown in its best form, with Tak “Tone” Nakamine’s shredding guitar technique, Hassy’s melodic bass lines and Jake’s ever-changing-time-signature speed drumming.

As a Christian band with a positive spiritual message, they have some story behind the album title and artwork. Tak “Tone” Nakamine, the guitarist/singer, says “Right now, we see this world changing rapidly. Especially in Japan, after the 2011 Tsunami and nuclear power plant disaster, things are really uncertain. The future is unknown and we are all hurting. This world needs a healing. A spiritual healing. We need more Love, not Hate, to go through this difficult time for humanity. So this is our spiritual healing in the music form." Also Tak doesn't forget to mention the band's most important message. "We wanted to prove we can do it all in a form of Christian Rock. I think Christian rock scene is very much saturated for a long time now. So, as a band from Japan where Christianity is still rare and perceived differently, we wanted to throw something fresh. I'm sure people will smile when they hear our almost-ridiculous straightforward message screaming "I ride for JESUS!".

While they have launched “Calling Records” with some other Japanese Christian bands in August 2015, this album will be released from their own record label Kitchen Knife Records, due to the timing of the release.

The official release date for “Revive The World” is October 20th, 2015.

The album will be available on iTunes and BandCamp, as well as on digital streaming outlets such as Spotify and Apple Music. Physical CDs will be available on BandCamp, where you can buy directly from the band.

These are some songs from the album

"Unlimit"

"Unknown Road"

"Born To Ride"

Imari Tones website:

http://www.imaritones.net/

Imari Tones Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/imaritones

日本語訳プレスリリースみたいなもの〜！！

さて、しばらくこの仕事にかかりきりになっていますが、僕たちは当初、新しいアルバム”Revive The World”を9月にリリースする予定でした。けれども、限られたリソースしか持っていないインディーズバンドとしては、今月僕たちはとても忙しく、松原湖バイブレーションジャムや、11月に予定しているThe Extreme Tour Japanの準備をしなくてはいけないので、アルバムのリリースを10月にずらすことに決めました。これが僕たちのちょっとした、プレスリリースのような文章です。ちょっとでも英語が上達してるといいんだけれど。

For Immediate Release

Date: September 18, 2015

Title: 日本のクリスチャンメタルバンド、Imari Tonesが傷ついた世界を癒すため”Revive The World”をリリースする

Yokohama, Japan - September 18, 2015 - 日本のクリスチャンヘヴィメタルバンドImari Tonesが、音楽的に多様性に満ち、精神的に高揚したニューアルバム”Revive The World”をリリースする。

「日本初のクリスチャンヘヴィメタルバンド」として知られるImari Tones (伊万里音色)が、10月20日に”Revive The World”と名付けられたアルバムをリリースします。このアルバムは、彼らの何年にもわたる日本とアメリカをツアーし演奏してきた結果です。それらは、2011年に自主的に敢行された”We Are Okay, We Rock Tour 2011”や、アメリカで行われるクリスチャンツアー”The Extreme Tour 2012”への参加、ならびに日本で3年連続で彼らが中心となって行ってきた”The Extreme Tour Japan”などの経験を含みます。

彼らはStryperのような1980年代のスタイルのヘヴィメタルを演奏するバンドとして知られていますが、このアルバムにはより多様性のある楽曲が含まれています。プログレッシヴな雰囲気の”Unlimit”、ダウンチューニングされたオルタナティヴソング”The Imaginary Number Boy 3”、1970年代風のメッセージソング”Unknown Road”など。そしてそこにはRushやLed Zeppelin、Living Colourなどの影響が感じられます。

バンドは2004年に結成され、2008年にクリスチャンロックを演奏するようになってから、Imari Tonesはインディペンデントにツアーし、曲を書き、レコーディングを行い、日本の人々に神の言葉を伝えようとトライしながら、クリスチャンミュージックの世界でユニークな立ち位置を得ました。

このアルバム”Revive The World”では、彼らのとてもポジティヴで、スピリチュアルに高揚し、エナジーに満ちたヘヴィメタルミュージックが最高の形で提示されています。Tak “Tone” Nakamineのテクニカルなギタープレイと、Hassyのメロディアスなベースラインと、Jakeの変化に満ちたリズムがそれを支えています。

前向きなメッセージを持ったクリスチャンバンドとして、彼らはこのアルバムのタイトルと、アートワークの背景にも物語があります。シンガーでありギタリストのTakは言います。「今僕たちは世界が急激に変化しているのを見ている。特に日本では、2011年の津波と原子力発電所の事故以来、物事がとても不安定だ。未来は不安でいっぱいだし、人々は傷ついている。この世界には癒しが必要です。魂の癒しが。人類には、この難しい時代を乗り越えるために、憎しみではなく、より多くの愛が必要です。だからこれは僕たちなりの音楽の形をした癒しなのです。」そしてTakはバンドの持つ最も重要なメッセージについて触れるのも忘れない。「僕たちは、それをクリスチャンロックの形でやれるということを証明したかった。クリスチャンロックのシーンは、もう長いこと飽和していると思う。けれども、日本というキリスト教が珍しくて、違った受け取り方をされている国のバンドとして、僕たちは何か新鮮なものを提供したかった。僕たちの”I ride for Jesus!”というほとんど馬鹿げたくらいにストレートなメッセージを聞けば、みんな笑ってくれると信じているよ。」

彼らは2015年8月に、他の日本のクリスチャンバンドと一緒にCalling Recordsを立ち上げたけれども、リリースのタイミングの関係もあり、このアルバムは彼らの自主レーベルKitchen Knife Recordsからリリースされる。

“Revive The World”の正式なリリース日は2015年10月20日で、アルバムはiTunesやBandCampなどで入手可能な他、SpotifyやApple Musicといったストリーミングサービスでも聴くことができるようになります。フィジカルのCDはBandCampで、バンドから直接買うことができます。

Imari Tones website:

http://www.imaritones.net/

Imari Tones Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/imaritones

"Falling" music video

Just like we've posted earlier, we are planning to release the new album titled "Revive The World" in September.
We are now preparing for the release.

At the same time, we've been making music videos for the songs on the new album.
We have just posted another one.
Surprisingly, this is already 5th music video from our soon-to-be-released new album.




This song is called "Falling".
This song has interesting lyrics. It's a song about "devils".
It's a song about devils' nature and their funny story.
Their story of "falling into the hand of God".

Actually it's also a song about "skydiving".
However, we could not make a skydiving video.
So, instead, we made a "falling skateboarder" video, using outtakes from our "Born To Ride" skateboarding footage.

Also our drummer Jake dropped an egg on a table.
You can see what happened to the egg at the end of the video.
It's a funny movie, so check it out.

Tak keeps falling off a skateboard in this movie, because this song is "Falling".
But don't forget to watch "Born To Ride" music video for some successful skateboard tricks, which we've posted before.





That's all for today.
Thank you very much!
God bless you!

Tak / Imari Tones

"Revive The World" Artwork revealed

Here is the artwork for our new album "Revive The World".
The artist surely did a great job here.
She (the painter) is one of our "heavy metal friends" in Japan.
We asked her to draw whatever she was inspired to draw by the music.
Also we mentioned this "heal the earth" notion behind the album title.

So here is what we got.
What do you think?
We think it's pretty cool.

Our new album "Revive The World" is planned to be released in coming September.
It's full of "inspirational" songs, that are spiritually rich and musically diverse.
Music wise, it will definitely be our best-so-far album.

Just to remind you, some songs from the album are already on YouTube.


"Unlimit"




"Unknown Road"



"Born To Ride"



Thank you very much!
Tak / Imari Tones

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.

https://www.facebook.com/callingrecords

Calling Records website

http://callingrecordsjapa.wix.com/callingrecords

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 TonesのTak Nakamine、CLOD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、Indicator、Imari Tonesです。

レコ発ライブは8月8日(土)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、

8月8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。

https://www.facebook.com/callingrecords

Calling Records ホームページ

http://callingrecordsjapa.wix.com/callingrecords

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)