2011/05/27＊Takuro

「Countdown!」

Only a month to go until the rescheduled “Movement YOKOHAMA”!! We’re gradually deciding on the setlist. Combining songs from the new album as well as our other songs up until now, we’ll come up with a new way to present our music. With that said, Movement will of course be the main dish of the night. It has 11 songs after all. I know you guys haven’t heard it yet, but I want you to please wait just a little bit more. The album cover’s out already so you can fixedly stare at that if you’d like. The real thing’s even better and the shot was taken just for this album’s sake. Though it’s a bit unusual, don’t you think it’s a beautiful picture? Once you listen to the album, I think you’ll see that the cover’s a perfect fit. Just wait a little bit more.

This reminds me, it seems “Atarashii Hikari” debuted at 9th on the Oricon chart. I thought it was some kind of a joke but it looks to be for real. From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who went out and got it. Thank you. I wonder if everyone downloaded the EMI ROCKS recording, too. Once you I hear it, I think it’ll make you want to come see us at Yokohama Arena. Our CD’s, it’s fine if you share them with your siblings or the rest of your family, or if you loan them to friends or borrow them from TSUTAYA or something. I don’t mind. If you listen to them, that alone will make me really happy.

Well then, the countdown starts today. Pictured up there are the remains of our planning for the designs of the limited edition goods for sale the Arena concert. You can see something resembling a T-shirt as well. Look forward to that, too!

2011/05/23＊Takuro

「Onryumon starting any minute now」

Today 9mm is appearing not only on radio, but also on Fuji TV’s Onryumon (and next week too, actually). According to rumors, they’re going to show live clips. I’m going to watch it as it airs, too.

2011/05/23＊Staff

In the middle of a live radio broadcast!
They’re having nagashi soumen!!
Looks good.

Taki’s absent as he’s playing guitar at a live charity event.

2011/05/22＊Takuro

「MJ (today) and RD (tomorrow)」

Well then everyone, I wonder if you all watched MJ? 9mm only had a musical performance featured, but it doesn’t matter. It’s enough that our new song got aired. I think it’s awesome all the AKB48 fans got to see us. Lately, you hear a lot about people supposedly losing interesting in music, losing interest in rock and how CD’s don’t sell as much these days and so on. I think that just means those people are now interested in something else, doesn’t it? The people who’d up until now been captivated by rock, I wonder what they’re into in 2011. Is it maybe jazz or hip hop, maybe architecture or volunteer work, or possibly even cooking or politics or comedy? There should be some in the line of writing haiku about idols, railroads and calligraphy, too. Within that group, I expect that some get really excited about 9mm’s songs. At least one or two people.

That’s what I think. And if they come to our shows, then that’s even more awesome. That’s where it all starts, they’ve come somewhere where they found something they think is as awesome as jazz, hip hop and so on. Tomorrow we have a radio appearance scheduled, “RADIO DRAGON” on TOKYO FM. Check it!

Picture: Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl is supposed to have the same guitar as someone called Trini Lopez, I wonder if it’s this person? It’s from this crumpled up English-language newspaper I discovered.

2011/05/21＊Staff

We’re live!
While they were playing Atarashii Hikari, we took a commemorative picture with everyone!

2011/05/21＊Staff

At Spainzaka Studio
Doing a live appearance after this!
In stand-by mode now.

2011/05/20＊Staff

「SSTV Monster Rock」
Today we spent the whooole day shooting for Monster Rock at Shinjuku Tower Records.
We managed to capture a lot of pretty funny stuff, so look forward to it.
More details to be announced later.

2011/05/19＊Takuro

「Download recommendation」

“Atarashii Hikari” has been released. Just to check that they hadn’t forgotten about it or anything, the four of us went to a CD shop and it was properly on sale as scheduled. The shop we went to, they had it really standing out on display everywhere. We saw someone who had just given it a trial listen and was lining up at the cash register. When we asked him about it, he said he doesn’t really know the band all that well. Splendid. “Be sure to download the live recording, too!“, we told him. In any case, the CD went on sale as planned. Thank you to everyone who got a copy. I want you to play it to your friends, siblings and parents, too. I say this every time, but I want lots of people to hear it. Don’t forget to download the live recording, too, as it was a terrific show. It’s the one we played at the Super Arena last year, which means Yokohama Arena should be even more awesome as we’ve naturally grown as a band after making the new album. Well then, see you later. We’re featured on tonight’s edition of Specha on Space Shower TV, so make sure to watch it!!

The picture’s from yesterday when we did a live radio broadcast in Yokohama. You can see my reflection.

2011/05/16＊Takuro

「The day before the release of Atarashii Hikari」

Did everyone listen to School of Lock? How was our new song? We’ll become regulars on there again, so please do give our show a listen. Today we did a photo shoot for Ongaku to Hito at a late night Tokyo. The people walking down the road were mostly surprised to see us as they walked by, but I think around 10% of the people there were just looking at us like “I wonder who those guys are?” But you know, it’s exactly because they don’t know us yet that I want those people to hear “Movement” and come see us at Yokohama Arena. Aside from the photo shoot, we also did lots of interviews for other magazines and free newspapers today, so if you see them around, you should be able to get ahold of a copy. We’re really talking a lot lately, seriously. This all reminds me, it seems this month’s issue of Ongaku to Hito had my name pop up in THE BACK HORN’s Matsuda’s serial… moreover, I hear they’re having an event at LOFT PLUS ONE tomorrow, aren’t they? Just wanted to advertise it. Me, I won’t be going, but I hear it’s going to be huge comeback for them, so yeah.

Right then! The day’s turned to the 17th which means “Atarashii Hikari” goes on sale tomorrow! It’s finally coming out～.

2011/05/14＊Staff

Between all the magazine interviews and photoshoots, we’re crawling about inside the vast lobbies of EMI!

According to the band, it’s apparently quite fun.
I’m not sure I really see the appeal of it myself though (lol)