New Susumu Hirasawa album this month :rock ::rock2

[Bebpo]

http://noroom.susumuhirasawa.com/modules/info/index.php?page=article&storyid=142

Tenkosuru Wakusei (roll call planet?)
2/18/09 Release
01.Hard Landing
02.点呼する惑星
03.人体夜行
04.Mirror Gate
05.王道楽土
06.上空初期値
07.聖馬蹄形惑星の大詐欺師
08.可視海
09.Phonon Belt
10.Astro-Ho!帰還

If you haven't heard of Susumu Hirasawa, he's awesome and is one of the pioneers of electronic music in Japan.  He's done a TON of music over the last 30 years+, a lot of solo but a lot of collaborations like P-Model.  He's also become director Satoshi Kon's (Paprika, Millenium Actress, Paranoia Agent) main go to guy for his soundtracks which tend to be reworkings of Hirasawa's solo albums.  Hirasawa's last album was White Tiger Fields in 2006 and that was reworked for the 2006 Paprika.  Kon has a new film coming later this year, and I'd guess the soundtrack will be reworkings from this new Hirasawa album.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susumu_Hirasawa

His live shows are supposed to be amazing.  He only does like 1 show a year but I hear it's crazy.  There are concert dvds but they are $$$$ and hard to find so I don't have any

If you haven't heard any of his stuff, go listen to the album "Siren".  It's godly.

Unfortunately he's so underground still that it's not always the easiest to actually buy his stuff.  Right now Play-Asia and CDJapan don't even have the new album in their system and I'm not sure if Hirasawa's own store does international orders http://www.susumuhirasawa.com/gnshop/sc2/tesla/index.htm
I'm guessing when the album comes out some places will stock it though.

Also he gives away free MP3s
http://www.teslakite.com/freemp3s/

Album should be awesome.  You should listen to it! 

[Bebpo]

Oh hey, there's an English page for it:
http://noroom.susumuhirasawa.com/modules/artist/rollcall.html?ml_lang=en

[Bebpo]

Found some info about his interactive live shows:

The Interactive Live Show is a multimedia concert which was started
in 1994 performed by Susumu Hirasawa, a musician, with supporter's
cooperation. The concerts have a story, and the audiences can
participate in it.

The story that is expressed by text or video information projected
on the huge screen set on the stage, the CG images change
bustlingly with the music, taking in the will of the participants
and the audience through the Internet on real time.
It is like watching a grand role-playing game.

In 2002, "Philosopher's propeller, The Interactive Live Show 2000"
was awarded "Minister of Economy Trade and Industry's Award" of
Multimedia Grand Prix 2001 in Japan.
This May "Live Byakkoya" is going to be performed which is the 9th
of the series.

The show goes mainly with the multimedia system Amiga computer as
Hirasawa's right-hand.
The show can advance and the audience can choose the advance
direction shown in majority on the hot point (turning point).
In the ponts, there are designed interfaces such as cheering voices
orlight. The interfaces are developing show by show.
And since 1998, the new system started called "Home Audience".
It makes audience possible to participate to the show through the
Internet.

 

[Tauntaun]

2 posts in and all by the OP.   

[cool breeze]

he did Berserk music, right?

[Bebpo]

Yeah and the manga writer of Berserk said he writes the comic while listening to Hirasawa's music.  So when it was going to be animated he told Hirasawa that and asked him to do the music and Hirasawa agreed.

Hirasawa also did the music for the anime OAV Detonator Orgun in the 80s. 

[Mr. Gundam]

Is Dream Machine the new Kon film? I haven't heard much about it.

[Mr. Gundam]

The only Kon film I didn't see in the theater during it's original American release was Tokyo Godfathers...

It's also the only Kon film I don't like.

[Tauntaun]

Yeah and the manga writer of Berserk said he writes the comic while listening to Hirasawa's music.  So when it was going to be animated he told Hirasawa that and asked him to do the music and Hirasawa agreed.

Hirasawa also did the music for the anime OAV Detonator Orgun in the 80s. 

Oh crap, he isn't the guy who did the intro song for the anime is he?  Cause that song is baaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

[Bebpo]

Can't wait to hear it!  Amazon JPN shipped mine.  5000yen = $60 USD >_<  But since I only buy 3-4 albums a year I don't mind spending a little extra for my favorite artists.  Should get it by Friday.

Oh crap, he isn't the guy who did the intro song for the anime is he?  Cause that song is baaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

No, that's the Penpals.  He just did the BGM and the insert song "Forces"

[Tauntaun]

Oh crap, he isn't the guy who did the intro song for the anime is he?  Cause that song is baaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

No, that's the Penpals.  He just did the BGM and the insert song "Forces"

Ok.   

[Cormacaroni]

  KANJI NERD ALERT

I'm pretty sure the title means 'Rotating (or 'revolving') planet', not 'roll call planet'

I'm assuming that it's written 転向する惑星.

I checked out a few of his scores thanks to this thread btw. Great stuff. Will definitely look for the new one.

(Why is it that I can't stand Japanese vocal acts, but I almost universally like electronic/instrumental Japanese acts? It seems such a waste since I can actually understand what they're saying, unlike 99% of the J-Pop/animu fans out there...)

[Cormacaroni]

...of course i was assuming that it wasn't just gibberish in both English AND Japanese. 

Visible Sea is pretty good too. Are there any invisible ones? How would we know? You'd just be walking along and wham, you get soaking wet and mauled by a shark.