Eir Aoi - Lapis Lazuli

Continuing her first-rate run of form, the excellent Eir Aoi has released her latest single Lapis Lazuli in the UK. Those following The Heroic Legend of Arslan will recognise the track as the anime's ED theme, and it's rollicking, anthemic feel certainly fits the high fantasy themes of the series.

With four singles released over the space of the past twelve months, we imagine the singer's hotly anticipated fourth studio album can't be far off now. Personally, we still rate 2014's Ignite (from Sword Art Online) as the best of the bunch, born out by the fact the track is still hanging round the Top 5 most downloaded J-Pop tunes on UK iTunes.

The single comes backed with the similarly fiery Utsusemi Ultimate (The Ultimate Being) and the gentler mid-tempo Rindou No Hana (The Flowering Forest Road) - on both, Aoi's vocals remain at their impassioned best, delivering the kind of epic, apocalyptic scope I feel her songs always encapsulate so well. Music to go out and take on the world, if you will.

It's worth mentioning too that Eir Aoi will actually be performing in the UK for the first time ever at this year's Hyper Japan event - something of a coup for the show if we do say, as the show shifts to the larger O2 arena from its previous Earls Court venue. With a veritable host of other J-Pop acts on offer at the event, Hyper Japan is fast shaping up as *the* definitive event of the year for fans of Japanese Music. Basically, don't miss it!

Lapis Lazuli is available to download on iTunes now, via SME Records.

Blast From The Past - Cardcaptor Sakura (CITV)

If there's any series I'd give an arm and a leg for a UK release of, it'd be Cardcaptor Sakura (or Cardcaptors as it was known by in the English dubbed version).

Back in the early 2000s, I'd just started at secondary school and I distinctly remember rushing home on weekdays to catch the latest episode of Cardcaptors. Here was a cartoon that felt distinctly adolescent - both in tone, and visually - something that offered adventure, fantasy and an escape from reality. Twenty minutes to lose yourself in, leaving homework behind in a dizzying spin of addictive 'gotta see the next episode' viewing. Much like World of Warcraft did for me years later, Cardcaptors was the door into another world - a means to transport your mind into a world where excitement lurked behind every door and adventure could be found in everyday school life.

In Sakura, you had the plucky heroine. With Lee, you had the boyish self-insert entry point that the English version so clearly played up (much to the chagrin of fans of the original Japanese version). Together, you had one hell of an adventure series. There was even the collectible card element, which coming off the back of the Pokemon craze, felt oh so timely.

And, man oh man, that theme tune...

 

nano - Rock On.

Imagine my surprise earlier this week when I checked iTunes and saw this pop up. January is typically a pretty dead period for new music, with the UK's charts invariably bloated with the biggest hits of the previous year following the Xmas blow-out.

But lo and behold, January 28th, and the new album from angular pop-rock type nano is up there. Rejoice! Most will know nano for the incredible OP theme to Arpeggio of Blue Steel, and said track is present here, alongside the singles Born To Be and Infinity=Zero. Personally, I don't think there's anything that quite comes close to matching early standouts Now Or Never and No Pain, No Game, but it makes for a solid record nonetheless, with the singer's characteristic androgynous vocals front and centre.

I've always likened nano to Enter Shikari or Amaranthe, but in truth the sound is wider reaching - matching the punchy guitar/synths combo to a more melodic course. The blend of Japanese and English lyrics is excellently done too - which is more than be said for many OP themes that attempt to do likewise.

But yeah, it goes without saying: Victor Entertainment - cheers for putting this out officially in the UK! And for anyone that hasn't heard Savior of Song yet? Boy have you been missing out...