Archive For June, 2009

Universal names four Asian regional digital execs

Four digital-music heads in Asia are better than one, according to Universal Music South East Asia, which today named four executives to handle digital and business development in their respective territories.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009Read more

Toons, tunes and animated hamsters

The trans-Pacific toons-and-tunes connection continues to get stronger: Hitomi Yoshizawa, one half of Japanese female pop duo Hangry and Angry, will be a special guest at this year’s Anime Expo pop-culture convention in Los Angeles, organizers of the event have announced.

Friday, June 26, 2009Read more

Finns find fans in Japan

Finland continues to punch above its weight in Japan. Some 80 Finnish acts – roughly half of them metal bands – are currently signed to Japanese labels.

They include power metal outfit Stratovarius, (whose latest album, Polaris, reached No. 11 on Oricon magazine’s international-album chart after its May 20 release by Victor Entertainment), Children of Bodom, H.I.M., Sonata Arctica, R&B singer Tuomo (currently enjoying heavy airplay with his track Firsts) and jazz group Five Corners Quintet.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009Read more

Morita named SMEJ chairman

Masao Morita, son of Sony co-founder Akio Morita, will be named chairman of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and representative director of Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) effective June 24, SMEJ has announced.

Thursday, June 18, 2009Read more

Texas triumph takes Tsujii to the top 10

Having your debut CD enter the album chart in the top 10 is amazing enough for any artist, but for a classical pianist it’s almost unheard of. That impressive feat has been achieved by Nobuyuki Tsujii, whose first album as featured performer, “Debut,” entered Oricon magazine’s album chart at No. 8 this week.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009Read more