Channel-Ai Community Blog - JPop reviews, articles

Lame logo for Channel-Ai 2nd Anniversary

First of all, this draft post has been sitting for quite some time and it’s about time for me to simply press the publish button… So, August 25^th is the birthday for Channel-Ai Community Blog but I did not have the time to complete this anniversary post back then. In this post, I will try to sum up what we have achieved in the past two years and what we plan to achieve before hitting our 3^rd anniversary. ;)

The idea of Channel-Ai Community Blog was born around mid August 2006. Back then I was thinking if I could make better use of the WordPress I initially installed for my personal blog. Since I am not that active a blogger, I reckon this blogging platform will be put into better use if I somehow allow Channel-Ai forum members to participate as writers for this blog. I discussed my proposal with Jason, my high school friend, and he liked this idea so much that he was willing to be one of the first writer for this blog, showing what could be done to promote the latest release of your favourite J-Pop groups and singers via this blog.

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Artist: Nami Tamaki Product Code: SRCL-6664-6666 Release Date: 2007.12.26 Highest Ranking: #04 Label: Sony Music

After several months from her previous single, Brightdown, Nami is back but this time offering a new direction once again with her musical style. This time Nami tackles the ballade genre for her new 15th single “Winter Ballades”, offering something that she has never offered before as an a-side single. Once the single was announced, there was information that the a-side would be a ballad, the b-side tracks would contain one cover song and a song written by Nami herself and a CD+DVD version as well.

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Promotional picture of JYONGRI

Artist: JYONGRI Product Code: TOCT-26214,26215 Release Date: 2007.03.21 Highest Ranking: #25 Label: Toshiba EMI Editions: CD or CD+DVD

JYONGRI is a singer of Korean Heritage who was born in Osaka. She went to international school and is fluent in English as well as Japanese, and incorporates English into her songs. She started writing her own lyrics and music from a young age, having even attended the summer music program in Berklee College of Music. Her trademark is her playing a forward-tilting electronic keyboard both in music videos and in live performances.

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Promo Photo for Together When…

Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki Release Date: 2007.12.05 Genre: Pop ballad Label: avex trax Format: Digital Single

Almost ten years have passed since her debut and yet Ayumi Hamasaki retains a well sized fanbase throughout Japan and the rest of Asia. Throughout all these years, Hamasaki has managed to release at least a studio album and a few singles every year. However it is evident that her amount of releases have decreased drastically, most particularly her singles. In 2006, Hamasaki released only two singles and it seemed that 2007 was going to follow the same fate. The reason might be either the falling popularity of singles or Hamasaki’s desire to have more time relaxing.

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Base Ball Bear promoting C, L-R: Yuasa Shohei, Koide Yusuke, Horinouchi Daisuke, Sekine Shiori

Artist: Base Ball Bear Product Code: TOCT-26149 Release Date: 2006.11.29 Label: EMI Music Japan

Base Ball Bear is a pop-rock band created by a group of high school students who originally created an OASIS cover band. Their stand-out trademark is their use of both male and female vocals with their female bassist, Sekine Shiori, who contributes to the main vocals of male guitarist and vocalist Koide Yusuke. Guitarist Yuasa Shohei and drummer Horinouchi Daisuke round out the band.

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