YOHIO - Yohi sanpo in sweden

Source: YOHIOUNIVERSAL via Youtube

[Mini-Album] YOHIO - REACH the SKY (25.04.2012)

Tracklist
1. REACH
2. SKY☆LiMiT
3. Frantic Elegance
4. Dawn of Dreams
5. Without Wings ~Sora to Yakusoku Shita~
6. Angel's Walts

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YOHIO - YOHIO no heya

Source: YOHIOUNIVERSAL @Youtube

YOHIO - CDJapan Interview [REACH the SKY]

1. So the mini album "REACH the SKY" is going to be released on 25th April, but how did you first feel about Japan debut?

- Well, at first I was quite shocked. But it didn't really sink in, and still hasn't (laughs). Since I didn't have songs done, I started working right away. Some of the songs were old ideas that I renewed, and some are all new.

People may think that you can just debut, without doing much. But that's very wrong (laughs). I'm actually so into my work that I don't really realise what it is for. What I'm trying to say is, that I'm very happy about debuting, of course, but there's so much work behind everything that I sometimes forget that I'm actually debuting. Maybe it's sinking in more and more as the release approaches!

2. You started learning guitar at the age of 11. What made you start the guitar?

- I started learning guitar because of a song. The song itself is a secret, but it was a song with a very powerful guitar riff, and I thought: "I want to learn how to play that!" So that's how it all began. I asked my father - who is also a professional musician - how to play it, and he taught me.

3. You are singing all the songs in Japanese for this album, so what is the secret of learning Japanese?

- That's right. The secret of learning Japanese - or any language actually - is to be surrounded by the language as much as possible. For example, you should read Japanese blogs, follow Japanese people on Twitter, watch Japanese TV-series such as dramas, etc.
A good way of learning is also to actually visit Japan for real. I've been there 5 times now, and I always learn something new! It's one of the best ways, because you're always surrounded by Japanese people who speaks the language fluently. In that way, by just listening you learn a lot. And of course, they can correct you if you say something wrong!

4. What kind of album do you think the debut album "REACH the SKY" has become to you?

- It's one of the most important releases I'll be doing in my life. Because it's my first release in Japan and my first solo release ever. I see it somehow as the real start of my career.

5. When and how was the first song of the album "REACH" made?

- "REACH" was made for the purpose of my band Seremedy, sometime around summer last year I think. The song didn't have lyrics until I decided to use it for "REACH the SKY" though. I felt like I wanted to sing it myself, and that's why I chose to use it for my solo work.
Even before the decision was made that I was going to debut as a solo artist in Japan, I felt like I wanted that song for my own in some way. So the first song that popped up in my head when they said I was going to debut was naturally "REACH."

6. The second song "SKY LiMiT" is a very pop and cute song. Please tell us how this song was made.

- The first stage in the making of "SKY LiMiT" was the very first intro. It's exactly the same in the final mix as when I recorded it the first time, same sounds and everything. It was just a melody that came up in my head, so I went to the computer and recorded it with the synth sounds you can hear in the now full song.
This was in the summer of 2011 as well. I didn't think of making it into an actual song until the idea struck me while I was looking through my computer for songs to use for my solo debut. I thought: "Maybe this will fit as a pop-rock song?" So I translated the synths into guitar, bass and drums and started building a song around the same melodies as the intro. And it turned out really special, I must say. Because of the very special way of making the song, it turned into a very special song in the end.
The rhythms of the drums and how you play the guitar is not something I've done before. The chorus is a bit more normal than the rest of the song, but the intro and verses are really abnormal (laughs). Anyways I think it's a good thing, and something that people can appreciate.

7. The third song "Frantic Elegance" is a guitar instrumental track: please tell us the main attraction of this track.

- "Frantic Elegance" is a song that I composed before the plans of the solo debut came up. I think the main attraction of this track is just that it's an instrumental. The focus lies on the guitars and composition itself. I didn't just want to show off my guitar skills, I wanted to make a good composition as well, with good melodies to back the shredding up.
And in the end, I think it's actually more melody parts than shredding (laughs). But that's kind of the point. I wanted to be able to express feelings purely through my guitar, without needing any words at all. In composing, to me, balance is everything.

8. What kind of song the fourth track "Dawn of Dreams" has become?

- This is the most modern sounding song of them all, and I had that in mind while composing it. "Dawn of Dreams" was the only song that I made completely from scratch, and solely for the cause of "REACH the SKY." It took only 2 days to finish, but I put a lot of emotion in it while making it. I tried to put as many elements, both musically and vocally, in the song to show my versatility.
As you can hear, there's clean vocals, screaming vocals and rap. This is the first time I'm showing the world my vocals, so of course I want to show all of my sides.
The lyrics are also very versatile. It's mainly in Japanese, but the screaming parts are in English, and in one part of the song I've included a line in Swedish! So basically what I'm trying to say is that a lot of things are going on in this one (laughs).

9. Please tell us the theme of the fifth song "Without Wings - Sora to Yakusoku shita -," which is an only ballad in the album.

- I started composing this song in the summer of 2010 (!). My band Seremedy were going to play a show in Moscow, Russia, and we didn't have enough songs for the set (laughs), so I made songs like crazy. The plan was that I was going to sing it myself, exclusively at the live in Russia. But unfortunately I never finished it in time. Anyways, I finished it in the fall of 2011, since I had ideas for the theme of the lyrics. The song is about a bird that made a promise to the sky, but he lost his ability to fly and therefore he can't return anymore. It's a very tragic song, but the lyrics kind of flowed through me all of a sudden, like I had to write them.
Naturally I thought that this was perfect for "REACH the SKY." I got to show my other side of composing; the classical side of music. It's a very important part of me, so I'm very happy that I got to show that side too.

10. How did you come to make the last song "Angel's Waltz," which is a piano instrumental track.

- I've been playing the piano since I was 6 years old. But when I started to play guitar, piano kind of got in the shadow. In other words, I don't play piano much. But a while ago, around September of 2011, I decided to practise some piano again.
So "Angel's Waltz" was a song I composed for myself just in the cause of practise. But since it sounded good, I thought I could include it to show that I'm able to play piano as well. The last bit of the song, however, is a piece I wrote years ago. It was in the same tempo and key as the new part I wrote, so they fit perfectly together.

11. Why are you attracted to visual-kei music?

- I like the way you can combine music with looks. The way this scene works in all prospects is the most suitable for me I think. For some reason I feel like I was born to be here, because I don't fit anywhere else, really. It's the only place I really feel at home!

12. Who do you admire most as a guitarist?

- There are many who inspires me, and in different ways. It's hard to pick who I admire the most actually.

13. Are there any artists that you'd like to perform with?

- Of course! Seremedy played at V-ROCK FESTIVAL '11, so a lot of those dreams came true there. It was the second time we played with Versailles though (first time was in Sweden), which is a band I have huge respect for. Right now though, the artist I would like to perform with would be GACKT. He played with his band on V-ROCK FESTIVAL as well, but I would really like to play with him again!

14. Is there any place you'd like to visit when you are in Japan next time?

- As always, I'd like to take a stroll in Harajuku!

15. Are there any dreams you'd like make come true as an artist in Japan?

- Tokyo Dome.

16. Please give a message to Japanese listeners.

- Hi, this is YOHIO! I'll make my solo major debut in Japan this April with the Mini Album "REACH the SKY." As I've put a lot of work, passion and soul into it, I hope that you'll enjoy listening to the result! From now on, please don't only support me as a member of Seremedy, but as a solo artist too. See you in Japan. Together we'll REACH the SKY!



Source - CDJapan

YOHIO -「SKY☆LiMiT」Video Comment

Source: YOHIOUNIVERSAL via youtube

YOHIO reveals jacket covers and track list for debut album "REACH the SKY"

Earlier we reported that 16-year-old visual kei artist YOHIO will be making his solo debut from Universal International’s new label, Thunderball 667, on April 25th with his first mini-album, ‘REACH the SKY’.

Born into a family of musicians, YOHIO started to gain respect for Japanese culture after being introduced to anime. In 2009, when he was just 14-years-old, he formed a visual kei band called Seremedy. They held their first tour in Japan last year, and also participated in the ‘V-ROCK FESTIVAL ‘11‘ as the opening act.

Since his solo debut was announced, YOHIO has appeared on the variety tv show ‘Waratte Iitomo!‘, and was also reported on various information programs and magazines.

According to Universal International’s Shiokawa Naoki, their main target is “V-Rock fans and people who like Western hits”. He explained, “For V-Rock fans, visual kei magazines and specialty stores. As such, we will make plans for hardcore fans. On the other hand, for Western music fans, we will have promotions for this music that has potential to be appealing.”

During his album release week, YOHIO will hold a special release event in Tokyo with visual kei band Duel Jewel as the supporting act.

Check out the jacket covers and track list below!

===

<Limited Edition>

Tracklist

CD

01. REACH
02. SKY☆LiMiT
03. Frantic Elegance
04. Dawn of Dreams
05. Without Wings ~Sora to Yakusoku Shita~
06. Angel’s Waltz

DVD
01. SKY☆LiMiT PV
02. Documentary (Live Footage, Offshots)

<Regular Edition>

Tracklist

CD

 01. REACH
02. SKY☆LiMiT
03. Frantic Elegance
04. Dawn of Dreams
05. Without Wings ~Sora to Yakusoku Shita~
06. Angel’s Waltz

 

Sources: Oricon, Universal Music Japan 1, 2 / TokyoHive

YOHIO - What is your favorite anime?

Source: YOHIOUNIVERSAL via Youtube

YOHIO -『REACH the SKY』Deluxe edition DVD [Teaser]

YOHIOUNIVERSAL

[PV/FULL] YOHIO - SKY☆LiMiT

YOHIOUNIVERSAL

[Preview] YOHIO - SKY☆LiMiT

YOHIOUNIVERSAL

YOHIO - "SKY☆LiMiT" Teaser + Comment Video

YOHIOUNIVERSAL

[Preview] YOHIO - SKY☆LiMiT

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YOHIO - SKY☆LiMiT [CM]

YOHIO -『REACH the SKY』

Release Date: 2012/4/25

Tracklist
■ CD
1.「REACH」
2.「SKY☆LiMiT」
3.「Frantic Elegance」
4.「Dawn of Dreams」
5.「Without Wings ～空と約束した～」
6.「Angel's Waltz」
■ DVD (Deluxe Edition only comes with)
☆ plan included a live video and off shot

Limited Edition Deluxe (SHM-CD + DVD): (tax included) UICN-9002 ¥ 2,980
Regular Edition (SHM-CD): (tax included) UICN-1002 ¥ 1,500

Seremedy Guitarist YOHIO's 1st Mini-Album release

Well, we just noticed we're a bit back with those news, but better late than never...
And everyone who didn't know yet still has some months to pre-order!
So, in 2012, 16-year old Guitarist YOHIO from Seremedy started his solo project! His first release will be Mini-Album "REACH the SKY", available from April 25th.
There are going to be two different types, a Limited Edition (2980 yen), including CD + DVD and a Regular Edition (1500 yen), including CD only.

Pre-Order Limited Edition via Universal Music Store, CDJapan
Pre-Order Regular Edition via Universal Music Store, CDJapan

OHP

Interview with SEREMEDY

Hello once more our fellow readers. I got the chance earlier this year to talk to some of the members of the new band Seremedy. Seremedy is an Alternative Metal / Rock band from Stockholm, Sweden. They are a swedish 'J'rock band who follow the Visual Kei Scene that has been blossoming all over the world in different countries. Seremedy began forming in 2008 but did not complete it's final line up until 2010. Seremedy was founded by Ray and Jenziih; Ray is the guitarist of the band and Jenziih is the bassist. Sermedy is apart of the Ninetone Nation Lable aswell as Universal Music and are planning to release their first full album this coming summer.

Here is a little bit about the band from their Facebook page:

Seremedy is a band, not wanting to be tied to a specific genre. Their sound varies greatly, so they have developed a two-sided view on the world. One side of Seremedy is heavy and dark, agressive yet melodic. The other side is more cheerful and happy, as a counter-part. Everything between is expressed by the variation in appearance. Since the start of Seremedy the band have gained an ever growing number of fans from all around the world.

The members of Sermedy are as follows:

Vo. SEIKE

Gu. YOHIO

Gu. RAY

Ba. JENZiiH

Dr. LINDER

You can find Sermedy's members on Twitter as well:
Seremedy Official,  Ray , Seike , Jenziih, Yohio, Linder

I also got the oppertunity to have a small questionaire with Seike and Ray. They both happily participated in answering a few questions and also wanted to thank Visual Kei Heaven for letting them do this. They have a drive to get Sermedy's madness out into the open and are hoping to someday tour the world.


1. First off can you please Introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about what Seremedy is to you individually.

SEIKE: [Vocalist of Seremedy] Seremedy is a big part of me and my life.

RAY: I'm RAY, I play guitar in Seremedy. Seremedy, for me, is a way to express our feelings; both good and bad, and to share these feelings with our MAD family, the fans.

2. What made Seremedy ,as a whole, inspired to become a band?

SEIKE: I joined last, so the band was already formed by then but we have grown together to become a strong group and family of.

RAY: I guess our common interest in the visual scene, to start a new scene that didn't exist here in Sweden before.

3. What sort of reactions did the band receive for being a Non-Japanese Visual Kei Band when Seremedy first came about? Were they positive reactions or more in between?

SEIKE: Very different. Many good, but I don’t pay much attention to the bad response as long as it is not so called “constructive criticism” that I can get use to, to evolve as an artist, though I will never live to please others. I do this because I love to do it, in my way. There will always be people who act against development. We are here to entertain. I want to make that point clear. Obviously people like to watch and judge, and we are happy that we gain attention, whatever attention there is. That's what our modern freakshow is all about!

RAY: We had a huge amount of positive reactions, it really surprised us! Of course there are people who are like "You can't be visual if you aren't Japanese", but that's just really close-minded elitist people.

4. What plans do you have for Seremedy in the future? A world tour maybe?

SEIKE: As we gain more and more supporters around the world that goal might not be far away. Thank you, everybody.

RAY: We are going to release our debut album now, we hope to do it before the summer, and we also hope to do a lot of tours with the album!

5. What as individuals inspires you to write and play your songs?

SEIKE: My twisted mind.

RAY: I can be inspired by anything actually. It can be a feeling, a song on the radio, or just scenery outside my window.

6. I know that Ray has already answered this question on formspring but what would you, as individuals, want to be if you weren't rock stars?

SEIKE: I already do some modeling, designing clothes, and will soon release more news about my upcoming brand! I guess that is what I would like to work with full time if I did not have my band. I also like to write soundtracks, but that is more of a hobby.

RAY: Fashion designer, making jewelry, shoes and clothes. I also want to own a bar or a night club.

7. Is there any particular Jrock or Visual Kei band that you really enjoy listening to or gain inspiration from?

SEIKE: I adore SID. My favourite Japanese bands of all time are Malice Mizer and Soroban. Funny mix, hehe. My dear friend KENZI from d.p.s/Antifeminism is a big support for me, and has been from the beginning. His speeches tend to inspire me, and I am very thankful to him for everything.

RAY: I don't listen so much to Japanese music, but there are some really interesting bands, like Rin, Toshite Shigure, and 9GOATS BLACK OUT that I think stand out and can inspire me.

8. What was it that brought Seremedy into the visual Kei scene? Was it inspiration from a particular band or just influences from the style its self?

SEIKE: There is no other scene in the world where Seremedy would fit. I get inspiration to my style from what I like and who I am, and it happend for me to be very simular to what is called Visual! Then I found a band with minds alike, so it is very natrual for us and simple actually.

RAY: It was the scene as a whole.

9. If you all could open up for any Visual Kei band or Jrock band who would it be and why?

SEIKE: I am open to work with any band as long as there is a good connection between us and the members are polite and open-minded.

RAY: For me personally, Dir en grey would be an honour, but I know that they don't want to be associated with the visual scene, so the GazettE would be cool. They are a band I respect.

10. Is there any message you would like to send to all your fans and future fans?

SEIKE: Seremedy are working really hard. I am happy for those of you who can see this and support us on our way. To the future fans I would like to welcome you into our family to become a part of our MADNESS.

RAY: Thanks for reading this, if you already are a fan: we love to have you in our MAD family!

And if this is the first time hearing about us, be sure to check out our music!

STAY MAD!

 

 

VKH

YOHIO (Seremedy) release 1st major solo mini album

In April, YOHIO (from Swedish visual rock band Seremedy) will make a Major Solo Debut on UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN. The 1st Mini Album 「REACH the SKY」 is released 2012/4/25 and contains 6 songs! The Deluxe Edition contains a bonus DVD with live footage from YOHIO's Showcase Gig which will be held Feb 9 somewhere in Tokyo!

1st Mini Album「REACH the SKY」
■CD
1. REACH
2. SKY☆LiMiT
3. Frantic Elegance
4. Dawn of Dreams
5. Without Wings ～空と約束した～
6. Angel's Waltz
■DVD　(DELUXE EDITION)
☆Live Video and Off-shot is planned.

Limited Deluxe Edition (SHM-CD+DVD)：UICN-9002 ￥2,980 (Tax-in)
Regular Edition (SHM-CD)：UICN-1002 ￥1,500 (Tax-in)

http://beta.universal-music.co.jp/yohio

Introducing Seremedy

Now today, I want to introduce to you Seremedy, which is an Alternative Metal Visual Kei band from Sweden.

 Seremedy was created by RAY and JENZiiH in 2008 but did not officially start activities as a band until 2010. This band has a sound that varies between light and heavy. Their band line up consist of:

Vocalist: SEIKE
Guitarist: YOHIO
Guitarist: RAY
Bassist: JENZiiH
Drummer: LINDER

You can sample their music on their facebook page.

Bands official sites:
Youtube
Twitter
Myspace
Facebook