The hype machine is getting a pretty good warmup over the past week, you guys, as PassCode prepares their fans for their first major-label album:

It’s up for pre-order now, but the real winner there is the tracklist (I particularly like how exactly one song in 12 is titled in kana, but then explained in English in a parenthetical) and the implications from the DVD, which will include MVs for “ONE STEP BEYOND” (which sounds sick and is undoubtedly the lead for this) and “Same to you,” which I’m guessing is this album’s ballady number.* I’m also digging that this is mostly new, original material; with two singles and, what, five songs out since joining Universal, it’d be easy to just lean back on that for this album release, but there’s clear confidence in the material. Continue reading →