Hey! This GARUDA Event Sounds Fun and You Should Do It

Now I just hope it hasn’t sold out or anything yet

You guys, like all of you, are fans of idols, yes? And odds are good that you are at least aware, if not a big personal fan, of one GARUDA, aka Yuffie Sakimura, though it is quite likely that if you are aware of projects that Yuffie is associated with, including GARUDA, then you are a fan of that thing because Yuffie’s projects are good projects. Well then, in case you have not yet seen what awaits on Saturday, let’s break it down: Continue reading

For Melon Batake a go go, Plan 9 is a State of Mind

So if you’re keeping track, so far Melon Batake a go go have been:

  • Sick Idols
  • Idol Cats
  • The Idol From Outer Space
  • Idol of the Wilderness* 
  • Idol From Another Planet

…and as we see in this MV, they’re also the “Idol From Plan 9”!

We already know the psychobilly-flavored song (which is terrific!) because it’s a track included on their album “Ikasuze Idol 1.2.3!!’ released early in the year, so for the purposes of this article, let’s discuss the video. This has got the same inherent DIY quality that’s charmed us with their previous MVs. It’s low-budget, spontaneous, and you can very plainly see the members of the group are having a lot of fun. That’s really all you need, y’know? Continue reading

Tickets Are Now on Sale for the Most Indie, Idol and Infamous Tour in the UK

How conveniently named then!

Yes friends, the thing that you should be incredibly hype for if you’re able to go, and at least somewhat hype for just because it exists, is now something that you can officially purchase a ticket for, which you should undoubtedly do, and soon:

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Prepare Yourselves, UK: There’s Idols Coming to Town

The good folks at ORIONlive UK have been busy! Hot off the heels of announcing Metal Matsuri, they’re dipping into the idol well again from last year’s (what I gather must have been quite) successful Black Winds Over Albion tour and bringing 2& back to English shores, and this time with a couple of other (deeply disturbing!) friends:

Good. Lord. Continue reading

Melon Batake a go go Are Still SICK IDOLS And Thank Goodness…

Everyone’s favorite psychobilly melon idols from outer space have returned with another MV! This time it’s “SICK IDOLS” which is the lead-off track to their album IKASUZE IDOL, which technically is already floating around in a live-show only CD form, but next month will see major-label distribution (with more tracks and and a “1.2.3!!” added onto the title.) via Columbia Japan Records. Go get yer popcorn and dig in…

It’s a terrific song! But y’know what’s great about this video? It’s a perfect example of what you can do without spending a ton of money and relying on a lot of heart to make fun things. Just like the b-movies that the Melon girls wink at, there’s a spirit here that big bucks and CGI just can’t match. Continue reading

This GARUDA MV Is Everything I’ve Ever Wanted

I am a man of varied, but simple, tastes. I like savory foods and funny movies and boozy drinks and contact sports and loud music. I like most of these things best when I’m the one doing them, save for the loud music part, as I am not blessed with such skills; instead, I like when loud music is performed in unique and interesting ways, like by Japanese girls screaming into microphones. Hence, this whole idol business, and this whole Homicidols thing. For almost two years did I delve deeply into idol, chika and otherwise, discovering and sharing and thinking and celebrating, before putting HTML to Internet. I thought I knew all there was and would be.

There were idols of all shapes and sizes, of all genres and styles. Some did great, others less so. Some seemed to even transcend ideals, as they blended and offended elements until they had a thing that was all their own. And still, there were holes! The most notable, for me, was industrial. Yes, I spent a long stretch of time declaring for the world to know that an industrial idol, even a reasonable facsimile of the same, was my Most Wanted, my white whale. If I could have that, I could consider the loudol circle closed.

And then GARUDA, the ball of dangerous creativity otherwise known as Yuffie, answered the bell. Her first real-deal single has been available for purchase for a hot minute, and now we get the real-deal MV for it: Continue reading

Good Golly, GARUDA

Soundcloud apparently heard me giving it crap, or telling people about a bunch of the idols using it won me sympathy or something, because the dang app started to work again yesterday. Picked up a nice piece for the Weekender right away, and then Yuffie treated us to the latest stage in her ongoing development from Idol Who Kind of Does Industrial to The Idol Who Does Industrial Full Stop. Listen to this thing:

I’m loving the space that idol keeps finding to expand anymore, and I love how solo practitioners are finding opportunities to experiment and pursue passion projects within that space. Everything Melon-related is cool, but I daresay that Yuffie backhandedly emerges as the coolest thing in there, overall. It almost makes me glad that Re:Alice didn’t pan out; I want her spending all of her time on Melon and GARUDA and being part of my fantasy-booked tour of squats and speakeasys in the Mid-Atlantic.

By the way, did you know that Yuffie’s a contestant in Queen of the Scene, which kicks off in not even two hours (or has already if you’re late to this party)? Is she worthy? HAS SHE EARNED IT YET? We’ll see!

I’m Unreasonably Happy about This New GARUDA Track

Not to be outdone by her friends / other project and their ever-ongoing chunks of new material, Yuffie, the idol who in her solo moments dons the guise of GARUDA, the only outright industrial idol* has another song ready for our ears, though our ears may not be entirely ready for it:

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GARUDA Is on Soundcloud, Praise Be

If you recall, friends, for a very long time, my personal white whale was an idol act doing industrial. We’ve had idols cross paths with all kids of punk and metal and whatnot, and hip-hop and jazz and EDM, but I never once got to lock sonic horns with any idol project that was lining up music inspired by anything like Chemlab or Fear Factory or peak NIN. It made me sad! Yeah, industrial is about as tailor-made for song-and-dance units as I am for needlepoint, but if BiS could pull off “STUPiG”, there had to be a way to the will.

Then along came GARUDA, aka Yuffie, aka part of like seven different other projects because you can’t keep a good creative down. While her work wasn’t quite industrial per se, it was certainly machiney and loud and made me feel like there was hope for this strange idol dream to be realized.

And then she got on Soundcloud and kind of sealed the deal!

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You Wanted More GARUDA Live This Morning, Didn’t You?

Hey gang! You remember GARUDA, right? The please-let-it-be-so industrial+metal solo idol? Some videos this morning:


Boy, that sounds familiar!

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