VIRTUAL

All the Adjectives in All the Languages Would Fail to Describe Ikigusare

/ Kerrie / 1 Comment

Lessee here… so far on Homicidols we’ve covered chika idols, mainstream idols, K-Pop idols, anime idols … are we missing anything else on the idol spectrum?

That’s right, I don’t think we’ve covered virtual idols yet!

Well, everyone give a round of applause to bacci on twitter for introducing me to this curiosity last night:

As an avid fan of all three of those names listed, how could I not give Ikigusare a chance? So, going into it blind, I can say … yup, that sure was an excruciating yet somewhat enjoyable experience of three Sega Saturn-looking girls singing about eating hamsters I just sat through! Continue reading →

PassCode to Release Things, Bury History, Jog in Place

/ Homicidol Maniac / 2 Comments

I kid a great deal, of course; I’m just sore that the sudden flurry of excitement that broke out yesterday wasn’t because there was a new single or !gasp! album on the way, but because it’s not technically for anything new at all, and, as I put it:

But that whole flurry was, as speculated, a re-issue. And not just any re-issue, but a re-recording of the ALL is VANITY and VIRTUAL albums, the big releases from the pre-Universal days. (Via) Continue reading →

Here’s Your First Look at PassCode’s Live Concert DVD

/ Homicidol Maniac / 1 Comment

We already knew that the “MISS UNLIMITED” extra special deluxe edition was going to contain a live DVD from the VIRTUAL tour final; now we know what that’s going to look like:

Continue reading →

I Review Things: PassCode | “VIRTUAL”

/ Homicidol Maniac / 3 Comments

I skipped the disclaimer because what’s the point? Literally, who doesn’t admit to at least liking PassCode? Their music is fun, energetic and often heavy as hell; on the human side, they’re a bunch of lovable weirdos who nonetheless see the melding of idol and rock as a chance to transcend both. That’s awesome.

Since their real launching off just two years ago, PassCode has been on a rapid rise to the top of the alt-idol heap; if you’re holding an event for the off-kilter and they aren’t in the conversation to headline, you’re doing it wrong. Along the way, their blend of “normal” idol with digital hardcore is a trendsetter; other groups have taken the electronic approach and run with it, with mixed results.

Back at the source, PassCode followed up their big 2014 debut, All Is Vanity, with a 2015 littered with just two singles but an absolute face-kicking TIF debut and their first national one-man tour (oh, and facing down a really big change in membership). Looking back, the whole scenario feels like a gun being very slowly cocked: They were building energy for a rifle shot.

When VIRTUAL was finally released late last month, then, it was a moment of truth — was PassCode for real? Had they hit the mark? Continue reading →

PassCode Also Releases the Track List for “VIRTUAL”

/ Homicidol Maniac / 8 Comments

I guess it’s PassCode Friday! I am not displeased with that! But here’s Nao with the track list for the upcoming release:


Thanks, Nao.

That’s actually an interesting list, with all three singles included. “Never Sleep Again” isn’t a surprise at all, as it’s still only a few months old, but to go all the way back to “Nextage” (that is, to the same time frame that All Is Vanity was released) makes me wonder if they aren’t considering this album something of a reboot; Yu-ri’s departure took away the last of the original members.

Or it’s possible that they just wanted updated versions of those songs with Hinako, who seems to be trending toward a very center-like role in the group despite being the new kid on the block.

At any rate, now we know a little bit more about what we’re anticipating. I’m personally marking down “MOON PHASE” and “Selfish Girl” as tracks of interest. That probably says something about me, huh?

New PassCode MV Merges Past and Future

/ Homicidol Maniac / 6 Comments

I love idol Friday. There’s almost always something cool waiting when I wake up in the morning. For instance, a new PassCode video!

I am really happy about this song. Continue reading →

That’s Messed up, PassCode

/ Homicidol Maniac / 16 Comments

Doop de doop, goin’ through the Twitter stream.

Hello, what’s this? Continue reading →

What Growing up Sounds Like: PassCode’s ‘AXIS’

/ Homicidol Maniac / 2 Comments

You know what’s always a nice surprise? When PassCode just drops another free album preview right into your lap:


I was the 62nd person to see this video! Continue reading →