Article by: Beth / @magnonrockcave Edited by: Kelly-Mae Matt
The last time I wrote anything about The Cro-Magnons โ or ใใปใฏใญใใใจใณใบ as the t shirts are branded โ they had 13 albums and counting. Now they have 17 albums, with at least 20 or so amazing hits among them. Thatโs not even counting the tracks by the same songwriters previous bands The Hi Lows, and perhaps the more globally famous The Blue Hearts. Basically, theyโve been writing great rock songs since 1985 and have barely ever stopped.
From LโR: Masaru Kobayashi (Ba.), Hiroto Kohmoto (Vo.), Masatoshi Mashima (Gr.), Katsuji Kirita (Dr.) (Photo courtesy of Sony Music Japan)
At this point, The Cro-Magnons are the longest running line-up of all three groups. Balancing the new energy of their current drummer Katsuji Kirita and bassist Masaru Kobayashi, alongside common denominators Mashima Masatoshi on guitar and Hiroto Kohmoto singing/playing the harmonica, the latter of which continues to steal the stage; this is not a bad thing and, as I have said before, Hiroto Kohmoto is a ball of energy and I just don’t know how he does it.
So, whether you have never heard of them and I convinced you in the past, or somewhere down the line you have heard a few songs and want to hear more, it begs the question: With this much of a discography, where do you start? Well, that’s ultimately subjective, and Iโll just cover The Cro-Magnons discography here, but I do have a source besides myself this time.
Re:O are back with their brand new single Ronin. With their dark and infectious blend of metal and dark pop, this track is ready to set the world ablaze.
Ronin is the 5th single to be released by Re:O. A high energy, blood pumping and aggressive anthem that combines metal with a fresh blend of J-Pop and dark pop tones. Symphonic ambience and dissonance creates a surreal and ambitious soundscape that will captivate any fan of metal, metalcore, and nu metal to post hardcore and rock, leaving them wanting more!
Over on twitter, I recently made a post expressing my desire to see the Western fans of Japanese music get into more idol groups. Right now, it seems like a lot of people stick to the same stuff but, once you really dig into the depths of Idol, you will see that there’s so many diverse and amazing groups hidden within it, and that’s what I would like to show the Japanese music fans today.
With that being said, here are 5 groups that I think we should all be talking about more and showing our support for!
Now that the weather has finally started to brighten up in dreary ol’ England, I thought it was high-time to update my playlist with a few summer songs; and what better than to fill it than with some incredible Japanese tunes that were released this year?
Though I am more inclined to listen to the cuter side of J-pop – and there’s nothing wrong with that! – I have found a nice variety of tracks to keep me going this early Summer. From upbeat, adorable tracks to more heated tunes, this playlist is filled with the tunes that define ‘Summer’ for me.
Whether you find a song to uplift your spirits or drag you into the heat of an on-coming summer, I hope that you can also find something to enjoy here in my Senpai Soundtrack. Are you ready to tune in and give these songs a go?
It’s time to bring on the Darkness and bow down to GARUDA’s brilliance once more!
Hot off the new release of her mini-album, Phoenix of Resurrection, Industrial Idol Yuffie Sakimura has been touring relentlessly alongside her group not only as a member of Melon Batake a GoGo, but also as her solo counterpart, GARUDA.
The joining of GARUDA with Gollipop Records has given us not one, but two incredible MVs and, much to the delight of fans, ‘REINCARNATION and ‘FLY HIGH AGAIN’ feature members of both the Melons and label mates, The Grateful A Mogaaz!
With a hectic timetable, Yuffie-san is also set to embark on her up-coming international tour with popular idol Yurapico, as part of the Zuukyun June tour! To say fans are sure to be delighted to enjoy the new music of GARUDA in a live setting once again would be an understatement!
With her sights set on bringing darkness to the UK and Europe, Yuffie-san joins Beyond Senpai once again to tell us all about her new EP and the up-coming tour.
โZuukyun Juneโ Brings Tokyo Underground Idols YURAPICO and GARUDA to Europe!
This June, Tokyo’s underground idols YURAPICO and GARUDA are touring Europe. Tebasaki Group K.K., together with Kushikatsu Records, German Idol Society (GiS), and Dutch Idol Community (DiC), are excited to announce three shows across three countries.
Zuukyun, meaning a sudden, strong heart-pounding sensation, sets the theme for these idols to stir up some serious excitement!
With the dawn of a new member on the horizon, it only feels right that Mana Manomu has taken a step forward as the newly appointed leader of Satanic Punish.
With the new era of Satanic Punish set to begin on May 25th this month, Mana Manomu, who has been the sole driving force behind Satanic Punish for a year now, will finally be joined by newest member Shikiin ‘RinRin’ / ‘Cathy’ Catherine. Now, it’s Manomu’s time to shine as the groups official leader.
With a year’s worth of experience working alone, as well as the milestones she has hit along the way, Beyond Senpai wanted to catch up with Manomu and talk about not only her time in Satanic Punish, but the groups latest song, ‘metaverse’, as well as her thoughts on the groups newest member.
A new dawn begins for Satanic Punish as, at last, a new member was revealed on May 5th, 2024.
Cathy – new member official photo
Shikiin Catherine – though she prefers the nicknames Cathy or Rinrin, she has stated on social media – has been welcomed as the newest member of the extreme idol unit.
Joining leader Mana Manomu, Cathy has expressed her feelings since the reveal about becoming the newest member ahead of her debut on May 25th. Prior to Cathy’s reveal, the dates for Satanic Punishes up-coming Autumn EU tour were announced, and will take place on September 20th in Arnhem, The Netherlands, and September 21st in Cologne, Germany.
In an exclusive interview, taken before the announcement and name reveal was made, Cathy tells Beyond Senpai how she feels about becoming the newest member of Satanic Punish and gives the fans an insight into who she is.
With a new member set to debut this month, the dawn of a new era is ready to begin for Satanic Punish. Featuring past singles Propaganda of the Rising Sun (2022) and Across the Future (Beyond 2049) (2023), as well as one new track, metaverse, the mini-album that is Ezekiel is here to take us into the future of Satanic Punish, all while respecting the history of its former members.
Ten years ago, a special mission began when the Far East Mention Mannequins travelled from the year 20XX. Since then, the Japanese duo have spent the past decade bringing their infectious pop-rap to the world, and gaining a loyal fan base of agents along the way.
Releasing hits such as ‘Whiplash’, ‘Peach‘, and the massive ‘Fxxk Boyz Get Money‘, FEMM have traversed the globe as the ‘Living Mannequins‘. With their robotic dance moves and call for girl power, this one of a kind unit have certainly made their mark in the music world.
Thanks to their message and music, an international fan base ranging from the US to the UK and Europe has grown, allowing FEMM to perform at several major festivals including HYPER JAPAN (London), JAPAN EXPO (France) and most recently COMICON ARABIA (Saudi Arabia).
And now, the time has come where RiRi and LuLa have completed their mission, and will return to the year 20XX. The news of this came early in 2023, and FEMMs agents have waited for news of a farewell performance and final music release. That release came late in the year with the self produced EP CHERRY and the subsequent MV for title track ‘CHERRY On TOP‘. A rush of nostalgia erupted among agents, with flashbacks capturing the last decade.
Along with the new EP, final shows were announced, with UK agents being blessed with not one, but 2 live performances in London on December 16th, at The Lower Third in the heart of Soho. This final concert will be the ‘Cherry on Top’ of an incredible music career, and is sure to be one that goes down in history, with emotions taking over in a big way.
On the run up to these final shows, RiRi and LuLa joined Beyond Senpai for an exclusive interview to tell us about the new EP, the live shows in London and what the future holds.
Beyond Senpai: Welcome back to Beyond Senpai! And welcome back to London! How do you feel about the upcoming final FEMM shows in the UK?
RiRi: Thank you for having us back! We are so excited:) This is the first time we are planning our own show, and itโs been a lot of work, but we really wanted to make it happen to see our agents one last timeโก
BS: Your agents are so excited to share the last few shows with you here in London, how did you decide that London was the city to perform in for this last time?
LuLa: Since we have a special place in our hearts for the city, we thought it would be a perfect place to perform our last show.
Our Latex costumes were initially inspired by Londonโs โFetishโ fashion & culture, and most of our costume material comes from London.
Also, some of the amazing artists weโve worked with (Like Danny L Harle, Weirdcore, MYLK and more) are based in London, and we feel very close to the city. We are really excited to come and perform one last time!
BS: We were excited to hear the new EP that was released last month, please tell us about the new record, CHERRY, and single, CHERRY on TOP and what input you had in making the record.
R: โCHERRY on TOPโ was composted my MYLK, music producer based in London, and I wrote the lyrics. We wanted to make a song that had a strong vibe singing Girl Power. This has been our colour and feel for years, and I think we could reach that aim.
In the EP โCHERRY,โ we have our first solo songs โButterfly to the Moonโ and โLiving in the Spotlight.โ These are really emotional, and we sang it from our hearts. We hope our fans love it ๐
BS: The music video for CHERRY on TOP was so nostalgic for your fans! Please tell us how the theme for the music video came about, and what were your favourite moments in making the video.
L: Thank you for the compliment. We worked with a creative team who know us from the early days, and they really get us. This MV is a mixture of both elements from 1.0, which was our earlier years that was in hardcore mannequin style, and 2.0, where we evolved into more human.
I think our agents (fans) will enjoy us wearing our signature latex costumes, and also a cute Faline Enrejar outfit that I have handpicked myself for a new look for the 2.0 side. Another thing I liked was the FEMM bills that the director made. It was really cute. Watch closely so you will know what I mean.
BS:CHERRY is the final ep to be released by FEMM, tell us about how it felt recording this last record. Do you feel it is the ‘cherry on top’ of such a great musical era?
R: It was only us and a recording engineer in the studio, while we had a director in earlier years. This EP is self produced, and itโs all us! From the concept to creation to delivering it. We have special feelings about this EP.
BS: The London shows are a few short weeks away, what are you most looking forward to when performing at The Lower Third venue? And can your agents expect any special surprises?
L: Simply, very excited. Since this will be our solo show, it will be really intimate. Just us and our agents. We love that!
We will play both old songs and new ones too. Itโll be our first and last time to sing our solos, so thatโs something NEW and FRESH:)
BS: Your music career spans a decade now, what are the most memorable moments you have had during this time?
R: Weโve been to so many countries, and met so many FEMM agents there. Every face and every smile were so precious to us. The show we just had in the US (Amine Weekend Atlanta) was really emotional. We got to spend lots of time with our agents and it is memorable for sure.
BS: With London being your last international show, what live performances have made the biggest impact on you and why? And what songs are you most looking forward to performing for the last time?
L: Almost all the shows weโve performed oversea were memorable, but this last concert will be a very special one. Not just being the last, but since we got a lot closer to our agents over the years, it will be really emotional and amazing.
R:Fxxk Boyz Get Money will certainly be fun. Lotโs of memories.
BS: With these final live performances, FEMM has said they have completed their mission, do you feel you have managed to fully complete the FEMM era as artists? And what can your fans look forward to in the future?
R: Yes. Because our main goal was to unite with humans and make peace with them. Having AI culture so close to us these days, I think the border is getting thinner everyday.
As mannequins, we will go back to where we belong, but our bodies as Emily and Hiro will remain here. Agents can still see us on social media:)
BS: RiRi and LuLa, thank you once again for joining us in this interview, and for one last time, can you send a message to your loyal agents who have supported you for the past ten years?
R: Thank you agents, for always supporting us. Any country we go, you guys loved โFxxk Boyz Get Money,โ โWannabe,โ โPoW!โ and the list goes on. Thank you for the great memories you have gave us. Music is eternal and we will always be there for you:)
L: Thank you for always sending lovely messages to us.
I really wanted to meet all the agents from various countries I haven’t visited yet, but I will keep on sending love.
We want to thank you till the very last day of 2023. We hope we can meet as many agents as possible on Dec 16th.
Beyond Senpai thanks RiRi and LuLa for joining us this last time, and for the past 10 years as FEMM. We wish them the very best for the future.
London Concert info: ใLast FEMM-Isationใ
Date: Sat, 16th, Dec Venue: The Lower Third (London)Afternoon Show: 1:00pm VIP and Meet & Greet 2:30pm General Entry 3:00pm Show Starts Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/Q2874d426e29
Beyond Senpai 