| JPU Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Genre | Rock, heavy metal, J pop |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Location | London |
| Official website | jpurecords |
JPU Records is a British record label formed in 2012, which specializes in handling international releases by Japanese artists. Notable acts on JPU's roster include The Gazette, Band-Maid, Lovebites, and Nemophila. [1] [2]
The label was established in 2012. [3] Its first release was Division by popular Japanese visual kei rock band The Gazette, followed by the 2013 album Beautiful Deformity. The label began to release albums by other Japanese acts, including I'mperfect by Ling Tosite Sigure, Weeeeeeeeee!!! by Polysics, and Embrace by Boom Boom Satellites. In 2016 they announced the signing of rock quintet Band-Maid and pop singer Amatsuki, giving the two acts their UK debuts at MCM London Comic Con in May of that year. [4]
JPU Records has released albums by the following artists: [5]
Ling Tosite Sigure are a Japanese rock trio, formed in 2002 in Saitama Prefecture. The band's style resembles post-hardcore and progressive rock, math-rock, often incorporating rapid changes of tempo and mood framed in complex guitar melodies and technical drumming. They utilize both male and female vocals ranging from soft singing to loud wails and screams.
#4 is the debut studio album by the Japanese rock band, Ling Tosite Sigure. It was released on November 9, 2005 under Nakano Records label.
Inspiration Is Dead is the second full-length studio album by the Japanese rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, released on August 22, 2007.
Feeling Your UFO is a mini-album by the Japanese rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, released between their 1st and 2nd full-length albums on July 19, 2006.
"Telecastic Fake Show" is a single by Japanese rock band Ling Tosite Sigure. It was released as both a CD and a CD/DVD combo. The single reached No. 17 on the Oricon charts, despite the fact that they belonged to an independent record label.
Still a Sigure Virgin? is Japanese rock band Ling Tosite Sigure's fourth studio album, released on September 22, 2010.
I'mperfect is the fifth studio album by the Japanese rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, released on April 10, 2013. This album includes both their previous singles. The single "Abnormalize" was used as the opening theme for anime series, Psycho-Pass. The album was released in the UK and Europe by JPU Records.
Esprit D'Air is a British-Japanese alternative metal band formed in London in 2010 with members from Japan and England. In 2013, the band increased in popularity as their single "Shizuku" became the first playable song in the J-rock category in the video game Rock Band 3 but disbanded in the same year as members went back to Japan. Since reforming in 2016, Kai appoints session musicians and support members, which included some of the original line-up to perform with him on tour.
Band-Maid is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013, consisting of singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, bassist Misa, and drummer Akane Hirose. The band combines a rock sound with a maid image modeled on Japanese maid cafés. They are currently signed to Pony Canyon, and their most recent full-length album Unseen World was released in 2021.
"Unravel" is the first solo single by Tōru "TK" Kitajima, from the band Ling Tosite Sigure. "Unravel" was released on July 23, 2014 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan.
Toru Kitajima, better known as TK, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence as lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, which formed in 2002. In 2011, he started to release solo material as TK from Ling Tosite Sigure.
Japanese rock, sometimes abbreviated to J-rock, is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called Group Sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End in the early 1970s are credited as the first to sing rock music in the Japanese language. Punk rock bands Boøwy and The Blue Hearts and hard rock/heavy metal groups X Japan and B'z led Japanese rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s by achieving major mainstream success.
Just Bring It is the fourth studio album and first full-length album by Japanese band Band-Maid, released on January 11, 2017 in Japan via Crown Stones and February 10, 2017 internationally by JPU Records. The record was preceded by the quintet's first world tour and the single "YOLO", released in November 2016. The album reached number 16 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart, selling 4,015 copies in its first week.
#5 is the sixth studio album by the Japanese rock band Ling Tosite Sigure, released on February 14, 2018. This album includes the band's previous single, "DIE meets HARD", which was used for the opening of the drama series Shimokitazawa DIE HARD. The album peaked at Number 5 on the Oricon chart; while the single peaked at Number 17 on the Oricon chart, and reached Number 46 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
Lovebites is a Japanese power metal band, formed in 2016 by former Destrose members Miho and Haruna. Its lineup currently consists of Haruna on drums, Midori and Miyako on guitar, Asami on vocals, and Fami on bass. After signing to Victor Entertainment, the group released both their debut EP and their first album in 2017, The Lovebites EP and Awakening from Abyss, before performing their first overseas concerts at the end of the year. With another EP and album released in 2018, Battle Against Damnation and Clockwork Immortality, Lovebites quickly garnered international attention and won that year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award for Best New Band. Following the releases of Electric Pentagram (2020) and Glory, Glory, to the World (2021), bassist Miho left the band in August 2021. After a year-long hiatus, Lovebites recruited Fami on bass and released Judgement Day, their fourth album, in February 2023. It is their highest-charting record to date, reaching number 5 on both the Oricon and Billboard Japan charts.
Battle Against Damnation is the second EP by Japanese power metal band Lovebites. The EP was released in Japan on June 6, 2018 by Victor Entertainment, and in Europe and North America two days later by JPU Records. It reached number 20 on the Oricon chart and number 24 on Billboard Japan.
Conqueror is the sixth studio album by the Japanese all-female rock band Band-Maid. It was released digitally on December 4, 2019, with physical formats released one week later. It debuted at number nine on the Oricon Albums Chart and debuted at number one on the Oricon weekly Rock Album ranking. The album was preceded by the singles "Glory" and "Bubble", both released in January 2019. The international version from JPU Records includes English lyric translations and Romaji lyric transliterations.
"Golden Destination" is the first single by Japanese power metal band Lovebites. Taken from their third studio album, Electric Pentagram, it was released in Japan by Victor Entertainment on February 19, 2020 and internationally by JPU Records on April 10. The song reached number 20 on the Oricon Singles Chart and number 22 on Billboard Japan's Top Singles chart.
Nemophila is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in Tokyo in 2019. It consists of vocalist Mayu, guitarists Saki and Hazuki, bassist Haraguchi-san and drummer Tamu Murata. While independently releasing three singles between 2020 and 2021, Nemophila garnered a sizable multinational following online by uploading videos to YouTube. In June 2021, British record label JPU compiled the singles into the internationally released Oiran: Extended Edition. Nemophila released their debut studio album, Revive, in December 2021. Their most recent album, Seize the Fate, was released in December 2022.
