IMARi ToNES -The First Christian Heavy Metal from Japan-: August 2012

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

FRONTGOD

Suddenly I felt like telling this story of ours.
I wrote this story before in my personal internet diary or MIXI, in Japanese language (That's the language I usually write).

We are a "trio" band. We have a drummer (Jake), a bassist (Hassy) and I play guitar while at the same time I sing lead.

But sometimes people ask us why. Because usually this type of music requires, at least 4 people in a band. It's not usual for this Hard Rock type of bands.

Those legendary rock bands, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Living Colour, Loudness (and the list goes on), they were all 4-piece bands. And they all had a great "frontman". With those "frontmen", they can put fabulous shows.

But for us Imari Tones, we don't really have a "frontman".

It's not something we wanted from the beginning. When Tak (me) started a band, I didn't want to sing. Because I'm a guitarist and I never considered myself as a singer. I wanted to play with another singer who can sing and perform as a "frontman". But I could not find anyone who was right for the job. So I had to sing myself while playing guitar at the same time.

Sometimes I asked God "Jimmy Page had Robert Plant, Eddie Van Halen had David Lee Roth. Why didn't you give me a singer?"

But after those years, now I think I know the answer.

We don't need a frontman. Because our frontman is Jesus Christ. Anyone doesn't really deserve spotlight except for Him. Jesus is the only one who deserves the glory because He is the Son of God. That's why God didn't give me a singer.

When a trio band plays nobody stands in the center on the stage. Guitarist in the left, bassist in the right, and drummer in the back. Nothing wrong with that. We put God in the center of the stage. That's the Rockn'Roll we play.

After I knew the fact, I never get worried about not having a frontman. I started saying "Right. We don't have a frontman. But we have a FRONTGOD."

-Tak / Imari Tones

i hope my english is correct

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Overcome video and 3 more day on IndieGoGo

Hello!

This is Tak from IMARi ToNES, Japanese Christian rock band.

This is a simple and short letter before we go to "The Extreme Tour" later this month.

1. Heroes EP & Overcome video

2. 3 days left for our fundraising

3. The Extreme Tour dates (slightly) changed

We finished recording "Heroes EP"!!

We are going to release it sometime in early 2013, but the special "just recorded" edition is available on our IndieGoGo page....now only for 3 more days! (See below for our IndieGoGo.)

It's the first record we did on our MacBookPro. (We finally changed our recording system from very-old-version Cubase to LogicPro.)

It's the first record Tak used Amplitube guitar system.

And let me say, it rocks harder than ever!

We uploaded one song on YouTube and Soundcloud.

A song called "Overcome".

We are going to play this song during the tour and our upcoming gigs.

So we want you to take a listen!

"Overcome" on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWFv0QolC0U

Our IndieGoGo fundraising, now only 3 more days left!!

Thank you very much for everyone.

It may look like a small amount, however, actually it's a big help for us!

So let me say, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Now 1 more help and we reach $100.

Somebody please!

"Japanese Christian Rock Band to join a Missionary Tour in USA"

http://www.indiegogo.com/imaritones2012

We posted the dates before, but there were some change in The Extreme Tour dates

Here is the updated dates.

Aug 24-26 Whidbey Island, WA

Aug 27-28 Salem, OR

Aug 29-30 Gold Beach, OR

Aug 31-Sept 3 (X-Fest) Stevenson, WA

Sept 4-5 Yakima, WA

Sept 6-7 Coeur d' Alene, ID

Sept 8-9 Moscow, ID

Sept 10-13 Billings, MT

We play "open air" concert in each city.

Detailed time and location is not avaialbe at this point.

The Extreme Tour is a missionary tour event which takes place on the street.

So we only get to know the detail and exact location just a few days prior to the show.

We will post those details on our Facebook and Twitter.

That's all for today!

Now I'm going to my church and I'm in charge of worship today!

So I have to get ready and go!

(It's Sunday morning I'm writing this.)

Thank you very much!

Please pray for the success of The Extreme Tour and people working with them!

God bless you all!

Tak / IMARi ToNES (Japan)

Bio, Bio, Bio...

IMARITONES BIO

Written by Phil Putnam

Of the long list of factors that make ImariTones stand out from the world around them, it is their drive, their reach that tops it all. An unapologetically Christian heavy metal band out of Japan, Tak, Hassy, and Jake have a passion to reach beyond their culture to make the music they love, and to reach beyond their music to bring Jesus into their culture. While drawing comparisons to legends like Van Halen, Rush, and Stryper with their hybrid of old school metal/glam/Brit/70's prog rock, they are one of very few bands in the world that can claim true originality. How so? They are the first Christian heavy metal band ever to come out of Japan.

"There are very few Japanese bands who say 'Hey, we're a Christian band.' A Christian band from Japan almost sounds like a joke, since most people in Japan are Buddhists, or Atheists," says Tak, founder, guitar/vocalist, and frontman of ImariTones. Things didn't start out Christian for Tak, though. Having started playing electric guitar at age 14 and joining his first band at 15, Tak gained local teen success in his hometown of Toyohashi and won awards for his songwriting. However, he quit the band at 17 to pursue a career as a lawyer. Music stayed with him, though, and while playing an acoustic show in Harajuku Tokyo in December of 2007, Tak was impressed by several Christian performers who were playing as well. Feeling that Jesus may be the larger meaning behind music that he always felt was there, his mind and heart opened to Christianity.

Breaking many written and unwritten rules of Japanese culture, Tak, Hassy on bass/background vocals, and Jake on drums/background vocals, are reaching upward and forward to see changes happen in the world. Currently based in Yokohama, their astonishing 15-album discography includes Hero of the Lights, Color of Hers, fireworks, Japanese Pop produced by metal legend Sascha Paeth (Angra, Edguy, Rhapsody of Fire, Avantasia, Kamelot), Welcome to the School, and their most recent release Victory in Christ. Not content to play the standard soft pop/rock of the major label Christian industry, their music is 100% heavy metal and 100% independently recorded and produced. Victory in Christ hit the street in October 2010 with the single "Faith Rider" leading the charge. Originally written as a parody of the big 80's metal of Judas Priest and Stryper, it quickly became a fan favorite and was put on Victory in Christ.

With both their commitment to making stellar heavy metal music and their driving passion to share Jesus with their native Japan and the rest of the world, ImariTones is always reaching to join these two primary goals together. "Since we are a Christian band, our goal is not business success," says Tak. "We are not chasing glory in this world. We are chasing the glory of God." Staying independent and record label-free is an important part of the process for them. "We don't believe in 'music business', especially in Japan, and have chosen to go independent, looking for our own way. We really want to change something about society and about what people think and believe. That's our ultimate goal."

That ultimate goal, to see their native Japan embrace Christianity, is what they reach for most of all, even while their sights are set on the USA and the rest of the world. Some think they're a joke, or a contradiction, that Christianity, Japan, and heavy metal just don't belong together. Some think they're ahead of their time. But if you ask Tak, Hassy, and Jake, they'll say they're doing exactly what they love at exactly the right time, and they're never going to stop reaching for more.