Halcali article on Japan Today

Imagine my surprise when I saw this today! Looks like Halcali's recent international success has done wonders in terms of exposure.

For Japanese female hip-hop duo HALCALI, the world is their stage
By Natsuki Oka
NEW YORK —
HALCALI, a Japanese female hip-hop duo that performed in New York for the first time in early June, is eager to make further strides on the international music scene. The duo, consisting of two 20-year-olds from Tokyo, made their name when some of their tracks were used as theme songs for a popular TV animation series a few years ago.The songs soon reached the ears of anime fans abroad, and the pair made their overseas debut in Paris in July 2007.
In May 2008, HALCALI performed for the first time in the United States at a concert in Chicago.They followed this up with an appearance at New York’s Central Park on June 1 as part of a Japan Day cultural festival. "Our current goal is to release a new album in Japan, Europe and the United States," Haruka, one half of the duo, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News in New York.
Fellow hip-hopper Yukari added, "In the future, we’re hoping to perform all over the world."

Read full article

It's perhaps an inevitable result of them getting so much attention so quickly that people are just assuming their post Ongaku anime songs is where Halcali began, whereas in reality of course those songs sold relatively poorly compared to their early For Life days. What's become apparant though is there is a real buzz about the band now, a feeling of gaining momentum that hasn't been present since the OTF era.

A worldwide Japan-America-Europe release of album four is looking more and more likely now- and just in the nick of time. I can't be the only one who was worried that dreadful single sales might have resulted in their quiet departure from Sony. What we really need now is what Sony haven't really given Halcali yet in Japan- a solid marketing campaign and a real push towards top 20 chart success.

Details on the France 'Music Day' gig

As I wrote about here, on the 20th and 21st of June Halcali played at the Japan Culture Centre in France, and Excite put up a short piece about it. Here it is, along with my translation.

HALCALI フランス「音楽の日」を沸かす

［2008年06月23日］

---

東京都目黒区出身のHALCA（ハルカ）とYUCALI（ユカリ）の2人組ガールズヒップホップユニット　HALCALIが、現地時間の6月21日、フラ ンスで開催の「音楽の日」において、日本文化会館（300人収容）に徹夜組みも含む600人の観衆を集め、満員札止めの大盛況を博した。

アンコールを含め90分のライブで、観客は全員総立ち、熱狂した聴衆がステージに押し寄せる一幕もあり、終始大きな盛り上りを見せた。シカゴの「アニメセ ントラル」、NYの「JAPAN DAY」、今回の「フランス音楽の日」と一連の海外サーキットを終え、次作アルバムタイミングでの、日米欧ツアーへ手応えを掴んだメンバーは、帰国後、楽 曲制作へと戻る予定。目黒区から世界へ飛躍して行く彼女達に今後も注目!!

Halcali heat up Music Day in France.

Coming from Meguro in Tokyo, Haruka and Yukari of the female hip hop unit Halcali performed at the Japan Culture Centre on the 21st of June as part of the 'Music Day' event. The gig was a massive success, with around 600 fans gathering, some waiting outside all night, to try to get into the 300 person capactity venue to watch Halcali perform.

Including an encore, they played a 90 minute set to a crowd who were wildly enthusiastic from beginning to end. After performing around the world with stops at Chicago, New York and now France, Halcali are set to to keep the momentum of this success going by heading straight back home to immediately begin work on songs for their next album.

Today Meguro, tomorrow the world- these girls are ones to keep an eye on!

Great article, and another new album teaser!

More thanks goes to Patrick for the link!

UPDATE: amj links us to this article on the gig over at Barks, which claims that the new album will be out before the end of the year! Which, considering that Halcali albums are usually preceded by a slew of singles, would certainly be bucking the trend.

As one of the problems I had with the last album was it felt too single-heavy, I really hope this is true. I'd much prefer a pattern of a couple of singles, the album, then maybe another single soon after that.

This part of the article threw me a bit though:

終演後もCD即売場は長蛇の列。今年2月に欧州で発売されたアルバム「サイボーグ俺達」のサイン付きCDに殺到

After the gig a long queue of people formed to buy the CD. There was a huge rush to get Cyborg Oretachi, which went on sale in Europe in February, signed by the girls.

I was under the impression that this elusive European version (with bonus tracks! Remember that rumour?!) still hasn't been released...

Girl Pop Factory 08 / Densetsu No Futari to be used in movie

A couple of good bits of news on the good exposure for Halcali front.

1. Halcali are set to perform for the second time at the Girl Pop Factory event at Zepp in Tokyo on the 3rd of August alongside the likes of Koda Kumi and Perfume. It will certainly be interesting to see them alongside that other techno-pop girl group; astute fans will easily be able to find numerous similarities between the two. With heavy chart hitters like Kumi on the bill, expect a big crowd and some good exposure for Halcali leading up the (hopefully very soon!) new single release.

2. Halcali are no strangers to having their songs close animes, but now the Ongaku No Susume track Dentetsu No Futari will feature as the ending theme song of the film Jersey No Futari, which opens in Tokyo on July 19th. Expect to see hundreds of people leave the cinema thinking "what was that amazing song at the end?" before heading to their local Tower to find out more :)

Here's the trailer:



Here's a link to page at Nippon Cinema with information on the film and the trailer with the Halcali song playing on it. Can't wait to see it! (Thanks to anonymous for this!)

Thanks to Patrick!

Japan Day Festival details / Bookstore autograph session!

Halcali are set to play at Japan Day in Central Park, New York on June 1st.

Official site

The festival is free and goes from 10am until 5pm, with Halcali performing as part of the 'cool Japan' segement from 3:15.

Unfortunately, they'll be sharing a bill with the utterly awful Gaijin a Go Go, who, oddly enough for a slot entitled 'cool Japan', are from Brooklyn.

As ever, we're relying on those who go for information for those who can't make it!

UPDATE:

I heard it through the grapevine (aka the Shibuya-kei yahoo group) that Halcali will be at Kinokunia bookstore in New York to record a radio show for Japanese TV on May 30th from 6pm.

This will be open to the public and an autograph session will follow. Take your t-shirts!

UPDATE 2:

JAPAN DAY FESTIVAL SETLIST: (thanks to novaforever!)

1. Twinkle Star
2. Tip Taps Tip
3. Sister Ship
4. Giri Giri Surf Rider
5. Halcali no Michi

PICTURES / VIDEO:

Check out major shaky-cam footage of the event here (quite good sound though)

Mamekura also blogged about the event and has pictures and videos to share.

Novaforever also has a write-up of the event and pictures!

What an incredible time Halcali have had recently! A million thanks to everyone who left comments, pictures, videos, reviews, audio and masses of Halcali love for the rest of us who couldn't make it! I can only hope that, should Halcali get out on the road in Japan, those of us fans over here will be able to return the favour.

And let's not forget that Halcali will be heading to France later this month too!

Halcali's ACEN setlist/audio/New York gig info!

(Picture courtesy of Novaforever)

Details have emerged about Halcali's Chicago ACEN gig and it sounded like it was amazing. Thankfully even those of us who couldn't make it can still experience some of the goodness, as here is a fan made recording of the gig! It's bootleg quality, but certainly good enough. Best of all, they finish the set with a new song!

Halcali at ACEN


Setlist (May 16th):

1. It’s Party Time
2. Marching March
3. Girl! Girl! Girl!
4. Sister Ship
5. Check!! Check!! It!
6. Tip Taps Tip
7. Endless Lovers Rain
8. Giri Giri Surfrider
9. Wakakusa Dance
10. Halcali No Michi

Encore:
11. Twinkle Star
12. New Song: Zig Zag Saturday Night

I'm liking this new tune a lot. It sounds like Halcali doing, and enjoying, exactly what they do best. It's getting stuck in my head already! Come on let's get it released!

As if all this wasn't enough, there is a bit more Halcali news to share- apparently they will be playing a gig in Central Park New York on June 1st at the Japan Festival! Good news if you're in the area! I'm nowhere near it, so I (like all the other fans dotted around the globe) will be turning to whoever can make it for pictures and any other information.

UPDATE:

Setlist for May 17th:

1. It’s Party Time
2. Koi no Bububun
3. Marching March
4. Girl! Girl! Girl!
5. Zig Zag Saturday Night
6. Sister Ship
7. Check!! Check!! It!
8. Tip Taps Tip
9. Endless Lovers Rain
10. Giri Giri Surfrider
11. A One Two
12. Wakakusa Dance
13. Halcali Michi

Encore:
1. Twinkle Star
2. Tandem
3. Continued

Another great set with a varied mix of singles, album tracks and b-sides.


************************

REVIEWS:

Thanks to everyone who left comments and shared impressions of the gig! Here are a couple of excellent write-ups of the the event.

Here's a great one from EternalSin: An Essay on my Impressions of Halcali at ACEN Anime Central.

Here's one from Novaforever: The Best Weekend of My Life. Be sure to take a look at the great photos too! Speaking of which...


PHOTOS:

Check out the t-shirts Nova got the girls to sign here and here (love those Cyborg designs!)

Some more Halcali at ACEN pictures here and here! (From EternalSin)

Another great set can be found right here (From Mokona.)

Finally, here are some of Halcali and Peelander-Z together (From EternalSin, taken by Ryan)

VIDEO:

sideshowsito has excellent footage of the girls' Q and A session at ACEN (including a guest appearance by our very own novaforever!). Check out the footage (in three parts) over here.

Also take a look at the amazing review/photo gallery he put together for DAY ONE and DAY TWO of the event.


If you went to the event and took any pictures, video, or anything yourself, we'd love to see it!

Halcali play in France again!

Official site

6月21日は「夏至の日」。
一年中で一番日が長いこの日は、フランスでは１９８０年代から「音楽の日」と呼ばれており、
フランス全土にわたって、ミュージシャンたちが街中で演奏をする。
ここにHALCALIが日本代表で招聘されました。

The 21st of June is summer solstice. This is the longest day of the year and in France this day has been known as 'music day' since the 1980's, and musicians perform in cities all across the country. Halcali have been invited to France as representatives of Japan.

This gig will be held at the Japan Culture Centre in Paris on the 20th and 21st of June. It will be free entry, but you must contact the centre and reserve a ticket- although seating looks to be unreserved. Both gigs start at 8pm.

Great to see Halcali back in Europe. I guess their last trip in January (where they also played that gig to record execs) went well enough for them to get sponsored for another journey out there.

Still, isn't it odd that out of all the Japanese bands who, frankly, enjoy much better sales and popularity, Halcali should be chosen as the representatives (daihyo) of Japan?

With their Chicago gig coming up this weekend too, it's probably already fair to say that Halcali are experiencing equal popularity both at home and abroad now. Although that still isn't very much, it does ease my fears a little bit about them being dropped from their label. If Sony have managed to secure them even a small foothold abroad, that should be enough for them to want their relationship with the girls to continue.

Still, every time I see Perfume in a magazine or hear them on the radio I think "why on earth isn't it Halcali in this position now?"

UPDATE:
Just as I was typing that up, the site got updated again with news of yet another France gig!

This one is a couple of days later on the 23rd of June at The European Centre for Japanese Studies in Alsace. This is another free gig and it will also start at 8pm.

Anyone thinking of getting out to any of any of these shows?

Details on Halcali's free Tokyo gig

Yesterday afternoon Halcali played a free outdoor gig as part of the (scroll down a couple of posts). Here are details on the setlist taken from the Tokyo Midtown Showcase Halcali thread on 2ch.

「It's Party Time！」
「LOOK」
「endless lover's rain」
「伝説の二人/Dentetsu No Futari」
「愛/Ai」
「コンティニュード/Continued」

After the poster writing that they thought they played another too, the next poster says they also played check!! check!! it!!

Sounds like I missed another great gig! I love how, despite it being a short set played to a number of people who were probably new to Halcali, they still don't simply roll out a 'greatest hits' type set, and instead went for a much more thoughtful, mid-tempo set built around regular album tracks, b-sides and other obscurities. Quite right too- both Dentetsu and Continued are classic Halcali!

Did anyone else make it to the gig?

p.s Although the 2ch link I provided is safe for work, often 2ch has dodgy content that probably isn't. Being totally unmoderated, most of the content is garbage anyway, but you should definitely exercise a bit of caution, especially when clicking on a link over there.

p.p.s Just read this on another post on the same 2ch thread

タンデムのTシャツを着た外国人もいた。
There was also a foreigner there wearing a Tandem t-shirt.

Come on, own up, that was you wasn't it?!

Happy birthday Haruka!

Who turned an impressive 20 years old today (21/04)! Old enough for alcohol in Japan, but not quite there yet for America, so watch out at Anime Central!