WTF is going on with U:C2? This:
This has gotten SO much longer than I thought it would be...
Ok, so, you may have noticed that, well, it's the 26th and "Under:Cover 2" has not come out yet. It's not even available for preorder yet. Even though, as recently as the beginning of the month Takanori was (defiantly?) sticking to his original release schedule.
Meanwhile:
CD Japan: Hi ^^ I just checked the official site and saw that they say that they will announce details soon
CD Japan: Hi ^^ We have no idea when it might be. Normally record companies won't share any info until they begin accepting pre-order
Meaning the preorder hold-up was SONY not sending info to stores, even though the release date and other such info had been set for months.
So, WTF is going on?
Well, at Inazuma last week, Takanori confirmed that it would not be coming out on the 26th, but that it wasn't because it wasn't finished. Instead, he promised an announcement related to U:C2 on this day that he assured us we'd like. That came this morning when he held a "press conferences" Live on NicoNico, and hosted by "Souguchi-san". (Which you can Timeshift, if you have a premium account.)
***
It started as a formal affair with him and two guys from his label, (Sony subsidiary) Epic Records, Suzuki-san, who is largely 'in charge' of the label-side of the TMR project, and Eiraku-san, who is in charge of promoting TMR (and barely said two words).
Takanori, with a very solemn look, had Suzuki do the explaining. His explanation was a long waffling thing about wanting to do a "worldwide" release (don't get your hope up just yet). And some kinds of "preparations" they needed to make for that. And how that held up the CD.
THEN Takanori took over, and his explanation was a bit different.
He started with what you'd expect, he originally wanted U:C to come out last year, not long after "Cloud Nine" (on 3/9).
But then, there was the Earthquake, the "Cloud Nine" delay, SUJ, the extended tour, ect. So, work on the album and its subsequent release were pushed back to this year. He set it up to be part of his Birthday-month o' releases. But then, someone at his label got a different idea.
See, next year is his 10 year anniversary with Epic records. And they decided they wanted U:C2 to be released as an anniversary release. But that's not until 2013. Takanori was...not OK with this, but the label wouldn't back down. (See: Him defiantly sticking to his release schedule on IENOMI even as Epic refuses to release preorder info to stores.)
In the end, he relented...but apparently not before deciding to drag their asses here to make them explain in person. XD
He also made the "international" release sound more like an "Asia" thing than a "worldwide" thing. But, current events are putting a hold on that. -_-
Anyway, to make it up to fans, and to do something (since the album is "freaking finished") while waiting to be able to release it, he decided something special.
U:C2 was supposed to come out during his 15th anniversary year, as part of that celebration and, as such, had 15 tracks. Now it's coming out in year 16......
That's right: There will be another track added to "Under:Cover 2".
Originally, he was going to just do "Meteor" (#16 in the voting).
But then he decided (two days earlier) to hold a second vote instead. (Host: So that's why you suddenly called me at 11am the other day? Takanori: Yep.)
Vote here: http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/TMRevolution/undercover2/r/
He said it'll be made more internationally friendly tomorrow, but really it's just "Name" and "Song". (Note: Your vote will not be counted if they can't figure out what you're voting for.)
Voting ends in a week (10/3/12)!
ETA: Voting is now closed. The results will be announced on October 5th at 6pm Japanese time. (5am that day in the Eastern US timezone.)
ETA x 2: See Here for results.
Then they cut to a video of TMR x Home Made Kazoku performing "Tomorrow Meets Resistance" and IRF12...[ More to come]
Ok, so, you may have noticed that, well, it's the 26th and "Under:Cover 2" has not come out yet. It's not even available for preorder yet. Even though, as recently as the beginning of the month Takanori was (defiantly?) sticking to his original release schedule.
Meanwhile:
CD Japan: Hi ^^ I just checked the official site and saw that they say that they will announce details soon
CD Japan: Hi ^^ We have no idea when it might be. Normally record companies won't share any info until they begin accepting pre-order
Meaning the preorder hold-up was SONY not sending info to stores, even though the release date and other such info had been set for months.
So, WTF is going on?
Well, at Inazuma last week, Takanori confirmed that it would not be coming out on the 26th, but that it wasn't because it wasn't finished. Instead, he promised an announcement related to U:C2 on this day that he assured us we'd like. That came this morning when he held a "press conferences" Live on NicoNico, and hosted by "Souguchi-san". (Which you can Timeshift, if you have a premium account.)
***
It started as a formal affair with him and two guys from his label, (Sony subsidiary) Epic Records, Suzuki-san, who is largely 'in charge' of the label-side of the TMR project, and Eiraku-san, who is in charge of promoting TMR (and barely said two words).
Takanori, with a very solemn look, had Suzuki do the explaining. His explanation was a long waffling thing about wanting to do a "worldwide" release (don't get your hope up just yet). And some kinds of "preparations" they needed to make for that. And how that held up the CD.
THEN Takanori took over, and his explanation was a bit different.
He started with what you'd expect, he originally wanted U:C to come out last year, not long after "Cloud Nine" (on 3/9).
But then, there was the Earthquake, the "Cloud Nine" delay, SUJ, the extended tour, ect. So, work on the album and its subsequent release were pushed back to this year. He set it up to be part of his Birthday-month o' releases. But then, someone at his label got a different idea.
See, next year is his 10 year anniversary with Epic records. And they decided they wanted U:C2 to be released as an anniversary release. But that's not until 2013. Takanori was...not OK with this, but the label wouldn't back down. (See: Him defiantly sticking to his release schedule on IENOMI even as Epic refuses to release preorder info to stores.)
In the end, he relented...but apparently not before deciding to drag their asses here to make them explain in person. XD
He also made the "international" release sound more like an "Asia" thing than a "worldwide" thing. But, current events are putting a hold on that. -_-
Anyway, to make it up to fans, and to do something (since the album is "freaking finished") while waiting to be able to release it, he decided something special.
U:C2 was supposed to come out during his 15th anniversary year, as part of that celebration and, as such, had 15 tracks. Now it's coming out in year 16......
That's right: There will be another track added to "Under:Cover 2".
Originally, he was going to just do "Meteor" (#16 in the voting).
But then he decided (two days earlier) to hold a second vote instead. (Host: So that's why you suddenly called me at 11am the other day? Takanori: Yep.)
Vote here: http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/TMRevolution/undercover2/r/
He said it'll be made more internationally friendly tomorrow, but really it's just "Name" and "Song". (Note: Your vote will not be counted if they can't figure out what you're voting for.)
Voting ends in a week (10/3/12)!
ETA: Voting is now closed. The results will be announced on October 5th at 6pm Japanese time. (5am that day in the Eastern US timezone.)
ETA x 2: See Here for results.
Then they cut to a video of TMR x Home Made Kazoku performing "Tomorrow Meets Resistance" and IRF12...[ More to come]