UNDER CODE News →

As you all know, 2005 has been a great year for UNDER CODE PRODUCTION (and a horrible year for our wallets). Well, it looks as if 2006 will be an even better year for UNDER CODE, and several releases have already been announced. Please check out the list, as all of UC's artists have several releases planned (Some of which haven't been announced until today). (To clarify, 12012, Himitsu Kessha CODOMO A (秘密結社コドモA), KALEN (カレン), KISAKI, OTO-ONI (音鬼), -Phantasmagoria-, and VIDOLL are all on this list)

UNDER CODE Releases (2005/10 ~ 2006/02) Upcoming Releases

12012 has two albums planned, both of which will be released on February 01st. The first of these is a best album called not obtain+1, and will contain 10 tracks. One track will be a completely new song, while the rest of the tracks will be rare-ish songs from their live only CDs and various omnibus CDs. The second album will be called PLAY DOLLs, and will contain 10 completely new songs. There will be two versions--A type and B type (KISAKI's such a sneaky bastard isn't he!). The A type will contain a PV for a song from the album called "icy~cold city~." The B type of the album will come with a CD with one more new track. More information as it comes.

秘密結社コドモA (Himitsu Kessha CODOMO A (秘密結社コドモA)) will be releasing three mini-albums, along with a bonus CD that can be obtained when you buy all three. The first album will be called 再放送+予告盤 (Saihousou+Yokokuban) and will contain five tracks. It will be released on December 07th. The second and third album will both be released on January 25th of next year, and will contain five new songs each. Their titles will be オトコノ個 (Otokonoko) and オンナノ故 (Onnanoyue). Buying all three mini-albums will entitle you to a special present of some sort, which hasn't been decided on yet.

カレン (Karen) has the most release planned at this point. Later this year, on December 14th they will release a DVD entitled mellow~創の旋律~ (mellow~Sou no Senritsu~). No other details about it are available yet. They will release three CDs in the first two months of 2006. The first will be a best album entitled primary song memorial~奏の旋律~ (primary song memorial~Sou no Senritsu), and will have a release date of January 18th. The second will also be a best best album, and it's title will be primary song memorial~想の旋律~ (primary song memorial~Sou no Senritsu~). It seems that カレン is playing word games with the titles of the albums and DVD, but someone who knows Japanese will have to figure out what they're trying to say. After releasing the two albums, they plan to give away a CD at live shows on four dates. Those dates are February 19th, 21st, 26th, and 27th. The CD will be entitled プラウド (Puraudo) and will most likely contain only one track.

KISAKI is next jump on the release-bandwagon, and seems to really have a love for photobooks. His first collection of photos comes out on October 19th of this year, and will be named a basement Melody 2.... It will include 30 full color photos (and 60 pages in total), and a free CD with one unspecified track (a new KISAKI PROJECT song perhaps?). Apparently, he already knows it's going to be a hit (the UNDER CODE site seems to suggest that demand for the book has been huge), and has already announced his second photobook, which will be called a basement Melody 3.... It will be released on December 15th of this year, and will come with a bonus DVD of the making of the photobook. (And no, as far as I know there has never been a a basement Melody 1...)

音鬼 (音鬼) has only one CD planned this month, and it was released a few days ago. It's official release date is October 12th, and is entitled 哭 (Koku). It contains four new tracks. This is good news for 音鬼 fans, as they hadn't released anything in quite a while.

-Phantasmagoria- has several releases planned (which isn't surprising) and are taking advantage of all the forms of media available to them. First they're releasing a single on October 19th (the same day as KISAKI's first photobook) which will be called 未完成とギルト (Mikansei to Guilt). It will contain only two tracks, but will come in two versions; A type and B type. The A type single will include a bonus DVD with a "MEMORIAL LIVE CLIP" of their tour "TOUR#2「NEO ARK」." The B type will also include a bonus DVD, but this version will have a "MEMORIAL LIVE CLIP" of their tour "2nd concept TOUR「NEO ARK」." After that, Their PV DVDs must be selling really well, because they already have a third one planned! The new PV DVD will be named 幻影像III~for degradation crowd~ (GeneizouIII~for degradation crowd~). It will be released on December 14th, and will come with an eight page booklet. The DVD continues their tradition of releasing two PVs at a time; one will be for "NEVER REBELLION," and the other for "未完成とギルト" (Mikansei to Guilt). The very next day, on December 15th, they'll release their own photobook called 幻影グラフティー I (Genei Grafitti I). Like KISAKI's photobooks, this one will contain 30 pages of full color photos, and 60 pages in total. The number on the name seems to imply that -Phantasmagoria- anticipates making another photobook, so keep your eyes out for news of that as well.

ヴィドール (VIDOLL) is last but certainly not least on this list. First they're planning to release a maxi-single, which has a street date of October 26th. It will have the strange title of Chocoripeyes, and will include only two tracks. Then ヴィドール will be joining KISAKI and -Phantasmagoria- and releasing their own photobook on December 15th. Like the other two photobooks coming out that day, it will contain 30 full color photos and 60 pages extra, but will also come with a free CD of some sort! The title of the photobook will be Back of 『AI』lids. Then will be the first UNDER CODE band to release a CD in 2006. On January 01st their new five track mini-album called Deathmate will be released. In keeping with the recent trend, it will come in to versions; A type and B type. Each type will sport a different jacket, as well as a different bonus DVD. The A type will include the PV for their recent single "シャットダウン," (Shutdown) and the B type will include the PV for their upcoming single "Chocoripeyes." When both versions of the mini-album are purchased, a special present DVD will be included, which will contain a making of clip of "シャットダウン" (Shutdown). According to the UNDER CODE site, the mini-album is being released in celebration of ヴィドール's upcoming one man tour "TOUR 2006-「Reload to living doll」."

Omnibus albums are also planned for release. First is SHOCK WAVE CD the SELECT, which is the next installment of the famous omnibus series. It will contain some of the best tracks of the series, and will features songs from 12012, カレン (Karen), -Phantasmagoria-, and ヴィドール (VIDOLL). The omnibus will be released on October 25th. Then UNDER CODE will release the next installment of its omnibus series, "High Style Paradox." The new CD will be entitled High Style Paradox SPECIAL ~RARE TRACKS COLLECTIONS~. It will be released on November 09th, and will contain around fourteen to fifteen tracks total. The UNDER CODE website describes it as a second press of "High Style Paradox IV~re acceleration~" with a different jacket and "rare tracks" from KISAKI's favorite bands. So far ネガ (NEGA) and Zephyr are the only non-UNDER CODE bands that are known to be on the CD, but expect more information on the actual tracklist soon.

ダリ and Pasyha haven't announced any upcoming releases yet. I suspect they'll announce something with their debut during UNDER CODE's Japan-wide tour, so keep an eye out for these guys!

Well that's it. This took me a looong time to write up, so I hope you at least scanned over it all! If you have anything to add or correct, please let me know! I'm sure I made mistakes (especially with CD names xD), so any help is appreciated. Also, if anyone could explain the word-play in the titles of カレン's new CDs, I'd be really greatful.

• Current music: カレン → Tsumetai Suna
• Current mood: ecstatic