Swinging Popsicle song chosen for Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. webisode

December 15, 2012 – J-Pop band Swinging Popsicle’s song “Girl meets Boy” was chosen for the latest Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. webisode, which premiered this week on the new lifestyle brand’s official YouTube channel.



Swinging Popsicle recently celebrated their 15th anniversary with the digital release of “You’ve Got a Friend,” their first release since 2008. Band members have kept busy in recent years with solo projects, including band leader Hironobu Hirata’s work with Japanese R&B singer Kusuo and PC game company Nitroplus.

LINKS
Swinging Popsicle official website
http://www.swinging-popsicle.com

Swinging Popsicle official Twitter (Hironobu Hirata)
http://twitter.com/hirata_hironobu

Swinging Popsicle on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/swinging-popsicle/id118880191

SWINGING POPSICLE PROFILE
Swinging Popsicle was formed in 1995 when singer Mineko Fujishima and guitarist Osamu Shimada joined bassist Hironobu Hirata through a newspaper ad. The band’s first effort was the Sunny Silent Park EP.

In 1998, their first self-titled full-length album Swinging Popsicle debuted from Sony Music Entertainment at Number 1 in the New Artists category, producing the hit singles “Joy of Living,” “I Love Your Smile,” and “Parade.” After extensive touring, the band returned to the studio for their second album Fennec! (2000).

After starting strong with multiple Sony-label releases, Swinging Popsicle continued to build their international fan base with their independent releases of “Change” and “Orange.” Four solid years of writing and performing live throughout Japan produced their most mature and powerful CD titled Transit (2004), featuring signature song “I Just Wanna Kiss You.” In 2005, the band embarked on their first tour to Korea.

2006 marked their United States debut at Fanime MusicFest in San Jose, CA. The same year their song “Clash” was included in a compilation CD with the Korean manga “Cracker.” Performing to regular sold-out one-man live shows in Japan, (some running as long as 3 hours!) the band continued to develop new material for their full-length album Go on (2007), which featured “rainbounds,” “Clash,” and “Chocolate Soul Music.” In June 2007, they returned to America to perform at Anime Mid Atlantic in Richmond, VA, and New York City’s Knitting Factory.

Swinging Popsicle has also contributed music to the NITROPLUS PC games “SUMAGA/STAR MINE GIRL,” “AXANAEL,” and various songs for the Nitroplus mascot Super Sonico’s band, Daiichi Uchuu Sokudo.

Swinging Popsicle members have kept busy in recent years with various solo projects. Guitarist Osamu Shimada formed his own shoegazer band The Caraway, and lends support to Seikama II’s Ace Shimizu Project, Face to Ace, Korean pop vocalist Taru, and popular J-Pop artist Fujii Fumiya. Vocalist Mineko Fujishima has performed backing vocals with top-selling J-Pop R&B artist Kusuo, and performs regularly with the experimental 9-drummer band DQS.

Bassist/band leader Hironobu Hirata has acted as producer for the NITROPLUS games “SUMAGA,” “SUMAGA Special,” “AXANAEL,” and “Sonicomi,” and provided musical arrangements for artists such as 7!! (7 Oops), Kanako Ito, Kazuhiro Watanabe, Taru (Korea), Yozoh (Korea), and Daiichi Uchuu Sokudo. Hirata also plays support bass for Kusuo and DQS, and was the band leader for Kusuo’s 2012 Budokan live concert. His latest producer credit, Super Sonico’s Love & II+ Peace Plus, debuted in the Oricon Top 50 in June 2012.

Swinging Popsicle was nominated as Best Japanese Rock Band by Shojo Beat magazine.
USA appearances include: Fanime (San Jose, CA), Anime Mid-Atlantic (Richmond, VA), Knitting Factory (New York City)

ABOUT TAMAGOTCHI L.I.F.E.
Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. (Love is Fun Everywhere) is a new lifestyle brand inspired by the popular Tamagotchi® property. The Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. website provides an online hub for fashion, food, and fun at www.tamagotchilife.com.

The hugely popular Tamagotchi® has sold over 78 million units in 54 countries and territories since the world’s first virtual digital pet was introduced in Japan in 1996 and in the U.S. one year later. It was this passionate original fan base, now a vibrant group of young adults, which inspired the evolution of Tamagotchi, the toy, into Tamagotchi L.i.f.e., a new line of lifestyle products that embodies the spirit and qualities of that original experience. Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. will reflect the attributes of those fans – positive, assured, intrepid, cooperative and empowering, while the website will reflect the traits of the original game play – caring, nurturing, interactive, informational and fun – all with a contemporary cultural spin and a fashion-forward, trendsetting focus.

Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. webisodes introduce visitors to a wide range of fascinating people, hip products and happening venues, all emblematic of that Tamagotchi spirit.

ABOUT BANDAI CO., LTD.
Dedicated to “Fostering Dreams and Delivering Inspiration to Customers Worldwide,” Bandai Co., Ltd., one of the world’s largest toy companies, manufactures engaging toys that captivate the imagination and provide endless fun and entertainment through some of the most popular brands in children’s toys and interactive entertainment today. Bandai Co., Ltd. is part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings, Inc., whose global interests encompass three strategic business units: Toys and Hobby, Contents and Amusement Facility. The Toys and Hobby unit’s product lineup includes toys, candy toys, cards, vending machine capsule products (Gashapon), plastic models, apparel, lifestyle goods and other products. The company’s mid-term strategy focuses on “Globalization” through the nucleus of its business – the Character Merchandising business model.

ABOUT SYNC BEATZ ENTERTAINMENT
Representing such respected consumer product organizations as Bandai Co., Ltd. (“Tamagotchi”) and Banpresto (“Kapi-Bara-San”), Sync Beatz Entertainment is a full service marketing organization that creates strategic growth for IP owners by employing traditional and digital media along with consumer product expertise to introduce branded products to the United States marketplace.

Bandai logo: ® and © 2012 Bandai.

Tamagotchi: ©Bandai, WiZ. The toy concept and products of Tamagotchi are developed by Bandai Co., Ltd. and WiZ Co., Ltd. jointly.

Swinging Popsicle