It’s the end of April, which means two things. One, it’s almost time for the Reiwa era to begin, and two, it’s time for the Spring M3 event! Held at the Tokyo Ryutsu Center, M3 is loaded full of musicians and labels that you won’t find in stores like Tsutaya and Tower, but more likely to find out at Comic Toranoana or Melon Books in Akihabara. The following albums are just a small sample of what we’ll be picking up during the event. To see the entire list of circles that will be attending M3, peep this link. It’s got every circle in attendance along with their location and links to their social media.
Set aside some time, because there’s a lot to parse through!
SKETCH UP! Rec. – HYBRID MONSTER 5
DJ Noriken Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
Some good hardcore from SKETCH UP! Rec. featuring some classic artists like DJ Shimamura, DJ Noriken, Syndrome, and REDALiCE.
wavforme – Archaic Vanguard
wavforme Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
BREAKS! Featuring Remo-Con, Nhato, Black Lolita, MK, and of course, Hommarju!
CYCLIK CONTROL – New Invoke Volume 3
CYCLIK CONTROL Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
A combo album featuring a lot of bass tracks and hardcore jams from Zekk, kors k, Dustvoxx, and Nizikawa. Genick’s ‘To Sheffield’ is definitely one to check out.
Hi-Fu_music – Kawaii Is Justice!!! 2
Hi-Fu_music Twitter
Where you can get it: Hi-Fu_music Bandcamp
Confession time, I’ve never played a Touhou game. But I’ll be damned if the fandom doesn’t put out some high quality content.
Hi-Fu_music – Twilight
Hi-Fu_music Twitter
Where you can get it: Hi-Fu_music Bandcamp
Some cute future bass tracks, and some chill EDM make for a rather relaxing vibe.
Shinkai waveS Records – Cocktail DanceFloor
Houjirou Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
This album is all over the place with some house, glitch hop, acid jazz, and even hardstyle. Definitely check out the preview link.
Dynasty Records – DJ Shimamura Best Album – Super X
DJ Shimamura Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
One of the oldest hardcore heads in the Japanese scene, DJ Shimamura is a legend, and this collection of tracks is the perfect entry to his style of hardcore jams.
C.H.S. (Cutie & Headshaking Sounds) – 画竜顕現エトセトラ
t+pazolite Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
The tagline for this album is ‘(Maybe) from Far east, 大凡東之音樂を。’ It’s everything we love about t+pazolite, along with a bunch of friends.
Lite Show Magic – juiCy fruiTs
t+pazolite Twitter & C-Show Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
The most dapper duo in underground music have a new three-track EP!
MEGAREX – FÜGENE3
MEGAREX Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
Hardcore and Future Bass collide in the third compilation in the Fugene series. Featuring lapix, PSYQUI, Zekk, Mameyudoufu and more.
MEGAREX – TECH CORE EVANGELIX
MEGAREX Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
Here comes a few more Megarex releases. This album is full of high energy tracks and features a mixed disc.
MEGAREX – BASS AVENGERS 3
Twitter: MEGAREX Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
Bass Avengers albums have always been a good time. This one features tracks by Kotonohouse, Blacklolita, and Ryunosuke Kudo just to name a few.
MEGAREX – eemome ESSENTIAL TRANCESTEP CASE01
Twitter: MEGAREX Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
This is probably the most anticipated album of the Megarex bunch, trance meets dubstep. The preview is loaded with great tracks so check it out.
mikanzil – フォースピース
mikanzil Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
A rock EP from vocalist Mikanzil featuring track production by PSYQUI, C-Show, and TsubusareBOZZ.
Unitone – Synergy
Unitone Twitter
Where you can get it: Diverse Direct
Unitone continues their streak of solid release with this spread of tracks that starts with some mellow house that evolves into an epic trance finish.
ZPPTRAX -「Alien Trance Foundation Live at Tokyo1998」
【M3告知】
「Alien Trance Foundation Live at Tokyo1998」
のCDrを頒布します。ZETAの1998当時のレアライブ音源を収録！！！
サークル名 ZPPTRAX
配置場所 第二展示場2F
スペース番号ク-15a
KentAlexanderのJ-coreCORE!!との合体ブース！お待ちしております！！！ #zpptrax pic.twitter.com/0c9gwqyspu
— PINK PONG@M3第二2Fク-15a (@pinkpong_zpp) April 14, 2019
Where you can get it: Event only – at booth ク-15a
Old school psychadelic trance from PINK PONG, one of the artists from the classic Beatmania games.
K@keru Records – CUTiE?
K@keru Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
A good mix of different genres from Zekk, mameyudoufu, Kakeru, and Srav3R just to name a few.
Massive CircleZ – REVOLUTION BEATZ 2nd Tune
JAVELIN Twitter & Tachibana Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
The hardstyle duo has switched it up with this release, and has gone back to their parody album project. This features a bunch of tracks that sound like ‘Boss Music’ for music games and it’s a treat.
djgenki.net – Princess of Trance Deluxe
dj Genki Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
Just inject this cheesy energetic trance/handz up album directly into my veins.
HARDCORE TANO*C – IRREGULAR NATION 5
HARDCORE TANO*C Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
HARDCORE TANO*C has produced one of my favorite series with IRREGULAR NATION, artists taking stabs outside of their normal genres has been a delight.
HARDCORE TANO*C – Satellite Queen
HARDCORE TANO*C Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
If you’re looking for something energetic and hardcore, then you can’t go wrong with this release. Also can someone tell RoughSketch that that isn’t trance?
TEMPLIME – alpha e.p.
TEMPLIME Twitter
Where to get it: Event Only – Booth G-15a
This EP is one we had to do a little digging to discover, a good EP to pick up if you’re looking for a good mix of different genres.
Emoism Records – Unshakable
RiraN Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
Korean hardstyle artist; RiraN has put together his first album for this M3 event. Definitely an artist to watch.
K-MASERA – Q.
K MASERA Twitter
Where to get it: Event only – Booth K-07b
This is going to be a tough one to get, but K-MASERA is a master of techno and without a doubt this will be a sought after album.
Kunsei Records – 燻製コンピⅢ
Kunsei Records Twitter
Where to get it: Event only – Booth M-18a
The last compilation by Kunsei Records was one of our favorite albums last year. Do not miss out on this new compilation!
Notebook Records – STORYTELLER VOLUME 2
RoughSketch Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
It doesn’t get much more hardcore than a Notebook Records release. STORYTELLER VOLUME 2 features contest winners Project.G, Yorukou, and ikaruga_nex throwing down some hardcore bangers.
DA Recording – Destination
Dirty Androids Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
Dirty Androids continues to release solid albums and Destination features full versions of a couple of their Bemani tracks.
空中分解 x アンテナガール – Lemonade Moon
Antenna Girl Twitter
Where to get it: Event only – Booth Q-03a.b
Antenna Girl’s got a new EP featuring production by Night Tempo, Mikeneko Homeless, nagomu tamaki, Tomggg, Hercelot, and Stereoman.
DiverseSystem – works.9
DiverseSystem Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
Diverse is releasing a massive two disc album for the latest in the ‘works’ series. Featuring tracks by Gu-dara, VALLEYSTONE, BlackY, and plenty more.
DiverseSystem – Breaks Challenge
M3の4作品目。Challenge枠です。ルールは「Breaksのあの特徴的なリズムを使ったトラックでBPM120-140」の「Breaks Challenge」情報公開＋結果発表です。
クロスフェードは申し訳ないですが今しばらくお待ち下さいませ。
今回勝ち残った皆様方は此方になります！https://t.co/re4kjzoE6x pic.twitter.com/7rlGdNyEd4— Diverse@M3一展Q-16ab (@DiverseSystem) April 24, 2019
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
This is a bit of a mystery album given that there’s no preview. But a breaks album featuring Relect, Blacklolita, Musicarus, and 3R2 has our attention.
Hommarju – Colorful World
Hommarju Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
Hommarju goes hard is like saying ‘the sky is blue.’ A seven track EP featuring Yukacco on the title track, ‘Colorful World.’
AlphaVersion Records – WIRED WAVE
AlphaVersion Records Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
This release kind of flew in under the radar, but it’s some great atmospheric dubstep.
onoken – LEGACY TRACKS
【告知】4月28日M3に《ス-04a》にて以下3種類を販売予定です。
・Testimony Cytus | Deemo 1&2
・AXSWORD LEGACY TRACKS Ver.0.1LEGACY TRACKSは当日200部限定500円で過去曲とリメイクを交互に繋いだ一本データディスクです。いずれフルアルバムにする予定のお試し版第1弾となります。 pic.twitter.com/jpNdjCBCAy
— 【M3 ス-04a】onoken | 4th Album 発売中 (@ax_onoken) April 22, 2019
Where to get it: Event only – Booth ス-04a
Good luck getting this one, it’s limited to 200 pieces. Featuring some of Onoken’s old work remastered, it’ll be a highly sought after disc.
Voltecks – 慧陽/Only U e.p.
keiyo key Twitter
Where to get it: Event only – Booth か-25a
Two powerhouse track makers, fu_mou and y0c1e team up with keiyo key for a five track EP.
ALSTROEMERIA RECORDS – RESONATE DANCEHALL
Masayoshi Minoshima Twitter
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
Masayoshi Minoshima continues the Dancehall series that’s full of dance bops.
LIPGLOSS RECORDS – Liberty
https://twitter.com/LipGlossRecords
Where to get it: Diverse Direct
A new label that’s got a few excellent track makers like Maozon, Genick, Oblangar and Colate.