Dancemania EX × Trance Paradise

Quake Trance Best 23 mixed by DJ Uto
Release Date: 11/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

The 23rd release in the Quake Trance Best series features 3 new DJ Uto feat. Mayu songs plus 13 other tracks from popular hard dance producers.

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Sound Drive -Drift Luxy V.I.P.-
Artist: N.O.-SYO
Release Date: 12/19/12
Price: 2095 yen

Previously known as Sound Drive 2nd D.L.V., I guess we know what the DLV stood for now. In addition to new tracks, there are also repeats from some of the EPs he’s released since the first Sound Drive, as well as remixes from songs from Sound Drive and previous albums. I kinda wish there was more new material, but I’ll take whatever N.O.-SYO I can get.

I contacted CDJapan to see if they would be carrying it, but they replied, “Unfortunately, it won’t be possible for us to get it supplied. The label is selling it independently, and none of the record company we have dealings with will be able to get it supplied, either.” Bummer. Thankfully, HMV Japan and Amazon Japan do have it up for pre-order, and both ship overseas. Hopefully N.O.-SYO will put it up for sale as a digital download, but he never did so with the first Sound Drive. 🙁

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Exit Trance presents Speed Anime Trance Best 17
Release Date: 1/2/13
Price: 1905 yen

A handful of tracks announced for the 17th release in the SATB series. CD Japan’s description mentions there’ll be around 20 tracks in all, which would be nice after SATB 16’s 18 tracks. Bonus items include a smart phone strap and an instrumental CD if you send in the included survey.

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Handz Up Posse 2 mixed by DJ Uto
Release Date: 12/19/12
Price: 1905 yen

A few tracks have been announced for this sequel to Handz Up Posse and Handz Up Rave.

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Sakura Luminance
Artist: Ryu*
Release Date: 12/5/12
Price: 1905 yen

A seemingly final track list for Ryu*’s 4th album has surfaced on his official website. In addition to songs from Bemani, there’ll also be a number of new songs.

Bonus items include a holographic cover, cell phone strap, pass case, clear file, and poster. Konamistyle is offering a special Sakura Luminance set with exclusive goods, including a muffler towel, smart phone sticker, and an exclusive remix CD featuring “Sakura Luminance (kors k Remix)”. Not to be outdone, Animate, Tora no Ana, and Tsutaya will each get their own exclusive remix CDS. WonderGOO gets a can badge, while ordering from Shinseido will net you an LED strap.

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Quake Trance Best 23 mixed by DJ Uto
Release Date: 11/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

Whoa! It’s been a long time since DJ Uto has produced an original track, much less 3 for the same album. I guess he’s been itching to get his creative juices flowing, as 3 of the 16 tracks on QTB 23 were produced by him. The remainder of the album features hard dance/hands up artists like Italobrothers and Rob Mayth.

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Handz Up Posse 2 mixed by DJ Uto
Release Date: 12/19/12
Price: 1905 yen

What the fridge? Of all the series to resurrect they had to go with this one? Nothing against Handz Up, but I kind of assumed that Quake Trance Best 23 would fill that void. Like Quake Trance Best, the last (and only) release in the Handz Up Posse series came out in 2010. Now that I think about it Anime80s was another 2010 release that’s coming back in 2012. It’s as if everyone decided to skip 2011.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Exit Trance presents Speed Anime Trance Best 17
Release Date: 1/2/13
Price: 1905 yen

Only 2 SATB releases this year. 🙁 On the plus side, it looks like they’re changing up the release schedule, as the 17th release in the series will come out in January instead of the usual April. One odd thing is that it’s being listed as “Exit Tunes presents” instead of the usual “Exit Trance presents”. Is the Exit Trance brand finally dead? I guess we’ll see…

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Sound Drive 2nd D.L.V.
Artist: N.O.-SYO
Release Date: Winter 2012
Price: 1905 yen

It’s been far too long since we’ve last heard from the Rock Trance god, N.O.-SYO. Thankfully, the sequel to 2010’s Sound Drive is scheduled for release this Winter 2012 and is slated to include 15 tracks. I hope it’ll be easier to find that last year’s Majipanee! EP.

Sakura Luminance
Artist: Ryu*
Release Date: 12/5/12
Price: 1905 yen

As mentioned by Doc-S in the comments, Quake have updated their website with some info on Ryu*’s upcoming 4th album, now titled Sakura Luminance. In addition to 3 previously announced songs, the site also mentions “800nm”. Bonus items include a hologram cover, an original strap and amouse pad.

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Quake Trance Best 23 mixed by DJ Uto
Release Date: 11/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

After a two-year hiatus, Quake Trance is back with more hard dance hits.

As always, Quake Trance Best 23 will be mixed by DJ Uto.

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Ryu 3rd Album (Tentative Title)
Artist: Ryu*
Release Date: 12/5/12
Price: 1905 yen

Ryu*’s third major album (obviously not counting starmine) comes out this December. Expect his recent Bemani works to be collected, plus his collaborations with Mayumi Morinaga and Starving Trancer.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Quake Trance Best 23 mixed by DJ Uto
Release Date: 11/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

OMG! I can’t believe I get to use my favorite DJ Uto picture again after over 2 years! That’s right, Japan’s premier hard dance/trance compilation series is coming back after a 2-year hiatus. I have no idea what prompted the resurrection of QTB, but it might be the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Quake Records. In 2003, Quake Records was started by DJ Uto with the money he won from the Japanese reality show, Money no Tora, which may be better known to Westerners as Dragons’ Den or Shark Tank.

The first release of the label was “Money no Trance” (a play on the title of the show) and featured popular hard dance hits from Europe. It would become the first release in the Quake Trance Best series. Years later, in 2006, DJ Uto started a spinoff series called Exit Trance, which focused more on J-Trance. Soon Exit Trance became the dominant series, overshadowing Quake Trance before itself becoming overshadowed by Exit Tunes releases focusing on Vocaloid and Utatte Mita. It’s great to know that after all this time DJ Uto still has a place in his heart for what started his business in the first place.

As always, Quake Trance Best 23 will be mixed by DJ Uto.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Exit Trance presents Speed Anime Trance Best 16
Release Date: 9/5/12
Price: 1905 yen

16th release in the Speed Anime Trance Best series. In past years there were 3 main releases per year, usually around April, August and November. Quake just announced their late-November and early December releases, and sadly there’s no SATB 17 in sight. The fact that they’ve gone from 20 tracks down to 18 isn’t a good sign, either. Dizzi Mystica gets the most tracks with 6. Booing Day and Hommarju get 3 each, while Icon gets 4. There are also two new artists, alphacist and Flash back Dominant. The lack of MK and Ryu* yet again is a bit discouraging. Maybe they’re skipping even-numbered releases?

Bonus items include a strap and, if you send in the included questionnaire, a 10-track karaoke CD.

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Sexy and I Know It (Single)
Artist: Alkaloid
Release Date: 8/8/12
Price: $1.99

Psychedelic trance cover of the LMFAO track. Available only on Beatport.

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