Otakon is Thrilled to Feature T.M.R.
Baltimore, MD (January 30, 2012) - Otakon is pleased to highlight the "Year of Awesome" by
welcoming back musician T.M. Revolution for a special Saturday concert at Otakon 2013. He
returns ten years after debuting to American audiences in 2003.
T.M.R. was the first major Japanese rock/pop performance at Otakon. The success of that show
demonstrated that Japanese acts could find an audience in America by leveraging the fanbase
for anime. T.M.R.'s american debut helped bring Otakon to the attention of the Japanese music
industry and helped stimulate interest in bringing J-pop and J-rock acts to the US.
Jim Vowles, Otakon's Director of Guests and Industry stated, "T.M.R.'s show in 2003 was a
game-changer for us and for the whole world of anime conventions. His enthusiastic performance
was a massive success, and T.M.R. himself was fantastic with his fans. It was new territory for all
of us and we've looked forward to his eventual return for ages.”
Ten years later, such concerts have become almost a requirement for conventions of any size,
and draw a dedicated audience of their own. While Otakon has continued to showcase major J-
rock acts such as L'Arc~en~Ciel, JAM Project, and X-Japan, it has also brought an increasingly
diverse range of musical performers, such as shamisen performers the Yoshida Brothers.
Takanori Nishikawa, born in 1970 in Shiga prefecture, made his debut as T.M. Revolution (T.M.R.)
in May 1996, with the single “Dokusai –monopolize-”. Since then, he has established a reputation
as a singer with ear-catching tunes combined with intriguing and irresistible live performances.
Many singles have been picked up as themes of major anime and games including Mobile Suit
Gundam and Sengoku Basara.
Since his debut, T.M.R. has built a global fan base and reputation mainly among anime fans.
He has performed at major anime conventions in the US, such as OTAKON 2003 where local
audiences were dazzled by his dynamic performance. These activities led to the release of his
albums worldwide.
T.M.R. launched his 10th anniversary project in 2005 in which he released the single “vestige” in
August 2005, hitting #1 on Oricon chart. He also released a self-cover album “UNDER:COVER”
(all songs requested by fans) in January 2006. In June of that same year, he released a CD and
a DVD, both entitled “1000000000000”(pronounced billion) featuring all singles and music videos
he had previously released. This proved immensely popular and also hit #1 on the Oricon charts.
On September 19th 2012, T.M.R. released DVD and Blu-ray discs titled T.M.R. LIVE
REVOLUTION '12 -15th Anniversary FINAL which contains footage of his 15th anniversary
tour final at Daiichi-Taiikukan, National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo. Also in September 2012, he
organized the rock festival “Inazuma Rock Festival” for the fourth time at his birthplace in Shiga
prefecture.
T.M.R.'s recent participation includes appearing at “Anime Festival Asia 2012” in Singapore on
November 9th. Not one to rest on his laurels, he is currently expanding his field as an actor, voice
actor, and host for many media programs.
ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twentieth year, Otakon is an annual
celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings
of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper
understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga,
video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore,
Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over
32,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 89,000 turnstile attendees).
Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based,
501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture,
primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid
staff – we are run by fans, for fans.
For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp
For more information about Otako., see http://www.otakon.com
