URBANGARDE Collaborates with Yuki Aoyama for Schoolgirl Trauma Photobook

July 31, 2016 -- URBANGARDE has announced a collaboration with popular Japanese photographer Yuki Aoyama, known internationally for his provocative “Schoolgirl Complex” photobook series. The special collection of photos and poems titled “Schoolgirl Trauma” combines the edgy view of the “trauma techno pop” music group with Aoyama's fetish-focused work.

URBANGARDE leader Temma Matsunaga contributed writings and vocalist Yōko Hamasaki posed in sailor fuku schoolgirl outfits, ball-joint stockings, and multiple accessories to illustrate the writings through Aoyama's lens. “Schoolgirl Trauma” will be available August 19, with a special pre-release event scheduled on August 5 at URBANGARDE's two-man live show with famous Japanese comedian and singer Takashi Fujii, star of “Matthew's Best Hit TV”, whose song “Oh My Juliet!” was produced by Tommy February6 and featured in the 2006 film Babel.

URBANGARDE has also announced the "2016 Short Goodbye" tour, featuring their first visit to Taiwan. The band will visit multiple regions of Japan throughout October and finish in Shibuya's WWW live house on November 5.

October 2 (Sunday), Miyagi Prefecture HooK SENDAI
October 4 (Tuesday) Hokkaido COLONY
October 15 (Saturday), Fukuoka Prefecture LIVE HOUSE CB
October 16 (Sunday), Okayama Prefecture CRAZYMAMA KINGDOM
October 22 (Saturday), Aichi Prefecture HOLIDAY NEXT
October 23 (Sunday) Osaka LIVE SQUARE 2nd LINE
October 30 (Sunday) Taipei, Taiwan Tsukimiru Kimisofu
November 5 (Sat) Tokyo WWW

URBANGARDE Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbangarde
URBANGARDE Official Homepage: urbangarde.net
URBANGARDE – Showa 90 on iTunes: smarturl.it/Showa90_iTunes
URBANGARDE – Showa 90 on Spotify: smarturl.it/Showa90_Spotify
URBANGARDE – Showa 90 on Google Play: smarturl.it/Showa90_GooglePlay
URBANGARDE – Showa 90 on Amazon Mp3: smarturl.it/Showa90_AmazonMP3

URBANGARDE PROFILE
Vocals: Yōko Hamasaki
Vocals: Temma Matsunaga
Guitar: Shin Zeze
Keyboard: Ohkubo Kei

URBANGARDE is a self-described “Trauma Techno Pop” band, mixing male and female vocals, outrageous performance-art visuals, and daring social commentary. After completing three independent albums, they released their major debut singles “Skirt Kakumei” and “Tokimeki ni Shisu” from Universal Music Japan in 2011, followed by their first major-label album release Mental Hells. URBANGARDE's 2012 album Geiger Counter Culture achieved the number 10 position on the daily Oricon chart in Japan and made the top 25 on its weekly chart.

In 2012, URBANGARDE ranked in the top 5 J-Pop artists on the French TV program “Japan in Motion” (NOLIFE TV) and made their French live performance debut at Toulouse Game Show (TGS). URBANGARDE returned to France in 2013 for Japan Expo and released their greatest hits compilation Koi to Kakumei to URBANGARDE, featuring the song “Tokai no Alice.”

URBANGARDE's Utsukushii Kuni was released in June 2014 by Tokuma Japan Communications, featuring artwork by renowned Japanese painter Aida Makoto. The same year URBANGARDE released music videos for “Sakura Memento” and “One-Piece Shinjuu”. In 2015, URBANGARDE released the single “Coin Locker babies” and made their USA debut at A-Kon in Dallas, TX.

URBANGARDE's latest album, Showa 90, was released on December 9, 2015, featuring the anti-war song “Kuchibiru Democracy”.