Popular Japanese fashion designer and retailer UNIQLO teamed up with music legends Yoko Kanno and Cornelius to release a free alarm clock app. Available for iOS and Android devices, this app creates a unique alarm, depending on the weather and time. The visuals are very minimalist in style but varies depending on the day of the week. While the app is available in a multitude of languages (English, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Thai), the vocals are only available in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Check after the break for the promo video UNIQLO has released for this app, plus my quick review.

After downloading it on my Android phone, I was asked to select my location (either via GPS or I could select a location via a list), the language of the vocals, and the temp (*F or *C). Surprisingly, it gives you the ability to sync this app with your social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, etc…). I’m not sure if I want to tweet every time my alarm goes off, so I nixed that option. There is a really cool feature that brings up a rotating silhouette of a globe that shows the location of random users worldwide. One very minor gripe is that there is no landscape option.

As far as the actual alarm goes, you can definitely hear the signature touches by both Kanno and Cornelius. It is a catchy mix of warm chords and staccato arpeggios, depending on the current weather. The vocals are clearly understandable, even with the auto-tune. Unfortunately, for a deep sleeper like myself, the alarm music itself is way too soothing for me to use on a daily basis (unless I connect my phone to my sound system).

Overall, the app is cleverly designed, the visuals are easy on the eyes, but the alarm itself may not be enough to wake up heavy sleepers. It’s completely free, so go check it out for yourself.

Here is the video UNIQLO release to promote this app.

We are proud to present our interview with J-Pop/Rock superstar, May’n! We asked her about what to expect from her latest album, HEAT, how she gets inspired to write new music, how it was like to work with Yoko Kanno, and much more! Enjoy!

Otakulife: What people or artists are some of your biggest influences?

May’n: Namie Amuro. I saw her on TV when I was 3 yrs old. I thought, “I want to be someone like her who can sing and dance.” This was the spark that made me aspire to become a singer.

Otakulife: For your new album, HEAT, what was your biggest challenge? Is there a new side of May’n that you want fans to see?

May’n: This time, I created the album with the theme of the heat I feel at the live shows, the heat I want to create when I’m performing, and the heat I receive from everyone in the audience. So this album became the hottest and most “live-feeling” ever.

Otakulife: What was it like to work with Yoko Kanno and Megumi Nakajima on the Macross Frontier soundtrack?

May’n: When I’m with Megumi Nakajima, my Sheryl switch is turned on. I think she always looks so cute just like Ranka, even though she’s my age. Yoko Kanno brought out my voice that I didn’t know. The current May’n is really thanks to Yoko Kanno. She always gave me hard directions like, “You should be able to do more, you should be able to push more!” *laughs*

Otakulife: You have performed at AFA in Singapore, Anime Expo in America, and twice at Japan’s Budokan. What’s the next world venue you’d like to perform at?

May’n: Since I became May’n, I’ve been fortunate to have live shows at many locations including the Asian tour, but there are still many places I haven’t been to in Japan, and even more overseas. If there are people who are waiting for me, I’ll go there for sure, wherever that may be!!

Otakulife: How do you prepare yourself before a live performance?

May’n: I do stretches until right before the show starts. I usually go so close to show time that my stylist and make-up artist are always super-rushed. *laughs* Also, I receive the microphone early and hold it in my hands. That way, it feels like it becomes a part of my body. This is one of the pre-show things I always do.

Otakulife: Since you just recorded many new songs for HEAT, how much time does it take you to recharge and start new projects? Do you start writing down new ideas when you’re touring, or do you wait until the tour is over to start fresh?

May’n: So far, I’ve never thought “I need to recharge!” I like to be surrounded by music every day. I go on spontaneous trips by myself, and I think that refreshes me. During tours, I get so much inspiration. “WE ARE” from “HEAT”, “YOU ROCK” and “Phonic Nation” were all inspired during tours. Even if it’s not songs I write by myself, I ask to include thoughts and emotions that I felt at live shows, and I put those feelings into my performance when I’m recording. At my live shows, my fans are helping me create new music, even if they don’t know it.

Otakulife: You had your start with HoriPro’s Talent Scout Caravan, so many young singers look up to you. What advice do you have for young people who dream of becoming professional singers?

May’n: I believe that dreams come true as long as you put effort into it. Keep practicing! Let’s work hard towards our dreams together!

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Can’t get enough May’n? Check out our review of her latest album, HEAT, right here!

J-rocker Anna Tsuchiya has one helluva voice. Whether singing in Japanese or English, her sound is one that is instantly recognizable. For her latest single, “Master Blaster”, she teams up with some legendary musicians. The Queen of Anime music, Yoko Kanno, and Visual-Kei guitarist virtuoso, MIYAVI.

This song, while enjoyable and full of energy, sometimes forgets what musical genre it’s in. It starts with a very 90′s style intro (think P.Diddy’s “Come with Me” from the U.S. Godzilla OST), then jumps straight into a modern country groove that would feel at home on CMT. From there, it grows into a medley of j-rock power ballad rhythms with Kanno’s strings punching through it all. MIYAVI’s solo feels restrained, but given the song’s multiple personalities, it works. Over all of this is Tsuchiya’s signature vocals. For someone who claims she lost her fluency of the English language when she was 7, she has kept such an advanced understanding of it. Not once do I strain to comprehend what she’s saying.

Overall, the song definitely has an epic feel to it, and while I like it, I don’t love it (though it’s growing on me). Check out the music video after the break, complete with a bar brawl.

masterblaster by Anna Tsuchiya feat. Yoko Kanno and MIYAVI

It has been long rumored that Flying Dog would release a Kanno-produced album this year. It has now been confirmed! Titled “Yoko Kanno produce Cyber Bicci”, the album will feature the vocal stylings of ILA (aka Ilaria Graziano), an Italian singer who gained massive popularity with her involvement in the soundtracks for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Bebop, and Wolf’s Rain, among others.

This album will include a compilation of hits from Kanno’s previous works, plus a couple brand-new tracks. It it scheduled to be released on June 6th, 2011 for 2900 yen (about $34 after taxes). You can pre-order it on CD Japan now. Check past the break for the track list.

Picture of Yoko Kanno from Anime Expo ’99 (c) Kevin Lillard