Lantis Records and Otakorp, Inc. Present Otakon Music Fest 2012
Baltimore, MD (August 30, 2012) - Otakorp, Inc. and Lantis Records announced that they will collaborate to produce a new event: Otakon Music Festival 2012. The festival will be held on November 3, 2012, at Ram's Head Live! in Baltimore, Maryland, and will feature the return of super group JAM PROJECT.
Announcing the festival to a packed hall at Otakon 2012's closing ceremonies, Director of Programming Jim Vowles referred to the show as part of Otakon's 20th year celebration, and alluded to the possibility of the Music Festival becoming a yearly event, if it is successful. Ticket sales will go live to Otakorp members for $40 early September before tickets are available to the public for $50.
Describing how the festival came to be, Vowles said the idea of a separate music festival had been on the table since at least 2006. “It just made sense to attempt it sooner or later. We have a good reputation and strong ties with major Japanese labels, and we have so many great acts who'd like to work with us, but only so much room at Otakon proper. A separate music festival gives us the opportunity to bring back old favorites, try new acts, and build on our relationships, but it also gives us another venue where we can serve our mission of sharing Asian popular culture.”
Headlining the show will be venerable anison hitmakers JAM PROJECT, whose current lineup consists of Hironobu Kageyama, Masaki Endōh, Hiroshi Kitadani, and Masami Okui. JAM PROJECT is probably best known for performing the themes to the Super Robot Wars games, as well as many other theme songs including Sgt. Frog, MazinKaiser, and Transformers: Animated. Each individual member has a thriving solo career as well. The group is currently on a tour of South America, and sent a video message to Otakon expressing their joy at returning to see their fans in the U.S.
Joining them will be singer Faylan, who is best known for themes to Mobile Suit Gundam AGE and CANAAN, and singer Natsuko Aso, whose credits include themes for Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts (1 & 2) and the live-action drama Negima! Magister Negi Magi.
Please see http://otakon.com/otakonmusicfest2012.asp for more information. Lantis Records is a Japanese company that specializes in anime and video game soundtracks, working with a massive range of diverse artists and licensing music for dozens of franchises. They are a key partner in the multi-label ANIMELO SUMMER LIVE concert series (also known as “Anisama”).
This is the first time Otakorp, Inc. has engaged in a co-branded partnership of this sort. “Our organization has always been a bit wary of too much dependence on sponsorship; our membership fees pay the bulk of our bills, so we remain 'by fans, for fans',” Jim Vowles explained. “But in this case, the event needs to pay for itself and that meant finding a partner willing to share in the risk of a new venture.” Lantis proved a willing partner, and one with experience in touring overseas. “JAM Project had a blast when they were here in 2008,” Vowles said. “And the head of Lantis was here to see how well it went. Their appearance was a hit, we all got comfortable working together, and we've looked for opportunities to work together ever since.”
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 www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp
