Flightpath Records & Tours is a new label and agency with plenty of mileage.

Staffed by Japanese and Brits who have collective experience at major labels, music publishers, artist management, a tour agency and music publications on both sides of the world, the label takes a jet-setting approach to unique music with a pop heart.

The label aims to sign bands from all over the world, united by sound, not nationality. The bands will tour together and release in each others’ countries – hence the label’s fixation with all things mile-high.

Our first signing, lightning-bolt girl-boy guitar duo Levelload, will release their debut album ‘Yellow Fever’ on 6 February 2008 in Japan. Levelload have been championed by pioneering British radio DJ John Peel, had their track ‘HND In RNR’ used in the movie ‘Dirty Sanchez’ (and the forthcoming spin-off TV show), and have even had a video made by Coca-Cola. A cover of ‘HND In RNR’ will be released in Japan in January 2008 by Japanese act Itsco, retitled ‘SEKI-LALALA’, through Avex. But don’t let that distract you; Levelload offer brutal guitar’n’bass’n’drum-machine pop that will leave you bruised, and their album will feature a sharp set of grinding new-wave tracks.

Our distributor in Japan is Boundee, whose recent releases include albums from artists such as The Gossip, Electric Soft Parade and Public Enemy, and Japanese acts Ken Yokoyama, Cubismo Grafico and Hawaiian 6.

We are currently looking for distribution in the UK.

All about us

YUKIO KOBAYASHI

General manager

Founder of Third Stone From The Sun management company. Acts include:

— HiGE (signed to Speedstar)
— Theatre Brook (signed to For Life Entertainment, previously Epic)
— tobaccojuice (signed to Universal Music)
— Bo-Peep (signed to Kobayashi’s own Third Stone Records, with two UK tours under their belt)

Previously manager of worldwide renowned Japanese act Pizzicato 5.

Previously worked 10 years at Shinko Music Publishing Company, copyright-holder of The Beatles in Japan, as manager of million-selling act Rebecca and internationally successful Super Junky Monkey.

DANIEL ROBSON

A&R

Features editor and freelance writer at The Japan Times, Japan’s biggest-selling English-language newspaper.

8 years as a freelance music journalist and editor for Smash Hits, Q, NME, Mixmag, FHM, Heat and loads more; published in five countries.

Manager of the Japan branch of British Underground, a government-funded company that helps British independent labels to export their music globally; runs the company’s monthly club event in Tokyo and DJs on behalf of NME, with forthcoming events including DJ sets from Hot Chip, The Pipettes and Japanese band GO!GO!7188; wrote the company’s report on accessing Japan’s music industry for UK labels.

Founder of It Came From Japan, Britain’s only tour agency for Japanese bands, with showcase activity at In The City and The Great Escape festivals, alongside regular tours.

Kiyoshi Teranishi

Former A&R at BMG Japan, working 10 years in the domestic music division and two years in the international music division. During this time, Teranishi worked with many artists and their catalogues, including David Bowie, Lisa Stansfield, Brian Wilson, Toshiki Kadomatsu, Orquesta De La Luz, Shikao Suga, and so on.

Mami Fukuda

Freelance coordinator working in A&R for FPRT. Fukuda previously worked for an independent label in New York, as well as producing documentary films.