Rittor Music Bass Magazine February 2026 Issue (Winter)

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An article about Ueda Kazuaki, an exclusive demonstrator for Ikebe and also active in his own band, Are Square, is published! In addition, we also include a live report from Jun Iz awa & GRANDEY BASS TOKYO presents IKEBE 50th Anniversary Live Party "B-day 2025," which was held at Shibuya GRIT on December 17, 2025! ■Featured Bassist ◎ tetsuya (Like-an-Angel) Tetsuya, leader of the monster band L'Arc-en-Ciel, launched the project Like-an-Angel in the spring of 2023. A distinctive tribute band led by members of the original band, they released the original song "Angel beside yoU" in the spring of 2025. Then, on December 17, 2025, they released their second single, "Crash to Rise," marking their full launch as a parallel band. Tetsuya, who continues to exert an overwhelming presence as a pioneer in the bass scene, what are his thoughts on "Like" and how does he envision his future? Taking advantage of his first cover appearance in roughly 14 years, we examine Tetsuya's latest style from various angles.・INTERVIEW CHAPTER #1 The Truth About Like-an-Angel / The Background of the Original Song・INTERVIEW CHAPTER #2 Tetsuya and his beloved instruments - The vision of the musical instrument brand STELLA GEAR・LIVE SOUND EQUIPMENT - Like-an-Angel ■SPECIAL INTERVIEW ◎ Akihiro Namba (Hi-STANDARD) Hi-STANDARD's long-awaited new album, "Screaming Newborn Baby," goes beyond simply following the golden rules of the past to present a contemporary sound aesthetic, embodied in a new punk spirit by the addition of new drummer ZAX. The raw grooves carved out by recordings without a click, melodies that sublimate yearning for their comrades, and numerous playful yet respectful homages—these are not mere continuations, but signposts to a new chapter in the pursuit of the most intimate ensemble. Through this lengthy interview, we unravel the current state of Akihiro Namba/Hi-STANDARD. This issue also features a special preview of an unreleased portion of the special conversation with Ken Yokoyama, featured in the artist book "Akihiro Namba - 100% MY LIFE." ■Memorial Project Anthony Jackson: A rare virtuoso who continued to pursue his own unique bass expression In October 2025, news broke of the passing of Anthony Jackson, a bassist who had long supported many artists. His playing, which was overwhelmingly compelling in every respect - tone, groove, phrasing, and technique - was a living legend even during his lifetime, and he had a profound influence on many bassists. In this tribute, we would like to trace the great footsteps of this one-of-a-kind, unparalleled bassist. Don't miss the talk about the appeal of Anthony Jackson by Tomoki Sekiya (TRI4TH / Kurofune), Mitsuru Sudo (TRIX), Teppei Kawasaki and others who have openly stated that they have been influenced by him. ■Special supplement booklet◎Great performances by Anthony Jackson This book contains five bass scores of masterpieces by Anthony Jackson, whose passing was reported last year.・CAPTAIN FINGERS / Lee Ritenour & Gentle Thoughts ・GLAMOUR PROFESSION / Steely Dan ・IGY / Donald Fagen ・JACK KNIFE / Jun Fukamachi & New York All-Stars ・CLOUDS / Chaka Khan *The supplementary booklet "Anthony Jackson's Masterpiece Performances" is not included in the digital version. ■THE BASS INSTRUMENTS 1 ◎An aggressive move: choosing Darkglass Electronics Darkglass Electronics is a brand highly popular among bassists for its modern sound and cutting-edge functionality. In today's music production and live performance scenes, where high fidelity is becoming increasingly prevalent, Darkglass products are becoming increasingly prominent as an aggressive move for bassists. In this project, we will reexamine the appeal of the brand through a discussion between bassists who use their products, interviews with developers, and a review of the latest digital processor, ANAGRAM.・Dialogue "Our Love for Dark Glass" by Mafune Katsuhiro and Holiday Manager ・ANAGRAM USER'S VOICE - IKKE ■THE BASS INSTRUMENTS2 ◎Many of the most famous bass amps in one unit! TONEX Pedal Bass Edition The TONEX Pedal Bass Edition is a must-have item for bassists, combining the sounds of various high-quality bass amps with classic effects in a compact body. This unit is synonymous with having a number of famous amps, making it ideal for live performances, recording, and any other occasion. We'll explain how to effectively use this hottest item for various situations. We also spoke to Park, a bassist and producer, about the unit's features and appeal. ■INTERVIEW&GEAR Nathan East Signature Amplifier DB-EAST: A Look Inside / His Thoughts on Collaborating with His Son In November 2025, bass master Nathan East will visit Japan. We caught up with him on this occasion to hear about his passion for his signature Laney DB-EAST amp, which embodies his ideal sound, and the secrets behind its development. We also focus on "FATHER SON," his first collaborative album with his son, pianist Noah East. We delve into the musical depths that could only be reached through the close father-son relationship, and anecdotes from the production process. What is Nathan's current focus on bass sound and his playing philosophy? ■Irregular series ◎ Beemaga DIY School Part 3: Try your hand at self-setup! "Beemaga DIY School" is an irregular series that takes on various challenges with the theme of "Let's do it ourselves." This is the third installment, and this time we'll be taking on the challenge of self-setup, adjusting your bass with your own hands! However, this time we'll focus on adjusting the neck and saddle, focusing on what you can do yourself. By setting it up yourself and adjusting it to make it easier to play, you'll no doubt develop a stronger attachment to your beloved instrument! ■Special Feature◎Ryuhei Maruyama (SUPER EIGHT) x Dennis Galuszka (Fender Master Builder) At Fender Experience 2025, a three-day event held by Fender from October 11th to 13th, 2025, a talk event was held between Ryuhei Maruyama of SUPER EIGHT and Fender master builder Dennis Galuszka. The theme of the talk at this event was "Making Maruyama's Ideal Bass." Based on the ideal bass that Maruyama described, master builder Dennis actually built it, which was an enviable experience, and Maruyama's expression as he talked about his dream bass was very impressive. In this article, we will introduce the conversation surrounding the creation of the bass. ■BM SPECIAL LIVE REPORT IKEBE 50th Anniversary Live Party: B-day 2025 / SEKIYA's SOUND COLOR feat. TYH BASS TRIO The Bass Day Special Live / IT Revolution x Bass Magazine In Memory of Sam Rivers / Gary Michael Mani Mounfield ■THE AXES ◎Toshiya (DIR EN GREY) ■INTERVIEWS ◎Masashi Sato (Quruli) ◎Fami. (LOVEBITES) ◎Hiroshi x tsubaki (Garandou) ◎AYA (Shintaro Sakamoto Band) ◎ Abe Yukiya (DOOM) ■BM SELECTED SCORES “Crash to Rise” Like-an-Angel "My cutest thing" FRUITS ZIPPER *The digital version does not include "BM SELECTED SCORES." ■Series◎Wakazaemon presents Equipment is Romantic! ◎DIGITAL FRONTIER #Deep Bass Through the Screen Part 2: Kazuaki Ueda ◎Ueno Kouji's Born to Lose? Guest: Haruki Hirai (The Birthday) ◎ Comedian Hiroshi's Lonely Bass Camp ◎ BMG (Behind the Masterful Groove) ~ Behind the Scenes of a Professional ~ Episode 8: Takumi Katsuya ◎ Bass Meals ~ The Food Habits of a Bassist? Yuichi Takada ◎ Bassist's Life's Work Fujimon (AIRFLIP) ■Serial seminar ◎ Yuichi Gamou's Showa era bass maestro ■MY DEAR BASS ◎Haruo Takahata (mandibular bone) ■BASSMAN'S LIBRARY CD/DVD/Video reviews, etc. ■NEW PRODUCTS Introducing new bass-related products Specifications: A4 modified size / 172 pages Show more