April 8, 2010

T-MODE adds three musical guests

Concert to be dedicated to memory of famed Japanese hip-hop producer

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 6, 2010) -- With less than two weeks to go, T-MODE 2010 is proud to announce not one, not two but THREE hot new musical guests. T-MODE 2010 rocks the Hilton Alexandria Old Town from April 16-18. In memory of Japanese hip-hop producer Nujabes, who was killed tragically in a February car accident, T-MODE presents Shing02, DJ Icewater and Emi Meyer.

Born in Tokyo in 1975, Shing02 has a very international background, having been raised in Japan, England, Tanzania and California. He is well known as the voice behind the theme to the popular anime "Samurai Champloo." In Japan, he is known as the ambassador of independent hip-hop, and creator of the Vestax Faderboard. Currently he is working on his first English full-length album, "RxOxTxO," and second mix CD, "FTTB2." He lives in San Francisco.

DJ Icewater hails from Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif., and has been DJing since 1995. He has spent time on college radio and has toured worldwide as a live DJ for The Pharcyde, The Living Legends and fellow T-MODE guest Shing02. Icewater has released over 35 mixtapes and was named "Mixtape DJ Of The Year" along with DJ Cobra in 2003 at the Tech.nitions Conference. In addition to DJing, he works as an audio engineer for various artists, including Lyrics Born, Jern Eye, and Keelay & Zaire.

Emi Meyer is a bilingual singer-songwriter and pianist known for her poetic lyrics and voice. Born in Kyoto, Japan, she moved to Seattle when she was only one year old. Her first self-released album, "Curious Creature," garnered much attention upon its 2007 release and was used in several American film soundtracks. She received an award for Best New Jazz Artist on iTunes Japan in 2009. Her 2010 release, "Passport," is entirely in Japanese and was recorded with musicians from the US, Japan, and Brazil. Fans can also meet Emi THIS SATURDAY, April 10, at Sakura Matsuri, the 50th annual Washington, D.C., street festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, where T-MODE will also be in attendance.

The three musicians join rapper Random as T-MODE's newest musical guests. T-MODE 2010 boasts a huge roster of guests, including voice actors Wendee Lee (Too many to list!), Todd Haberkorn ("D.Gray-man," "Claymore") and Cristina Vee ("Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha," "Anime TV"); author Roland Kelts ("Japanamerica"); and webcomic artists Jessi and Matt Pascal ("Geeks Next Door").

Along with guests and performances, T-MODE 2010 presents video game tournaments, a Cosplay Variety Show and Masquerade Prom, live event sessions, an interactive video room, the Otaku Bazaar with vendors and artists and much, much more. Registration is still open and available online at www.tmode.org.

About T-MODE
T-MODE is where Asian, western and urban pop culture collide into a completely fun and unique convention experience. Held in the Washington, D.C. Metro area, T-MODE is a "fun-sized" event that celebrates the fusion of anime, gaming, music, cosplay, and all things otaku. T-MODE also strives to create a friendly and more personal atmosphere for convention attendees.

For more information about T-MODE and T-MODE 2010, please visit our Web site: www.tmode.org.

###