Kula Shaker
On 2 July 2008 the band announced they were back in the studio working on their fourth studio album with working title "Pilgrims Progress". However soon after the band became locked in a legal dispute with their label which resulted in most of the work for the next album being frozen. As of May 2009, work on the new album had recommenced.
Michael Majalahti
On July 15, 2012, StarBuck made his debut for Smash's follow-up promotion Wrestling New Classic (WNC) in Korakuen Hall, teaming with Hajime Ohara in a tag team match, where they were defeated by Naomichi Marufuji and Tajiri, with Marufuji pinning Ohara, who was still without wins in WNC. Following the match, StarBuck attacked Ohara, hit him with a spike piledriver and then walked out on him. In a backstage interview, StarBuck officially ended his partnership with Ohara, deeming him a loser, and announced a new partnership with Akira, who had turned on Tajiri and the WNC Seikigun the previous month. The two were also joined by Syuri, with all three feeling disgruntled by the supposed changes that had taken place since the transition from Smash. The following day in Osaka, StarBuck main evented his first WNC event, defeating Hajime Ohara. StarBuck, Akira and Syuri wrestled their first match as a unit on August 2, defeating Hajime Ohara, Kana and Tajiri in a six person tag team main event. The trio continued their winning ways during the following two days by first defeating the trio of Kana, Tajiri and Yusuke Kodama in a main event in Osaka and then the trio of Hanzo, Kana and Seiki in a semi-main event in Hiroshima. StarBuck returned to singles action on August 6, losing to Tajiri in the main event. On August 30, StarBuck, Akira and Syuri main evented another WNC event in Korakuen Hall, defeating Mikey Whipwreck, Kana and Tajiri in a Barbed Wire Board Deathmatch. StarBuck, Akira and Syuri also won a rematch the following day in Osaka. In the second rematch on September 1, Whipwreck pinned StarBuck for the win, ending the villainous trio's win streak in the process. On October 24, StarBuck, Akira and Syuri named their stable "Synapse". Two days later, StarBuck entered the WNC Championship tournament, but was defeated in his first round match by Hajime Ohara, following interference from his Kabushiki gaisha DQN stablemates Jiro Kuroshio and Nagisa Nozaki.