Angela Aki

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Vocal, Piano : Angela Aki

OFFICIAL LINKS
Angela Aki - official site

PROFILE
Angela Aki is a female singer-songwriter who, despite having been active for quite some time, received little attention until 2006, when she sang a song for Final Fantasy XII. The majority of her songs feature piano accompaniment, and her skilled voice is able to reach the hearts of many people. Due to the fact that she has spent many years living abroad, she is able to sing perfectly in English.Despite having reached 'star' status, Angela Aki is usually seen wearing jeans and t-shirts and, of course, her characteristic black rimmed glasses.

BIOGRAPHY
The uniqueness of this artist is not limited to her music. Since her birth in September 1977 in Tokushima, Angela Aki has been bathed in different cultures: her mother is American, with Italian origins, and her father is Japanese.She learnt to play the piano at the age of 3 and mastered other instruments like the violin and guitar during her childhood. When she was 15, she moved to Hawaii with her parents and joined an American high school. She distinguished herself thanks to her strong personnality and got a scholarship to pursue her studies. She chose a college in Washington D.C. where she could study economics, politics, and music. She wrote and composed songs, gave several concerts and even produced her first album in English, These Words, in January 2000.Back in Japan, Angela Aki caught the attention of the public with her mini album ONE. Her songs, in Japanese this time, captured thousands of hearts and this album reached number one rank of the Oricon Charts. She was then noticed by Nobuo Uematsu who chose her to sing Kiss Me Good-Bye, the theme song of the video game Final Fantasy XII.After years of works and persistence, Angela Aki began her rise in the Japanese music scene and released her first major single HOME on September 14.The next year, the single Kokoro no Senshi "including a cover of the song TODAY by the SMASHING PUMPKINS " was released before the long-awaited Kiss Me Good-Bye came out in March. This Love was recorded in May and was chosen to be the ending theme of the anime BLOOD+.In June, Angela Aki released her 3rd album Home which included some high-ranking songs like This Love, Kokoro no Senshi, and Rain. She appeared in the press, television programs, and concert halls like the Budokan. A few months later, she was back in the spotlight with a live DVD and two singles: Sakurairo in March 2007 and Kodoku no Kakera in May, theme song of the drama Kodoku no Kakera~Itoshi Hitoyo~.

ANSWER

February 25, 2009

1. Tegami ~haikei juugo no kimi e~手紙 ～拝啓 十五の君へ～
2. Knock'in On Heaven's Door
3. ANSWER
4. Somebody Stop Me
5. Dariaダリア
6. final destination
7. Our Story
8. Tasogare黄昏
9. We're All Alone
10. Reflectionリフレクション
11. Requiemレクイエム
12. Black Glasses
13. Fighterファイター

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Tegami ~haikei juugo no kimi e~

September 17, 2008

1. Tegami ~haikei juugo no kimi e~手紙 ～拝啓 十五の君へ～
2. final destination
3. Still Fighting It (Ben Folds no Cover) Still Fighting It (ベン・フォールズのカバー)
4. Tegami ~haikei juugo no kimi e~ -strings version-手紙 ～拝啓 十五の君へ～ -strings version-

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Home

June 14, 2006

1. Kiss Me Good-Bye
2. Love Is Over Now
3. Kokoro no senshi心の戦士
4. MUSIC
5. This Love
6. Onegaiお願い
7. Uchau宇宙
8. Rain
9. Kiseki奇跡
10. Oogesa ni Itoshii teru大袈裟に愛してる
11. Hallelujahハレルヤ
12. HOME
13. Your Love Song

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This Love

May 31, 2006

1. This Love
2. Jiyuu no ashiato自由の足跡
3. Kiss From A Rose

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Kiss Me Good-Bye

March 15, 2006

1. Kiss Me Good-Bye
2. Sante Fe
3. Aoi kage青い影
4. Kiss Me Good-Bye -featured in FINAL FANTASY XII-

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ONE

March 9, 2005

1. We're All Alone
2. Rain
3. A Song For You
4. Warning
5. Never Is A Promise
6. Aisuru mono愛するもの

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Eri Nobuchika

Eri Nobuchika 信近エリ is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter under the Fearless Records label on Sony Music Associated Records. She currently resides in Tokyo.

Eri's professional career started at Sony Music SD "Gonna be a star" audition, a regularly held event for aspiring new pop artists. She sent in her demotape but forgot to put her address in it. The president of the audition wanted to contact her, and after asking for her through a few calls to Fukuokan post offices, he finally got hold of Eri.

At the audition, she raised interest in producer Shinichi Osawa, also known as Mondo Grosso. She got 7 more label offers, but ultimately signed with Sony Music, and teamed up with Shinichi Osawa. As an artist on his label, Fearless Records, Osawa would go on to primarily produce Eri's music as he did with fellow label artist bird.

After finishing high school at the age of 19, Eri started work on her debut single, "Lights", which was released on December 8, 2004. The single features the title song, as well as an acoustic version and a karaoke version. The B-track, "I hear the music in my soul", shows off Shinichi Osawa's underground club music background with Eri providing a few vocals. "Lights" starred as the theme song of the Japanese film "深紅" (Shinku, or "The Deep Red") and the ending theme song for the anime FLAG. The song was also featured on Q Entertainment’s PlayStation Portable game Lumines, along with "I hear the music in my soul". Many overseas fans discovered Eri through the game and it also helped launch her career in Japan.

Months later, on April 6, 2005, Eri's second single, "Voice" was released. The song carries a Latin atmosphere with the use of Spanish guitars and carries more of Osawa's club sound. Along with the title song are a studio live version, a karaoke version, and a remix of "I hear the music in my soul". On Oricon's Top 100 chart, the single reached a peak of #94 and stayed on the charts for 3 weeks.

On June 29, 2005, "Sketch for Summer" was released, a very different genre compared to the previous singles. It was a mellow ballad with some hints of jazz. The single comes with a studio live version, a karaoke version, and a remix of "Voice". In the PV, she is featured in colour for the first time, as all of her videos are black & white. The single scored even lower on Oricon at #175 for just one week.

Eri's fourth single, "鼓動" (Kodou, meaning "heartbeat") was released December 7th, 2005, another ballad containing elements of acid jazz, with Eri accompanied by piano and horns. The song appeared in a TV commercial for the mobilecast mLink. "Kodou" is accompanied by a remix, a karaoke version, and a remix of "Sketch for Summer". The single was re-released on two weeks later, replacing the karaoke version with an instrumental version with no background vocals.

Her debut album, "nobuchikaeri", was released on December 21, 2005. It contained her four singles, as well as "I hear the music in my soul", and five new tracks. One of the new tracks included Eri fully singing in English, and two of those tracks, "Yume no Kakera" and "SING A SONG" went on to become her first DVD single in March 1, 2006. The DVD single featured PVs for both songs; the PV for "Yume no Kakera" was created by Studio 4C, who also created animations for The Animatrix.

A 7-track album of remixes titled "nobuchikaeri.rx" was released on May 10, 2006. The album includes remixes of Eri's singles by artists such as Röyksopp, Akufen, and more.
Eri was featured in a radio program on the now-defunct bi-weekly vodcast "the swallowtail radio" (hosted by Sony Music Japan) in which she talked about her career, releases, and where she also addressed messages from fans.

As of the release of "nobuchikaeri.rx" and Shinichi's Osawa move to Avex Trax in 2006, Eri has made no further releases. There is speculation that Eri has parted ways with Sony Music Records, though an official announcement has yet to be made.

An update on her blog told of a studio recording in Okinawa during the summer; this was eventually revealed as her collaboration with NAOTO, the leader of Japanese band Orange Range, in his solo project, delofamilia.

delofamilia's first album, quiet life, was released on December 5, 2007, featuring Eri and AIR as guest vocalists, although Eri appears on the majority of the songs singing in mostly English and some Japanese. Eri, NAOTO, and AIR all shared lyric-writing duties for the album.

nobuchikaeri.rx

May 10, 2006

1. Lights (FPM obsession mix)
2. SING A SONG (Royksopp i kramsno remix)
3. I hear the music in my soul (Mutiny's'special edition'remix)
4. Voice (Azzido Da Bass remix)
5. 鼓動 (Herbert's pikey remix)
6. 夢のかけら (Linus Loves remix)
7. 陽だまり (Akufen clueless mix)

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eri nobuchika

December 21, 2005

1. Forest of Dreams (Intro)
2. LIGHTS-Album Mix-　
3. SING A SONG
4. Sketch for Summer-Album Mix-　
5. 靴を鳴らそう
6. Inner Glow
7. I hear the music in my soul-Album Mix-
8. Voice-Album Mix-　
9. 鼓動
10. Desert of Dreams (Interlude)
11. 夢のかけら
12. 陽だまり

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Voice

May 18, 2005

1. Voice
2. Voice (Live @ Crescente Studio)
3. I hear the music in my soul (Solid Groove Remix)
4. Voice (Karaoke)

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Abe Natsumi

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Vocal : Abe Natsumi

OFFICIAL LINKS
Hello! Project - official site

PROFILE
Abe Natsumi is well known for the clarity of her voice and her beautiful appearance. As the lead vocalist for Morning Musume from 1997 to 2004, Abe's popularity rose as she became seen as the most talented member of the group. The adoration from the public saw the young woman become one of the most popular idols towards the end of the 90s.Abe's musical style remains similar to that of Morning Musume, centering around light hearted pop and ballads.

BIOGRAPHY
Abe Natsumi was born in Hokkaido in 1981 and attended Hokkaido Noboribetsu High School. She has said her desire to become a singer was born during middle school when she was feeling depressed after being a victim of bullying. The young idol claimed that JUDY & MARY helped her through this period of her life, the song Chiisana koro kara contributing significantly to her overcoming her fears.Following the 1997 audition of AYASAN in order to find a female vocalist for Sharam Q, the five runners-up - consisting of Nakazawa Yuko, Ishiguro Aya, Iida Kaori, Fukada Asuka and Abe Natsumi - were chosen to form the first generation of Morning Musume.Although Abe is now recognized as the main vocal talent of the group during her tenure, initially it was Iida Kaori who held this privilege. However, TSUNKU rapidly changed the status within the band, applying Abe‘s crystal clear voice to the best of his ability.Following the third generation audition with Goto Maki's arrival in the group, Abe saw her popularity waver somewhat. Perhaps it was this momentary lapse that saw the young woman's first photo book released in December. 2000 saw Abe being selected as the star to perform the main role in Morning Musume's second film, Pinch Runner. The year also saw one of the original three Hello! Project Shuffle Units formed, and Abe was selected as leader for the group Kiiro 5.With the fourth generation auditions came a new spurt of favoritism for Abe, with members like Nozomi Tsuji seeing her as a role model. 2003 saw Abe taking her first tentative steps towards a solo career; the young artist released a single with Yosumi Keiko, a former member of Rokusenmon. August 2003 saw Abe releasing her first solo single which achieved the number two spot on the Oricon Weekly Chart.In the January of 2004, Abe graduated from Morning Musume in order to pursue her solo career. Her first album, released in February, saw the soloist achieving a place in the Top 50. Her two following singles reached the Top 10. Unfortunately for Abe she was accused of plagiarism later in the year, reportedly copying content from another idol’s book. Subsequently, her activities with Hello! Project were suspended for approximately an eight month period.Abe's comeback in April of 2005 was met with much anticipation, proving her popularity had not dwindled despite the scandal. Her single reached the number six position on the Oricon Weekly. The soloist also participated in the drama Takaramono under the alias of Sen, releasing a single of the same name in November.March 2006 saw Abe releasing her first album since her comeback. Her album took the number nine spot on the Oricon. Her seventh single, The Stress, is a cover of the 1988 original by Moritaka Chisato and rather interestingly, the artwork features the National Diet Building in Tokyo.2007 has been a fairly quiet year for Abe, with the artist releasing only two singles. In November it was announced that Abe would be collaborating with ºC-ute member Yajima Maimi for a single to be released sometime in January 2008.With this being the first Hello! Project single release of 2008 and Abe's first contribution for the New Year, fans can only hope that this will be a year of good fortune for this young idol.

[2006.06.10] Natsumi Abe - ecru.rar
[2005.09.02] Abe Natsumi - Alo! Hello.rar
[2005.05.26] Natsumi Abe - Fu.rar

[2001.11.01] Abe Natsumi - Natsumi.rar
[1999.12.01] Abe Natsumi - Nacchi.rar

Lulu's Marble

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Akko--vocal & guitar (Sadly, Akko died in February 1999)
Toshie--bass & bg vocal
Miwa--drums
Oka--organ & bg vocal

Four young women kicking out some classics in a ruthless garage mode. This powerful, rockin’ band’s signature is the background screaming (nearly every song). I swear, it doesn’t get better, or wilder, or crazier than this! Technically, they could be better, which only proves how totally unnecessary that would be. The whole band’s great, and there’s a definite SONICS influence in the way they pound these songs out like they own them all!

Lulu’s Marble (1994)

1. Road Runner
2. Ah! So!
3. Koi Suru La La La (Love La La La)
4. Psych De Go Go Go (Psychedelic Go Go Go)
5. Blue Mow Mow
6. Louie Louie
7. Psych Very Good
8. Money
9. Omae No Subete Wo (All Of You)
10. Psych De Go Go Go~Live (Psychedelic Go Go Go)
11. Louie Louie~Live
12. Omae No Subete Wo~Alternate Take (All Of You)

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A and D

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Vocal : Shizeru
Guitar : Yuki
Guitar : Saki
Bass : Kage
Drums : Syujirow [support member]

OFFICIAL LINKS
A&D - official site

PROFILE
A&D performs touching pop rock with the lead of a talented vocalist. Although the band was formed in the autumn of 2008, they present a combination of solid experience and a powerful chemistry between the members, as the whole line-up worked previously with the down-to-earth act RABBIT. The light and melodic sound is backed up by Yuki and Saki's guitars, which give the music a tint of a heavier edge.The home site address of this sympathetic four refers to the words 'air' and 'dignity', but in any case the name is always spelled as A&D.

BIOGRAPHY
A&D officially started on August 18 2008, right after the break-up of the members' previous group RABBIT. The line-up knew each other well, as the vocalist Shizeru and the guitarists Yuki and Saki had played together in RABBIT ever since the year 2003, whereas bassist Kage joined the band as a session member within their last year. Seeming like a natural continuation, A&D hasn't given up on their foundation stone, the strong theme of positive sounding pop rock, although the group's exterior style has been polished to a more nuanced direction.The merry four performed for the first time in September 2008 and released their first mini-album, Aquarium, followed by maxi single quill. Besides the promising releases, A&D has gathered interest by taking part in events organized by such labels as UNDER CODE and PS COMPANY, even though the band gets left somewhere between the visual kei and more regular indie rock styles.A&D is rising fast towards the highlights with their radiating energy and recognizable music. The determined line-up is ready to go through a lot of work in order to succeed together and that might be one of the reasons why the band's future looks pretty promising.

Aquarium
October 15, 2008

1. No>>>Eternity
2. Aquarium
3. Revolution Music
4. GO TO MY WAY GO
5. BREAKER
6. NANAIRO SKY
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