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GLAY
Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, including progressive rock, punk, electronic, R&B, folk, gospel, reggae, and ska. Originally a visual kei band, the group slowly shifted to less dramatic attire through the years. As of 2008, Glay had sold an estimated 51 million records; 28 million singles and 23 million albums, making them one of the top ten best-selling artists of all time in Japan. History 1988–1994: Indies era Glay formed in 1988 as a high school band when Takuro asked Teru, a schoolmate, to play the drums. They found a bassist but had difficulty finding a vocalist. When Teru made a tape of his singing and gave it to Takuro he was immediately recruited for the part, leaving the drums part to be filled by another person. On the search for a second guitarist, His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hisashi (musician)
, better known by his stage name HISASHI, is a Japanese musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Glay. He is particularly associated with the brand Tokai, designing a series of personal signature guitars, based on their Talbo model. Biography History Hisashi was born in Hirosaki, Aomori, the second of two sons; his father was a surgeon. His family moved north to Hakodate, Hokkaido, by the time he began secondary school. As an adolescent and young teen, Hisashi took an interest in post-punk and metal bands, particularly influenced by Boøwy and X Japan. He states that when he first asked his parents for a guitar, it was given in confidence as it was the first thing he had truly wanted. He began studying guitar independently from that time and is a self-taught guitarist. He later produced collaborative tracks with many of his early influences. At age 17, Hisashi witnessed the sudden fatal collapse of his father, an incident Hisashi cites as his departure from child ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Teru (singer)
, better known by his stage name TERU, is a Japanese musician and singer best known as vocalist of the rock band Glay, for which he was initially the drummer. Biography History He also founded the side-band rally, with Hisashi (Glay), Kouji Ueno (The Hiatus and ex-Thee Michelle Gun Elephant) and Motokatsu Miyagami (The Mad Capsule Markets). The band recorded the song "Aku no Hana" for ''Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-'', a tribute album to Buck-Tick. They've played in festivals. Besides singing, Teru is also an artist. He does some design to Glay's products and some non-Glay related campaigns. He's also worked as a narrator for the animated movie "Highway Jenny", in 2006. As a child, he used to play soccer and baseball and believed he could become an athlete. However, as a teenager he became interested in music and started to play the drums. Teru has been involved in several humanitarian campaigns as the White Band and the Red Ribbon Live. In 2007 and 2008 Teru starred ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics, similar to Western glam rock. Some Western sources consider visual kei a music genre, with its sound usually related to glam rock, punk rock and heavy metal. However, visual kei acts play various genres, including those considered by some as unrelated to rock such as electronic, pop, etc. Other sources, including members of the movement themselves, state that it is not a music genre and that the freedom of expression, fashion, and participation in the related subculture is what exemplifies the use of the term. Etymology The term "visual kei" was derived from one of X Japan's slogans, "Psychedelic Violence Crime of Visual Shock", seen on the cover of their second studio album '' Blue Blood'' (1989). This derivation is credited as being coined by Seiichi Hoshiko, the foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiro (musician)
, better known by his stage name JIRO, is a Japanese musician best known as the bassist of the rock band Glay. He is also the bassist in the sideband The Predators. Biography History Jiro grew up the only son out of four children, his father a carpenter. Jiro used to be a guitarist in his first bands, and only picked up the bass when he joined the indie band "Pierrot" in Hakodate (different from the well-known band of the same name). Jiro first became familiar with Takuro and the rest of GLAY as they attended another high school in the same town, and were mutually involved in the local indie scene. In 1992, Pierrot moved to Tokyo to expand their career, but disbanded shortly after. He states that during this time he owned nothing other than what he had carried in his backpack when traveling from Hakodate, and had walked part of the journey to save money. Jiro worked in construction in Tokyo before being invited by Takuro to join Glay. At first he declined due to his doubts abou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takuro (musician)
, better known by his stage name TAKURO, is a Japanese musician and lyricist best known as one of the guitarists and leader of the rock band Glay, for which he is also the main composer and lyricist. As a musician and composer, Takuro has worked with different artists and has also released solo works. Takuro and his older sister were raised by a single mother, as she never remarried after his father's death, when Takuro was three years old. He considers his mother an early influence in his musical career, as he was strongly impressed by her singing. Biography History Later on, during his adolescence, he would be influenced by John Lennon, and would develop a great interest in writing lyrics. His lyrics are often based on his feelings about different situations in his life, as well as events in the world. Takuro often expresses his opinion on different issues, and has been invited to write about different topics by newspapers. In 2007 he wrote a series of articles about his ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exile (Japanese Band)
Exile (stylized as EXILE) is a 19-member Japanese boy band. Hiro is the group's leader, who debuted as a member of Zoo under For Life Music, but Exile have released their singles and albums under Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone. Hiro and Avex's president Max Matsuura came from the same high school. In 2003, the six original members of Exile founded the management and entertainment company LDH which has debuted many successful groups and soloists ever since. Exile is the representative group of the company. In total, they have sold over 24 million records in Japan alone. History Pre-debut The current leader, Hiro, was originally in the pop group Zoo before they split up in 1995. In 1999, he started a new group called J Soul Brothers, which later changed its name to Exile in 2001. (But the name of J Soul Brothers was later revived by Hiro again in 2007 when he helped to form another 7-member group under the new J Soul Brothers moniker.) Debut and second generation Atsush ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Extasy Records
Extasy Records is a Japanese record label founded in April 1986 by Yoshiki Hayashi, co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan. The label's first release was X's 1986 single "Orgasm". Over the next few years, the label signed several then-little-known bands, among them future million-selling Glay and Luna Sea. Extasy along with Free-Will are credited with helping to spread the visual kei movement. The label also hosted a series of events to promote the groups, called Extasy Summits, which would also feature formerly signed bands that had already moved on to a major label. History Yoshiki Hayashi founded Extasy Records in Japan in 1986, using money he received from his mother when she sold her business. His band X Japan (then still named X) released their second single, "Orgasm", as the label's first release. In 1988, their debut album '' Vanishing Vision'' came out and was a huge success for an independent band. Over the next couple of years Extasy signed many bands that woul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyosuke Himuro
is a former Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He was lead vocalist of the rock band Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the band disbanded he started a successful solo career, becoming one of Japan's best-selling artists. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Himuro at number 76 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Life and career He was born , pronounced the same but written with different characters, before adopting his stage name at the end of 1984. Himuro has frequently played music with Steve Stevens, best known as the backing guitarist for Billy Idol. For example, Stevens participated in Himuro's album as a guitarist and his concert tour after his album ''I·De·A''. On August 22, 2004, he held a concert, entitled "21st Century Boøwys VS Himuro", at the Tokyo Dome. He sang many Boøwy songs, the first time in sixteen years. "Wild Romance" was used as the ending theme music for the Japanese dubbed version of '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Predators (Japanese Band)
The Predators (typeset as THE PREDATORS) is a Japanese rock supergroup formed in 2005 by Sawao Yamanaka (The Pillows), Yoshihito "Jiro" Wayama (Glay) and Shinpei Nakayama ( Straightener). In 2010 Nakayama left and was replaced by Hirotaka Takahashi (Ellegarden). Originally on their own record label Three Mountain, name chosen because all three original members have the word "yama" (mountain) in their last name, they were then on Avex Trax from 2008 until 2015, when they switched to Yamanaka's own Delicious Label. History Jiro became a fan of The Pillows during the "Runners High" tour in 1999, and he and Sawao Yamanaka became good friends. In 2001, Jiro and Sawao did a cover session of Nirvana together, they wanted to work together. In 2004, Jiro participated in the recording of The Pillows' 15th anniversary tribute album '' Synchronized Rockers'', where he met Shinpei Nakayama, saw his drumming style and thought he was quite talented. And so when the chance came, Jiro and S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Best-selling Music Artists In Japan
The top music artists in Japan include Japanese artists with claims of 15 million or more record sales or with over 2 million subscribers. Japan is the largest physical music market in the world and the second largest overall behind the United States, and the biggest in Asia, according to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Sources that provide the sales an artist or record company claim via press release, rather than certified or reported by reliable third parties such as Oricon, are denoted by a "†". Oricon Charts Oricon provides accumulated physical sales of all entries on its singles and albums charts (started in 1968 and 1970, respectively). Note that Oricon does not count sales of the records that did not enter or fell off of the charts, unlike Nielsen SoundScan. Therefore, it generally shows fewer numbers than reported sales via record labels, and may not reflect the real sales obtained by these artists. In addition, it excludes recording artists lik ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2014 MTV Video Music Awards Japan
The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards Japan was held on June 14, 2014 at the Maihama Amphitheater in Chiba. Hosted by Sayumi Michishige, T.M.Revolution, and W-inds, the ceremony honored the best Japanese and Western music and music videos released in Japan between March 1, 2013 and February 28, 2014. Beyoncé and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu were the most-nominated artists, with three nominations apiece. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu won two awards, for Album of the Year and Best Karaokee! Song respectively, and was the most-awarded artist of the night. Broadcast The show was broadcast live domestically on MTV Japan at 18:00JST; on MTV Asia in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand; and on J-One in France. The main part of the ceremony was streamed online via the official VMAJ website by digital partner GyaO! to domestic and international viewers. MTV Japan aired the television replay the following day at 15:00JST. Viewership of the live broadcast on MTV Japan re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
For Life Music
is a Japanese record label founded in 1975. of FLME Inc.' Sub-divisions *Güt Records *Anri * Loversoul Music & AssociatesArtists Its artists include , Abe Fuyumi, , , Under Graph,[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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