Kemuri (Japanese for ''smoke'') is a Japanese-American

ska punk Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music. Ska punk tends to feature brass instruments, especially Horn (instrument), horns such as trumpets, trombones and woodwind instruments like saxophones ...

band formed in

Oxnard Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California, United States. On California's Central Coast (California), Central Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the List of largest California cities by populati ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 1995. They have an upbeat sound with positive lyrics which they refer to as PMA (

positive mental attitude Positive mental attitude (PMA) is a concept first introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill in the book ''Think and Grow Rich''. The book never actually uses the term, but discusses the importance of positive thinking as a contributing factor of success ...

). While the majority of their songs are in English, they also have some songs in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. After their reformation in 2012, they released four more albums and continue to tour actively.

Break up and reunion

On 12 December 2007, Kemuri posted a message on their website stating they would no longer play together as a band. They said they had done much more than they expected as a band and that this break up would be the most positive conclusion to their band (keeping in line with their PMA message). Their last show was on 9 December 2007, at the

Zepp The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in whic ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

also their final show in

Oxnard, California Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California, United States. On California's Central Coast (California), Central Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the List of largest California cities by populati ...

. In 2012, Kemuri made their reunion tour in Tokyo and in the U.S. The first new album after the reunion, "All for This!," was released on 6 June 2013. In 2012, the band re-formed again and continues to perform in all over Asia, Japan, Europe and in the United States and in other countries worldwide.

Band members

* , Vocals * , Bass * , Guitar * , Drums * , Saxophone * , Trumpet * , Trombone

Former members

* , drums 1995–1996 *

Mike Park Michael Brian Park is an American musician and progressive activist. His musical ventures include Skankin' Pickle for whom he both played the saxophone and sang, The Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band, and Ogikubo Station, as well as an acoustic solo p ...

, tenor saxophone, 1995 - 1997; left after Kemuri's first album, ''Little Playmate.'' * Ryosuke Morimura (Deceased) * Hidenori Minami

Discography

* ''Little Playmate'' (1997) * ''77 Days'' (1998) * ''Senka-Senrui'' (2000) * ''Emotivation'' (2001) * ''Circles'' (2004) * ''Wating for the Rain'' (2005) * ''Principle'' (2005) * ''Our PMA'' (2007) * ''All for This!'' (2013) * ''Rampant'' (2014) * ''F'' (2015) * ''FREEDOMOSH'' (2017) * ''Ko-Ou-Doku-Mai'' (2018) * ''Solidarity'' (2020)

References

External links

Universal's Band Web site
{{Authority control Japanese punk rock groups Japanese ska groups Musical groups from Ventura County, California Musicians from Oxnard, California Ska punk musical groups