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Popjapan.tv
''popjapan.tv'' is a J-pop music television program which aired on International Channel (later AZN Television) in the United States from 2004 to 2005, and was syndicated on numerous regional television channels in East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and Australia. Each installment of ''popjapan.tv'' features music videos, live performances, and/or interviews with a J-pop band or singer from a Sony Music Entertainment record label. An eponymous compilation album was also produced in 2004, featuring 14 singles from the program. Featured artists The format of the show included music videos and interviews of various artists. One of the artists is listed as a Featured Artist. Some artists give interviews over multiple episodes. Featured artists include: * Crystal Kay – Ep. 27 * Hirakawachi Icchoume – Ep. 29 * hyde – Ep. 2 * The Gospellers – Ep. 31 * Mika Nakashima – Ep. 4, 35 * Nami Tamaki* Orange Range – Ep. 32 * Skoop On Somebody – Ep. 1, 5, 30 * Soul'd O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
AZN Television
AZN Television (formerly called International Channel) was an American cable TV channel which promoted itself as "the network for Asian America". It was run by International Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. The channel's programming targeted the fast-growing, young, affluent, English-speaking Asian-American community. Genres included the most popular Asian films, dramas, documentaries and music as well as a diverse slate of original programming. Until the 2005 reformatting, it had a broader schedule, which also had European and Middle Eastern programming which were gradually dropped when the channel was bought by Comcast. It competed in certain markets with ImaginAsian Television. History The International Channel The channel was launched as the International Channel in July 1990, and was initially owned by a joint venture of Liberty Media (which had a 90% stake) and JJS II Communications, LLC (which had the remaining 10% stake). The channel was led b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
The Gospellers
The Gospellers (ゴスペラーズ) are a Japanese a cappella vocal group made up of Tetsuya Murakami, Kaoru Kurosawa, Yuji Sakai, Yoichi Kitayama and Yutaka Yasuoka. History Originally formed by Murakami and Kurosawa (along with 4 other members) in 1991 as a group within a college chorus club "Street Corner Symphony" at the University of Waseda, they recruited 3 new members in order to fill the vacancy (4 members previously left the group due to their job placement activities) for the recording of ''The Gospellers'', their first major label release in 1994. They spent the next 6 years working towards national recognition, releasing 13 singles and 5 albums, until they finally came up with a hit single "Towa ni", which stayed in the Oricon chart ranking for 44 consecutive weeks in 2000 and 2001. They became the first a cappella group to be in the top 3 of the chart in Japan with their 16th single, "Hitori". In early 2006, the group made a side-project release, Gosperats, whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
2004 Japanese Television Series Debuts
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hindu-Arabic digit Brahmic numerals represented 1, 2, and 3 with as many lines. 4 was simplified by joining its four lines into a cross that looks like the modern plus sign. The Shunga would add a horizontal line on top of the digit, and the Kshatrapa and Pallava evolved the digit to a point where the speed of writing was a secondary concern. The Arabs' 4 still had the early concept of the cross, but for the sake of efficiency, was made in one stroke by connecting the "western" end to the "northern" end; the "eastern" end was finished off with a curve. The Europeans dropped the finishing curve and gradually made the digit less cursive, ending up with a digit very close to the original Brahmin cross. While the shape of the character for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
L'Arc-en-Ciel
, stylized as L'Arc〜en〜Ciel and abbreviated as Laruku, is a Japanese rock band formed in Osaka in 1991 by bassist Tetsuya and vocalist Hyde. Following the departure of original members Hiro and Pero, guitarist Ken and drummer Sakura were recruited to replace them in 1992 and 1993, respectively. While they first got their start as a visual kei band, L'Arc-en-Ciel have not had any association with the movement since their major label debut in 1994. Sakura left the band in 1997 and was replaced by Yukihiro in January 1998, completing the current line-up. With a reported 40 million records sold, L'Arc-en-Ciel are one of the best-selling music artists in Japan. Their 1999 simultaneously-released albums '' Ark'' and '' Ray'' are each one of the best-selling albums of all time in Japan. L'Arc-en-Ciel have had seven number one studio albums and 21 number one singles. They were ranked number 58 on a 2003 list of the top 100 Japanese pop musicians by HMV Japan, and were the first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Home Made Kazoku
is a Japanese hip hop trio from Nagoya, formed in 1996. They are signed to Ki/oon Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music. The group has been on hiatus since 2016. History Home Made Kazoku is a trio consisting of members Micro, Kuro, and DJ U-Ichi. The band was originally formed in 1996 the name as part of the hip-hop group Funhouse. Micro joined the group in 1999 and Hoze left in 2001 to form the duo HB, with the remaining members renaming the band to Home Made Kazoku. Vocalists Micro and Kuro are originally from the United States. Micro spent a portion of his childhood in Kentucky, while Kuro stated that he lived in the U.S. until he was twelve in Chicago, Illinois. From 2001 to 2003, the band performed in various Nagoya nightclubs. Shortly after being signed on through local radio station Zip-FM, the trio released the album ''Home Sweet Home'', from which its similarly titled song became one of the most requested songs on Japanese radio stations for the rest of the year. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
ZONE (band)
was an all-female rock band started in Sapporo, Japan, in 1997. It started as a dance group and turned into an all-female band. Zone has been categorized in a new genre called "bandol" (a portmanteau of the words "band" and " idol"). The band was started and managed by Studio RunTime and its first single, "Good Days", was released by the major record label Sony Records, on February 7, 2001. The group officially disbanded on March 2, 2013. Zone's most famous song is " Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono)", released on August 8, 2001. It sold about 744,000 copies in Japan. History Zone started with eight members in 1997, then reduced to six and finally to four – Miyu Nagase, Mizuho Saito, Maiko Sakae and Takayo Ookoshi – by the time it released its first indie disc in 1999. Tadayuki Ominami, a representative of Sony Records, noticed that the crowd reaction at the group's first concert was particularly enthusiastic. Initially, Zone was solely focused on singing and da ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Sowelu
better known by her stage name, Sowelu, is a Japanese pop/ R&B singer signed onto Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone. History Her career started in 2002 with the release of her first single ''Beautiful Dreamer'', a soft love ballad which did very well in the charts, and was later featured on the ''Relaxin’ with Japanese Lovers'' compilation album. Her first single was modestly successful, and it wasn't until the release of her album ''Geofu'' in the summer of 2003 that she gained recognition. ''Geofu'' did exceptionally well in the charts, scoring a number 4 position with more than 300,000 copies sold. Her first single after ''Geofu'', "Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama ''Netsuretsuteki Chukahanten'', and the other A-side song on that single, "breath ~Omoi no Youryō~" was used for the national promotion campaign of JFN Radio. She performs under Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR Records label. Her next big single "Glisten" was used in a make-up commercial fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Soul'd Out
Soul'd Out (usually styled as SOUL'd OUT) was a Japanese hip-hop trio, consisting of Diggy-MO' (MC), Bro.Hi (MC/Beatboxer), and Shinnosuke (DJ). Their name is a portmanteau of "soul" and "sold out", and the group is sometimes referred to by their initials, S.O. On 30 January 2014, the group announced on Facebook that they would disband after their final album, ''To From'', was released on 9 April 2014. Members Diggy-MO' Diggy-MO' was the group's lead vocalist and track co-producer. He was classically trained on piano from the age of 10 and participated in a band in his school days. While he attended a university of fine arts with a major in graphics, he regardless pursued a career in music. Outside of his work as a rapper, Diggy-MO' has also worked as a singer, particularly so in his solo works. Diggy-MO' launched his solo career around the time of Soul'd Out's initial hiatus. His first single, "Bakusou Yume Uta" (released on 26 November 2008), was used as the third endi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Orange Range
is a Japanese rock band known for their strong Okinawan identity. Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003. The band left gr8! records in 2010 to start their own label, super Echo. In 2012, they signed with Victor Entertainment's Speedstar Records label. History 2002 The band has roots in Okinawa, an area famous for being the home of many well-known acts. Before they were signed by a major label, Orange Range played mostly in small art houses and clubs until they were found by a record agent. The band is mix of pop- and rock-style music as can be heard by the vocals and the instrumentals. Their style is also made up of many different cultures and musical styles from around the world. This is attributed to their hometown being Okinawa, a well-known station for American military bases and, thus, cultures and different styles often blend. Due to high sales of their works, Orange Range's singles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Nami Tamaki
is a Japanese singer. As a teenager under the Sony Music Japan label, she had four top-ten albums, two of which reached number one. Her singles were used as theme songs for animated shows such as '' Mobile Suit Gundam Seed'', '' Gundam Seed Destiny'', and '' D. Gray-man'', as well as being representative of the J-Pop music trend. She has various commercial tie-ins with the anime and games industry, and has also performed in stage musicals and a movie. Career Beginnings In 1999, Tamaki attended dance school and learned how to perform on stage. She auditioned for Sony Music Japan in 2001 when she was thirteen years old where she performed cover songs of the Destiny's Child hit "Survivor" and "Full Moon Prayer" by Core of Soul. She was selected out of 1,000 applicants and started her career in 2003 with her debut single " Believe" which was an opening song for the anime '' Mobile Suit Gundam Seed''. Her follow-up single, "Realize", was also used in the series. The popularity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Mika Nakashima
is a Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio albums, one of her mini-albums and one of her compilation albums have reached number one in Japan's Oricon album chart. She also embarked on an acting career, most notably as Nana Osaki in the Nana (2005 film), live action film adaptations of ''Nana (manga), Nana''. She has sold over 10 million records in Japan. Early life Born and raised in Kyushu, Mika was the youngest of three children. She grew up in the small town of Hioki, Kagoshima, where she has said there was "nothing there, only enka." She began listening to enka singer Eiko Segawa and studied classical Japanese dance, but as she loved dressing-up and make-up, she hoped to work in fashion magazines since she was too short to become a model. Nakashima decided not to attend high school after completing junior high and began working at the age of 15. Career 2001–2004: Debut, ''True'', ''Love'', and ''Music'' At the age of 17, she attended an audition not knowing w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Hyde (musician)
, known by his stage name Hyde (stylized in uppercase, upper or lowercase), is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Best known as the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel since 1991, he is also the lead vocalist of Vamps (band), Vamps and has a solo career. Hyde rose to fame in the 1990s as part of L'Arc-en-Ciel, who have sold over 40 million records and were the first Japanese act to perform a solo show at Madison Square Garden. He began a successful solo career in 2001, releasing several number one singles, and many of his albums have reached the top five on the Oricon chart. In 2008, Hyde teamed up with K.A.Z to form the hard rock duo Vamps. Through both his solo career and Vamps, Hyde has collaborated/toured with artists such as Apocalyptica, Motionless in White, Starset, Yoshiki (musician), Yoshiki, Sixx:A.M., In This Moment, and Danzig (band), Danzig, and producers such as Kane Churko, Nicholas Furlong (musician), Nichol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
