Anime Spotlight #1: Ikimono-Gakari いきものがかり
Written on May 12, 2008 – 5:07 am | by Saizuchi
In Japan the music scene is a fierce lot. There are rarily bands that raise into the spotlight without a boost, but then there are bands that’s sheer energy moves them into the light with ease. Our current limelight grabbers have more then a charismatic appeal on stage but off stage.
Rhyme Guitarist/Harmonica 山下穂尊, Yamashita Hotaka, and Lead Guitarist 水野良樹, Mizuno Yoshiki, went to high school together in Kanagawa Prefecture at Ebina-shi. The two friends often would play together with the attendence of another friend of their’s and his younger sister 吉岡聖恵, Yoshioka Kiyoe. As the story often goes with Kiyoe’s commanding voice this band was born in 1998 while Hotaka (16), Yoshiki (16), and Kiyoe (14) were still attending school.
The group was signed by cubit club, an indie label in Japan, and released their first album “誠に僭越ながらファーストアルバムを拵えました・・・, Makoto ni Senetsu Nagara First Album wo Koshirae Mashita…” on August 25th, 2003. The group released two more albums with cubit club until they signed and moved to the Japanese Branch of EPIC Records and released there fourth album “Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari (桜咲く街物語; The Story Of A Town Where Cherry Blossoms Bloom” in 2007.
Currently the band is featured on the popular globally syndicated anime, Naruto Shippuden, with their 10th Single “Bluebird ブルーバード”
With the raging success on the launch of their first song entry into the famed Naruto series, Ikimono-Gakari (いきものがかり), this little known band gains more attention. The band recently came off of MUSIC FAIR21, a national broadcast in Japan, to prepare themself for the performance on MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2008 [link].
Whatever the future holds for this young band they are building a strong fan based and will see much support in the United States and other countries outside of Japan.
Official Website:
http://www.ikimonogakari.com/
6th Single “Seishun Line (青春ライン; Youth Line)” Ookiku Furikabutte OP 2
Tags: band, Epic, fair, gakari, ikimono, Ikimono-Gakari, japan, jrock, mtv, music, naruto, records, sakura
