Fujifabric
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese rock band formed in 2000. While their music can be mostly categorized as alternative rock
or power pop
, their music usually consists of an eclectic mix of genres, including jazz
, disco
and progressive rock
.
consisting of several junior high school friends, Fujifabric was founded by Masahiko Shimura and Takayuki Watanabe. After graduating from high school, the Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
natives began to take their musical interests more seriously and moved to Tokyo
, and recruited Tadokoro Sachiko, Yuichi Kato and Akira Hagiwara for the band.
The first Fujifabric performance was in October 2001 at Club Eggsite (now known as Shibuya Eggman). After playing several successful club gigs, Fujifabric was signed to Song-Crux. Before the release of their debut mini-album, A la Carte guitarist Akira Hagiwara and bassist Yuichi Kato left the band, and keyboardist Tadokoro Sachiko soon followed, leaving Shimura and Watanabe. Daisuke Kanazawa and Shinichi Kato were recruited into the band and in June 2003 the band released their second mini-album A la Mode
.
s and a bidding war over the band ensued; finally in 2004 Fujifabric was signed to Toshiba-EMI
and Soichiro Yamauchi was brought into the band as lead guitarist. In January 2004 original founding member Takayuki Watanabe left the band due to creative differences; consequently Fusafumi Adachi joined and took over as drummer. In February 2004 Fujifabric completed the "A la.." trilogy and released their first major release, EP
A la Molto
.
Fujifabric released their first full (and self-titled
) studio album on November 10, 2004. Fujifabric peaked at #17 on Japan's Oricon Chart.
In 2005 the band released three more singles including the popular Ginga
and Akaneiro no Yūhi, the latter which featured the song Shinkirou and was used as the ending theme in the film Scrap Heaven. In November 2005, Fujifabric released their second full album FAB FOX
which went on to peak at #8 on the Oricon charts, selling 13,152 units in its first week.
After a two-year hiatus, Fujifabric released the single Aoi Tori
, which peaked at #9 on the Oricon Chart and was the ending theme of the film Nightmare Detective
. The band's subsequent single Surfer King
, featured Masahiko Kitahara, Nargo, and Gamo of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
, and marked Fujifabric's first collaboration. The tracks were included on Fujifabric's third studio album, TEENAGER
. The album came out on January 3, 2008 and peaked at #11. Their most recent single, entitled "Sugar!!" was used as the theme music for J-SPORTS' Nippon Professional Baseball broadcasts for the 2010 season.
On December 24, 2009, vocalist Masahiko Shimura died due to unknown causes. Despite this, the band continued with the remaining three members. In 2010, the band would switch labels from EMI Music Japan to Sony Music Associated Records. The three remaining members have since performed several live shows including a memorial concert, and in August 2011, announced that their sixth album, titled Star, would be released September 21st.
.
joined the band at the same time as Kanazawa, in January 2003. He is the bassist
of the band.
joined Fujifabric in January 2004 as lead guitarist, and took over lead vocals following Shimura's death.
, lead vocalist
, and rhythm guitarist of the group. He died on December 24, 2009 of an unknown ailment.
joined Fujifabric in January 2004 as a drummer
. He was an employee of Ringo Shiina's individual office kuronekodow before joining. He left the band on March 27, 2006 and is now front man for his band "Marvelous."
and unkie.
- Drummer for Tokyo Jihen
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
or power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
, their music usually consists of an eclectic mix of genres, including jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
.
Name origin
Before the band made their formal debut they were originally known as , in homage to the textile company which former band drummer, Takayuki Watanabe's, father owned. Just before moving to Tokyo and reforming the band, the spelling was changed to .Formation and indie period (2000 - 2004)
Originally a cover bandCover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
consisting of several junior high school friends, Fujifabric was founded by Masahiko Shimura and Takayuki Watanabe. After graduating from high school, the Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū.-Geography:It is considered a high-elevation city in Japan, at 2,140 to 2,800 feet above sea level. The city is also located between two of the five Fuji Lakes.-Geology:Fujiyoshida was founded on...
natives began to take their musical interests more seriously and moved to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and recruited Tadokoro Sachiko, Yuichi Kato and Akira Hagiwara for the band.
The first Fujifabric performance was in October 2001 at Club Eggsite (now known as Shibuya Eggman). After playing several successful club gigs, Fujifabric was signed to Song-Crux. Before the release of their debut mini-album, A la Carte guitarist Akira Hagiwara and bassist Yuichi Kato left the band, and keyboardist Tadokoro Sachiko soon followed, leaving Shimura and Watanabe. Daisuke Kanazawa and Shinichi Kato were recruited into the band and in June 2003 the band released their second mini-album A la Mode
A la Mode
A la Mode is the second mini-album by Fujifabric, released in 2003 under the independent Japanese record label Song-CRUX.-Track listing:#Hanaya no Musume #Otteke Otteke #Otsuki-Sama no Nopperabou...
.
Major albums and hiatus (2004 - present)
The band soon caught the attention of several major record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s and a bidding war over the band ensued; finally in 2004 Fujifabric was signed to Toshiba-EMI
Toshiba-EMI
(formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was...
and Soichiro Yamauchi was brought into the band as lead guitarist. In January 2004 original founding member Takayuki Watanabe left the band due to creative differences; consequently Fusafumi Adachi joined and took over as drummer. In February 2004 Fujifabric completed the "A la.." trilogy and released their first major release, EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
A la Molto
A la Molto
A la Molto is a limited release pre-debt EP by Fujifabric, released in 2004. A la Molto is the first CD to be released by the band upon signing to the major record label Capitol Records...
.
Fujifabric released their first full (and self-titled
Fujifabric (album)
Fujifabric is the first full studio album by Fujifabric, released in 2004 on the Capital Records label.-Track listing:#Sakura no Kisetsu #Taifu#Kagerou #Otteke Otteke #Uchiage Hanabi #Tokyo Midnight#Hana...
) studio album on November 10, 2004. Fujifabric peaked at #17 on Japan's Oricon Chart.
In 2005 the band released three more singles including the popular Ginga
Ginga (song)
"Ginga" is the fourth single released by Japanese rock band Fujifabric, released on February 2, 2005. The song later appeared on their second album, FAB FOX....
and Akaneiro no Yūhi, the latter which featured the song Shinkirou and was used as the ending theme in the film Scrap Heaven. In November 2005, Fujifabric released their second full album FAB FOX
Fab Fox
FAB FOX is the second studio album by Fujifabric, released in 2005 on the Capital Records label.-Track listing:# Mononoke Hakaranda #Sunny Morning#Ginga #Kuchibiru no Sore #Chiheisen wo Koete...
which went on to peak at #8 on the Oricon charts, selling 13,152 units in its first week.
After a two-year hiatus, Fujifabric released the single Aoi Tori
Aoi Tori
"Aoi Tori" is Fujifabric's 7th single. The singles title track was featured as the ending theme in the 2007 film Nightmare Detective.-Chart positions:...
, which peaked at #9 on the Oricon Chart and was the ending theme of the film Nightmare Detective
Nightmare Detective
is a 2007 Japanese horror film directed by Shinya Tsukamoto and released by Movie-Eye Entertainment Inc, starring Ryuhei Matsuda and hitomi. Masanobu Ando and Ren Osugi play supporting roles, and Tsukamoto himself plays the unnamed villain. The film is shot entirely within Adachi, Tokyo.Nightmare...
. The band's subsequent single Surfer King
Surfer King
"Surfer King" is Fujifabric's 8th single. The single's title track features Masahiko Kitahara, Nargo, and Gamou from Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and marks Fujifabric's first collaboration.-Chart positions:...
, featured Masahiko Kitahara, Nargo, and Gamo of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
, commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band officially formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene...
, and marked Fujifabric's first collaboration. The tracks were included on Fujifabric's third studio album, TEENAGER
Teenager (Fujifabric album)
TEENAGER is the third studio album by Fujifabric, released on January 23, 2008 on the Capital Records label. The majority of the songs featured on the album are written by Masahiko Shimura, with the exception of "Kinen Shashin", "B.O.I.P." and "Mabataki", which are written by guitarist Soichiro...
. The album came out on January 3, 2008 and peaked at #11. Their most recent single, entitled "Sugar!!" was used as the theme music for J-SPORTS' Nippon Professional Baseball broadcasts for the 2010 season.
On December 24, 2009, vocalist Masahiko Shimura died due to unknown causes. Despite this, the band continued with the remaining three members. In 2010, the band would switch labels from EMI Music Japan to Sony Music Associated Records. The three remaining members have since performed several live shows including a memorial concert, and in August 2011, announced that their sixth album, titled Star, would be released September 21st.
Current
joined the band in January 2003, replacing the former keyboardistKeyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
.
joined the band at the same time as Kanazawa, in January 2003. He is the bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of the band.
joined Fujifabric in January 2004 as lead guitarist, and took over lead vocals following Shimura's death.
Former
was the only remaining original member of Fujifabric, he was the lyricistLyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, and rhythm guitarist of the group. He died on December 24, 2009 of an unknown ailment.
joined Fujifabric in January 2004 as a drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
. He was an employee of Ringo Shiina's individual office kuronekodow before joining. He left the band on March 27, 2006 and is now front man for his band "Marvelous."
Support
- Dummer for Kenichi Asai's JUDEJude
Jude may refer to:* Jude the Apostle, an apostle also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus, the patron saint of lost causes in the Catholic Church* Epistle of Jude, a book of the New Testament of the Bible...
and unkie.
- Drummer for Tokyo Jihen
Tokyo Jihen
is a Japanese band started by , after leaving her solo career. The band's debut single Gunjo Biyori was released in September 2004.- Origins:...
.
Studio albums
- FujifabricFujifabric (album)Fujifabric is the first full studio album by Fujifabric, released in 2004 on the Capital Records label.-Track listing:#Sakura no Kisetsu #Taifu#Kagerou #Otteke Otteke #Uchiage Hanabi #Tokyo Midnight#Hana...
(2004) - Fab FoxFab FoxFAB FOX is the second studio album by Fujifabric, released in 2005 on the Capital Records label.-Track listing:# Mononoke Hakaranda #Sunny Morning#Ginga #Kuchibiru no Sore #Chiheisen wo Koete...
(2005) - TeenagerTeenager (Fujifabric album)TEENAGER is the third studio album by Fujifabric, released on January 23, 2008 on the Capital Records label. The majority of the songs featured on the album are written by Masahiko Shimura, with the exception of "Kinen Shashin", "B.O.I.P." and "Mabataki", which are written by guitarist Soichiro...
(2008) - Chronicle (2009)
- Music (2010)
- Star (2011)
Mini albums
- A la Carte (2002)
- A la ModeA la ModeA la Mode is the second mini-album by Fujifabric, released in 2003 under the independent Japanese record label Song-CRUX.-Track listing:#Hanaya no Musume #Otteke Otteke #Otsuki-Sama no Nopperabou...
(2003) - A la MoltoA la MoltoA la Molto is a limited release pre-debt EP by Fujifabric, released in 2004. A la Molto is the first CD to be released by the band upon signing to the major record label Capitol Records...
(2004, Pre-debut)
Singles
- "Sakura no KisetsuSakura no Kisetsu"Sakura no Kisetsu" is the first single released by Japanese rock band Fujifabric, released on April 14, 2004. The song later appeared on their self-titled debut album.-Track listing:#Sakura no Kisetsu #Sakura Namiki, Futatsu no Kasa...
" (2004) - "Kagerou" (2004)
- "Akakiiro no KinmokuseiAkakiiro no KinmokuseiAkakiiro no Kinmokusei is the second single released by Japanese rock band Fujifabric, released on September 9, 2004. The song later appeared on their self-titled debut album.-Track listing:#Akakiiro no Kinmokusei #Mushi no Matsuri...
" (2004) - "Ginga" (2005)
- "Niji" (2005)
- "Akaneiro no Yūhi" (2005)
- "Yaon Live vol.1" (2006, digital downloadMusic downloadA music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
) - "Yaon Live vol.2" (2006, digital downloadMusic downloadA music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
) - "Aoi ToriAoi Tori"Aoi Tori" is Fujifabric's 7th single. The singles title track was featured as the ending theme in the 2007 film Nightmare Detective.-Chart positions:...
" (2007) - "Surfer KingSurfer King"Surfer King" is Fujifabric's 8th single. The single's title track features Masahiko Kitahara, Nargo, and Gamou from Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and marks Fujifabric's first collaboration.-Chart positions:...
" (2007) - "Passion FruitPassion Fruit (song)"Passion Fruit" is Fujifabric's 9th single. The single was released in two versions: a normal version and a limited edition first press version which featured the extra song "Cheese Burger".-Track listing:#Passion Fruit#Spider to Ballerina...
" (2007) - "Wakamono no SubeteWakamono no Subete-Track listing:#Wakamono no Subete #Serenade #Kuma no Wakusei -Chart positions:...
" (2007) - "Sugar!!" (2009)
External links
- Fujifabric Official website
- Fujifabric at EMI Music Japan
- Fujifabric at Capitol Music