Rie fu
Encyclopedia
, born on January 11, 1985, in Tokyo
, is a Japanese singer-songwriter
. She resides in Tokyo but frequently travels to the United Kingdom
to record and promote her work.
with her family, which includes a younger brother who plays a woodwind instrument. It was during this time that she started playing the piano and gained much of her musical inspiration, namely from artists such as Sheryl Crow
and 1970s pop musicians such as The Carpenters
. She cites Carole King
, Joni Mitchell
, The Carpenters
, and Yumi Matsutoya
as influences.
After returning to Japan, Rie finished her primary and secondary education in Tokyo at Aoyama Gakuin
from 1995 to 2003. In 2007 she graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
of the University of the Arts London
in fine art
(having shifted in interest from fashion design
and graphic design
). Upon graduation, she returned to Tokyo, Japan, and has since resided there full-time. Rie often designs much of her own album and single booklets and features her own paintings in them as well.
She is active in both music and art. Her artwork is published under the Roman transliteration "Rie Funakoshi" and her music under "Rie fu," the abbreviation of her full name.
) and they signed her to their Palm Beach label.
Her first single, "Rie who!?", featuring the song "decay," was released in March 2004, while she was attending university in London. Later that year, her song "Life Is Like a Boat" was chosen as the first ending theme for the anime
series Bleach
, garnering her widespread recognition. In 2005 she released her first full-length album, self-titled, and her song "I Wanna Go To A Place..." was used as the Gundam Seed Destiny third ending theme and released as a single. She participated in a track on m-flo
's Beat Space Nine album, and embarked on her first nationwide tour in September of that year.
In 2006 she released her second full-length album, Rose Album, and her song "Until I Say" was used as the theme song for the Japanese release of the 2005 British film Heidi
. In 2007 her song "Tsukiakari" was featured as the ending theme to Darker than Black
. In July upon graduation from university she returned to Japan to live full-time, and released her third full-length album Tobira Album.
In 2008, her song "Home," used as the theme to the Japanese film Koneko no Namida, was released as a single. In March, she released an album in the UK on a British label called Tired & Lonesome, titled "Who is Rie fu?", a compilation of earlier songs with a previously unreleased cover of Joni Mitchell's song "Both Sides, Now". A Japanese release with additional new tracks was planned, as was a continental European release. Neither materialized and the original UK album went out of print, having failed to establish an overseas presence for Rie fu. The following month she switched from Sony's Palm Beach label to its gr8! records label.
In 2009 she released her fourth full-length album, Urban Romantic. Having contributed vocals to all of the songs on Orange Range
head Naoto's solo project delofamilia's second album, eddy, she went on tour with the band. She also joined Yōsui Inoue
's commemorative 40th anniversary tour, contributing chorus vocals.
Her album, "at Rie sessions", was released on 31 March 2010, and is her first self-produced album. Many of the tracks on the album feature duets with other notable singers, and were recorded at Rie fu's home. As of 2011 she is more heavily involved with demofamilia, with it being described as "A band based around Naoto Hiroyama and Rie fu" on the band's Facebook page.
Rie fu's songs are often bilingual, since she is fluent in both English and Japanese. Although most of her songs are primarily sung in Japanese, many feature entire verses written in English. Of her songs written entirely in Japanese, several have later been released as English-language versions. Her song Anata ga Koko ni Iru Riyuu was in the anime "D. Gray Man" for their fifth closing song.
She was featured on the charitable album in support for those effected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
. She sang and appeared on the music video for Who I Want To Be for Shine On! Songs Volume One
. Her first compilation album, I Can Do Better, is slated for a November 23, 2011 release.
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...
, is a Japanese singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She resides in Tokyo but frequently travels to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to record and promote her work.
Personal life
From 1992 to 1995, Rie fu lived in MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
with her family, which includes a younger brother who plays a woodwind instrument. It was during this time that she started playing the piano and gained much of her musical inspiration, namely from artists such as Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
and 1970s pop musicians such as The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
. She cites Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
, and Yumi Matsutoya
Yumi Matsutoya
', nicknamed , is an influential Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. She is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice, and live performances, and is an important figure in Japanese popular music....
as influences.
After returning to Japan, Rie finished her primary and secondary education in Tokyo at Aoyama Gakuin
Aoyama Gakuin
is an educational institute in Tokyo, Japan, which comprises Aoyama Gakuin University, Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College, Aoyama Gakuin Senior High School, Aoyama Gakuin Junior High School, Aoyama Gakuin Elementary School, and Aoyama Gakuin Kindergarten....
from 1995 to 2003. In 2007 she graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
of the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
in fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
(having shifted in interest from fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
). Upon graduation, she returned to Tokyo, Japan, and has since resided there full-time. Rie often designs much of her own album and single booklets and features her own paintings in them as well.
She is active in both music and art. Her artwork is published under the Roman transliteration "Rie Funakoshi" and her music under "Rie fu," the abbreviation of her full name.
Music career
In 2002, while in high school, Rie fu learned guitar, and almost immediately began coming up with songs and recording them with a small tape recorder. She sent the demo tape off to a record company (SonySony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
) and they signed her to their Palm Beach label.
Her first single, "Rie who!?", featuring the song "decay," was released in March 2004, while she was attending university in London. Later that year, her song "Life Is Like a Boat" was chosen as the first ending theme for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
, garnering her widespread recognition. In 2005 she released her first full-length album, self-titled, and her song "I Wanna Go To A Place..." was used as the Gundam Seed Destiny third ending theme and released as a single. She participated in a track on m-flo
M-flo
is a Japanese hip hop group consisting of producer and DJ Taku Takahashi and emcee Verbal.Former member Lisa left the group in 2002 to pursue a solo career, and the remaining members then started the M-Flo Loves... project working different vocalists for each song over three albums, including the...
's Beat Space Nine album, and embarked on her first nationwide tour in September of that year.
In 2006 she released her second full-length album, Rose Album, and her song "Until I Say" was used as the theme song for the Japanese release of the 2005 British film Heidi
Heidi (2005 live-action film)
Heidi is a 2005 British film directed by Paul Marcus. It Is based on the original novel of Heidi by Johanna Spyri. It tells a story about a girl who goes to stay with her grandfather, only to fall into the hands of an evil woman in Frankfurt....
. In 2007 her song "Tsukiakari" was featured as the ending theme to Darker than Black
Darker than Black
is an anime television series, created, directed and written by Tensai Okamura and animated by Bones. It premiered across Japan from April 5, 2007 on MBS, TBS, and its affiliated broadcast stations, with its satellite television premiere in Japan on Animax in May 2007. The music for the series is...
. In July upon graduation from university she returned to Japan to live full-time, and released her third full-length album Tobira Album.
In 2008, her song "Home," used as the theme to the Japanese film Koneko no Namida, was released as a single. In March, she released an album in the UK on a British label called Tired & Lonesome, titled "Who is Rie fu?", a compilation of earlier songs with a previously unreleased cover of Joni Mitchell's song "Both Sides, Now". A Japanese release with additional new tracks was planned, as was a continental European release. Neither materialized and the original UK album went out of print, having failed to establish an overseas presence for Rie fu. The following month she switched from Sony's Palm Beach label to its gr8! records label.
In 2009 she released her fourth full-length album, Urban Romantic. Having contributed vocals to all of the songs on Orange Range
Orange Range
is a 5-member Okinawan alternative rock band, based in Okinawa, Japan. Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003. The group left gr8! records in 2010 to start their own label, Super Echo....
head Naoto's solo project delofamilia's second album, eddy, she went on tour with the band. She also joined Yōsui Inoue
Yosui Inoue
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, guitarist and record producer, who is an important figure in Japanese music. He is renowned for his unique tone, eccentric lyrics, and dark sunglasses which he always wears....
's commemorative 40th anniversary tour, contributing chorus vocals.
Her album, "at Rie sessions", was released on 31 March 2010, and is her first self-produced album. Many of the tracks on the album feature duets with other notable singers, and were recorded at Rie fu's home. As of 2011 she is more heavily involved with demofamilia, with it being described as "A band based around Naoto Hiroyama and Rie fu" on the band's Facebook page.
Rie fu's songs are often bilingual, since she is fluent in both English and Japanese. Although most of her songs are primarily sung in Japanese, many feature entire verses written in English. Of her songs written entirely in Japanese, several have later been released as English-language versions. Her song Anata ga Koko ni Iru Riyuu was in the anime "D. Gray Man" for their fifth closing song.
She was featured on the charitable album in support for those effected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. She sang and appeared on the music video for Who I Want To Be for Shine On! Songs Volume One
Shine On! Songs Volume One
Shine On! Songs Volume One is a charitable album released on September 30th, 2011 by the Shine On! Songs record label. The album's proceeds will go towards the foundation's programs to give Psychosocial support to children with cancer in Japan and their families, and an additional program to help...
. Her first compilation album, I Can Do Better, is slated for a November 23, 2011 release.
Albums
| Title | Release date |
|---|---|
| Rie fu Rie fu (album) Rie fu is J-pop singer Rie fu's first album, released in 2005.- Track listing :# "笑って、恵みのもとへ" # "Beautiful Words"# "Somebody's World"# "2cm"# "I So Wanted"# "Decay"... |
19 January 2005 |
| Rose Album Rose Album Rose Album is J-pop singer Rie fu's second album, released in 2006. The track, "I Wanna Go To A Place...", Rie fu's third overall single, was used as one of the endings for the anime Gundam Seed Destiny.-Track listing:... |
24 March 2006 |
| Tobira Album Tobira Album Tobira Album is J-Pop singer Rie fu's third album, released in 2007.- Track listing :# "5000 マイル～Album version" # "Come To My Door"# "ツキアカリ" # "君が浮かぶよ" # "tobira"# "On Its Way"# "Until I Say"# "SMILE"... |
21 November 2007 |
| Urban Romantic Urban Romantic Urban Romantic is J-Pop singer Rie fu's fourth album, released April 8, 2009.- Track listing :#Something In My Head#Sunny Days#Hey I'm Calling Up#ビジネス... |
8 April 2009 |
| at Rie Sessions | 31 March 2010 |
| I Can Do Better | 23 November 2011 |
Singles
| Title | Release date |
|---|---|
| Rie who!? | 24 March 2004 |
| Life Is Like a Boat | 23 September 2004 |
| I Wanna Go To A Place... | 27 April 2005 |
| Negaigoto (ねがいごと) | 31 August 2005 |
| Tiny Tiny Melody | 8 March 2006 |
| Until I Say | 19 July 2006 |
| Tsukiakari (ツキアカリ) | 23 May 2007 |
| 5000 Miles | 5 September 2007 |
| Anata ga Koko ni Iru Riyuu (あなたがここにいる理由) | 24 October 2007 |
| Home | 23 January 2008 |
| Romantic | 12 November 2008 |
| Present | 25 February 2009 |
| For You | 16 February 2011 |
| Who I Want To Be ft Sakari Elementary School Choir (Shine On! Songs Volume One Shine On! Songs Volume One Shine On! Songs Volume One is a charitable album released on September 30th, 2011 by the Shine On! Songs record label. The album's proceeds will go towards the foundation's programs to give Psychosocial support to children with cancer in Japan and their families, and an additional program to help... ) |
30 September 2011 |
European releases
| Title | Release date |
|---|---|
| Who Is Rie fu? | 3 March 2008 |
External links
- Rie fu's blog
- Rie fu's official painting website
- Rie fu lyrics
- Sony Music Online Japan: Rie Fu