Shugo Tokumaru
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who debuted in May 2004 in America with his album Night Piece. He creates every aspect of his music, including the lyrics, music, arrangements, recording and mixing. He is known for the variety of instruments he uses in his music, using over 100 different traditional and non-traditional instruments in his recordings. Tokumaru is also a member of the Japanese rock band Gellers. Tokumaru's 2010 album Port Entropy
was his most commercially successful album in Japan, breaking into the top 40.
. He joined a band called Gellers
, made up of people he had known throughout his childhood. The band formed around 1994, however at the very beginning Tokumaru was not a member. He started writing songs at 17 for the band, however had not had much of a need to earlier, as the other guitarist of the band was the chief songwriter. From this point, Tokumaru began an interest with multi-instrumentalisation, thinking that just the guitar/bass/drum set of a standard band wasn't enough.
Tokumaru travelled overseas after he finished High School for 2 and a half years, spending most of his time living in Los Angeles
. While staying in America, he was a part of a jazz band, and recorded songs in his home.
Tokumaru released his second album, L.S.T.
, in 2006, and his third, Exit
, in 2007. In this time, his music started to become more recognised globally. L.S.T. was also released in Europe
and New Zealand
, with Tokumaru performing on a French
and Spanish
tour. In Japan Tokumaru performed lives at such places as the Ginza
Apple Store and Shinjuku Tower Records
, and his music started being featured in commercials for companies such as Shiseido
and Japan Airlines
. Also in 2007, Tokumaru's childhood band Gellers
reformed, releasing their debut album and performing at high profile festivals, such as the Fuji Rock Festival
and Borofesta. However, the group went on hiatus in 2008.
In 2008, Tokumaru worked on soundtrack for Kōji Hagiuda directed film . He performed his first US tour, with four sold out dates to halls with a capacity of around 2,000 people each. He continued to perform at high profile Japanese music festivals, such as the Fuji Rock Festival (this time as a solo artist) and Asian Kung-Fu Generation
's Nano-Mugen Festival.
used Tokumaru's song "Rum Hee" for commercials for their VAIO
L series of touchscreen computers. The resulting extended play, Rum Hee, was Tokumaru's first top 100 release. In 2010, his fourth album Port Entropy
broke into the top 40. He performed his first Japanese tour, featuring 13 dates across the country. Every venue was a sold out concert. After the tour, Gellers started activities again in 2010.
Tokumaru's song "Parachute" was featured in soundtrack for Canadian film Year of the Carnivore
.
, older Japanese musicians such as Hachidai Nakamura
, and traditional Japanese music styles, such as gagaku
. Tokumaru plays all of his instruments on his albums, and records his songs alone. Tokumaru sings his lyrics solely in Japanese. The basis of his lyrics come from his daily dream diary. When writing music, he first comes up with a melody solely inside his head. When creating the song, he tries to use as many instruments as possible, to illustrate the different aspects of his dreams.
Port Entropy
Port Entropy is the fourth studio album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. It was released on April 21, 2010 on P-Vine Records to generally positive reviews.-Track listing:# "Platform" - 0:44# "Tracking Elevator" - 3:20# "Linne" - 3:51...
was his most commercially successful album in Japan, breaking into the top 40.
Early years
Shugo Tokumaru was born and raised in Tokyo. His first instrument was the piano, which he started between 5–6 years old after seeing a friend playing it. Much later on in junior high school, Tokumaru started playing the electric guitar, originally only playing songs by The ClashThe Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. He joined a band called Gellers
Gellers
Gellers is a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo, Japan taking influences from The Clash, Pavement and sex pistols.-History:Gellers is a band that consists of childhood friends.They performed live at Fuji Rock Festival in 2007 and 2010....
, made up of people he had known throughout his childhood. The band formed around 1994, however at the very beginning Tokumaru was not a member. He started writing songs at 17 for the band, however had not had much of a need to earlier, as the other guitarist of the band was the chief songwriter. From this point, Tokumaru began an interest with multi-instrumentalisation, thinking that just the guitar/bass/drum set of a standard band wasn't enough.
Tokumaru travelled overseas after he finished High School for 2 and a half years, spending most of his time living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. While staying in America, he was a part of a jazz band, and recorded songs in his home.
Debut
In 2003 after returning to Japan, Tokumaru finished recording a 10 track demo album called Fragment. He gave this demo CD to a friend who was an acquaintance of Trevor Sias, owner of US independent record label Music Related. The label was impressed with the CD, and wanted to release the demo album just as it was, however Tokumaru did not like the idea. He created an entirely new album, which was released under the label in the United States on May 11, 2004. Night Piece originally planned to be just an American only release, but due to strong sales on internet sites, it was released in other countries. It was released in Japan three months later, in August 2004 through independent label Compare Notes.Tokumaru released his second album, L.S.T.
L.S.T.
L.S.T. is the second album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. It has been released in Japan, France and New Zealand.-Track listing:#"Mist" – 3:27#"Mushina" – 4:06#"Mizukagami" – 4:01#"Karte" – 2:08#"Kiiro" – 4:00#"Vista" – 4:00...
, in 2006, and his third, Exit
Exit (Shugo Tokumaru Album)
Exit is the third album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. The album garnered universal acclaim by music critics, eventually earning the title of being the fourth best album of 2008 according to Metacritic.-Background:...
, in 2007. In this time, his music started to become more recognised globally. L.S.T. was also released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, with Tokumaru performing on a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
tour. In Japan Tokumaru performed lives at such places as the Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
Apple Store and Shinjuku Tower Records
Tower Records
Tower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
, and his music started being featured in commercials for companies such as Shiseido
Shiseido
is a major Japanese hair care and cosmetics producer. It is the oldest cosmetics company in the world and the fourth largest cosmetics company in the world.-History:...
and Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
. Also in 2007, Tokumaru's childhood band Gellers
Gellers
Gellers is a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo, Japan taking influences from The Clash, Pavement and sex pistols.-History:Gellers is a band that consists of childhood friends.They performed live at Fuji Rock Festival in 2007 and 2010....
reformed, releasing their debut album and performing at high profile festivals, such as the Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The 3 day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan...
and Borofesta. However, the group went on hiatus in 2008.
In 2008, Tokumaru worked on soundtrack for Kōji Hagiuda directed film . He performed his first US tour, with four sold out dates to halls with a capacity of around 2,000 people each. He continued to perform at high profile Japanese music festivals, such as the Fuji Rock Festival (this time as a solo artist) and Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Asian Kung-fu Generation
, typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japanese rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
's Nano-Mugen Festival.
Commercial success
In 2009, SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
used Tokumaru's song "Rum Hee" for commercials for their VAIO
VAIO
VAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
L series of touchscreen computers. The resulting extended play, Rum Hee, was Tokumaru's first top 100 release. In 2010, his fourth album Port Entropy
Port Entropy
Port Entropy is the fourth studio album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. It was released on April 21, 2010 on P-Vine Records to generally positive reviews.-Track listing:# "Platform" - 0:44# "Tracking Elevator" - 3:20# "Linne" - 3:51...
broke into the top 40. He performed his first Japanese tour, featuring 13 dates across the country. Every venue was a sold out concert. After the tour, Gellers started activities again in 2010.
Tokumaru's song "Parachute" was featured in soundtrack for Canadian film Year of the Carnivore
Year of the Carnivore
Year of the Carnivore is a 2009 Canadian romantic comedy about a grocery store detective with a crush on a boy who rejects her because she has too little sexual experience....
.
Songwriting
Shugo Tokumaru considers some of his influences to be The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, older Japanese musicians such as Hachidai Nakamura
Hachidai Nakamura
was a China-born Japanese songwriter and jazz pianist.- Biography :Hachidai Nakamura was born in Qingdao, China to Japanese parents. He moved to Fukuoka at a young age, where he attended high school, and eventually graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo with a degree in literature...
, and traditional Japanese music styles, such as gagaku
Gagaku
Gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto for several centuries. It consists of three primary repertoires:#Native Shinto religious music and folk songs and dance, called kuniburi no utamai...
. Tokumaru plays all of his instruments on his albums, and records his songs alone. Tokumaru sings his lyrics solely in Japanese. The basis of his lyrics come from his daily dream diary. When writing music, he first comes up with a melody solely inside his head. When creating the song, he tries to use as many instruments as possible, to illustrate the different aspects of his dreams.
Original albums
| Year | Album Information | Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Albums Charts |
Reported sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Fragment
|
— | — |
| 2004 | Night Piece
|
— | — |
| 2005 | L.S.T. L.S.T. L.S.T. is the second album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. It has been released in Japan, France and New Zealand.-Track listing:#"Mist" – 3:27#"Mushina" – 4:06#"Mizukagami" – 4:01#"Karte" – 2:08#"Kiiro" – 4:00#"Vista" – 4:00...
|
— | — |
| 2007 | Exit Exit (Shugo Tokumaru Album) Exit is the third album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. The album garnered universal acclaim by music critics, eventually earning the title of being the fourth best album of 2008 according to Metacritic.-Background:...
|
239 | 1,400 |
| 2010 | Port Entropy Port Entropy Port Entropy is the fourth studio album from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru. It was released on April 21, 2010 on P-Vine Records to generally positive reviews.-Track listing:# "Platform" - 0:44# "Tracking Elevator" - 3:20# "Linne" - 3:51...
|
33 | 10,000 |
Other albums
| Year | Album Information | Oricon Albums Charts |
Reported sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | NPRMX
|
— | — |
| 2009 |
|
85 | 2,800 |
Singles
- "Vista" (January 2006, vinyl single)
- "Sleigh RideSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
" (November 25, 2009, digital download)
Other appearances
- "Sleeping Bird (Remixed by Shugo Tokumaru)" (February 2006, Apartment's Apremix album)
- "Tournament (Remixed by Shugo Tokumaru)" (March 2007, Moools' "Tournament" remix single) (June 2007, various artists album Akairo Elegy Mania, featuring just covers of Morio AgataMorio AgataAgata Morio is a Japanese folk rock singer-songwriter and actor. He also directed three films. He was born on 12 September 1948 in Rumoi, Hokkaido....
's song of the same name) - "Spiderwoman w/ Shugo Tokumaru" (January 2008, David FenechDavid FenechDavid Fenech is a French composer, guitarist and singer born on 19 July 1969 in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine.-Biography:David Fenech had a guitar for his tenth birthday and never ceased making music since then. Between 1990 and 1995, he was very active on the mail art network and published tracks on...
's album Polochon Battle) - "Micro Guitar Music" (July 2008, various artists Kyokutō Saizensen 2)
- "With Pail (Shugo Tokumaru Remix)" (July 2008, .Tape. remix album .Tape. Repainted) (July 2009, Unicorn URMX)
- "401 Circuit (Shugo Tokumaru Remix)" (March 2010, I Am Robot and ProudI am Robot and ProudShaw-Han Liem, better known by the alias I am Robot and Proud, is a Canadian indie electronic artist from Toronto, Ontario. He has released albums under the labels Darla and & Records.-History:...
remix album Uphill City Remixes & Collaborations)