Tsunku
Encyclopedia
, better known professionally as , is a prolific Japanese record producer
, songwriter
, and vocalist.
He is best known for having two major roles in the Japanese music landscape: first as the lead singer of the popular rock group Sharam Q, and now as the producer
, primary composer
, lyricist and main studio
backing vocalist
for idol supergroup Morning Musume
, in addition to Aya Matsuura
and other associated artists under the Hello! Project
banner, for whom he has written and produced vast majority of their chart-topping hits. He has also produced music for other Japanese artists, including Ayumi Hamasaki
's first number one single. His musical influences include The Beatles
, Queen
, and Onyanko Club
.
.
Tsunku later worked with Nintendo
and J.P.ROOM to create the music video game
, Rhythm Tengoku
. It was released for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance on August 3, 2006, and later as an arcade on September 20, 2007. He also worked on Rhythm Heaven
for the DS.
On October 1, 2006, it was announced that Tsunku had created a new company called TNX consisting of singers such as Ami Tokito
and other people including Tatsuya Naka, a magician who appeared on Hello! Morning
.
On September 26, 2007, Tsunku released a compilation album with the temporary title of "Sharam Q ~ Morning Musume" ~Tsunku 15 Years in Entertainment Commemoration Album~, containing songs by both Sharam Q and Morning Musume, and another one on December 5, 2007 titled Tsunku Best Work Collection, containing songs sung by Tsunku himself.
On March 24, 2008, Tsunku announced that his wife was expecting their first child in May, after already being eight months pregnant at the time. The next day, Tsunku revealed on his blog that his wife was actually expecting twins. Tsunku then announced on April 30, 2008 that his wife had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl through natural childbirth. An article stated, "The boy is healthy while the girl is expected to spend a few days in the incubator before rejoining the family." Currently, Tsunku's solo career is on hold as he deals with an unspecified throat condition.
On March 18, 2011, Tsunku shared with his fans that he has become father for the second time.
, noticeably for Morning Musume
where all of their singles have ranked in the Oricon
Weekly Singles Top 5 (excluding "Morning Coffee" and "Mikan
"). Arranging is normally left to outside parties with track records in arranging popular, anime and game music.
His works are mainly pop-oriented with catchy melodies and romantic, idealistic and sometimes even humorous lyrics which are pitched to appeal to a young audience. However, many of the female vocalists who perform his songs have a large, dedicated fan base composed of older male wota, mostly in their twenties and thirties. Some of his more recent works are dark, mature and hard-hitting, such as "Onna ni Sachi Are
", "Kanashimi Twilight
" and "Resonant Blue
". Although he can create regular rock songs and even relatively simple acoustic pieces, he is best known for creating sequencer
-driven music with characteristics such as rapid chord changes, layers of contrapuntal
instrumental phrases, melodic basslines, and extensive use of synthesizers, as well as guitar
riffs and solos
which sometimes show hard rock
or heavy metal
influences (such as in Morning Musume's "Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan
" and ℃-ute's "Forever Love"). Typical vocal arrangements in the songs he writes for Hello! Project's groups tend to revolve around the members taking turns at singing lines and sometimes even short phrases in quick succession, building up to a chorus
in which all or most members sing in unison
rather than using vocal harmonies
; any harmonies that are present in the songs are often sung by Tsunku himself, sometimes with the help of other backing singers, notably Atsuko Inaba
. However there have been some exceptions, such as the Morning Musume songs "Morning Coffee", "Furusato
", "Memory Seishun no Hikari
", "Love Machine
" and "I Wish
", where most (if not all) of the harmonies were sung by the group's members themselves.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and vocalist.
He is best known for having two major roles in the Japanese music landscape: first as the lead singer of the popular rock group Sharam Q, and now as the producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, primary composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, lyricist and main studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for idol supergroup Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
, in addition to Aya Matsuura
Aya Matsuura
is a Japanese pop singer from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.-2000–2009: Hello! Project:Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part of what was later known as Hello! Project. It is a common...
and other associated artists under the Hello! Project
Hello! Project
is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...
banner, for whom he has written and produced vast majority of their chart-topping hits. He has also produced music for other Japanese artists, including Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
's first number one single. His musical influences include The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, and Onyanko Club
Onyanko Club
was a large all-girl Japanese pop idol group in the 1980s. The group gave a new approach to the idol formula with its 52 official members and three unofficial members...
.
History
In June 2006, Tsunku married , a 25 year-old former model from FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
.
Tsunku later worked with Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and J.P.ROOM to create the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
, Rhythm Tengoku
Rhythm Tengoku
is a music video game developed by Nintendo SPD. It was released in Japan on August 3, 2006, and was the last game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game received an Excellence Prize for Entertainment at the 10th annual Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006...
. It was released for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance on August 3, 2006, and later as an arcade on September 20, 2007. He also worked on Rhythm Heaven
Rhythm Heaven
Rhythm Heaven, known in Europe as Rhythm Paradise and in Japan as is a rhythm video game-exclusive for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the sequel/successor to the Japan-only release Game Boy Advance title Rhythm Tengoku...
for the DS.
On October 1, 2006, it was announced that Tsunku had created a new company called TNX consisting of singers such as Ami Tokito
Ami Tokito
is a Japanese pop singer and gravure idol. She made her debut in 2005 Miss Young Jump, winning Tsunku's honorable award.She started acting as a child actor using her former stage names, Sachie Komatsu and Hikaru Asakura....
and other people including Tatsuya Naka, a magician who appeared on Hello! Morning
Hello! Morning
was a weekly Japanese TV show featuring members of Morning Musume, and sometimes other Hello! Project members on TV Tokyo. It is also known by the shorter name of . On April 1, 2007, the show ended after seven years of broadcast and a new show, featuring the same people, , took its place...
.
On September 26, 2007, Tsunku released a compilation album with the temporary title of "Sharam Q ~ Morning Musume" ~Tsunku 15 Years in Entertainment Commemoration Album~, containing songs by both Sharam Q and Morning Musume, and another one on December 5, 2007 titled Tsunku Best Work Collection, containing songs sung by Tsunku himself.
On March 24, 2008, Tsunku announced that his wife was expecting their first child in May, after already being eight months pregnant at the time. The next day, Tsunku revealed on his blog that his wife was actually expecting twins. Tsunku then announced on April 30, 2008 that his wife had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl through natural childbirth. An article stated, "The boy is healthy while the girl is expected to spend a few days in the incubator before rejoining the family." Currently, Tsunku's solo career is on hold as he deals with an unspecified throat condition.
On March 18, 2011, Tsunku shared with his fans that he has become father for the second time.
Hello! Project
Tsunku is responsible for majority of the musical composition and lyrics in Hello! ProjectHello! Project
is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...
, noticeably for Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
where all of their singles have ranked in the 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...
Weekly Singles Top 5 (excluding "Morning Coffee" and "Mikan
Mikan
The satsuma is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Japanese origin introduced to the West.In Japan, it is known as mikan or formally unshu mikan . In China, it is known as Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese...
"). Arranging is normally left to outside parties with track records in arranging popular, anime and game music.
His works are mainly pop-oriented with catchy melodies and romantic, idealistic and sometimes even humorous lyrics which are pitched to appeal to a young audience. However, many of the female vocalists who perform his songs have a large, dedicated fan base composed of older male wota, mostly in their twenties and thirties. Some of his more recent works are dark, mature and hard-hitting, such as "Onna ni Sachi Are
Onna ni Sachi Are
is the thirty-fourth single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume and the first to feature eighth generation members Junjun and Linlin. It was released on July 25, 2007 and its accompanying Single V on August 1....
", "Kanashimi Twilight
Kanashimi Twilight
is the thirty-third single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume. It was released on April 25, 2007 and was the last single for Hitomi Yoshizawa as well as Miki Fujimoto.There are three different versions of the single...
" and "Resonant Blue
Resonant Blue
is the thirty-sixth single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume. It was released under the Zetima label on April 16, 2008. The Single V DVD of the single was released on April 23, 2008....
". Although he can create regular rock songs and even relatively simple acoustic pieces, he is best known for creating sequencer
Sequencer
Sequencer may refer to:Arts and Entertainment* Sequencer , 1976* Sequencer , 1996Technology* DNA sequencer, a machine used to automatically produce a sequence readout from a biological DNA sample...
-driven music with characteristics such as rapid chord changes, layers of contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
instrumental phrases, melodic basslines, and extensive use of synthesizers, as well as guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
riffs and solos
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
which sometimes show hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
or heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
influences (such as in Morning Musume's "Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan
Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan
is the thirtieth single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume. It was released on June 21, 2006. The Single V was released on June 28, 2006.There are regular and limited edition versions of this single. The regular version comes with a photocard in a poker card design...
" and ℃-ute's "Forever Love"). Typical vocal arrangements in the songs he writes for Hello! Project's groups tend to revolve around the members taking turns at singing lines and sometimes even short phrases in quick succession, building up to a chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
in which all or most members sing in unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
rather than using vocal harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
; any harmonies that are present in the songs are often sung by Tsunku himself, sometimes with the help of other backing singers, notably Atsuko Inaba
Atsuko Inaba
is a J-pop singer formerly within Hello! Project. She began her career as a Japanese idol with female group Osaka Performance Doll from 1993 to 1996, then joined new Hello! Project group Taiyo to Ciscomoon in 1999, until its end in late 2000...
. However there have been some exceptions, such as the Morning Musume songs "Morning Coffee", "Furusato
Furusato
is the sixth single of the J-pop idol group Morning Musume, released on July 14, 1999 as an 8 cm CD. It has sold over 170,670 copies and reached number five on the Oricon Charts. In 2004 it was re-released as part of the Early Single Box and again in 2005 as a 12 cm CD...
", "Memory Seishun no Hikari
Memory Seishun no Hikari
is the fourth single from the J-pop idol group Morning Musume, released on February 10, 1999 as an 8 cm CD. It sold a total of 410,850 copies, and reached number two on the Oricon Charts. In 2004, it was re-released as part of the Early Single Box and again in 2005 as a 12 cm CD. Lead vocals of...
", "Love Machine
Love Machine (Morning Musume song)
is the seventh single of the J-pop idol group Morning Musume, released on September 9, 1999 as an 8 cm CD. It sold a total of 1,760,000 copies, making it a massive hit and their highest selling single. In 2004, it was re-released as part of the Early Single Box and again in 2005 as a 12 cm CD...
" and "I Wish
I Wish (Morning Musume song)
"I Wish" is a song by J-pop idol group Morning Musume and was released September 6, 2000 as their tenth single. It sold a total of 654,640 copies. "I Wish" was the song used in Japanese commercials for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, which also featured the girls in the commercials. Lead vocals in...
", where most (if not all) of the harmonies were sung by the group's members themselves.
Nice Girl Project!
Tsunku is also involved in .2011 - Present
As a result of the Japanese earthquake 2011, Tsunku has written a song titled "Love is here ~Kibou no Hikari~" dedicating to the victims. Tsunku is one of the many Japanese celebrities who have stepped up to support the victims and their loved ones.List of music composition and lyrical works
- All songs (melodic and lyrical composition) in Morning MusumeMorning Musume, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
's singles and albums (except 17th single's side A, 30th single's side B, 32nd single's side B and both sides of the 37th single, as well as the album Cover YouCover You- Oricon ranks and sales :- External links :* entry at Up-Front Works official website * entry on Oricon Style...
). For completed list, see Morning Musume discographyMorning Musume discographyThe discography of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume consists of twelve studio albums, five compilation albums, and forty-seven singles. Ever since its establishment in 1997, the group has experienced frequent line-up changes, and currently consists of twelve members: Risa Niigaki , Sayumi...
- All songs (melodic and lyrical composition) in Berryz Kobo, ℃-ute (except both sides of their 9th single) and GAM's singles and albums.
- Prior 2006, all songs (melodic and lyrical composition) in Melon KinenbiMelon Kinenbiwas an all-girl Japanese pop group within Hello! Project. They were formed after they successfully passed the 2nd Morning Musume & Michiyo Heike Imotobun Audition. Melon Kinenbi is the oldest group in the history of Hello! Project not to have changed any of its members since its formation...
's singles and albums (except the 4th and 12th single's side A; 5th and 6th single's side B).
- All songs (melodic and lyrical composition) in v-u-denV-u-denis a Japanese pop group within Hello! Project. The group was formed in August 2004 and consists of members Rika Ishikawa , Erika Miyoshi, and Yui Okada, with Ishikawa being the leader. The name means: , , and...
's singles and albums (except the 1st and 3rd single's side A).
Albums
| # | Title | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Hard Day's Night | December 6, 2000 |
| 2 | Take 1 | February 18, 2004 |
| 3 | July 13, 2005 | |
| 4 | June 28, 2006 | |
| 5 | September 26, 2007 | |
| 6 | December 5, 2007 |
Singles
| # | Title | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 28, 1999 | |
| 2 | "Touch Me" | November 3, 1999 |
| 3 | February 27, 2002 |