UVERworld
Encyclopedia
Uverworld is a Japanese rock band consisting of five members originating from Kusatsu, Shiga
, Japan
. Releasing six studio albums and several singles, which went on to achieve massive success, they went on to become one of the most influential rock bands in Japan to this day.
According to an interview with the band there was another vocalist who left the band, however this vocalist hasn't yet been identified. It seems that this vocalist may have left the band quite some time before Seika did, as Seika is the only one of the two credited on the demo CD and pictured with very early live photos of the band pre-Uverworld.
According to an interview with the band there was another vocalist who left, however this vocalist has not yet been identified. Though it appears that that person may have left some time before Seika did, as Seika is the only one of the two credited on the demo CD and pictured with very early live photos of the band pre-Uverworld.
The year 2005 was the year that the band signed with the label Gr8! Records, which is under Sony Music Records. The band made their debut with the single "D-tecnolife", which was the second opening theme for the anime Bleach
. The single made its debut in the Oricon
charts at the fourth spot with 31,569 copies together with Mr. Children
's twenty-seventh single, on the top spot. The single then later dropped to seventh place in the second week with 16,306 copies sold. The third week in the Oricon charts saw the single dropped 2 places to the ninth spot with 13,761 copies. The single lasted five weeks in the Top 30 weekly singles ranking. The single's sales and downloads were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
Three months later, Uverworld's second single, "Chance!" was used as the commercial and opening theme for second PSP game of Bleach: Heat the Soul
series. The band's second single first entered the Oricon charts on the fifth spot with 14,150 copies. The single later dropped to the 23rd spot selling 6,360 copies on the second week. The single's ranking remained the same, however the amount of copies sold on the third week was lesser than the previous week with 5,495 copies. The single only managed to stay on the Top 30 weekly singles ranking for three weeks.
for track 5, . After a three month break, Uverworld released "Colors of the Heart
" as the third opening theme for Blood+
, an anime series based on the animated movie, Blood: The Last Vampire
. The single debuted at number-three and was the highest position any of Uverworld's singles had reached up to that time.
Their fifth single, entitled "Shamrock", was released on August 2, 2006, and was used as the ending theme for the drama
Dance Drill, a show about a group of girls who aspire to become cheerleaders. Uverworld's sixth Single was released on November 15, 2006, entitled "Kimi no Suki na Uta
", the song was used as the theme song for the TBS
TV show Koi Suru Hanikami! or Honey Coming! from the broadcast of October until December. It reached number two on the Oricon charts, which was the second highest place for an Uverworld single so far until it fell off of the charts three and a half weeks later. It sold around 70,000 copies according to the Oricon sales charts.
On February 21, 2007, Uverworld released their second album titled Bugright. It featured the singles Uverworld had released after Timeless. was included in the tribute soundtrack titled as The Songs for Death Note The Movie: The Last Name Tribute for Death Note
. On March 6, 2007, the band was also part of an event called 'We Love Music Vol.2' held in the Shibuya-AX
where Uverworld performed against Sid
.
The band's third album, titled Proglution
, was released on January 16, 2008 and contain full eighteen tracks. The album also contain their singles , "Endscape
" and . The album was released in a CD-only version and a limited edition that includes an extra DVD. Proglution sold over 150,000 copies. June 11, 2008 saw the release of the single "Gekidō/Just Break the Limit!". "Gekidō" was used as the fourth opening theme of the anime series D.Gray-man
while the song "Just Break the Limit!" was used as a support song for Pocari Sweat
's CM. Two more singles were released in 2008, and . "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" was used as the opening for the second season of the Mobile Suit Gundam 00
anime. The single became the band's first number-one single on Oricon with approximately 181,784 copies sold. The single has since gone on to become the highest selling single from the band.
. The album sold over 115,000 copies on its first week and ranked number-two on the Oricon album chart. A DVD of their live performance in Nippon Budokan
was released on April 29, 2009. The band's thirteenth single was released on August 5, 2009 titled as "Go-On
." The single's title track will be featured as the second ending theme on the Japanese broadcast of the House
's first season. The band performed at 2009's Inazuma Rock Fes. held in Shiga Prefecture
. They are also releasing their fourth DVD of the Awakeve
Tour 09 on September 30, 2009.
The band's fourteenth single was released on October 28, 2009 entitled for the Tokyo Broadcasting System
drama Shōkōjo Seira
, based on the children's novel, A Little Princess
written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
. The song's lyrics was written by Takuya and was co-composed by both the lyricist and Satoru Hiraide while the arrangement was done by the band and Hiraide. On October 9, 2009, an English official website was announced and it went online at 12pm Japan Standard Time
.
A best of
album titled Neo Sound Best
was announced on November 9, 2009 and released on December 9, 2009. They were also scheduled to perform at the Ontama Carnival 2010 together with Funky Monkey Babys
and Flumpool
.
" was released on March 31, 2010, making it their first release of the year. The music video for "Gold" was made into 3-D
, making it the first 3-D music video in Japan. It was premiered on April 17, 2010. Additionally, their fifth album Last was released two weeks later on April 14, 2010.
Their sixteenth single was released on September 15, 2010, and contains the ending theme song for the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 movie and the title song for the PSP game Last Ranker
. Their seventeenth single "No.1" was released on November 24, 2010, and contains "6つの風" and "超大作+81".
They had their first concert in Tokyo Dome
this November 27, 2010, as a final installment to their LAST Album Tour.
Their eighteenth single "Mondo Piece" will be released on March 23, 2011 also containing, "Panic World" and "Chimimouryou March". However, due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
, the release date has been pushed to April 6. Their nineteenth single "Core Pride" was selected to be the 1st opening theme the anime Ao no Exorcist.
The band released their sixth album Life 6 Sense
on June 1, 2011. The album's title was leaked out in bands page on Japanese Wikipedia.
for the group as well as in charge of writing the band's music and programming
. He was born on December 21, 1979 in Osaka
while he later moved to Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. Nobuto is in charge of the bass guitar
. He was born on February 14, 1980. Katsuya, who is in charge of guitar
, rhythm guitar
, chorus
, is the band's leader. He was born on February 22, 1981. Shintarō, the second youngest member of the group was born on November 5, 1983 in Ōtsu
, Shiga Prefecture. He is in charge of the drum
s. Akira was born on March 8, 1984 and like Katsuya, is in charge of the guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus and programming for the band. All the members except Takuya and Shintarō were born and lived in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture.
Sources:
s held by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
.
Kusatsu, Shiga
is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on October 15, 1954, and as of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 123,690 and the density of 1,820 persons per km². The total area is 67.92 km².- Overview :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Releasing six studio albums and several singles, which went on to achieve massive success, they went on to become one of the most influential rock bands in Japan to this day.
2000–2005: Beginnings and debut
The five-member band known as Uverworld first formed in 2003, and were known as Sound Goku Road, (more popularly known as "Sangoku Road" in the independent music scene). The band originally consisted of seven members, and released Prime'03, a demo CD which ended up selling 3,000 copies. Unfortunately, two of the band members, the saxophonist Seika, left the group (the other was Hiko, who left after he married). After his departure, Ace∞Trigger renamed himself Takuya∞ and the band renamed itself to Uverworld.According to an interview with the band there was another vocalist who left the band, however this vocalist hasn't yet been identified. It seems that this vocalist may have left the band quite some time before Seika did, as Seika is the only one of the two credited on the demo CD and pictured with very early live photos of the band pre-Uverworld.
According to an interview with the band there was another vocalist who left, however this vocalist has not yet been identified. Though it appears that that person may have left some time before Seika did, as Seika is the only one of the two credited on the demo CD and pictured with very early live photos of the band pre-Uverworld.
The year 2005 was the year that the band signed with the label Gr8! Records, which is under Sony Music Records. The band made their debut with the single "D-tecnolife", which was the second opening theme for the anime 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...
. The single made its debut 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...
charts at the fourth spot with 31,569 copies together with Mr. Children
Mr. Children
, commonly called , is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 by Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, and Hideya Suzuki. As a group, they are one of the most successful Japanese rock artists, having sold over 50 million records and creating the in the mid 1990s in Japan...
's twenty-seventh single, on the top spot. The single then later dropped to seventh place in the second week with 16,306 copies sold. The third week in the Oricon charts saw the single dropped 2 places to the ninth spot with 13,761 copies. The single lasted five weeks in the Top 30 weekly singles ranking. The single's sales and downloads were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
Three months later, Uverworld's second single, "Chance!" was used as the commercial and opening theme for second PSP game of Bleach: Heat the Soul
Bleach: Heat the Soul (series)
The series is a series of 3-D cel-shaded fighting games for the PSP based on the popular manga and anime series Bleach by Tite Kubo. Each installment is developed by Eighting and published by SCEI. All installments have been released only in Japan....
series. The band's second single first entered the Oricon charts on the fifth spot with 14,150 copies. The single later dropped to the 23rd spot selling 6,360 copies on the second week. The single's ranking remained the same, however the amount of copies sold on the third week was lesser than the previous week with 5,495 copies. The single only managed to stay on the Top 30 weekly singles ranking for three weeks.
2006–2008: Timeless, Bugright and Proglution
On January 25, 2006, the band's third single "Just Melody" ended up at number-seventeen on the Oricon charts. Three weeks later Uverworld's first album Timeless was released, breaking the Top 10 at number-five and selling 60,000 copies. Seika made a brief return during this album, playing saxophoneSaxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
for track 5, . After a three month break, Uverworld released "Colors of the Heart
Colors of the Heart
Colors of the Heart is the fourth single released by the Japanese rock band Uverworld. It was released on May 17, 2006. The limited pressing which was also released on the same day contains a DVD with the opening sequence for the title track shown in the anime series, Blood+ as well as a sticker...
" as the third opening theme for Blood+
Blood+
Blood+, pronounced as "Blood Plus", is an anime series produced by Production I.G and Aniplex and directed by Junichi Fujisaku. The series premiered in Japan on Sony's anime satellite channel, Animax, as well as on terrestrial networks such as MBS, TBS, and RKB on October 8, 2005. The final episode...
, an anime series based on the animated movie, Blood: The Last Vampire
Blood: The Last Vampire
Blood: The Last Vampire is a 2000 anime film produced by Production I.G and SPE Visual Works and directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo. The film premiered in theaters in Japan on November 18, 2000...
. The single debuted at number-three and was the highest position any of Uverworld's singles had reached up to that time.
Their fifth single, entitled "Shamrock", was released on August 2, 2006, and was used as the ending theme for the drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
Dance Drill, a show about a group of girls who aspire to become cheerleaders. Uverworld's sixth Single was released on November 15, 2006, entitled "Kimi no Suki na Uta
Kimi no Suki na Uta
is the sixth single released by Uverworld under the gr8! records label. The single was released on November 15, 2006 in two different formats, CD only and CD+DVD.-Overview:...
", the song was used as the theme song for the TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
TV show Koi Suru Hanikami! or Honey Coming! from the broadcast of October until December. It reached number two on the Oricon charts, which was the second highest place for an Uverworld single so far until it fell off of the charts three and a half weeks later. It sold around 70,000 copies according to the Oricon sales charts.
On February 21, 2007, Uverworld released their second album titled Bugright. It featured the singles Uverworld had released after Timeless. was included in the tribute soundtrack titled as The Songs for Death Note The Movie: The Last Name Tribute for Death Note
Death Note
is a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
. On March 6, 2007, the band was also part of an event called 'We Love Music Vol.2' held in the Shibuya-AX
Shibuya-AX
Shibuya-AX is a concert hall in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, near the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.It is the only purpose-built concert hall or "live house" in the Tokyo metropolitan area that can accommodate 1,500 people...
where Uverworld performed against Sid
Sid (band)
is a Japanese visual kei rock band signed on to Sony Records.-Background:Sid was founded in 2003 by vocalist Mao and bassist Aki . They were quickly joined by two support members, guitarist Shinji and drummer Yuuya...
.
The band's third album, titled Proglution
Proglution
-External links:* [ Review of album at Allmusic]...
, was released on January 16, 2008 and contain full eighteen tracks. The album also contain their singles , "Endscape
Endscape
"endscape" is the 7th single by the Japanese band UVERworld. It was released on May 30, 2007 in two different formats, CD only and CD+DVD. The song endscape was featured as the first opening song to the anime series Toward the Terra.-Track listing:...
" and . The album was released in a CD-only version and a limited edition that includes an extra DVD. Proglution sold over 150,000 copies. June 11, 2008 saw the release of the single "Gekidō/Just Break the Limit!". "Gekidō" was used as the fourth opening theme of the anime series D.Gray-man
D.Gray-man
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. The series tells the story of a boy named Allen Walker, a member of an organization of Exorcists who makes use of an ancient substance called Innocence to combat the Millennium Earl and his demonic army of akuma...
while the song "Just Break the Limit!" was used as a support song for Pocari Sweat
Pocari Sweat
is a popular Japanese soft drink and sports drink, manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. It was launched in 1980 and is now also available in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East....
's CM. Two more singles were released in 2008, and . "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" was used as the opening for the second season of the Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
anime. The single became the band's first number-one single on Oricon with approximately 181,784 copies sold. The single has since gone on to become the highest selling single from the band.
2009: Awakeve and Neo Sound Best
On February 18, 2009 the band released their fourth album titled AwakeveAwakeve
- Personnel :* Takuya∞ – vocals, programming* Katsuya – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus* Akira – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus, programming* Nobuto – bass guitar* Shintarō – drums- External links :* [ Awakeve review at Allmusic.com]...
. The album sold over 115,000 copies on its first week and ranked number-two on the Oricon album chart. A DVD of their live performance in Nippon Budokan
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
was released on April 29, 2009. The band's thirteenth single was released on August 5, 2009 titled as "Go-On
Go-on
are one of the different readings of Japanese kanji. They are old pronunciations of Chinese characters, believed to be taken from China to Japan prior to the importation of readings from Chang'an during the Nara period...
." The single's title track will be featured as the second ending theme on the Japanese broadcast of the House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
's first season. The band performed at 2009's Inazuma Rock Fes. held in Shiga Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
. They are also releasing their fourth DVD of the Awakeve
Awakeve
- Personnel :* Takuya∞ – vocals, programming* Katsuya – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus* Akira – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus, programming* Nobuto – bass guitar* Shintarō – drums- External links :* [ Awakeve review at Allmusic.com]...
Tour 09 on September 30, 2009.
The band's fourteenth single was released on October 28, 2009 entitled for the Tokyo Broadcasting System
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
drama Shōkōjo Seira
Shōkōjo Seira
is a 2009 Japanese drama, airing on Saturdays from 7:56pm, at TBS. The main character Seira, played by Mirai Shida, overcomes many ordeals at the Millenius Seminary boarding school...
, based on the children's novel, A Little Princess
A Little Princess
A Little Princess is a 1905 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a revised and expanded version of Burnett's 1888 serialized novel entitled Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's Boarding School, which was published in St. Nicholas Magazine.According to Burnett, she...
written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was an English playwright and author. She is best known for her children's stories, in particular The Secret Garden , A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.Born Frances Eliza Hodgson, she lived in Cheetham Hill, Manchester...
. The song's lyrics was written by Takuya and was co-composed by both the lyricist and Satoru Hiraide while the arrangement was done by the band and Hiraide. On October 9, 2009, an English official website was announced and it went online at 12pm Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
.
A best of
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album titled Neo Sound Best
Neo Sound Best
Neo Sound Best is a compilation album from the Japanese rock band UVERworld.-Tracklisting:...
was announced on November 9, 2009 and released on December 9, 2009. They were also scheduled to perform at the Ontama Carnival 2010 together with Funky Monkey Babys
Funky monkey babys
is a Japanese band grouped in 2004 under the record company Dreamusic, Inc. Their music is mostly hip hop, but is also inspired by pop and rock music. All members in the group are from Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. They are known for featuring celebrities in their promotion videos and singles jackets...
and Flumpool
Flumpool
Flumpool is a four-man Japanese pop-rock band. The band, originally from Osaka Prefecture, was formed in January 2007...
.
2010–present: Last and Life 6 Sense
Their fifteenth single "GoldGold (Uverworld song)
"Gold" is the 15th single by the Japanese rock band Uverworld. It was released on March 31, 2010. The second track of the single, "Change" is set to be the image song of the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam 00 movie adaptation...
" was released on March 31, 2010, making it their first release of the year. The music video for "Gold" was made into 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, making it the first 3-D music video in Japan. It was premiered on April 17, 2010. Additionally, their fifth album Last was released two weeks later on April 14, 2010.
Their sixteenth single was released on September 15, 2010, and contains the ending theme song for the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 movie and the title song for the PSP game Last Ranker
Last Ranker
is a role-playing game from imageepoch and Capcom that was released in Japan on July 15, 2010 for the PlayStation Portable. In Last Ranker warriors are ranked by how they perform in battle by a combat organization called Bazalta, which is headquartered in the city of Ghandoar...
. Their seventeenth single "No.1" was released on November 24, 2010, and contains "6つの風" and "超大作+81".
They had their first concert in Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
this November 27, 2010, as a final installment to their LAST Album Tour.
Their eighteenth single "Mondo Piece" will be released on March 23, 2011 also containing, "Panic World" and "Chimimouryou March". However, due to 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...
, the release date has been pushed to April 6. Their nineteenth single "Core Pride" was selected to be the 1st opening theme the anime Ao no Exorcist.
The band released their sixth album Life 6 Sense
Life 6 Sense
LIFE 6 SENSE is the 6th album released on 1st June 2011. This album has a total of 12 tracks. The album was one of the highly anticipated album as UVERworld themselves think highly of the album as they originally has 6 members including SEIKA, now SEIKA is their manipulator...
on June 1, 2011. The album's title was leaked out in bands page on Japanese Wikipedia.
Members
Takuya (stylized as TAKUYA∞) is the vocalistSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
for the group as well as in charge of writing the band's music and programming
Programming (music)
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
. He was born on December 21, 1979 in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
while he later moved to Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. Nobuto is in charge of the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. He was born on February 14, 1980. Katsuya, who is in charge of 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...
, rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
, is the band's leader. He was born on February 22, 1981. Shintarō, the second youngest member of the group was born on November 5, 1983 in Ōtsu
Otsu, Shiga
is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...
, Shiga Prefecture. He is in charge of the drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. Akira was born on March 8, 1984 and like Katsuya, is in charge of the guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus and programming for the band. All the members except Takuya and Shintarō were born and lived in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture.
Sources:
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN 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... |
|||
| 2005 | D-tecnoLife D-tecnoLife (Single) D-tecnoLife is the first debut single by the Japanese band Uverworld and was released on July 6, 2005. Due to the immense popularity of the anime series, BLEACH, this single smashed the Oricon chart by securing a position of #4 on the Oricon #200 weekly peak. This singles is also the only few... |
4 | Timeless Timeless (UVERworld album) Timeless is the first full album by Japanese rock band Uverworld. The album was released on February 15, 2006. The album entered the Oricon charts 33 times and it's ranked 5th at its peak. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.On November 22, 2006, another... |
| CHANCE! CHANCE! (Single) CHANCE! is the second single by the Japanese band Uverworld and was released on 26th October 2005. Its Oricon top #200 weekly peak is #5, and has been charted for a total of 14 weeks. This singles is also the only few singles that consist of 4 tracks till date... |
5 | ||
| 2006 | just Melody Just Melody (Single) just Melody is the third single by the Japanese band Uverworld and was released on 25 January 2006. Its Oricon top #200 weekly peak is #17, the first UVERworld's free standing single, with the second free standing single being Shaka Beach ~ Laka Laka La~... |
17 | |
| Colors of the Heart Colors of the Heart Colors of the Heart is the fourth single released by the Japanese rock band Uverworld. It was released on May 17, 2006. The limited pressing which was also released on the same day contains a DVD with the opening sequence for the title track shown in the anime series, Blood+ as well as a sticker... |
3 | Bugright | |
| Shamrock | 6 | ||
| Kimi no Suki na Uta Kimi no Suki na Uta is the sixth single released by Uverworld under the gr8! records label. The single was released on November 15, 2006 in two different formats, CD only and CD+DVD.-Overview:... |
2 | ||
| 2007 | Endscape Endscape "endscape" is the 7th single by the Japanese band UVERworld. It was released on May 30, 2007 in two different formats, CD only and CD+DVD. The song endscape was featured as the first opening song to the anime series Toward the Terra.-Track listing:... |
4 | Proglution Proglution -External links:* [ Review of album at Allmusic]... |
| Shaka Beach: Laka Laka La | 2 | ||
| Ukiyo Crossing Ukiyo Crossing "Ukiyo Crossing" is the ninth single by the Japanese band Uverworld and was released on November 14, 2007 in CD and CD+DVD format. It was used as the ending theme for the Japanese Drama Hataraki Man... |
3 | ||
| 2008 | Gekidō/Just Break the Limit! | 2 | Awakeve Awakeve - Personnel :* Takuya∞ – vocals, programming* Katsuya – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus* Akira – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus, programming* Nobuto – bass guitar* Shintarō – drums- External links :* [ Awakeve review at Allmusic.com]... |
| Koishikute Koishikute Koishikute is the eleventh single was released on 10th September 2008. Despite being a freestanding single, its Oricon top #200 weekly peak is #2, selling a total of 52k copies in its first week.- CD :# # # - Personnel :* TAKUYA∞ - vocals,programming... |
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| Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi is the twelfth single by the Japanese band Uverworld and was released on November 19, 2008. Limited edition version contains Mobile Suit Gundam 00 version of the title song with the original cover.... |
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| 2009 | GO-ON GO-ON (Single) GO-ON is the 13th single was released on 5th August 2009. GO-ON is the 2nd ending theme of the drama, Dr. House. GO-ON's Oricon Weekly Ranking is #2 and sold a total of 53k copies which is a little more than 恋いしくて which is a non tie-up. Despite the fact of this, this single is actually well... |
2 | Last |
| Kanashimi wa Kitto Kanashimi wa Kitto "Kanashimi wa Kitto" is the 14th single released by the Japanese rock band Uverworld. Released on October 28, 2009, it reached #2 on Japanese Oricon Weekly Charts.... |
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| 2010 | Gold Gold (Uverworld song) "Gold" is the 15th single by the Japanese rock band Uverworld. It was released on March 31, 2010. The second track of the single, "Change" is set to be the image song of the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam 00 movie adaptation... |
2 | |
| Qualia Qualia (Single) Qualia is the 16th single by Uverworld and was released on 15th September 2010. This song was used as an ending theme for Mobile Suit Gundam 00 -A wakening of the Trailblazer- Movie. The coupling song, Ultimate, the theme song for the PSP game [LAST RANKER] which was released earlier on the 15th... |
2 | Life 6 Sense Life 6 Sense LIFE 6 SENSE is the 6th album released on 1st June 2011. This album has a total of 12 tracks. The album was one of the highly anticipated album as UVERworld themselves think highly of the album as they originally has 6 members including SEIKA, now SEIKA is their manipulator... |
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| NO.1 NO.1 (Single) NO.1 is the seventeeth single by the Japanese band Uverworld and was released on November 19, 2008. This song was also perform at TOKYO DOME as a leading track for LAST TOUR FINAL... |
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| 2011 | Mondo Piece | 4 | |
| Core Pride | 5 | ||
| Baby Born & Go/Kinjito | N/A | N/A | |
Studio Albums
| # | Information | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st/ Debut album |
Timeless Timeless (UVERworld album) Timeless is the first full album by Japanese rock band Uverworld. The album was released on February 15, 2006. The album entered the Oricon charts 33 times and it's ranked 5th at its peak. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.On November 22, 2006, another...
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88,935 copies sold |
| 2nd | Bugright
|
136,956 copies sold |
| 3rd | Proglution Proglution -External links:* [ Review of album at Allmusic]... |
152,143 copies sold |
| 4th | Awakeve Awakeve - Personnel :* Takuya∞ – vocals, programming* Katsuya – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus* Akira – guitar, rhythm guitar, chorus, programming* Nobuto – bass guitar* Shintarō – drums- External links :* [ Awakeve review at Allmusic.com]... |
162,458 copies sold |
| 5th | Last
|
110,636 copies sold |
| 6th | Life 6 Sense Life 6 Sense LIFE 6 SENSE is the 6th album released on 1st June 2011. This album has a total of 12 tracks. The album was one of the highly anticipated album as UVERworld themselves think highly of the album as they originally has 6 members including SEIKA, now SEIKA is their manipulator... |
TBA copies sold |
Compilation
| # | Information | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Neo Sound Best Neo Sound Best Neo Sound Best is a compilation album from the Japanese rock band UVERworld.-Tracklisting:...
|
177,449 copies sold |
Video
| # | Information |
|---|---|
| 1st | Live at Shibuya-Ax from Timeless Tour 2006
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| 2nd | Progulation Tour 2008
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| 3rd | Uverworld 2008 Premium Live at Nippon Budokan
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| 4th | Awakeve Tour '09
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| 5th | Uverworld Video Complete: Act.1 First 5 Years
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| 6th | Last Tour Final at Tokyo Dome
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Awards
In 2005, the band received the New Artist of the Year award in the Japan Gold Disc AwardJapan Gold Disc Award
The Japan Gold Disc Awards for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.- List of the Artists of the Year :************...
s held by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
.