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Asian Kung-Fu Generation

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Asian Kung-Fu Generation

Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション, Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon) is a Japanese rock band signed by Ki/oon Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

History

The band was first formed in 1996 by Kensuke Kita, Takahiro Yamada, and Masafumi Gotoh who met in a musical circle of Kanto Gakuin University, with Kiyoshi Ijichi joining the band shortly after. They played in many small venues until they released their first indie EP in 2000, a six-song EP of English cover songs. In the following year, the band tried to get their first Japanese single, "Kona Yuki" (粉雪), onto indie radio shows. The song was eventually picked up by a popular radio DJ and put into heavy rotation due to the demand of listeners. The band released their second indie CD containing songs with Japanese lyrics later in 2001. In 2003, the band would release their first mini-album Hōkai Amplifier (崩壊アンプリファー), which received immense critical acclaim with the sales of the album reaching 35 on the Oricon charts.

In 2003, the band released the singles "Mirai no Kakera" (未来の破片) and "Kimi to iu Hana" (君という花), which would catapult them to fame. Their first full album, Kimi Tsunagi Five M (君繋ファイブエム), sold over 25,000 copies and landed in the number 5 spot on the Oricon charts in its first week. As their fame grew, fans began calling them simply Ajikan (アジカン) or AKG, shortened versions of their full name.

When 2004 came around, the band won the award for Best New Artist; their video "Kimi to Iu Hana" also won the award for Best Music Video. Over the course of the year, the band would release four more singles: "Siren" (サイレン), "Loop & Loop" (ループ＆ループ), "Rewrite" (リライト),which is the opening song for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist and "Kimi no Machi Made" (君の街まで). Their song "Haruka Kanata" is the second opening of the anime Naruto. The band also released their second album, Sol-fa (ソルファ), in 2004. The album would go on to sell more than 600,000 copies and reach number one on the Oricon charts for two weeks straight.

In 2005, they released a DVD that stayed at number one on the Oricon DVD charts for an entire month, and played at sold out venues during their Re:Re: tour. The band also held the Nano-Mugen Festival 2005, where eight different bands played to a sold out crowd. Later that year, the band released another single "Blue Train" (ブルートレイン), and held a short tour in the winter.

The band released two albums in 2006: Fanclub (ファンクラブ) and a B-side compilation called Feedback File. Fanclub stayed in the Oricon top five for nearly two months while Feedback File entered the charts at number two. In July, the band held a sequel to their Nano-Mugen Festival known as Nano-Mugen Festival 2 which featured 12 different artists and sold out for all of its performances. The band then went on to release three singles in 2006, "Blue Train", "World Apart" and "Aru Machi no Gunjo". Blue Train managed to obtain a #5 spot on the charts while World Apart went on to become the band's first number one single.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation's single and album covers are designed and created by Yusuke Nakamura.[1]

Member profiles

Masafumi Gotoh (後藤 正文, ゴトウ マサフミ)

Kensuke Kita (喜多 建介, キタ ケンスケ)

Takahiro Yamada (山田 貴洋, ヤマダ タカヒロ)

Kiyoshi Ijichi (伊地 知潔, イヂチ キヨシ)

Discography

Indies


Albums

Singles

"Mirai no Kakera" (August 6 2003 Oricon #34)

  1. "Mirai no Kakera (未来の破片) "
  2. "Entrance (エントランス-Entoransu)"
  3. "Sono Wake Wo (その訳を)"

"Kimi to Iu Hana" (October 16 2003 Oricon #14)

  1. "Kimi to Iu Hana (君という花)"
  2. "Rocket No.4 (ロケットNo.4-RokettoNo.4)"

"Siren" (April 14 2004 Oricon #2)

  1. "Siren (サイレン-Sairen)"
  2. "Siren# (サイレン#-Sairen#)"

"Loop & Loop" (May 19 2004 Oricon #8)

  1. "Loop & Loop (ループ&ループ-Rūpu&Rūpu)"
  2. "Entrance (LIVE) (エントランス(LIVE)-Entoransu (LIVE))"
  3. "Rashinban (LIVE) (羅針盤(LIVE))"

"Rewrite" (August 8 2004 Oricon #4)

  1. "Rewrite (リライト-Riraito)"
  2. "Yuugure no Aka (夕暮れの紅)"

"Kimi no Machi Made" (September 23 2004 Oricon #3)

  1. "Kimi no Machi Made (君の街まで)"
  2. "Hold me tight"

"Blue Train" (November 30 2005 Oricon #5)

  1. "Blue Train"
  2. "Road Movie"
  3. "Tobenai Sakana"
  4. "Gekkou"

"World Apart" (February 15 2006 Oricon #1)

  1. "World Apart (ワールドアパート-Wārudo Apāto)"
  2. "Eien ni (永遠に)"
  3. "Uso to Wonderland (嘘とワンダーランド-Uso to Wandārando)"

"Aru Machi no Gunjou" (November 29 2006)

  1. "Aru Machi no Gunjou (或る街の群青)"
  2. "Kugenama Surf (鵠沼サーフ-Kugenama Sāfu)"

DVDs

  • Image Work Collection (映像作品集　1巻, Eizō Sakuhinshu 1kan) (November 26, 2004)
  • Image Work Collection (映像作品集　2巻, Eizō Sakuhinshu 2kan) (April 20, 2005)
  • Image Work Collection (映像作品集　3巻, Eizō Sakuhinshu 3kan) (March 21, 2007)

Miscellaneous

  • In a volume of the popular Hellsing manga, the band is parodied by members of the Vatican and named "The Vatickung".
  • "Loop & Loop" is one of the songs in the Nintendo DS musical game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan.
  • "Rewrite" is the 4th opening of the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. It won 'Best Anime Theme Song' at the first American Anime Awards in 2007.
  • "Haruka Kanata" is the 2nd opening for the anime Naruto and the 3rd opening for it in the U.S.
  • "Rewrite" and "N.G.S." are covered in the GuitarFreaks and DrumMania music game series by Konami. "Rewrite" is also in the expansion pack for the Nintendo DS game Daigasso! Band-Brothers.

References

  1. ^ "Yusuke Nakamura". DigMeOut.net. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
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