Do As Infinity
Encyclopedia
Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop
and rock
band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van
, guitarist Ryo Owatari
, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao
. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as D.A.I., alluding to the fact that Do As Infinity was named after Dai Nagao. Signed to Avex Trax
, the band released their debut single "Tangerine Dream
" on September 29, 1999, followed by three more singles between 1999 and 2000, which appeared on their debut album Break of Dawn (2000). In December 2000, Nagao decided to devote all his time to composing the music and no longer appeared at live events. Five more studio albums were released between 2001 with New World and 2005 with Need Your Love.
With the release of their A-side
singles compilation album
Do the A-side (2005), Do As Infinity disbanded on September 29, 2005. The members continued work in the music industry, with Van pursuing a solo
career, Owatari working with his band Missile Innovation
formed in 2004, and Nagao continuing to work with other artists at Avex Trax. The band reformed on September 29, 2008, but Nagao did not return. Do As Infinity had their first new single release "∞1", in June 2009, followed by their seventh studio album Eternal Flame
(2009). The band released their eighth studio album Eight
in January 2011.
Former members
Producers
The members listed below are not the only band members that DAI has gone through during their career, however, these musicians are the more notable ones because of their work for DAI.
Tour Band (2009)
for an amateur band. After its disbanding, Nagao continued composing songs, sending demo tapes to more than fifty record companies in Japan. Nagao was eventually hired by Avex Trax
to work as a composer. He was immediately given a task to compose songs for Ayumi Hamasaki
and Hitomi
.
Eventually, auditions were held, and he chose Tomiko Van as lead singer, and Ryo Owatari as guitarist. Ryo turned up for the auditions in a red tracksuit with a Fender Jaguar and his effects pedals. He was asked to perform a small segment, but instead played three songs. Tomiko sang "Heart" as a band member 42 hours after the Avex staff read her application. On September 29, 1999, the trio released their first single "Tangerine Dream
", and held a live concert at the Shibuya
AX. They performed almost daily at a number of locations, ranging from Shibuya's 109 (which is famous for street performers), to Yokohama Station
and traveled to Fukuoka
and other cities. Before "Tangerine Dream" was released, DAI and their fellow workers were giving out copies of their recordings for free to passers by. At their one-hundredth concert, held at Shibuya AX for free, the members of DAI recognized that the fans were the same bunch that bothered to listen to them.
The remainder of 1999 was spent performing both on the street and at in-store concerts at CD stores across the country. They also took part in choice events nationwide, including a festival in Tomiko Van's native Kumamoto prefecture. Their legendary streak of street concerts ended at one hundred, with a free concert for their fans, held at Shibuya Kokaido. Photos of some of their street performances were compiled into a PV for the song "Field of Dreams" which can be seen on the PV Collection 8 as well as in the background of the Live in Japan during a performance of the song.
Do As Infinity released their second single, "Heart
", in December. They continued to do public appearances all the way up to the year-end Avex
Millennium
Count Down 1999-2000 held on New Year's Eve
in Roppongi's Velfarre
club. Heart was actually written before Tangerine Dream, but was recorded together in July due to the complicated drum samples. The band continued to appear on radio shows and at CD store events. Their third single, "Oasis", was released at the end of January. It was their first Top 30 hit and it was chosen as the official TV commercial song for Kanebo Cosmetics' Testimo line of products. This was the first time their song was chosen to become a theme song for advertising.
" was chosen as the theme song for the drama series Nisennen no Koi, which starred popular actors Miho Nakayama and Kaneshiro Takeshi and was given the primetime slot. The c/w-track, "Raven", was used as the ending song to the horror movie Uzumaki
, which gathered more mainstream audiences for the band.
Their first album, Break of Dawn, debuted on number three on the Oricon
album charts in March of the same year, only a month after "Yesterday & Today". They continued to make public appearances and do numerous live performances all over Japan. In August of that year, the band released the single "Rumble Fish", which was used as the theme song for the hit movie Kamen Gakuen; the cover of "Rumble Fish" was taken in Taiwan, and the trip provided the inspiration for "Shinjitsu no Uta". Also in August, the single "Summer Days" was released, which would go on to become a staple at all Do As Infinity live concerts, and was used as a theme song for Fuji TV's OL Police. "Summer Days" is also notable for being Do As Infinity's most well-known all-English
song (following their first, "Break of Dawn", from their debut album). During November of that same year, the band released the festive single "We Are.", which Tomiko has often said is one of her favorite DAI songs. The band would end the year with another countdown live held at the Velfarre club in Roppongi
.
Nagao resigned as front member on New Year's Eve in 2000, and concentrated on composition thereafter. After that, Nagao appeared in front of their fans as a member only twice more—the performance of the third debut anniversary held in September 2002, and a guest appearance in the second encore of their last live concert held on November 25, 2005. Nagao decided to work behind the scenes as he was unable to manage both the production of music and the live performance and promotional campaign. Nagao only wrote songs after he stopped appearing in public, and he hardly participated in recording.
"; "Desire" was once named M-42, which was used in their street performances. The single was performed on the hit TV show "Music Station
". However, for some reason Van represented the band by herself. Nevertheless, the song and the band got national exposure. The televised performance brought Do As Infinity to an even wider audience, and helped to make their new album, New World, debut at number one on the Oricon charts.
In the following month they would release their first promotional video collection on DVD, simply titled 9, and would go on tour throughout the month of May. After release of New World, Tomiko Van
was contracted to advertise for Japanese haircare company Lavenus. Van took part in all six commercials, including one which she rode a Harley-Davidson
motorbike. Van can also be seen riding the Harley-Davidson in the "Tao
" promotional video. The B-side
of "Tōku Made", "Signal" was used as the theme song for the first commercial. Six commercials were made in total, the other three songs included "Tsubasa no Keikaku", "Bōkenshatachi", and "Nice & Easy"; "Boukensha Tachi" was used three times.
Their ninth single was released at the end of May, "Week!
". The following month would see the release of "Fukai Mori
" (Deep Forest), which was chosen as the second ending theme song for the hit anime
series InuYasha
. The song was a huge hit, and would soon become the band's signature song. The remainder of the year was spent in preparation for yet another live concert tour, which would begin in November, not long after the release of their eleventh single, "Bōkenshatachi", and their third album, Deep Forest
, which debuted at number one on the charts.
", the following month. Then the band went global. After releasing a best album, Do the Best
in March, the band traveled to Taiwan
and Hong Kong
in April for a special campaign. Their following overseas was almost as huge as in their own country, drawing 500 fans to their in-store event held at the HMV
CD store in Hong Kong. They were nominated for the seventeenth annual Gold Disc Award in Japan for the best Rock & Pop album of the year and won. The band took a short break upon returning to Japan, but released their thirteenth single in July, the double A-sided "Under the Sun / Under the Moon". In August the band participated in Avex's A-nation tour, performing in eight venues all over Japan.
Do As Infinity's fourteenth single, "Shinjitsu no Uta
", was released in October, and sparked the beginning of a new project for the band. "Shinjitsu no Uta" was also chosen to be the fifth ending theme for InuYasha
. "Shinjitsu no Uta" became famous in China in July 2002 and was also translated into Mandarin. In the booklet of Do The A-side, Kawamura stated that "Shinjitsu no Uta" was actually written two years before the actual release. Dai said that he left it as a demo because he felt that something was missing in the song. Despite their success, Do As Infinity wanted to show their fans that they had not forgotten them. They advertised on their website for fans to send them short stories using the band's previous releases as themes and using the word shinjitsu (truth) somewhere in the story. Entitled Your Truth, these stories are now available in book form. The band closed out the year with another live tour, understandably titled Do As Infinity greatest year 02: All Standing, and the year-end release of their fourth album, True Song.
s in Japan, becoming one of the band's most publicized singles of the year. "Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari" followed the popularity of its precedent single, it was previewed in their annual summer activity, a-nation. During this promotion period it was the first time the vocalist cut her hair short and with a bright blonde dye, she changed it back to a dark brown dye after the release of this single. The single's promotional video
was filmed during their a-nation 2003 activity and combined many different a-nation 2003 visits in different areas in Japan, marking another success for the band. "Hiiragi" was released in November of the same year and the announcement of the fifth album followed. Tomiko met with famous American singer, Michelle Branch
, during her visit in Japan to promote her album Hotel Paper, for a magazine interview and photoshoot. After the release of Gates of Heaven
the group took a short break and performed in New York City
, New York
and Dallas, Texas
in the summer of 2004 as a small warm-up for their next album; footage of this can be found in the DVD Live Year 2004. They performed in Korea
during the Korea & Japan Friendship Week in JEJU along with JTL
.
"Tao
" became Do As Infinity's twentieth single released on July 27, 2005, and the last before disbanding later that year. The lyrics of "Tao" described about friends parting ways and this caused many rumors among the fans about the disbanding of Do As Infinity. "Tao" was also the main theme of Tales of Legendia
, an RPG video game released in summer 2005 and developed by Namco
. The band announced on September 14 that they would disband on September 29, 2005, exactly six years to the day since their first single, "Tangerine Dream", was released. Their last concert was at the Nippon Budokan on November 25, 2005. Three days before the final concert, Dai Nagao released the last Do As Infinity song called "Trust" on the official website through Internet streaming. The vocals featured in this song is sung by Mizushima Utana from one of Nagao's side project artists I-lulu. Many fans hoped for a CD release of the song recorded with Do As Infinity, however, it has yet to happen.
Tomiko Van
, the lead singer, pursued a solo career and debuted on March 29, 2006 with her album, Farewell. Ryo Owatari, the guitarist, worked with his band, Missile Innovation
, and released their first single on February 1, 2006. Owatari also worked with other Avex artists such as Ayumi Hamasaki
, Ai Otsuka
and AAA
. Dai Nagao went on to work with Amasia Landscape and other artists under the True Song Music label, writing songs for various artists.
. Do As Infinity provided the opening theme song, "Kimi ga Inai Mirai
", to InuYasha: The Final Act
in 2009; the single for "Kimi ga Inai Mirai" was released on January 20, 2010.
Do As Infinity debuted their song "Everything Will Be All Right" on December 24, 2009 as the official 2010 promotional theme song for professional Kyōtei
boat racing. "Everything Will Be All Right", as well as three other songs, was included on the band's 23rd single, "∞2", released on June 16, 2010. Do As Infinity released their 24th single "Jidaishin
" on September 29, 2010. The single commemorated their 11-year anniversary and the physical copies were exclusively sold on the online music retailer Mu-mo, where they subsequently sold out. Do As Infinity held their 11-year anniversary live convert at Shibuya AX on the same day. It was broadcast live via Internet streaming through Nico Nico Douga
for free. The band released their eighth studio album Eight
on January 19, 2011. Do As Infinity released their 25th single on July 27, 2011. The band's 26th single was released on September 7, 2011. Do As Infinity's 27th single was released on November 16, 2011.
, it came to be specified who wrote a song, and, after re-formation, it came to be specified who composed as well. Tomiko Van and Ryo Owatari mainly write lyrics. Saiko Kawamura, which is a joint nom de plume of Jun Harada and Kayoko Shinchi, and Naoto Suzuki also write songs besides them. It seems that Dai Nagao composed almost all the music except for "Azayaka na Hana" collected in Gates of Heaven
, which Ryo Owatari composed. They produced the first and the second singles by themselves, but Seiji Kameda
became a joint producer from the third single; he also plays a bass guitar in recording.
Compilation albums
Live albums
Box set
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van
Tomiko Van
, is a Japanese J-pop singer and occasional actress, as well as a member of the band Do As Infinity , along with Ryo Owatari and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split.- Beginnings as solo artist :...
, guitarist Ryo Owatari
Ryo Owatari
is a Japanese guitarist who was born April 4, 1972 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. He was formerly a member of the amateur band pee-ka-boo, but he is mainly known for his work in the band Do As Infinity alongside Tomiko Van and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split. After the...
, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao
Dai Nagao
is a Japanese composer, musician and producer. He was a member and composer of the popular musical group Do As Infinity from its founding until it disbanded in September 2005, although they have since reformed....
. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as D.A.I., alluding to the fact that Do As Infinity was named after Dai Nagao. Signed to Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
, the band released their debut single "Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream (song)
"Tangerine Dream" is the debut single of Do As Infinity, released in 1999. "Faces" and "Simple Minds" were never included in any album, not even Do the B-side, a compilation album where almost all of the B-sides from the first seventeen singles were included.-Track listing:#"Tangerine...
" on September 29, 1999, followed by three more singles between 1999 and 2000, which appeared on their debut album Break of Dawn (2000). In December 2000, Nagao decided to devote all his time to composing the music and no longer appeared at live events. Five more studio albums were released between 2001 with New World and 2005 with Need Your Love.
With the release of their A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
singles compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Do the A-side (2005), Do As Infinity disbanded on September 29, 2005. The members continued work in the music industry, with Van pursuing a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career, Owatari working with his band Missile Innovation
Missile Innovation
is a Japanese rock band formed from the former member of Do As Infinity, Ryo Owatari. The other two members are twins and were also members with Ryo from their previous band, Pee-Ka-Boo...
formed in 2004, and Nagao continuing to work with other artists at Avex Trax. The band reformed on September 29, 2008, but Nagao did not return. Do As Infinity had their first new single release "∞1", in June 2009, followed by their seventh studio album Eternal Flame
Eternal Flame (album)
-Chart positions:-Notes: "Tangerine Dream " was a bonus track only featured in the limited edition first print CD release of Eternal Flame. The documentary "Do As Fukkatsu Made no Kiseki" was bonus footage only featured in the limited edition first print CD+DVD release of Eternal Flame.-External...
(2009). The band released their eighth studio album Eight
Eight (Do As Infinity album)
-Charts:-External links:* at Avex Network...
in January 2011.
Members
Current members- "Van": Tomiko VanTomiko Van, is a Japanese J-pop singer and occasional actress, as well as a member of the band Do As Infinity , along with Ryo Owatari and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split.- Beginnings as solo artist :...
(lyrics, vocals) - "Ryo": Ryo OwatariRyo Owatariis a Japanese guitarist who was born April 4, 1972 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. He was formerly a member of the amateur band pee-ka-boo, but he is mainly known for his work in the band Do As Infinity alongside Tomiko Van and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split. After the...
(lyrics, guitar, backup vocals)
Former members
- "Dai": Dai NagaoDai Nagaois a Japanese composer, musician and producer. He was a member and composer of the popular musical group Do As Infinity from its founding until it disbanded in September 2005, although they have since reformed....
(composition, guitar)
Producers
- "Dai": Dai Nagao (1999–2005)
- Seiji KamedaSeiji Kamedais a Japanese music producer, arranger and bass guitarist.He is currently the bassist in Ringo Shiina's band, "Tokyo Jihen".- Biography :He was born in New York city, and went back to Japan at one year after birth....
(2000–present) (recording bassist)
Backup bands
Great Tour BandThe members listed below are not the only band members that DAI has gone through during their career, however, these musicians are the more notable ones because of their work for DAI.
- Naoki Hayashibe (guitar)
- Jun Matsumoto (drums)
- Kazco HamanoKazco HamanoHamano Kazuko is a singer and member of the GREAT TOUR BAND. Hamano sings the chorus, supporting Van Tomiko. Her popularity, due to her lively and energetic live performances, has led her to release two solo CDs...
(chorus) - Michitaro Shimamoto (bass guitar) (former member, went on to play for Ai Otsuka and other artists)
- Jun Takase (keyboard)
- Yoshiyasu Hayashi (bass guitar)
Tour Band (2009)
- Takumi Ishida (guitar)
- Yukiko Shibuya (bass guitar)
- Jun Takase (keyboard)
- Noriyasu "Kaasuke" Kawamura (drums) (Originally he was a recording drummer from their first album Break of Dawn, and participated in the tour band from 2008.)
1999
Dai Nagao started out as a composerComposer
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...
for an amateur band. After its disbanding, Nagao continued composing songs, sending demo tapes to more than fifty record companies in Japan. Nagao was eventually hired by Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
to work as a composer. He was immediately given a task to compose songs for 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...
and Hitomi
Hitomi
better known by her stagename , is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She began her career as model, and after meeting Tetsuya Komuro he began managing her career as a pop singer...
.
Eventually, auditions were held, and he chose Tomiko Van as lead singer, and Ryo Owatari as guitarist. Ryo turned up for the auditions in a red tracksuit with a Fender Jaguar and his effects pedals. He was asked to perform a small segment, but instead played three songs. Tomiko sang "Heart" as a band member 42 hours after the Avex staff read her application. On September 29, 1999, the trio released their first single "Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream (song)
"Tangerine Dream" is the debut single of Do As Infinity, released in 1999. "Faces" and "Simple Minds" were never included in any album, not even Do the B-side, a compilation album where almost all of the B-sides from the first seventeen singles were included.-Track listing:#"Tangerine...
", and held a live concert at the Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
AX. They performed almost daily at a number of locations, ranging from Shibuya's 109 (which is famous for street performers), to Yokohama Station
Yokohama Station
is a main interchange station located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is the busiest station in Kanagawa Prefecture and the 5th busiest in Japan as of 2004, serving 2.05 million passengers daily.-Lines:Yokohama Station is served by the following lines:...
and traveled to Fukuoka
Fukuoka, 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...
and other cities. Before "Tangerine Dream" was released, DAI and their fellow workers were giving out copies of their recordings for free to passers by. At their one-hundredth concert, held at Shibuya AX for free, the members of DAI recognized that the fans were the same bunch that bothered to listen to them.
The remainder of 1999 was spent performing both on the street and at in-store concerts at CD stores across the country. They also took part in choice events nationwide, including a festival in Tomiko Van's native Kumamoto prefecture. Their legendary streak of street concerts ended at one hundred, with a free concert for their fans, held at Shibuya Kokaido. Photos of some of their street performances were compiled into a PV for the song "Field of Dreams" which can be seen on the PV Collection 8 as well as in the background of the Live in Japan during a performance of the song.
Do As Infinity released their second single, "Heart
Heart (Do As Infinity song)
"Heart" is Do As Infinity's second single, and the first of four singles with remixes, released in 1999.-Track listing:#"Heart"##"Heart" ##"Heart" #"Tangerine Dream"...
", in December. They continued to do public appearances all the way up to the year-end Avex
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
Millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
Count Down 1999-2000 held on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
in Roppongi's Velfarre
Velfarre
was a disco located in the Roppongi district of Tokyo, Japan. Velfarre was the self-professed "largest disco in Asia" with a capacity of 1,500 people, with three floors above ground and three floors below; owned by Komuro Tetsuya and Avex Trax. Velfarre was, and still is, known for Trance,...
club. Heart was actually written before Tangerine Dream, but was recorded together in July due to the complicated drum samples. The band continued to appear on radio shows and at CD store events. Their third single, "Oasis", was released at the end of January. It was their first Top 30 hit and it was chosen as the official TV commercial song for Kanebo Cosmetics' Testimo line of products. This was the first time their song was chosen to become a theme song for advertising.
2000
The next single, "Yesterday & TodayYesterday & Today (song)
"Yesterday & Today" is Do As Infinity's fourth single, released in 2000. It was used as the drama Nisennen no Koi's theme song.-Track listing:#"Yesterday & Today"#"Raven"#"Glasses"#"Yesterday & Today" #"Raven"...
" was chosen as the theme song for the drama series Nisennen no Koi, which starred popular actors Miho Nakayama and Kaneshiro Takeshi and was given the primetime slot. The c/w-track, "Raven", was used as the ending song to the horror movie Uzumaki
Uzumaki (film)
is a Japanese horror film directed by Higuchinsky. Uzumaki, released in 2000, is based on Junji Ito's episodic manga of the same name.The plot concerns a town infected with malevolent spirals...
, which gathered more mainstream audiences for the band.
Their first album, Break of Dawn, debuted on number three on 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...
album charts in March of the same year, only a month after "Yesterday & Today". They continued to make public appearances and do numerous live performances all over Japan. In August of that year, the band released the single "Rumble Fish", which was used as the theme song for the hit movie Kamen Gakuen; the cover of "Rumble Fish" was taken in Taiwan, and the trip provided the inspiration for "Shinjitsu no Uta". Also in August, the single "Summer Days" was released, which would go on to become a staple at all Do As Infinity live concerts, and was used as a theme song for Fuji TV's OL Police. "Summer Days" is also notable for being Do As Infinity's most well-known all-English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
song (following their first, "Break of Dawn", from their debut album). During November of that same year, the band released the festive single "We Are.", which Tomiko has often said is one of her favorite DAI songs. The band would end the year with another countdown live held at the Velfarre club in Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
.
Nagao resigned as front member on New Year's Eve in 2000, and concentrated on composition thereafter. After that, Nagao appeared in front of their fans as a member only twice more—the performance of the third debut anniversary held in September 2002, and a guest appearance in the second encore of their last live concert held on November 25, 2005. Nagao decided to work behind the scenes as he was unable to manage both the production of music and the live performance and promotional campaign. Nagao only wrote songs after he stopped appearing in public, and he hardly participated in recording.
2001
2001 was a whirlwind year for the band. With an album and six singles under their belts, the trio was well on their way to becoming seasoned veterans in the business, but they still had not appeared on national television. That changed with the release of their first single in the new millennium, "DesireDesire (Do As Infinity song)
"Desire" is the seventh single of Do As Infinity, released in 2001. "Desire" and "Carnaval" are almost the same songs but "Carnaval" was meant to be written in a male perspective while "Desire" described a female perspective in the lyrics...
"; "Desire" was once named M-42, which was used in their street performances. The single was performed on the hit TV show "Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...
". However, for some reason Van represented the band by herself. Nevertheless, the song and the band got national exposure. The televised performance brought Do As Infinity to an even wider audience, and helped to make their new album, New World, debut at number one on the Oricon charts.
In the following month they would release their first promotional video collection on DVD, simply titled 9, and would go on tour throughout the month of May. After release of New World, Tomiko Van
Tomiko Van
, is a Japanese J-pop singer and occasional actress, as well as a member of the band Do As Infinity , along with Ryo Owatari and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split.- Beginnings as solo artist :...
was contracted to advertise for Japanese haircare company Lavenus. Van took part in all six commercials, including one which she rode a Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorbike. Van can also be seen riding the Harley-Davidson in the "Tao
TAO (song)
"Tao" is Do As Infinity's twentieth single, released on July 27, 2005. "Tao"'s lyrics describe the parting of two friends. B-side "Aurora" literally means the dawn in Italian; the lyrics of the song are almost like the end of the story in Break of Dawn, which was the band's first song on their...
" promotional video. The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of "Tōku Made", "Signal" was used as the theme song for the first commercial. Six commercials were made in total, the other three songs included "Tsubasa no Keikaku", "Bōkenshatachi", and "Nice & Easy"; "Boukensha Tachi" was used three times.
Their ninth single was released at the end of May, "Week!
Week!
"Week!" is the ninth single of Do As Infinity, released in 2001. The B-side of this single, "Tsuredzure Naru Mama ni", is the only studio-recorded song from guitarist Ryo Owatari, the lyrics were also written by him. The melody of this song parallels to the melody of the song "Yesterday & Today"...
". The following month would see the release of "Fukai Mori
Fukai Mori
is the tenth single by Do As Infinity, released in 2001. It is the best selling single of Do As Infinity in Japan. "Fukai Mori" also appears as the second ending theme for the popular anime InuYasha.-Track listing:# # # #...
" (Deep Forest), which was chosen as the second ending theme song for the hit 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 InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
. The song was a huge hit, and would soon become the band's signature song. The remainder of the year was spent in preparation for yet another live concert tour, which would begin in November, not long after the release of their eleventh single, "Bōkenshatachi", and their third album, Deep Forest
Deep Forest (Do As Infinity album)
-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
, which debuted at number one on the charts.
2002
January 2002 started with Van appearing on the Avex charity album Various Artists Featuring Songnation, and the release of the band's twelfth hit single, "Hi no Ataru SakamichiHi no Ataru Sakamichi
is the twelfth single by Do As Infinity, released in 2002. It was used as the drama Hatsutaiken's theme song.-Track listing:# # "What You Gonna Do?"# # "What You Gonna Do?" -Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network...
", the following month. Then the band went global. After releasing a best album, Do the Best
Do the Best
Do the Best is a greatest hits album by the musical group Do As Infinity, released in 2002. In 2004, a combined compilation Do the Best + DVD was released. Some of the tracks in the album have minor changes, such as "Oasis" having an actual, definite ending unlike the original single where it...
in March, the band traveled to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in April for a special campaign. Their following overseas was almost as huge as in their own country, drawing 500 fans to their in-store event held at the HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
CD store in Hong Kong. They were nominated for the seventeenth annual Gold Disc Award in Japan for the best Rock & Pop album of the year and won. The band took a short break upon returning to Japan, but released their thirteenth single in July, the double A-sided "Under the Sun / Under the Moon". In August the band participated in Avex's A-nation tour, performing in eight venues all over Japan.
Do As Infinity's fourteenth single, "Shinjitsu no Uta
Shinjitsu no Uta
is the fourteenth single by Do As Infinity, released in 2002. It was used as the fifth ending to the anime InuYasha.-Track listing:# # "One or Eight"# # "One or Eight" -Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network...
", was released in October, and sparked the beginning of a new project for the band. "Shinjitsu no Uta" was also chosen to be the fifth ending theme for InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
. "Shinjitsu no Uta" became famous in China in July 2002 and was also translated into Mandarin. In the booklet of Do The A-side, Kawamura stated that "Shinjitsu no Uta" was actually written two years before the actual release. Dai said that he left it as a demo because he felt that something was missing in the song. Despite their success, Do As Infinity wanted to show their fans that they had not forgotten them. They advertised on their website for fans to send them short stories using the band's previous releases as themes and using the word shinjitsu (truth) somewhere in the story. Entitled Your Truth, these stories are now available in book form. The band closed out the year with another live tour, understandably titled Do As Infinity greatest year 02: All Standing, and the year-end release of their fourth album, True Song.
2003-2004
The band got busy on the concert tour of True Song and new recordings, their fifteenth single, "Mahou no Kotoba: Would You Marry Me?" released as their first single in 2003. It became one of the most frequently played songs at weddingWedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s in Japan, becoming one of the band's most publicized singles of the year. "Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari" followed the popularity of its precedent single, it was previewed in their annual summer activity, a-nation. During this promotion period it was the first time the vocalist cut her hair short and with a bright blonde dye, she changed it back to a dark brown dye after the release of this single. The single's promotional video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was filmed during their a-nation 2003 activity and combined many different a-nation 2003 visits in different areas in Japan, marking another success for the band. "Hiiragi" was released in November of the same year and the announcement of the fifth album followed. Tomiko met with famous American singer, Michelle Branch
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, and was subsequently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2003...
, during her visit in Japan to promote her album Hotel Paper, for a magazine interview and photoshoot. After the release of Gates of Heaven
Gates of Heaven (album)
-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
the group took a short break and performed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
in the summer of 2004 as a small warm-up for their next album; footage of this can be found in the DVD Live Year 2004. They performed in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
during the Korea & Japan Friendship Week in JEJU along with JTL
JTL
jtL was a South Korean dance music group, consisting of the former H.O.T. members who did not stay with SM Entertainment- Jang Woo Hyuk, Tony An and Lee Jae Won. The group was named after the initials of the members' stage name...
.
2005
In early 2005, the band were in the midst of yet another live concert tour, showcasing their brand new album Need Your Love. Along with video collections and recorded live concerts, Do As Infinity were still going strong. Although Dai Nagao was not as active as he was in the beginning (he did not participate in promotional events anymore, such as video clips or photo shoots) he was still the main composer and the brain behind the band. He did, though, appear in concerts from time to time."Tao
TAO (song)
"Tao" is Do As Infinity's twentieth single, released on July 27, 2005. "Tao"'s lyrics describe the parting of two friends. B-side "Aurora" literally means the dawn in Italian; the lyrics of the song are almost like the end of the story in Break of Dawn, which was the band's first song on their...
" became Do As Infinity's twentieth single released on July 27, 2005, and the last before disbanding later that year. The lyrics of "Tao" described about friends parting ways and this caused many rumors among the fans about the disbanding of Do As Infinity. "Tao" was also the main theme of Tales of Legendia
Tales of Legendia
, is a role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was released in Japan on August 25, 2005 and in the United States on February 7, 2006. Tales of Legendia's characteristic genre name is . It is the seventh mothership title in the Tales...
, an RPG video game released in summer 2005 and developed by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
. The band announced on September 14 that they would disband on September 29, 2005, exactly six years to the day since their first single, "Tangerine Dream", was released. Their last concert was at the Nippon Budokan on November 25, 2005. Three days before the final concert, Dai Nagao released the last Do As Infinity song called "Trust" on the official website through Internet streaming. The vocals featured in this song is sung by Mizushima Utana from one of Nagao's side project artists I-lulu. Many fans hoped for a CD release of the song recorded with Do As Infinity, however, it has yet to happen.
Tomiko Van
Tomiko Van
, is a Japanese J-pop singer and occasional actress, as well as a member of the band Do As Infinity , along with Ryo Owatari and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split.- Beginnings as solo artist :...
, the lead singer, pursued a solo career and debuted on March 29, 2006 with her album, Farewell. Ryo Owatari, the guitarist, worked with his band, Missile Innovation
Missile Innovation
is a Japanese rock band formed from the former member of Do As Infinity, Ryo Owatari. The other two members are twins and were also members with Ryo from their previous band, Pee-Ka-Boo...
, and released their first single on February 1, 2006. Owatari also worked with other Avex artists such as 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...
, Ai Otsuka
Ai Otsuka
is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and actress from Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo," which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.A piano...
and AAA
AAA (band)
, and also known as Attack All Around, is a Japanese pop band signed to the label Avex Trax which debuted in September 2005. The group originally consisted of five young men and three young women who had all acted in commercials and had been dancers for other Japanese stars, such as Ayumi Hamasaki...
. Dai Nagao went on to work with Amasia Landscape and other artists under the True Song Music label, writing songs for various artists.
2008-present
The band played a reunion show at the final show of 2008's A-nation, as stated on the official BBS and blog entries of supporting musicians. Reportedly, Do As Infinity rehearsed for a month. As "secret guests" during the A-nation live concert on August 30, 2008, the band announced they would officially reform on September 29, 2008 and that they would be holding a free concert in Yoyogi Park on September 30, 2008. They would eventually embark on a nationwide tour once more to celebrate their reunion. The band released their 21st single, "∞1", on June 17, 2009; it included four new songs. On September 30, 2009, the band released their seventh studio album, Eternal FlameEternal Flame (album)
-Chart positions:-Notes: "Tangerine Dream " was a bonus track only featured in the limited edition first print CD release of Eternal Flame. The documentary "Do As Fukkatsu Made no Kiseki" was bonus footage only featured in the limited edition first print CD+DVD release of Eternal Flame.-External...
. Do As Infinity provided the opening theme song, "Kimi ga Inai Mirai
Kimi ga Inai Mirai
-DVD:# # # # # # # -Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
", to InuYasha: The Final Act
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
in 2009; the single for "Kimi ga Inai Mirai" was released on January 20, 2010.
Do As Infinity debuted their song "Everything Will Be All Right" on December 24, 2009 as the official 2010 promotional theme song for professional Kyōtei
Kyotei
The , literally "boat racing" and referred to as BOAT RACE, is a hydroplane racing event primary held in Japan. It is one of Japan's four , which are sports events where parimutuel betting is legal.Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in 1952...
boat racing. "Everything Will Be All Right", as well as three other songs, was included on the band's 23rd single, "∞2", released on June 16, 2010. Do As Infinity released their 24th single "Jidaishin
Jidaishin
-External links:* at Do As Infinity's official website...
" on September 29, 2010. The single commemorated their 11-year anniversary and the physical copies were exclusively sold on the online music retailer Mu-mo, where they subsequently sold out. Do As Infinity held their 11-year anniversary live convert at Shibuya AX on the same day. It was broadcast live via Internet streaming through Nico Nico Douga
Nico Nico Douga
is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...
for free. The band released their eighth studio album Eight
Eight (Do As Infinity album)
-Charts:-External links:* at Avex Network...
on January 19, 2011. Do As Infinity released their 25th single on July 27, 2011. The band's 26th single was released on September 7, 2011. Do As Infinity's 27th single was released on November 16, 2011.
Credit to songs
Under the concept of "Whoever the songwriter is, it is D.A.I", the credit was written as "D.A.I" at first, even if any other member would compose the music. After "Be Free" was collected in Do the B-sideDo the B-Side
-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
, it came to be specified who wrote a song, and, after re-formation, it came to be specified who composed as well. Tomiko Van and Ryo Owatari mainly write lyrics. Saiko Kawamura, which is a joint nom de plume of Jun Harada and Kayoko Shinchi, and Naoto Suzuki also write songs besides them. It seems that Dai Nagao composed almost all the music except for "Azayaka na Hana" collected in Gates of Heaven
Gates of Heaven (album)
-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
, which Ryo Owatari composed. They produced the first and the second singles by themselves, but Seiji Kameda
Seiji Kameda
is a Japanese music producer, arranger and bass guitarist.He is currently the bassist in Ringo Shiina's band, "Tokyo Jihen".- Biography :He was born in New York city, and went back to Japan at one year after birth....
became a joint producer from the third single; he also plays a bass guitar in recording.
Do! Creative!!
Do! Creative!! is a semiannual contest (since 2009) held by Do As Infinity and Avex Trax to give Do As Infinity fans a chance to compose songs that the band later performs.| # | Contest period | Songs selected | Composers | Single and albums releases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 14–April 14, 2009 | "Nighter" | Yu | Eternal Flame |
| "Kitakaze" | Yosuke Kawashima | |||
| "Honō" | Shinpei | |||
| 2 | September 1–October 31, 2009 | "Everything Will Be Alright" | Shohei Ohi | "∞2", Eight |
| "Haruka" | Fumiyasu Sueoka | "∞2" | ||
| TBA | Nobuhisa Fujii | TBA | ||
| 3 | April 1–15, 2010 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 4 | September 1–October 31, 2010 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Discography
Studio albums- Break of Dawn (2000)
- New World (2001)
- Deep ForestDeep Forest (Do As Infinity album)-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
(2001) - True SongTrue Song (album)-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
(2002) - Gates of HeavenGates of Heaven (album)-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
(2003) - Need Your LoveNeed Your Love (album)-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
(2005) - Eternal FlameEternal Flame (album)-Chart positions:-Notes: "Tangerine Dream " was a bonus track only featured in the limited edition first print CD release of Eternal Flame. The documentary "Do As Fukkatsu Made no Kiseki" was bonus footage only featured in the limited edition first print CD+DVD release of Eternal Flame.-External...
(2009) - EightEight (Do As Infinity album)-Charts:-External links:* at Avex Network...
(2011)
Compilation albums
- Do the BestDo the BestDo the Best is a greatest hits album by the musical group Do As Infinity, released in 2002. In 2004, a combined compilation Do the Best + DVD was released. Some of the tracks in the album have minor changes, such as "Oasis" having an actual, definite ending unlike the original single where it...
(2002) - Do the Best+DVDDo the BestDo the Best is a greatest hits album by the musical group Do As Infinity, released in 2002. In 2004, a combined compilation Do the Best + DVD was released. Some of the tracks in the album have minor changes, such as "Oasis" having an actual, definite ending unlike the original single where it...
(2004) - Do the B-sideDo the B-Side-Chart positions:-External links:* at Avex Network* at Oricon...
(2004) - Do the A-side (2005)
- Do the Best "Great Supporters Selection" (2006)
- Minus V (2006)
Live albums
- Do the LiveDo the Live-Disc one:# "Summer Days"# "Under the Sun"# "Nice & Easy"# "Desire"# # "Good For You"# "Heart"# MC# # "Yesterday & Today"# "We Are."-Disc two:# MC# "Grateful Journey"# # # "135"# "One or Eight"# # MC# # "Week!"-Chart positions:...
(2003) - Live in Japan (2004)
- Do As Infinity: FinalDo As Infinity: FinalDo As Infinity: Final is the last live-recorded concert of Japanese band Do As Infinity before they disbanded in 2005. It took place in Budokan on November 25, 2005...
(2006)
Box set
- Do the BoxDo the BoxDo the Box is Do As Infinity's album box set after its disbanding. 10,000 copies were made, and each box has its own number printed on itself. It was released among five other different Do As Infinity items on the same day. The box included the six studio albums the band had previously released, as...
(2006)