GARNET CROW
Encyclopedia
Garnet Crow is a Japanese pop/rock band formed in 1999 and associated with the Giza Studio
record label. Members include Yuri Nakamura, Hitoshi Okamoto
, Nana Azuki, and Hirohito Furui, with Nakamura leading on vocals. Music produced by Garnet Crow has its roots in the Neo Acoustic genre, and representative works include "Flying", "Yume Mita Ato De", and "Spiral". Despite prolific early singles, the band neither performed live nor appeared on TV prior to 2002.
The mixed composition of Garnet Crow and Nakamura's deep vocals set the group apart from its contemporaries. Each individual member has also seen industry success: Nakamura and Azuki often share the limelight for Garnet Crow, but Okamoto has achieved a solo career and Furui is a sought-after music arranger – one of the highest paid in Japan.
Since inception, the four-person line-up of Garnet Crow has remained constant. The two female and two male band consists of lead vocalist , keyboardists and , and guitarist . Furui is the band leader, but members are introduced in official sources with vocalist Nakamura receiving top billing. In 1999, the four members of what was to become Garnet Crow collaborated on the creation of a demo tape for singer Mai Kuraki's
all-American independent record label. Upon hitting it off during the production process, they decided to seize the opportunity to create a band of their own. At that time, three of the members were already involved with the record production company Being Group distributing for and supporting other artists, leaving Nakamura as the sole newcomer. Nakamura herself was aiming for a position that didn't require her to front for the band like a musical director, but her associates made recommendations for her and she ended up in charge of vocals and musical composition.
In the creation process roles are clearly divided, with primary duties like composition, creation of lyrics, and editing for most Garnet Crow songs being handled by the members themselves. Particularly Nakamura's scores and Azuki's lyrics are the core foundation for all the band's songs. The works' roots lie in the Neo Acoustic genre, and at the time of its debut Garnet Crow's own musicality was hailed as "21st Century Neo-Neo Acoustics." From the 1999 debut and lasting nearly 2½ years the band mainly focused on CD production, but in 2002 Garnet Crow went live for the first time and since then has performed publicly more than 20 times, primarily in Japan's three major metropolitan centers: Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kyoto. Using the experience of their public performances, Garnet Crow began to consciously produce music with the live setting in mind, incorporating elements of Latin American music
and Canzone
into their work.
There exist undisclosed gaps in the individual members' personal work histories. And, until the release of the 2002 single "Yume mita ato de," Garnet Crow did not once appear on television. It is thought that the check on mass media exposure for Being Group-affiliated artists was a media control strategy by the company. However, since 2002 the band has performed on TV music programs. The members themselves have left remarks suggesting that television performances make them extremely tense.
Compilation albums
Mini-albums
Remix albums
Concept Albums
DVDs
GIZA studio
is a Japanese record label....
record label. Members include Yuri Nakamura, Hitoshi Okamoto
Hitoshi Okamoto
is the guitarist of the Japanese pop band Garnet Crow, formed in 1999. He has some solo releases too. Since the release of his 2010 solo album "Now Printing..." , he has used the stage name SUPER LIGHT for his solo projects. As a solo artist, he writes the majority of his songs by himself, but...
, Nana Azuki, and Hirohito Furui, with Nakamura leading on vocals. Music produced by Garnet Crow has its roots in the Neo Acoustic genre, and representative works include "Flying", "Yume Mita Ato De", and "Spiral". Despite prolific early singles, the band neither performed live nor appeared on TV prior to 2002.
The mixed composition of Garnet Crow and Nakamura's deep vocals set the group apart from its contemporaries. Each individual member has also seen industry success: Nakamura and Azuki often share the limelight for Garnet Crow, but Okamoto has achieved a solo career and Furui is a sought-after music arranger – one of the highest paid in Japan.
Summary
The origin of the word "Garnet" in "Garnet Crow" emerged from the band's aspiration to achieve a musical depth akin to the depth of the color red often found in garnets. The word "Crow" was attached for its phonetic resonance. A further consideration in creating the band name was the enduring image left behind when it is translated to the eerie in Japanese.Since inception, the four-person line-up of Garnet Crow has remained constant. The two female and two male band consists of lead vocalist , keyboardists and , and guitarist . Furui is the band leader, but members are introduced in official sources with vocalist Nakamura receiving top billing. In 1999, the four members of what was to become Garnet Crow collaborated on the creation of a demo tape for singer Mai Kuraki's
Mai Kuraki
is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer from Funabashi, Chiba. Kuraki debuted in 1999 with the single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow". In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2,210,000 copies in its first week...
all-American independent record label. Upon hitting it off during the production process, they decided to seize the opportunity to create a band of their own. At that time, three of the members were already involved with the record production company Being Group distributing for and supporting other artists, leaving Nakamura as the sole newcomer. Nakamura herself was aiming for a position that didn't require her to front for the band like a musical director, but her associates made recommendations for her and she ended up in charge of vocals and musical composition.
In the creation process roles are clearly divided, with primary duties like composition, creation of lyrics, and editing for most Garnet Crow songs being handled by the members themselves. Particularly Nakamura's scores and Azuki's lyrics are the core foundation for all the band's songs. The works' roots lie in the Neo Acoustic genre, and at the time of its debut Garnet Crow's own musicality was hailed as "21st Century Neo-Neo Acoustics." From the 1999 debut and lasting nearly 2½ years the band mainly focused on CD production, but in 2002 Garnet Crow went live for the first time and since then has performed publicly more than 20 times, primarily in Japan's three major metropolitan centers: Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kyoto. Using the experience of their public performances, Garnet Crow began to consciously produce music with the live setting in mind, incorporating elements of Latin American music
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
and Canzone
Canzone
Literally "song" in Italian, a canzone is an Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal...
into their work.
There exist undisclosed gaps in the individual members' personal work histories. And, until the release of the 2002 single "Yume mita ato de," Garnet Crow did not once appear on television. It is thought that the check on mass media exposure for Being Group-affiliated artists was a media control strategy by the company. However, since 2002 the band has performed on TV music programs. The members themselves have left remarks suggesting that television performances make them extremely tense.
History
- 1999 - In the fall, the four members collaborate on the demo tape for Kuraki Mai's all-American debut and decide to form their own band after hitting it off during the production process. Garnet Crow makes its indie debut with the December 4 mini-album First Kaleidscope (Kimi no Uchi ni Tsuku Made Zutto Hashitte Yuku).
- 2000 - On March 29, Garnet Crow makes its mainstream debut with simultaneous release of the singles "Mysterious EyesMysterious Eyes"Mysterious Eyes" is one of Garnet Crow's two debut singles that was released on March 29, 2000. The two release marks the signing of band with the Giza Studio record label. The other single that was a part of this release was "Kimi no uchi ni tsuku made zutto hashitte yuku"...
" and "Kimi no Uchi ni Tsuku Made Zutto Hashitte Yuku." This year, the band releases six singles in total. - 2001 - Three singles and one original album are released.
- 2002 - Garnet Crow records the title song "Yume Mita Ato de" for the animeAnimeis 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....
Case ClosedCase ClosedCase Closed, known as in Japan, is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. The series is serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday since February 2, 1994, and has been collected in 73 tankōbon volumes as of September 2011...
(better known as Detective Conan), and it hits number 6 on the OriconOricon, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly singles chart. Alongside this, the band performs for the first time on television and kicks off a live tour. The Garnet Crow fan club G-Net is established, and from June broadcast begins for the program Garnet Time, hosted by G-Net members. This year sees the release of three singles and one original album. - 2003 - Garnet Crow performs alongside Mai KurakiMai Kurakiis a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer from Funabashi, Chiba. Kuraki debuted in 1999 with the single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow". In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2,210,000 copies in its first week...
and Rina Aiuchi at the Giza Studio Valentine Concert in Tokyo and Osaka. Garnet Time ceases broadcast in October. The band releases two singles and one original album. - 2004 - In addition to going on tour for the second time, the members of the band make a guest appearance and perform Garnet Crow hits during member Hitoshi Okamoto's solo live performance Thursday Live "Okamoto Night" at Hills Bread Factory in Osaka. The group performs again at the same location at a year-end live concert entitled Garnet Night. This year they release three singles and one original album.
- 2005 - Garnet Crow celebrates its five year anniversary since its debut, goes on tour for the third time, records the title song "Kimi no Omoi Egaita Yume Atsumeru Heaven" for the anime MÄRMÄR, an acronym for Märchen Awakens Romance, is a manga series written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Anzai. The television anime based on the series is titled and was originally broadcast in Japan on the TXN station....
, hosts a fan-club exclusive event and a memorial live concert, and releases its first "best of" album, Best. Members again make an appearance at Okamoto's solo live concert. Sayuri Iwata'sSayuri Iwata, born July 21, 1990, is a Japanese actress and J-Pop artist with Giza Studio.- Singles:*[2005.02.23] *[2005.03.30] *[2005.07.27] *[2005.11.09] Thank You for Everything-Albums:*[2005.05.25] *[2005.12.07] Thank You For...*[2008.06.04] Best +-TV shows:...
single "Sorairo no Neko" is also released as a Garnet Crow composition. The band itself releases two singles in 2005. - 2006 - Garnet Crow goes on tour for the fourth time and experiments with selling DigipakDigipakDigipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
-bound CDs and packages containing bonus material CDs, original goods and other presents. The September single "Maboroshi" is the band's first to be selected as the title song for a TV drama. This year sees the release of four singles and one original album. - 2007 - The band celebrates its seven year anniversary since debut and performs events such as a fan club-exclusive concert and a special live concert at Ninna TempleNinna-jiis the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...
in Kyoto. This year it releases four singles, two on sale simultaneously. - 2008 - Garnet Crow goes on tour for the fifth time and all works released this year (two singles and one original album) break into the Oricon Top TenOricon, 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...
.
Members
- Yuri Nakamura (vocals, music composition)
- Nana Azuki (keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, lyrics) - Hirohito Furui (keyboard, music arrangement)
- Hitoshi OkamotoHitoshi Okamotois the guitarist of the Japanese pop band Garnet Crow, formed in 1999. He has some solo releases too. Since the release of his 2010 solo album "Now Printing..." , he has used the stage name SUPER LIGHT for his solo projects. As a solo artist, he writes the majority of his songs by himself, but...
(guitarGuitarThe 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...
)
Discography
Studio albums- First Soundscope: Mizu no Nai Hareta Umi e (2001)
- Sparkle: Sujigakidōri no Sky Blue (2002)
- Crystallize: Kimi to Iu Hikari (2003)
- I'm Waiting 4 You (2004)
- The Twilight Valley (2006)
- Locks (2008)
- Stay: Yoake no Soul (2009)
- Parallel Universe (2010)
- Memories (2011)
Compilation albums
- Garnet Crow Best (2005)
- The Best History of Garnet Crow At the Crest... (2010)
Mini-albums
- First Kaleidscope: Kimi no Uchi ni Tsuku made Zutto Hashitte Yuku (1999)
- Paralyzed Frequency (2010, released as MINIQLO)
Remix albums
- Garnet Crow Remixes Cool City Production Vol.8 (2004)
Concept Albums
- All Lovers (2010)
DVDs
- First Live Scope and Document Movie (2003)
- Garnet Crow Livescope 2004: Kimi to Iu Hikari (2004)
- Le 5 Ème Anniversaire: L'Histoire de 2000 à 2005 (2005)
- Garnet Crow Livescope 2006 Livescope: The Twilight Valley (2007)
- Special Live in Ninna-jiNinna-jiis the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...
(2008) - Are You Ready to Lock on?!: Livescope at the JCB Hall (2009)
- Garnet Crow livescope 2010 ~The Best Tour~ (2010)
- Garnet Crow livescope 2009 ~Yoake no Soul~ (2011)
- Garnet Crow livescope 2010+ ~welcome to the parallel universe!~ (2011)