Genki Rockets
Encyclopedia
is a virtual band
. The group consists of Tetsuya Mizuguchi
, Kenji Tamai and Lumi. The face of the group is 18-year old Lumi, a fiction
al girl who was born in space on September 11, 2037, and has never been to Earth.
of Q Entertainment
and musician Kenji Tamai of Agehasprings Corporation, who has produced other musicians and groups such as Yuki
, Yuna Ito
, Base Ball Bear
, and TRF
.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi
co-produced and wrote the lyrics for the first song, "Heavenly Star", and directed the music video
, which debuted in the video game Lumines II
and was later used often in the exclusive Wii
game No More Heroes
. An AAC
version of the song began selling on the iTunes Store
in December 2006 and was eventually accompanied by several different remix
es of the song from various artists such as Metalmouse, Headwaters, Techriders, and DJ Sodeyama (the "Count Down", "Glorious", "Love", "Space Walk", "Sunrise", "Aurora", "Floating", and "LnM Projekt" remixes). "Heavenly Star" was nominated for the Best Song category at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards. The original song, seven remixes, and the second song, "Breeze", saw release as a maxi single
on July 4, 2007. The single peaked at number 24 on the Oricon
charts and stayed on the charts for 15 weeks. In September 2007, "Breeze" received its own standalone single and video and was later remixed into several incarnations. In October 2007, a "Heavenly Star" trance remix single was released on 12" vinyl by Avex Trax's sublabel Rhythm Republic featuring remixes by Overhead Champion
, Delaction and DJ Ten. Genki Rockets was also awarded with the Best New Artist (Electronic) Award in 2007 by iTunes.
Starting off a period of new activity for 2008, the group released two new songs. The medium-tempo song "Smile" was released for download on March 23, 2008, and the rock-influenced song "Star Line" became downloadable on May 14, 2008. A music video for "Star Line" was also released. "Smile" was used as a commercial song for the Menard Facial Salon and "Star Line" was used as promotion for the annual 4-day sale held by Parco. It was later announced that the two songs, along with three remixes, would be featured on Genki Rockets' second maxi single through Avex Trax, which was released on June 11, 2008. The single was followed a month later on July 2, 2008 by the group's debut album, Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star
.
On November 24, 2008 they participated in the YouTube Live Tokyo event, where they played a non-stop mix of their most popular songs. This time, however, they did not use a holographic setup like in previous performances, instead they used a bigger LED
screen for visual effects.
's "The Best Remixes of CK
" album) and "Fade" (included in Floor on the Intelligence's "Romaholic" album), respectively. In 2010, Genki Rockets created the world's first 3D and full CG music video, and presented it at Sony
's "make.believe" 3D event in Japan, making them the first band to ever host a live 3D concert in the world.
In June 2010, a remix of Genki Rocket's song "Star Line" was used in the reveal trailer of Child of Eden
, a new music video game by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft
for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Samples of "Fly!" can be heard in the last part of the interactive remix produced by the game demonstrated at the E3 2010 Ubisoft conference opening. In recent interviews Tetsuya Mizuguchi has referred to Lumi as the main character of Child of Eden. Her image and voice can, additionally, be spotted throughout the game.
At the IFA exhibition in Berlin 03-08/09/2010 Genki Rockets performed everyday at Sony
's "make.believe" stand in hall 4.2 it featured Genki performing four Songs all with a 3D music video played on the main screen. In January 2011 they performed their first live in the United States at the CES convention, where a preview of their new song "Curiosity" was first shown to the public. Throughout that year, additionally, Genki Rockets' new songs "Reaching for the Stars" and "Touch Me" were used for commercials in Japanese television. Commercial ringtones of these songs were made available for download through the Japanese ringtone store Chaku-uta. In June 2011, the 3D music video "Curiosity" was released, which showcases Lumi dancing in a Futuristic platform surrounded by holograms. The third and last music video, "Touch me," was released with the limited edition of their second album in September of that year.
Genki Rockets announced the release of their second album, Genki Rockets II: No Border Between Us, in June 29, 2011, and was released on September 7, 2011.
's "Take on Me
" music video. They are also unique in that their concerts are performed solely using a hologram-like effect (they are often incorrectly reported as using holograms, but this is technically untrue, as they use a technology known as Musion Eyeliner
) for live performances, such as their performance at Live Earth
.
It was recently revealed in the credits section of Genki Rocket's debut album, Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star, that Rachel Rhodes
and Nami Miyahara
are the lead singers for the fictional character Lumi and a group of backup singers are also present. This is not entirely certain, since the producers have not stated whether or not these are the actual lead singers, or just people covering up for other voices combined, such as stated at the beginning of the article. Rachel Rhodes also seems to be the cover model in the "Heavenly Star", "Breeze", and "Star Line" videos, as well as being featured in the album art pages of the Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star album. This is also uncertain, since there is no proof of the cover model's name on the CD case or booklet, so we are left to assume that she is only a motion outline, or 3-D model for Lumi.
from June 27, 2007 to July 17, 2007. A remix of the song was available in the "SOS Campaign Charity Pack". A portion of the proceeds were donated to Live Earth
.
and can also be heard as a background song for a number of cutscenes and shop sections in the Wii game No More Heroes
. It is the opening theme of the fictional anime "Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly" that exists in the No More Heroes
universe. The music video can also be viewed on Travis' television in the Japanese and European versions of the game. Mizaguchi's videogame, Child of Eden
, features Lumi as a character, as well as music from Genki Rockets.
Japanese electropop singer Mitsuki Aira performed a cover of the song during concerts, and a rare CD copy of it was distributed during the live shows. A Cantonese version of "Heavenly Star" was recently introduced in Hong Kong, featured on pop singer Jill Vidal
's new album Jillympics, released on August 8, 2008. It is the first track of the album, titled "Youth We Can Hear" in Chinese.
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. The group consists of Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Tetsuya Mizuguchi
is a video game designer and founder of the video game development firm Q Entertainment. He formerly worked for Sega were he eventually became the head of their United Game Artists division...
, Kenji Tamai and Lumi. The face of the group is 18-year old Lumi, a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al girl who was born in space on September 11, 2037, and has never been to Earth.
2006-2008: Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star
Most of the people behind Genki Rockets remain a mystery, but two known producers behind the band are Tetsuya MizuguchiTetsuya Mizuguchi
is a video game designer and founder of the video game development firm Q Entertainment. He formerly worked for Sega were he eventually became the head of their United Game Artists division...
of Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
and musician Kenji Tamai of Agehasprings Corporation, who has produced other musicians and groups such as Yuki
Yuki Isoya
is a Japanese musician who performs under the name Yuki . She debuted in the music industry in 1991 as the lead vocalist for the rock band Judy and Mary, and as a solo artist in 2002...
, Yuna Ito
Yuna Ito
is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress who is active in Japan.She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Hawaii. Ito made her musical debut in Japan with the single, "Endless Story", which was used as one of the theme songs for the popular 2005 film Nana; she also starred in the film,...
, Base Ball Bear
Base Ball Bear
Base Ball Bear is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo that formally began in 2002, although the members assembled in the autumn of 2001. The band, which was initially named Planet, was formed for a one-time performance at a high school culture festival, but decided to continue playing due to how well...
, and TRF
TRF (band)
TRF is a Japanese pop/dance group. Its members are rapper DJ Koo, lead vocalist Yu-ki, and dancers Chiharu, Etsu, and Sam.-History:...
.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Tetsuya Mizuguchi
is a video game designer and founder of the video game development firm Q Entertainment. He formerly worked for Sega were he eventually became the head of their United Game Artists division...
co-produced and wrote the lyrics for the first song, "Heavenly Star", and directed the music 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...
, which debuted in the video game Lumines II
Lumines II
Lumines II is a sequel to the puzzle game Lumines. The game was released in November, 2006 in Europe and North America, and in February 2007 in Japan.-Gameplay:The gameplay in Lumines II is very similar to its predecessor, Lumines...
and was later used often in the exclusive Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
game No More Heroes
No More Heroes (video game)
, is an action video game for the Wii video game system. It was directed by Goichi Suda , developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Marvelous Entertainment Inc., Ubisoft and Rising Star Games...
. An AAC
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
version of the song began selling on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in December 2006 and was eventually accompanied by several different remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es of the song from various artists such as Metalmouse, Headwaters, Techriders, and DJ Sodeyama (the "Count Down", "Glorious", "Love", "Space Walk", "Sunrise", "Aurora", "Floating", and "LnM Projekt" remixes). "Heavenly Star" was nominated for the Best Song category at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards. The original song, seven remixes, and the second song, "Breeze", saw release as a maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
on July 4, 2007. The single peaked at number 24 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...
charts and stayed on the charts for 15 weeks. In September 2007, "Breeze" received its own standalone single and video and was later remixed into several incarnations. In October 2007, a "Heavenly Star" trance remix single was released on 12" vinyl by Avex Trax's sublabel Rhythm Republic featuring remixes by Overhead Champion
Overhead Champion
is a Japanese Trance DJ. His most notable work is his remix of Ami Suzuki's song "Hopeful", which appeared even in the music video made for the song and the album of the artist.-Discography:*Beat! / Perfect Game *Pitch! *Eternity...
, Delaction and DJ Ten. Genki Rockets was also awarded with the Best New Artist (Electronic) Award in 2007 by iTunes.
Starting off a period of new activity for 2008, the group released two new songs. The medium-tempo song "Smile" was released for download on March 23, 2008, and the rock-influenced song "Star Line" became downloadable on May 14, 2008. A music video for "Star Line" was also released. "Smile" was used as a commercial song for the Menard Facial Salon and "Star Line" was used as promotion for the annual 4-day sale held by Parco. It was later announced that the two songs, along with three remixes, would be featured on Genki Rockets' second maxi single through Avex Trax, which was released on June 11, 2008. The single was followed a month later on July 2, 2008 by the group's debut album, Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star
Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star
-Tracklisting:...
.
On November 24, 2008 they participated in the YouTube Live Tokyo event, where they played a non-stop mix of their most popular songs. This time, however, they did not use a holographic setup like in previous performances, instead they used a bigger LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
screen for visual effects.
2009-2011: Genki Rockets II - No Border Between Us -
A 15-second clip of a previously unknown song called "Reaching for the Stars" was used for Parco Japanese department store advertising a 4-day sale in January 2009. Throughout that year they did not release any original material, but performed at various live events such as House Nation. They did, however, remix two tracks for Japanese artists Crystal Kay and Floor on the Intelligence. These are "Koi ni Ochitara" (included in Crystal KayCrystal Kay
Crystal Kay Williams , known by her stage name Crystal Kay, is a singer and songwriter from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan...
's "The Best Remixes of CK
The Best Remixes of CK
The Best Remixes of CK is the first remix album by R&B and pop singer Crystal Kay. It was released on December 16 in Japan. The album contains remixes of various singles from Kay's career and includes remixes by popular Japanese producers such as Genki Rockets and Shinichi Osawa...
" album) and "Fade" (included in Floor on the Intelligence's "Romaholic" album), respectively. In 2010, Genki Rockets created the world's first 3D and full CG music video, and presented it at Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's "make.believe" 3D event in Japan, making them the first band to ever host a live 3D concert in the world.
In June 2010, a remix of Genki Rocket's song "Star Line" was used in the reveal trailer of Child of Eden
Child of Eden
Child of Eden is a rhythm action game created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for Rez, developed by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. The game announcement opened Ubisoft's pre-E3 2010 press conference and was one of the first titles shown with support for Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral...
, a new music video game by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Samples of "Fly!" can be heard in the last part of the interactive remix produced by the game demonstrated at the E3 2010 Ubisoft conference opening. In recent interviews Tetsuya Mizuguchi has referred to Lumi as the main character of Child of Eden. Her image and voice can, additionally, be spotted throughout the game.
At the IFA exhibition in Berlin 03-08/09/2010 Genki Rockets performed everyday at Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's "make.believe" stand in hall 4.2 it featured Genki performing four Songs all with a 3D music video played on the main screen. In January 2011 they performed their first live in the United States at the CES convention, where a preview of their new song "Curiosity" was first shown to the public. Throughout that year, additionally, Genki Rockets' new songs "Reaching for the Stars" and "Touch Me" were used for commercials in Japanese television. Commercial ringtones of these songs were made available for download through the Japanese ringtone store Chaku-uta. In June 2011, the 3D music video "Curiosity" was released, which showcases Lumi dancing in a Futuristic platform surrounded by holograms. The third and last music video, "Touch me," was released with the limited edition of their second album in September of that year.
Genki Rockets announced the release of their second album, Genki Rockets II: No Border Between Us, in June 29, 2011, and was released on September 7, 2011.
Image and artistry
The band's music videos are almost entirely computer-generated, including the band's one and only lead fictional character, Lumi. The visual art style for the music videos are created by Japan's Glamoove, Inc., and was inspired by Norwegian band, A-haA-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
's "Take on Me
Take on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" music video. They are also unique in that their concerts are performed solely using a hologram-like effect (they are often incorrectly reported as using holograms, but this is technically untrue, as they use a technology known as Musion Eyeliner
Musion Eyeliner
The Musion Eyeliner is a modern commercial variation of a stage illusion called Pepper's ghost, using high definition video projection or LED screens to allow moving images to appear within a live stage setting....
) for live performances, such as their performance at Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
.
It was recently revealed in the credits section of Genki Rocket's debut album, Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star, that Rachel Rhodes
Rachel Rhodes (singer)
Rachel Rhodes , born on April 15, 1993 in North Carolina, United States, is a Japanese-American model and singer associated with the virtual band Genki Rockets.-Genki Rockets:...
and Nami Miyahara
Nami Miyahara
, is a Japanese voice actress employed by Kekke Corporation and recording artist.- Early life :When Miyahara was in junior high, she and her family moved to Austria, where she attended an international school and learned English.- Musical career :...
are the lead singers for the fictional character Lumi and a group of backup singers are also present. This is not entirely certain, since the producers have not stated whether or not these are the actual lead singers, or just people covering up for other voices combined, such as stated at the beginning of the article. Rachel Rhodes also seems to be the cover model in the "Heavenly Star", "Breeze", and "Star Line" videos, as well as being featured in the album art pages of the Genki Rockets I: Heavenly Star album. This is also uncertain, since there is no proof of the cover model's name on the CD case or booklet, so we are left to assume that she is only a motion outline, or 3-D model for Lumi.
Charity
The "Heavenly Star" pack was available for purchase for Lumines Live! on the Xbox Live MarketplaceXbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
from June 27, 2007 to July 17, 2007. A remix of the song was available in the "SOS Campaign Charity Pack". A portion of the proceeds were donated to Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
.
Appearances in other cultures
"Heavenly Star" first appeared in Lumines IILumines II
Lumines II is a sequel to the puzzle game Lumines. The game was released in November, 2006 in Europe and North America, and in February 2007 in Japan.-Gameplay:The gameplay in Lumines II is very similar to its predecessor, Lumines...
and can also be heard as a background song for a number of cutscenes and shop sections in the Wii game No More Heroes
No More Heroes (video game)
, is an action video game for the Wii video game system. It was directed by Goichi Suda , developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Marvelous Entertainment Inc., Ubisoft and Rising Star Games...
. It is the opening theme of the fictional anime "Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly" that exists in the No More Heroes
No More Heroes (video game)
, is an action video game for the Wii video game system. It was directed by Goichi Suda , developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Marvelous Entertainment Inc., Ubisoft and Rising Star Games...
universe. The music video can also be viewed on Travis' television in the Japanese and European versions of the game. Mizaguchi's videogame, Child of Eden
Child of Eden
Child of Eden is a rhythm action game created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for Rez, developed by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. The game announcement opened Ubisoft's pre-E3 2010 press conference and was one of the first titles shown with support for Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral...
, features Lumi as a character, as well as music from Genki Rockets.
Japanese electropop singer Mitsuki Aira performed a cover of the song during concerts, and a rare CD copy of it was distributed during the live shows. A Cantonese version of "Heavenly Star" was recently introduced in Hong Kong, featured on pop singer Jill Vidal
Jill Vidal
Jill Vidal, often referred to as Wei Si or simply as Jill, was a Hong Kong-based female urban pop singer. Vidal is of Chinese, Korean, and Filipino ethnicity with British nationality...
's new album Jillympics, released on August 8, 2008. It is the first track of the album, titled "Youth We Can Hear" in Chinese.
Albums
- [2008.07.02] Genki Rockets I: Heavenly StarGenki Rockets I: Heavenly Star-Tracklisting:...
(元気ロケッツ I -Heavenly Star-) - [2011.09.07] Genki Rockets II: No Border Between Us (元気ロケッツ II - No Border Between Us -)
Vinyl
- [2007.02.16] Heavenly Star
- [2007.08.24] Breeze
- [2007.10.11] Heavenly Star (TRANCE MIX)
- [2007.11.23] Breeze (REMIX)
- [2008.07.16] Star Surfer
Music Videos
- [2010.12.22] make.believe 3D Music Clips e.p.
- [2011.07.27] Curiosity" 3D Music Clips e.p.
Digital Downloads
- [2008.03.26] Smile
- [2008.05.14] Star Line
- [2008.08.13] Genki Rockets iTunes Live From Tokyo
- [2011.04.27] Reaching for the Stars (CM ver.)
- [2011.04.27] Touch Me (CM ver.)
Remixes
- [2007.07.18] Melody (Genki Rockets Remix) - FreeTEMPO
- [2008.01.06] Life Is Once (Genki Rockets Remix) - Alpha
- [2009.07.08] Fade (Genki Rockets Remix) - Floor on the Intelligence
- [2009.12.16] Koi ni Ochitara (Genki Rockets Remix) - Crystal KayCrystal KayCrystal Kay Williams , known by her stage name Crystal Kay, is a singer and songwriter from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan...
Compilations / Other
- [2007.05.23] HOUSE NATION Tea Dance Vol.0
- [2007.08.08] HOUSE NATION Tea Dance - Premiere Gig
- [2007.08.29] SUPER★BEST TRANCE PRESENTS DJ Marie in CELEBRITY MIX
- [2007.12.05] HOUSE NATION Tea Dance - Second Gig
- [2007.12.05] SUPER★BEST TRANCE 08
- [2007.12.26] TOKYO AUTO SALON 2008 rresents EVOLUTION #04
- [2008.01.09] D.A.D presents LUXURY HOUSE
- [2008.01.23] THE BEST OF OVERHEAD CHAMPION
- [2008.01.30] SPEED & POWER STYLE 2008
- [2008.02.20] Alpha - Life is once
- [2008.02.27] SUPER★BEST TRANCE x ULTRA Z-TRANCE 03
- [2008.07.02] HOUSE NATION - beach
- [2008.07.23] 20years 200hits -Complete Best Collection Box-
- [2008.07.23] 20th Anniversary -THE LEGEND OF INTERNATIONAL DANCE TRAX-
- [2008.08.06] HOUSE NATION - Best Gig
- [2008.08.06] SUPER★BEST TRANCE 09
- [2008.09.17] ZIP DANCE NATION ZIP-FM 15th ANNIVERSARY ~BEST HIT DANCE~
- [2008.12.10] HOUSE NATION - Fourth Gig
- [2009.01.21] DAISHI DANCE remix.
- [2009.02.04] Hadaka no Koi ga Shitai Kara. Season 3 (裸の恋がしたいから。Season 3)
- [2009.03.04] CLUB LEGEND 20th －1988-2008－ THE BEST OF BEST 50
- [2009.03.04] 20years 200hits Complete Best + aLOVE
- [2009.07.08] Floor on the Intelligence - Romaholic
- [2009.08.05] PANIC Level 01
- [2009.10.07] HOUSE NATION Terminal Disco
- [2009.12.16] Crystal Kay - THE BEST REMIXES of CK
- [2010.07.07] DJ Kaya - Japanation
- [2010.08.04] HOUSE NATION Complete Best
- [2010.10.20] DJ Hello Kitty In The Mix
- [2010.12.15] Gossip
- [2010.12.22] Ongaku 3D Sengen! - 3D Music Video Selection Vol.00
- [2011.02.23] Francfranc presents BLOOMIN' Garden