Key Sounds Label
Encyclopedia
Key Sounds Label is a Japanese independent record label
formed in 2001 as a brand of the publishing company Visual Art's
. Key Sounds Label was formed to catalog and release music related to visual novel
s produced by the brand Key
, also under Visual Art's, known for developing such titles as Kanon
and Air. Excluding two albums and one single that were released by Key and Visual Art's before the label's formation, the majority of releases on the label all have a basis from one of Key's titles. There are other albums and singles on the label not directly related to the visual novels, such as two singles by Lia
and one album by Riya
. Unlike typical record labels, Key Sounds Label does not license any of the artists featured on albums and singles released on the label.
When Key Sounds Label formed, Jun Maeda
, Shinji Orito
, and Magome Togoshi
were Key's signature composer
s and have continued to produce the majority of the music on the label, though Togoshi is no longer affiliated with Key or Visual Art's. Key often sells albums and singles on this label at the convention
Comiket
. Key Sounds Label is not under contract with JASRAC
, or any other Japanese copyright collecting agency
. As such, the releases on the label are not sold in Japanese stores with other music albums and singles, but are still widely available for online purchase.
company Key
, under the publisher Visual Art's
, was about to release their debut title Kanon
, Key produced the arrange
album Anemoscope and bundled it with the first-print release of Kanon released in June 1999. The second music release, a single
, occurred in November 1999. The third release, another arrange album, followed in September 2000 bundled with the first-print release of Key's second title Air, and was the first music release by Key to bear a catalog number, KYCD-0303. Each of these three were released in limited editions, and thus were not widely sold.
In 2001, Visual Art's and Key decided to form Key Sounds Label and start cataloging the albums and singles released by Key with the tag "KSLA–" followed by the four-digit label number. For example, the first release bears the catalog number KSLA-0001. The first two releases on the label were an album and a single released at the convention
Comiket 60
in August 2001, and were sold by Key. Since then, Key has regularly sold singles and albums under Key Sounds Label at subsequent Comiket conventions. Following the convention established with Kanon and Air, Key has released three more arrange albums bundled with the first-print releases of Key's later titles Clannad, Little Busters!
, and Little Busters! Ecstasy
. These three albums were never re-released for general sale, and do not even appear on Key Sounds Label's online discography
. In early 2008, three of the albums on the label became available through the iTunes Store
—partial albums of -Memento- and Recollections, and the complete album Ma-Na
—under the name Key Sound Team. Later, -Memento- was removed, and the full Recollections album became available.
Most of the releases on the label contain music directly related to Key's visual novel
s, whether they be original soundtrack
s, remix album
s, or image song
singles and albums. There are other music singles and albums produced by members of Key not related to Key's titles. For example, the first album released on the label, Humanity...
, is the only album released by Shinji Orito
's produce band Work-S. Two maxi single
s containing songs sung by Lia
were released on the label in December 2002 and August 2003. An album entitled Love Song was released in August 2005 containing songs sung by Riya of Eufonius
. In December 2006, Key Sounds Label produced the first drama CD
on the label, and two more followed in July 2007. In December 2006, the first anime
music single to commemorate the second anime TV series adaptation of Kanon
was produced on the label, and an anime single for the Clannad anime TV series followed in October 2007. A third anime music single, this time for the Clannad After Story anime TV series, was released in November 2008. A short remix album for Clannad After Story was released in December 2008. Music singles and albums for the anime Angel Beats!
were released between April and December 2010.
The first EP
on Key Sounds Label contained songs from Air and was only released during the first concert of the Japanese trance music
group OTSU held in May 2006. The second EP contained songs from Little Busters! and was only released during the second OTSU concert held in May 2008. Both concerts were sponsored by Key Sounds Label, and both EPs were released on gramophone record
s. The first OTSU Club Music Compilation album primarily containing remixed music from Key's visual novels was released in June 2006. The second OTSU Club Music Compilation album was released in February 2008 as a promotion for the second concert, and contains remixed music from Little Busters!. The third OTSU release, OTSU:Blasterhead, contains remixed music from Key's visual novels and was released in February 2009.
as a part of Key's tenth anniversary commemoration called KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX which was held on May 10, 2008 in Tokyo
, Japan, and again on May 17, 2008 in Osaka
, Japan. Each time, the concert lasted for two and a half hours and featured songs sung by Lia
, Rita, Chata
, and Tomoe Tamiyasu
who have previously sung songs for singles and albums released under Key Sounds Label. Tickets for the event were first available through mail order
online on March 26, 2008. A two-CD remix album
entitled KSL Live World 2008: Pamphlet and Memorial Disc was sold at both concert showings bearing the catalog numbers KSLC-0001—0002 and contains six remix
ed vocal versions of Kanons opening theme "Last regrets" on the album's A-side
; two of the tracks appeared on previous Key Sounds Label releases, and one is from the 1999 I've Sound
compilation album Regret. The B-side
of the album contains a recording of a group talk of the live performers from the concert. A live album
containing the recording of the second concert held in Osaka was released in December 2008 entitled KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX.
Another concert called KSL Live World 2010: Way to the Kud-Wafter was held in Tokyo on May 21, 2010 and again twice more on May 22, 2010. The concert featured songs sung by Keiko Suzuki
, Miyako Suzuta
, Aoi Tada
, Tomoe Tamiyasu, Chata, Marina, Lia, LiSA, Rita and Eufonius; however, Eufonius only appeared at the May 22 concerts. The MCs
at the concerts were Shinji Orito and Rita; Jun Maeda also made appearances at the concerts. Tickets for the event were first available through mail order online on March 30, 2010. A live album containing the recording of one of of the May 22 concerts was released in December 2010 titled KSL Live World 2010: Way to the Kud Wafter.
's signature composer
s and have continued to produce the majority of the music on Key Sounds Label. In October 2006, however, Togoshi left Key and is no longer affiliated with either Key or Visual Art's
. One of the founding members of Key, OdiakeS
, left Key before Key Sounds Label formed, but did contribute on the Kanon Original Soundtrack and the remix
ing of a song on Clannads remix album
-Memento-. Key Sounds Label's roster features Japanese bands and singers, several of which originated from the I've Sound
techno
/trance music production group under Visual Art's, such as Ayana
, Lia, Mell
, and Eiko Shimamiya
. Other artists including: Annabel, Chata, Karuta, LiSA, Marina, Runa Mizutani, Psychic Lover
, Rita, Riya, Harumi Sakurai
, Haruka Shimotsuki
, Keiko Suzuki, Miyako Suzuta, Aoi Tada, Tomoe Tamiyasu, and Nagi Yanagi have also been released on records through the label. The musical units Work-S, Eufonius, OTSU, PMMK, and MintJam have also produced music on Key Sounds Label. Musicians from I've Sound have been working with Key Sounds Label on the arrangement
of songs, as have many others.
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
formed in 2001 as a brand of the publishing company Visual Art's
Visual Art's
, formally , is a Japanese publishing company specializing in the publishing and distribution of visual novels for a large list of game developers. Visual Art's has developed the game engines their brands currently use, including the current engine, called Siglus, and older engines RealLive and...
. Key Sounds Label was formed to catalog and release music related to visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s produced by the brand Key
Key (company)
Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...
, also under Visual Art's, known for developing such titles as Kanon
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...
and Air. Excluding two albums and one single that were released by Key and Visual Art's before the label's formation, the majority of releases on the label all have a basis from one of Key's titles. There are other albums and singles on the label not directly related to the visual novels, such as two singles by Lia
Lia (singer)
Lia is a female Japanese singer-songwriter who is a former member of I've Sound. Lia has also participated in happy hardcore singing, producing four such albums with this style of singing; these albums have her name in all capital letters. She is notable as the singer for the opening and ending...
and one album by Riya
Riya
Riya, born February 18, is a female Japanese singer from Fukuoka, Japan. In her early career, she admired Akino Arai. Riya eventually became the lead singer and lyricist to the J-pop band Eufonius, which debuted in 2004.- Albums :...
. Unlike typical record labels, Key Sounds Label does not license any of the artists featured on albums and singles released on the label.
When Key Sounds Label formed, Jun Maeda
Jun Maeda
is a Japanese writer working for the software company Key; he has majorly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the visual novels the company produces. His birth name in kanji was written as , though there is no change in pronunciation...
, Shinji Orito
Shinji Orito
is a Japanese musical composer originally from Hyōgo, Japan working for the software company Key. Before forming Key, Orito worked for another software company named Leaf where he contributed to four games...
, and Magome Togoshi
Magome Togoshi
is a Japanese video game composer for visual novel studios. He began work as a composer in 2000 where he started working for the software company Key under Visual Art's to produce music for Air. Between then and 2006, Togoshi helped compose music for four more titles by Key, along with other games...
were Key's signature composer
Composer
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...
s and have continued to produce the majority of the music on the label, though Togoshi is no longer affiliated with Key or Visual Art's. Key often sells albums and singles on this label at the convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
. Key Sounds Label is not under contract with JASRAC
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers
, often referred to as the is a Japanese copyright collection society. It was founded in 1939 as a non-profit making organization, and is the largest musical copyright administration society in Japan....
, or any other Japanese copyright collecting agency
Copyright collective
A copyright collective is a body created by copyright law or private agreement which engages in collective rights management...
. As such, the releases on the label are not sold in Japanese stores with other music albums and singles, but are still widely available for online purchase.
History
Key Sounds Label has its origins in 1999, two years before the first album on the label was released. When the visual novelVisual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
company Key
Key (company)
Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...
, under the publisher Visual Art's
Visual Art's
, formally , is a Japanese publishing company specializing in the publishing and distribution of visual novels for a large list of game developers. Visual Art's has developed the game engines their brands currently use, including the current engine, called Siglus, and older engines RealLive and...
, was about to release their debut title Kanon
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...
, Key produced the arrange
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
album Anemoscope and bundled it with the first-print release of Kanon released in June 1999. The second music release, a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, occurred in November 1999. The third release, another arrange album, followed in September 2000 bundled with the first-print release of Key's second title Air, and was the first music release by Key to bear a catalog number, KYCD-0303. Each of these three were released in limited editions, and thus were not widely sold.
In 2001, Visual Art's and Key decided to form Key Sounds Label and start cataloging the albums and singles released by Key with the tag "KSLA–" followed by the four-digit label number. For example, the first release bears the catalog number KSLA-0001. The first two releases on the label were an album and a single released at the convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
Comiket 60
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
in August 2001, and were sold by Key. Since then, Key has regularly sold singles and albums under Key Sounds Label at subsequent Comiket conventions. Following the convention established with Kanon and Air, Key has released three more arrange albums bundled with the first-print releases of Key's later titles Clannad, Little Busters!
Little Busters!
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released, rated for everyone as a limited edition version, on July 27, 2007 playable on a Windows PC; a regular edition, also rated for everyone, followed on September 28, 2007. Little Busters! is Key's sixth game, along with other...
, and Little Busters! Ecstasy
Little Busters!
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released, rated for everyone as a limited edition version, on July 27, 2007 playable on a Windows PC; a regular edition, also rated for everyone, followed on September 28, 2007. Little Busters! is Key's sixth game, along with other...
. These three albums were never re-released for general sale, and do not even appear on Key Sounds Label's online discography
Discography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
. In early 2008, three of the albums on the label became available through 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...
—partial albums of -Memento- and Recollections, and the complete album Ma-Na
Ma-Na
-External links:*...
—under the name Key Sound Team. Later, -Memento- was removed, and the full Recollections album became available.
Most of the releases on the label contain music directly related to Key's visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s, whether they be original soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s, remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
s, or image song
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
singles and albums. There are other music singles and albums produced by members of Key not related to Key's titles. For example, the first album released on the label, Humanity...
Humanity...
-External links:*...
, is the only album released by Shinji Orito
Shinji Orito
is a Japanese musical composer originally from Hyōgo, Japan working for the software company Key. Before forming Key, Orito worked for another software company named Leaf where he contributed to four games...
's produce band Work-S. Two 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:...
s containing songs sung by Lia
Lia (singer)
Lia is a female Japanese singer-songwriter who is a former member of I've Sound. Lia has also participated in happy hardcore singing, producing four such albums with this style of singing; these albums have her name in all capital letters. She is notable as the singer for the opening and ending...
were released on the label in December 2002 and August 2003. An album entitled Love Song was released in August 2005 containing songs sung by Riya of Eufonius
Eufonius
Eufonius is a Japanese progressive rock music group which debuted on October 11, 2003 with the release of their first album Eufonius which was also an independent release. The band has produced songs for various anime and video games, such as Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, Himawari!, Noein, True...
. In December 2006, Key Sounds Label produced the first drama CD
Radio drama in Japan
Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...
on the label, and two more followed in July 2007. In December 2006, the first 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....
music single to commemorate the second anime TV series adaptation of Kanon
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...
was produced on the label, and an anime single for the Clannad anime TV series followed in October 2007. A third anime music single, this time for the Clannad After Story anime TV series, was released in November 2008. A short remix album for Clannad After Story was released in December 2008. Music singles and albums for the anime Angel Beats!
Angel Beats!
is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with the group Anant-Garde Eyes, with original character design by Na-Ga; both Maeda...
were released between April and December 2010.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
on Key Sounds Label contained songs from Air and was only released during the first concert of the Japanese trance music
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
group OTSU held in May 2006. The second EP contained songs from Little Busters! and was only released during the second OTSU concert held in May 2008. Both concerts were sponsored by Key Sounds Label, and both EPs were released on gramophone record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s. The first OTSU Club Music Compilation album primarily containing remixed music from Key's visual novels was released in June 2006. The second OTSU Club Music Compilation album was released in February 2008 as a promotion for the second concert, and contains remixed music from Little Busters!. The third OTSU release, OTSU:Blasterhead, contains remixed music from Key's visual novels and was released in February 2009.
Concerts
Key hosted a concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
as a part of Key's tenth anniversary commemoration called KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX which was held on May 10, 2008 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan, and again on May 17, 2008 in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan. Each time, the concert lasted for two and a half hours and featured songs sung by Lia
Lia (singer)
Lia is a female Japanese singer-songwriter who is a former member of I've Sound. Lia has also participated in happy hardcore singing, producing four such albums with this style of singing; these albums have her name in all capital letters. She is notable as the singer for the opening and ending...
, Rita, Chata
Chata
is a Japanese singer who has performed theme songs for games and anime.She has also participated in various dōjin music circles. Her own private circle is called Usagi Kinoko.-History:...
, and Tomoe Tamiyasu
Tomoe Tamiyasu
is a female Japanese voice actress and singer, generally performing for adult games, and is from Hiroshima, Japan. She debuted in 2005 as a voice actress and started her singing career in 2006. Tomoe has been the host of three Internet radio shows, and has been a guest on a fourth...
who have previously sung songs for singles and albums released under Key Sounds Label. Tickets for the event were first available through mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
online on March 26, 2008. A two-CD remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
entitled KSL Live World 2008: Pamphlet and Memorial Disc was sold at both concert showings bearing the catalog numbers KSLC-0001—0002 and contains six 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 ....
ed vocal versions of Kanons opening theme "Last regrets" on the album's 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...
; two of the tracks appeared on previous Key Sounds Label releases, and one is from the 1999 I've Sound
I've Sound
I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different female vocalists, known as to their fans....
compilation album Regret. 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 the album contains a recording of a group talk of the live performers from the concert. A live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
containing the recording of the second concert held in Osaka was released in December 2008 entitled KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX.
Another concert called KSL Live World 2010: Way to the Kud-Wafter was held in Tokyo on May 21, 2010 and again twice more on May 22, 2010. The concert featured songs sung by Keiko Suzuki
Keiko Suzuki
is a female Japanese voice actress from Osaka, Japan. She voices characters from visual novels, and has notably been in the cast of five Key titles. She is also known under the name .-Voice roles:*Iinazuke as Stinrorra Grana Mishal...
, Miyako Suzuta
Miyako Suzuta
is a female Japanese voice actress mainly for adult visual novels. She is also known by the name .-Voice roles:*Angel Type as Miyū Yuzuki*Anonymous as Aya Shiomi*Aozora no Mieru Oka as Haruna Nishimura*Arpeggio Kimi Iro no Melody as Aya Hirose...
, Aoi Tada
Aoi Tada
is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former voice actress and musical actress. She formerly belonged to Gekidan Himawari. Her nickname is "Mamoru Tada".Her most noted voice role is that of Cowboy Bebops Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV...
, Tomoe Tamiyasu, Chata, Marina, Lia, LiSA, Rita and Eufonius; however, Eufonius only appeared at the May 22 concerts. The MCs
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
at the concerts were Shinji Orito and Rita; Jun Maeda also made appearances at the concerts. Tickets for the event were first available through mail order online on March 30, 2010. A live album containing the recording of one of of the May 22 concerts was released in December 2010 titled KSL Live World 2010: Way to the Kud Wafter.
Artists
Unlike typical record labels, Key Sounds Label does not license any of the artists featured on albums and singles released on the label. When Key Sounds Label formed, Jun Maeda, Shinji Orito, and Magome Togoshi were KeyKey (company)
Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...
's signature composer
Composer
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...
s and have continued to produce the majority of the music on Key Sounds Label. In October 2006, however, Togoshi left Key and is no longer affiliated with either Key or Visual Art's
Visual Art's
, formally , is a Japanese publishing company specializing in the publishing and distribution of visual novels for a large list of game developers. Visual Art's has developed the game engines their brands currently use, including the current engine, called Siglus, and older engines RealLive and...
. One of the founding members of Key, OdiakeS
OdiakeS
OdiakeS is a Japanese composer from Tokyo, Japan who has worked for a variety of visual novel companies. His first work was on the game One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e under Tactics. When the staff of One left Tactics to create the company Key, OdiakeS became a member of Key and had a hand in the musical...
, left Key before Key Sounds Label formed, but did contribute on the Kanon Original Soundtrack and the 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 ....
ing of a song on Clannads remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
-Memento-. Key Sounds Label's roster features Japanese bands and singers, several of which originated from the I've Sound
I've Sound
I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different female vocalists, known as to their fans....
techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
/trance music production group under Visual Art's, such as Ayana
Ayana
is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1999 as the singer of the opening and ending themes to Key's visual novel Kanon. In 2000, she formed the two-member group Blue Velvet with Shūichi Aoki. She later became a guest vocalist for I've Sound and appeared at the Nippon Budokan on October 15,...
, Lia, Mell
Mell
Mell is a female Japanese singer from Sapporo, Japan. She is a senior vocalist of I've Sound, and one of the main vocalists. She has released six singles and one solo album...
, and Eiko Shimamiya
Eiko Shimamiya
, born April 20, is a female J-pop singer and member of the production group I've Sound since their first album. She is best known for singing the opening themes of the anime series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Eiko also handles a school called Shimamiya Size in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan...
. Other artists including: Annabel, Chata, Karuta, LiSA, Marina, Runa Mizutani, Psychic Lover
Psychic Lover
is a pop-rock band consisting of vocalist and guitarist . Originally consisting of six members, YOFFY and IMAJO are the only two who remained for their rise to fame. Much of their work has been featured as opening and closing themes of Japanese television series and Anime...
, Rita, Riya, Harumi Sakurai
Harumi Sakurai
is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan employed by Office CHK. She has been in this business since 2002.-TV Anime:*Angel Beats! - Yuri Nakamura*Bakuman - Ōtsuki Nanami*Fairy Tail - Lisanna*Gunparade Orchestra - Azusa Hikomura...
, Haruka Shimotsuki
Haruka Shimotsuki
is a Japanese singer and dōjin music composer known for her vocal themes in the Atelier Iris and Ar tonelico series. She also wrote the lyrics and sang the ending themes to the two seasons of Rozen Maiden as well as the OVA under the name Kukui, with Myu. Shimotsuki's original music mainly consists...
, Keiko Suzuki, Miyako Suzuta, Aoi Tada, Tomoe Tamiyasu, and Nagi Yanagi have also been released on records through the label. The musical units Work-S, Eufonius, OTSU, PMMK, and MintJam have also produced music on Key Sounds Label. Musicians from I've Sound have been working with Key Sounds Label on the arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
of songs, as have many others.