Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人, Tokunaga Akihito) (born 22 September 1971) is a Japanese musician, composer and arranger.…Akihito Tokunaga (徳永 暁人, Tokunaga Akihito) (born 22 September 1971) is a Japanese musician, composer and arranger. After making a name for himself working for Being Inc. in the 1990s, he has been signed to Giza Studio from 2000 until 2023. In 2004, Tokunaga formed the rock band doa. After departure from the agency in 2023, he has become freelancer musician under independent company Floodlight.
Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop and rock band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van, guitarist…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 DAI, alluding to the fact that Do As Infinity was named after 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 11th and latest studio album Brand New Days in February 2015.
Hirohisa Horie (堀江博久, Horie Hirohisa; born March 24, 1970, in Kanagawa, Kantō region) is a Japanese musician and…Hirohisa Horie (堀江博久, Horie Hirohisa; born March 24, 1970, in Kanagawa, Kantō region) is a Japanese musician and multi-instrumentalist. He plays primarily keyboards and guitar. Horie is one half of the Shibuya-kei duo Neil & Iraiza, and is known for his work with artists such as Kahimi Karie and Cornelius (as a member of the Cornelius Group).
Ichiro Ito (伊藤 一朗, Itō Ichirō; born 10 November 1967) is a guitarist in the Japanese rock band Every Little Thing. Ito…Ichiro Ito (伊藤 一朗, Itō Ichirō; born 10 November 1967) is a guitarist in the Japanese rock band Every Little Thing. Ito also works in composition and, sometimes, arrangement of some of Every Little Thing's songs.
Hideto Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 秀人, Hepburn: Matsumoto Hideto; December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), known professionally as…Hideto Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 秀人, Hepburn: Matsumoto Hideto; December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), known professionally as Hide, was a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan from 1987 to 1997 and rose to prominence in Asia as a solo artist from 1993 to 1998, until his death. He also formed the United States–based rock supergroup Zilch in 1996. Hide sold millions of records, both solo and as a member of X Japan. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. When they disbanded in 1997, he focused on his solo career which started four years prior and went on to enjoy significant popularity. At the height of his fame, while recording his third studio album and about to launch an international career with the newly formed Zilch, he died in 1998 of what was ruled a suicide by hanging. He was seen as an icon for Japanese youth rebelling against their country's conformist society, and his death was labeled "the end of an era".
Yoshiki Fukuyama (福山 芳樹, Fukuyama Yoshiki; born September 14, 1963) is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. In…Yoshiki Fukuyama (福山 芳樹, Fukuyama Yoshiki; born September 14, 1963) is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. In the anime Macross 7 he was the singing voice and guitar of the show's main character, Basara Nekki. He joined the band JAM Project in 2003.
Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide; born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He…Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide; born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables and electronics. He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical. He is also a pioneering figure in the EAI-scene, and is featured on important records on labels like Erstwhile Records. He has composed music for many films, television dramas, and commercials. In 2017, Otomo became the 2nd Guest Artistic Director of The Sapporo International Art Festival 2017.
Masayoshi Kabe (加部 正義, Kabe Masayoshi) (5 November 1948 – 26 September 2020) often known by his stage names Louis or…Masayoshi Kabe (加部 正義, Kabe Masayoshi) (5 November 1948 – 26 September 2020) often known by his stage names Louis or Louise Louis, was a Japanese bassist and guitarist from Yokohama, Japan. Numerous online sources present him as half-French and half-Japanese, but this was actually a marketing creation from the producers of the Golden Cups; Kabe was half-American and half-Japanese. He began his career in 1966 as a member of The Golden Cups. He was a studio musician throughout the 1970s and also a member of various bands such as Speed, Glue & Shinki until he joined the group Johnny, Louis & Char (later renamed Pink Cloud) in 1978. After they disbanded in 1994 he formed the instrumental side-project ZokuZokuKazoku (ZZK) while providing support to other musicians as a bassist. He also recorded three albums as bass player for a reunion version of the 1970s band Vodka Collins from 1995 to 1998. He died on 26 September 2020, of multiple organ failure.
