Lee Dae-hwi (Korean: 이대휘, born January 29, 2001), known mononymously as Daehwi, is a South Korean singer-songwriter…Lee Dae-hwi (Korean: 이대휘, born January 29, 2001), known mononymously as Daehwi, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, producer and television personality. He is a member of South Korean boy group AB6IX, and is known for his participation in the reality competition show Produce 101 Season 2, where he finished in third place overall and became a member of the boy group Wanna One. In addition to singing and writing songs for various artists, he guest hosted and then became the permanent host for the long-time running variety show M Countdown.
Hoshiko Yamane (山根星子, Yamane Hoshiko; born 4 April 1981) is a Japanese violinist, composer and performer based in…Hoshiko Yamane (山根星子, Yamane Hoshiko; born 4 April 1981) is a Japanese violinist, composer and performer based in Berlin. She has been a member of Tangerine Dream since 2011.
Kenji Roa (ロア健治, Roa Kenji; born January 25, 1979) is a Japanese voice actor and singer who is a vocalist in the…Kenji Roa (ロア健治, Roa Kenji; born January 25, 1979) is a Japanese voice actor and singer who is a vocalist in the Japanese rock band Virgil. He also voices Tobi in Blood Lad.
Aika Ōno (大野 愛果, Ōno Aika; born September 7, 1977) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She is contracted with the Giza…Aika Ōno (大野 愛果, Ōno Aika; born September 7, 1977) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She is contracted with the Giza Studio record label Aika is best known for writing songs for several artists under Giza Studio, notably Rina Aiuchi, Mai Kuraki, Aya Kamiki, U-ka Saegusa in db and Zard, among others. Many of her songs have been featured in anime shows such as Detective Conan (or Case Closed in the US), MÄR, Golgo 13, Detective School Q and Secret of Cerulean Sand. To a lesser extent, she released three studio albums containing cover versions of her own song written for other artists, in English and Japanese.
Aoki Takamasa (青木孝允, Aoki Takamasa) (sometimes stylized as AOKI takamasa) (born 1976), is a Japanese electronic…Aoki Takamasa (青木孝允, Aoki Takamasa) (sometimes stylized as AOKI takamasa) (born 1976), is a Japanese electronic musician and producer.
Aiko Yanai (柳井愛子, Yanai Aiko; born 22 November 1975), known simply as Aiko (stylized in smallcaps), is a Japanese…Aiko Yanai (柳井愛子, Yanai Aiko; born 22 November 1975), known simply as Aiko (stylized in smallcaps), is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She is most famous for her hit songs Ashita, Kabutomushi, Hanabi, Sakura no Toki, Boyfriend, and Kira Kira.
Satoru Kōsaki (神前 暁, Kōsaki Satoru; born September 16, 1974) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. He is best…Satoru Kōsaki (神前 暁, Kōsaki Satoru; born September 16, 1974) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. He is best known for his work on anime, including Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Monogatari, Beastars, and The Apothecary Diaries. He worked at Namco, where he primarily composed soundtracks for video games. Since 2005, he has been affiliated with Keiichi Okabe's music production company Monaca, where he has often collaborated with his colleagues to produce soundtracks for anime and other media.
Kanako Abe (Japanese: 阿部 加奈子, romanized: Abe Kanako; born 23 March 1973 in Ōsaka, Ōsaka prefecture) is a Japanese…Kanako Abe (Japanese: 阿部 加奈子, romanized: Abe Kanako; born 23 March 1973 in Ōsaka, Ōsaka prefecture) is a Japanese conductor, composer and pianist. Based in The Hague, Netherlands, she has performed works by contemporary composers, including Tōru Takemitsu, Michaël Levinas, Régis Campo and Bushra El-Turk.
Dance Dance Revolution (ダンスダンスレボリューション, Dansu Dansu Reboryūshon) (abbreviated DDR; also called DanRevo, Dance Revo, or…Dance Dance Revolution (ダンスダンスレボリューション, Dansu Dansu Reboryūshon) (abbreviated DDR; also called DanRevo, Dance Revo, or DanceRevo; stylized as DanceDanceRevolution since SuperNOVA) is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance genre in video games. Players stand on a "dance platform" or stage and hit colored arrows laid out in a cross with their feet to musical and visual cues. Players are judged by how well they time their dance to the patterns presented to them and are allowed to choose more music to play to if they receive a passing score. Dance Dance Revolution has been met with critical acclaim for its originality and stamina in the video game market, as well as popularizing the use of videogames as a medium for fitness and exercise. There have been dozens of arcade-based releases across several countries and hundreds of home video game console releases, promoting a music library of original songs produced by Konami's in-house artists and an eclectic set of licensed music from many different genres. The game is also known for its passionate fanbase, as well as its growing competitive tournament scene. The DDR series has also inspired similar games such as Pump it Up by Andamiro and In the Groove by Roxor Games. The series' current arcade version is Dance Dance Revolution World, released on June 12, 2024.
Mitsuo Terada (寺田 光男, Terada Mitsuo; born October 29, 1968), known professionally as Tsunku (つんく♂), is a Japanese…Mitsuo Terada (寺田 光男, Terada Mitsuo; born October 29, 1968), known professionally as Tsunku (つんく♂), is a Japanese singer, record producer, and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Sharam Q. As a songwriter, Tsunku is the primary producer for Morning Musume and other Hello! Project acts, such as Coconuts Musume, Berryz Kobo, Cute, V-u-den, Aya Matsuura, and Maki Goto. He has also produced music for artists such as EE Jump and Sonim. Aside from musical acts, Tsunku has also produced soundtracks for anime and video game series such as Rhythm Heaven and ClassicaLoid. The total sales of the singles he has written exceed 37.9 million copies, making him the fifth best-selling lyricist in Japan.
Taro Hakase (葉加瀬 太郎, Hakase Tarō; born January 23, 1968 in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese musician who specialises…Taro Hakase (葉加瀬 太郎, Hakase Tarō; born January 23, 1968 in Suita, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese musician who specialises as a violinist and composer.
Yukie Nishimura (西村 由紀江, Nishimura Yukie; born May 8, 1967 in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a prolific Japanese pianist and…Yukie Nishimura (西村 由紀江, Nishimura Yukie; born May 8, 1967 in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a prolific Japanese pianist and composer. Hailed as a musician of "New Age Music", her piano style is light easy listening and her works are sometimes heard on television in Japan, even with her appearance in television commercials and fashion magazines thanks to her stunning looks. She has a following in Hong Kong, China and Singapore. In her performances, she usually changes her clothing according to the music she performs and keeps the stage presentation to "a bare minimum". Her hobbies are enjoying herbal teas, fragrant baths and swimming.
Miki Higashino (東野 美紀, Higashino Miki; born January 1, 1965) is a Japanese video game composer best known for her works…Miki Higashino (東野 美紀, Higashino Miki; born January 1, 1965) is a Japanese video game composer best known for her works in the Suikoden series.
Hironobu Kageyama (Japanese: 影山 ヒロノブ, Hepburn: Kageyama Hironobu; real name written 景山 浩宣, born February 18, 1961) is a…Hironobu Kageyama (Japanese: 影山 ヒロノブ, Hepburn: Kageyama Hironobu; real name written 景山 浩宣, born February 18, 1961) is a Japanese musician, singer and composer. He is best known for his work on anime, video game and tokusatsu soundtracks. Kageyama first rose to prominence as a teenager in the 1970s as lead singer of the rock band Lazy. Following their breakup in 1981, Kageyama began a solo career. He struggled until finding major success in the mid-1980s, when he started singing theme songs for anime and tokusatsu television shows. The music to such programs is called anison in Japan, and Kageyama became immensely popular, earning the nickname "Prince of the Anison World" (アニソン界のプリンス, Anison-kai no Purinsu). Kageyama's best known works include the title tracks for Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Hikari Sentai Maskman, "Saint Shinwa ~Soldier Dream~" for Saint Seiya, and "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" for Dragon Ball Z. Lazy reunited in 1997, and Kageyama briefly worked with Masaaki Endoh as the duo Metal Brothers before they formed the anison supergroup JAM Project in 2000 with several other vocalists.
Eri Sugai (菅井えり, Sugai Eri; 1961 – December 21, 2016) was a Japanese vocalist, composer and arranger. She has been…Eri Sugai (菅井えり, Sugai Eri; 1961 – December 21, 2016) was a Japanese vocalist, composer and arranger. She has been compared to Enya in that she "multitracked her voice into angelic choruses, soaring over spare but emotional arrangements", She lent her talents to more than 1,000 television commercials, and produced five solo albums, in addition to one under the name of Stella Mirus and two with her husband, Itaru Watanabe, from 2000 until her death. In 2017, Universal Japan released her album, Skip!, recorded in 1986, a 10-track album of 'Light Mellow' music. There is also an edition called Skip! +4 which contains four bonus tracks.
Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, Matsubara Miki; 28 November 1959 – 7 October 2004) was a Japanese singer and songwriter. She…Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, Matsubara Miki; 28 November 1959 – 7 October 2004) was a Japanese singer and songwriter. She contributed to the opening and ending theme songs of the anime Gu-Gu Ganmo under the name Suzie Matsubara. Her 1979 debut song "Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me)" became a hit, reaching No. 28 on the Oricon chart. Believing that her cancer diagnosis was the result of the lifestyle she lived during her career, Matsubara retired and severed all connections to the music world in 2000, dying from cervical cancer four years later at the age of 44. Since 2020, "Mayonaka no Door" has become widely known overseas due to its use on TikTok and the resurgence of the city pop genre.
Tomoki Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川 智樹, Hepburn: Hasegawa Tomoki; born 19 July 1957) is a Japanese composer and arranger of…Tomoki Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川 智樹, Hepburn: Hasegawa Tomoki; born 19 July 1957) is a Japanese composer and arranger of music from Osaka Prefecture, Japan, best known for his work on anime soundtracks. He has also done sound production work on albums for Mayumi Iizuka.
Shigenobu Nakamura (中村 滋延, Nakamura Shigenobu), born in Osaka in 1950, is a Japanese composer and music teacher. He…Shigenobu Nakamura (中村 滋延, Nakamura Shigenobu), born in Osaka in 1950, is a Japanese composer and music teacher. He teaches at Kyushu University (Faculty of Design). He has written fifteen books and done both chamber music and symphonies. In the 1990s his visual works were performed at festivals in Palermo and Germany.
Takao Horiuchi (堀内孝雄, Horiuchi Takao; born October 27, 1949 in Abeno-ku, Osaka) is a Japanese pop and enka singer. He…Takao Horiuchi (堀内孝雄, Horiuchi Takao; born October 27, 1949 in Abeno-ku, Osaka) is a Japanese pop and enka singer. He won a 1990 Japan Record Award for enka.
Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and…Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and art-music idioms.
Tadatoshi Miyagawa (水谷川忠俊, Miyagawa Tadatoshi; born 9 December 1935) is a Japanese composer, a Gagaku performer and…Tadatoshi Miyagawa (水谷川忠俊, Miyagawa Tadatoshi; born 9 December 1935) is a Japanese composer, a Gagaku performer and researcher, as well as a music arranger. His former last and first name was Konoe Toshitake (近衛俊健). He is a 13th generation Patrilinear descendant, also known as the male line, of Emperor Go-Yōzei, Emperor of Japan.
Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz…Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. Maeda learned piano as a young child, and moved to Tokyo to play and arrange jazz professionally in 1955. There he played with Shungo Sawada's ensemble and founded a group called the Wind Breakers. He joined the West Liners, led by Konosuke Saijo, as a pianist and arranger in 1959. Known as a composer, he penned pieces for The Blue Coats, Tatsuya Takahashi, Nobuo Hara, and Toshiyuki Miyama. He also founded We 3 with Yasuo Arakawa and Takeshi Inomata, and later worked with Inomata again in a trio with Sadanori Nakamure. On 25 November 2018, Maeda died from pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo.
Kishi Kōichi (貴志 康一; March 31, 1909 – November 17, 1937) was a Japanese composer, conductor and violinist. Kishi spent…Kishi Kōichi (貴志 康一; March 31, 1909 – November 17, 1937) was a Japanese composer, conductor and violinist. Kishi spent his childhood in Miyakojima, a district of Osaka. Following the example of his mother, he learned to play the violin. At the age of 18 he went to Europe to complete his training as a violinist at the Geneva Conservatory and the Berlin School of Music. He then studied composition with Paul Hindemith and conducting with Wilhelm Furtwängler. In 1934, at the age of 25, he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. As a composer, Kishi's composition includes orchestral works, stage works, chamber works, film scores and songs. In 1935, he went back to Japan. In 1937, the 28-year-old Kishi Kōichi died of a heart condition in Japan.
Makoto Miyoshi (三好誠, Miyoshi Makoto) is a Japanese musical composer and arranger. In 1999, he became a member of a rock…Makoto Miyoshi (三好誠, Miyoshi Makoto) is a Japanese musical composer and arranger. In 1999, he became a member of a rock band Rumania Montevideo. Afterwards, he regularly provided music for other artists from the same recording company, Giza Studio, until 2007. In 2019, through social network, he announced resumption of music activities along with Rumania Montevideo. In 2020, he formed an alternative rock band "Morphing people".
Youmi Kimura (Japanese: 木村 弓, Hepburn: Kimura Yumi) is a Japanese singer and lyre performer. She is best known for her…Youmi Kimura (Japanese: 木村 弓, Hepburn: Kimura Yumi) is a Japanese singer and lyre performer. She is best known for her compositions on the soundtracks of Studio Ghibli films.