Nico Touches the Walls
| Nico Touches the Walls | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Japan |
| Genres | Rock, Alternative rock |
| Years active | 2004– present |
| Labels | Management:Senha and Company (-2010) A-Sketch (2010-) Recording:Ki/oon Records (Sony Music Japan) |
| Website | nicotouchesthewalls.net |
| Members | |
| Tatsuya Mitsumura - vocals Daisuke Furumura - guitar Shingo Sakakura - bass Shotaro Tsushima - drums |
|
Nico Touches the Walls (stylized as NICO Touches the Walls) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2004. In the same year, they won the Lotte Prize at the Yamaha Teen Music Festival. Rising quickly, they signed to "Senha & Co." before signing to Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records in 2007. Their major debut single, "Yoru no Hate" was released in February 2008, and received good reaction from the public.
The band has also songs for animes, such as "Broken Youth" and "Diver" that were featured in Naruto Shippuden. Their success "Hologram" was the second opening theme song for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.[1] and "Matryoshka" featured as the opening theme for the anime C.[2]
According to Mitsumura (vocalist), the band's unique name relates "walls" with obstacles in life and the band's ambition to overcome them, continuing to their own world.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early career (2004-2007)
Formed in 2004, Nico Touches the Walls won the Lotte Prize at the 2004 Yamaha Teens' Music Festival. The quartet’s success really picked up since they made their indie debut with Senha and Company in 2006. They released two indie mini albums that year: "Walls Is Beginning" and "Runova X Handover".
In 2007, Nico Touches the Walls signed a deal with Ki/oon Records (the same label that houses L'arc-en-Ciel, Chatmonchy, Polysics and more). Their debut mini albums, "Eden" in June (With the hit "(My Sweet) Eden") and "How are you?" that came out in November 2007.
[edit] Who Are You? (2008)
Nico Touches the Walls have risen quickly from the indie scene to a top label.[3] In 2008 Nico Touches the Walls featured in an television commercial for Glico’s Pocky in stop-motion animation.[4] After that, their debut single is released, "Yoru no Hate" that was a great introduction single for the rock quartet,[3] reaching number 64 on the Oricon Chart with good reaction from the public. They kept raising, and later their second single "The Bungy", a very different song from their previous style.[3] After their debut singles, Nico Touches the Walls has the song "Broken Youth" for ending theme of the anime Naruto Shippuuden in 2008. Later released also as a single "Broken Youth"[3] became one of the most popular songs of the band, reaching 24 on the chart.[5]
The band released their debut studio album "Who Are You?" that contained all previous singles and some b-sides including the song "Image Training" from their previous mini albums.[3] With the good reaction of the releases, the debut album almost made the top 10, reaching number 11 .[5]
[edit] Aurora (2009-2010)
Nico release a new single "Big Foot" on May 13, just nine months after the album "Who Are You?" reaching number 24 on the Oricon Chart in Japan (considered the band lucky number).[1]
After getting people's attention thanks to their song for the anime Naruto, Nico Touches the Walls made the most of their record company's business network and sang the opening song for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. In August it was time of "Hologram" a single that got very popular for being chosen as the second opening for the anime.[1] The song became the band's highest ranking single on the Oricon music chart, and a steady stream of fans have been downloading the single's truetone version.[1]
During their performances in various summer music festivals, they proved why they have become known as one of the hottest bands in town. In October, they finished the recording of a new song. The track was released on November 4, titled: "Kakera subete no Omoitachi he- ", a mid-tempo song that matches the autumn season, that was featured as the main theme song for the Nippon TV drama series "Bocho Mania 09" on October 22. Starring the popular young actor Mukai Osamu.[1]
The band releases their first music video collection, under the title Library Vol.1. With twelve tracks total, the DVD include all of Nico's music videos, including the ones from their indies period, "Avogado" and "Sono Taxi,160km/h", to their most recent singles "Big Foot", "Hologram" and "Kakera subete no Omoitachi he-", which were released in 2009.[6]
To celebrate the "Aurora" release,the band embark in a tour on December 27, Which was called "Walls Is Auroras", holding their first ever Nippon Budokan one-man on March 27, 2010.[6]
[edit] Passenger (2010-2011)
On May 16, 2010, Nico Touches the Walls started a new tour called "Michi naki michi" ( A road that is not a road) that took place in Fukushima, Saitama, Gifu, Nagasaki, Yamaguchi, Hyougo e Yokohama. At the same day of the announcement the vocalist Mitsumura said:
| “ | Our objective on this tour is playing in cities that we had never been before. | ” |
In this tour the band played an unreleased song for each concert and the setlist was chosen as an compilation from the band trajectory with their greatest hits.
On May 16 (first concert), they announced a new single between the new songs played, but it was only reveled on the final show. The single was "Sudden Death Game" and was released on August 11, 2010 . The song was chosen for the audience good reaction during the shows, being the only release that year.
After "Sudden Death Game" the single "Diver" was released on January 12, 2011 with the DVD from the "Michi naki michi tour". The song was used as the eighth opening for the anime Naruto Shippuuden aired by TV Tokyo since October, as their second contribuition for the anime. The single is the most successful, reaching number seven on the Oricon chart in Japan.
In November it was announced a split tour with the band Flumpool on January, 2011.
"I've got a feeling that it's going to be an extremely thrilling Split Tour. Or shall I say, it definitely will be. Since the first time we performed together with flumpool at an event in Osaka, on one hand we became aware of the many similarities in the makeup of our bands, on the other hand flumpool's so refined when they perform that as a boorish bunch of guys we're sort of jealous...But given that we're born in the same generation, to be able to feel the music at such a close distance while on tour with others just like us, it makes me nervous, in a good way. If they’re going to toss a hard, straight ball our way…of course, we're going to step right up"[7]
The tour took place at Zepp Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and was the first time they embarked on a joint tour.[7]
After only two singles, the band decided to release a third studio album titled Passenger, after more than one year since their previous album Aurora in 2009.
For the album promotion, the band release the song "Matryoshka" to be the opening for the anime C, On April 2011.[2]
After that, Nico Touches the Walls embarked in their own tour called: "Nico Touches the Walls Tour 2011: We Are Passionate Messenger" to promote the album "Passenger" that would started at the Kashiwa Palooza on April 13, and ends up at Miyagi – Zepp Sendai on May 28, with a total of eleven performances, that later, were added some extras concerts.[8]
[edit] Humania (2011-present)
Starting the "Humania Era", on August 17, Nico Touches the Walls releases a summer single called "Te wo Tatake". A song very different from their previous records with a powerful and catchy melody that was also titled as "The Japanese Rock Anthem", having a good reaction from the public, reaching fifteen on Oricon Chart.[5]
On August 21, Nico Touches the Walls delivered a live program on Ustream called "Minnade tsukurou "Tewotatake" Network and Acoustic Live" towards fans who purchased the latest single "Te wo Tatake". Nico excited the audience talking and performing live. In the talk corner, the band introduced handclapping videos which were sent in, from fans through a special site set up in tribute of the new song "Te wo Tatake". The videos showed people with unique fashion calaping hands while The Nico members watched the movies having fun and commenting. The acoustic live which was held towards the latter half of the program started with "Natsu no yuki" sung and played by Mitsumura. The last number "Te wo Tatake" was shown in collaboration with the handclapping videos shown towards the beginning of the program.[9]
On September, the band releases another song titled "Endless Roll" for the film Switch wo Osu Toki that was written by the bassist Shingo Sakakura (Matryoshka). A Pv for the song was released on September 7, but still remains unprecedented for fans.[10]
As of October 2011, Nico Touches the Walls provided the theme song for the drama "11 Nin mo Iru!", titled "Bicycle". The drama was screen written by Kudo Kankuro and began airing in October.[11]
From November 2011 to January 2012 the band appears on the cover of several magazines in Japan to promote the new album.[12][12]
On December 7, The Album Humania is released and debuted at number 10 on Oricon Chart, being the band's first top ten album of career.
[edit] Discography
[edit] EPs
- Walls Is Beginning (February 2006)
- Runova X Handover (October 2006)
- Eden (June 13, 2007)
- How Are You? (November 21, 2007)
[edit] Albums
| Number | Date | Album | Oricon Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 st | September 24, 2008 | Who Are You? | 11 |
| 2 nd | November 25, 2009 | Aurora | 17 |
| 3 rd | April 5, 2011 | Passenger | 15 |
| 4 th | December 11, 2011 | Humania[13] | 10 |
[edit] Singles
| Number | Date | Single | Oricon Chart Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | February 20, 2008 | Yoru no Hate (夜の果て) | 61 |
| 2nd | June 4, 2008 | The Bungy | 49 |
| 3rd | August 13, 2008 | Broken Youth | 35 |
| 4th | May 13, 2009 | Big Foot (ビッグフット) | 24 |
| 5th | August 12, 2009 | Hologram (ホログラム) | 11 |
| 6th | November 4, 2009 | Kakera subete no Omoitachi he- (Fragments - To All the Thoughts) | 26 |
| 7th | August 11, 2010 | Sudden Death Game (サドンデスゲーム) | 28 |
| 8th | January 12, 2011 | Diver | 7 |
| 9th | August 17, 2011 | Te wo Tatake (手をたたけ) | 15 |
[edit] Promotional songs
| Number | Date | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | (My Sweet) Eden | Who Are You? |
| 2 | 2008 | Image Training | |
| 3 | 2009 | Fuujin (風人) | Aurora |
| 4 | 2011 | Mousou taiin A (妄想隊員A) | Passenger |
| 5 | 2011 | Matryoshka (マトリョーシカ) | |
| 6 | 2011 | Endless Roll | Humania |
| 7 | 2011 | Baishikuru (バイシクル) |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "NICO Touches the Walls sing for Full Metal Alchemist". minu-net.com. July 9, 2009. http://www.mimu-net.net/en/news.php?newsid=2802. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ a b tokyohive.com (March 10, 2011). "Nico Touches the Walls sings for anime C". Tokyohive. http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/03/nico-touches-the-walls-to-sing-for-fuji-tv-anime-c/. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "NICO Touches the Walls bounce in with "THE BUNGY"". June 5, 2008. http://sparkplugged.net/2008/06/nico-touches-the-walls-bounce-in-with-the-bungy/. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
- ^ "NICO Touches the Walls rock with Pocky". SparkPlugged.com. April 24, 2008. http://sparkplugged.net/2008/04/nico-touches-the-walls-rock-with-pocky/. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
- ^ a b c "ＮＩＣＯ Ｔｏｕｃｈｅｓ ｔｈｅ Ｗａｌｌｓの作品(CD)". http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/386109/products/music/771931/1/. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ^ a b "NICO Touches the Walls' First Music Video Collection". jame-world.com. January 31, 2011. http://www.jame-world.com/us/news-60865-nico-touches-the-walls-first-music-video-collection.html. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ a b "BFF flumpool & NICO Touches the Walls Touring Together in 2011 flumpool to hold Split Tour in 2011 with NICO Touches the Walls". livejournal.com. November 11, 2011. http://aramatheydidnt.livejournal.com/1466645.html. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "NICO Touches the Walls announces new album, "PASSENGER"". Tokyohiver.com. January 26, 2011. http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/01/nico-touches-the-walls-announces-new-album-passenger/. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ "NICO appears in Ustream Live made together with fans with sense of unity..". jp-musicet.com. September 26, 2011. http://www.jp-musicet.com/en/news/2011/09/nico.html. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ ""NICO Touches the Walls sings theme song of ""Switch wo Osu Toki""". warerock.com. August 1, 2011. http://www.warerock.com/nico-touches-the-walls-sings-theme-song-of-switch-wo-osu-toki/. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ^ ""New single by NICO Touches the Walls featured in "11 Nin mo Iru!" drama"". tokyofever.com. September 27, 2011. http://www.tokyofever.com/2011/09/new-single-by-nico-touches-the-walls-featured-in-11-nin-mo-iru-drama/. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
- ^ a b "NICO to grace the cover of GiGS January 2012 Issue". livejournal.com. November 25, 2011. http://nicotouch.livejournal.com/21478.html. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
- ^ "New Album by NICO Touches the Walls Humania". tokyohive.com. October 4, 2011. http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/10/nico-touches-the-walls-announces-new-album-humania/. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
[edit] External links
- Official website (Japanese)
- A-Sketch's website for Nico Touches the Walls (Japanese)
