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Asian Kung-Fu Generation

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Asian Kung-Fu Generation

Asian Kung-fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション, Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon) is a Japanese band signed by Ki/oon Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

History

The band was first formed in 1996 by Kensuke Kita, Takahiro Yamada, and Masafumi Gotō who met in a musical circle of Kanto Gakuin University, with Kiyoshi Ijichi joining the band shortly after. They played in many small venues until they released their first indie EP in 2000, a six-song EP of English cover songs. In the following year, the band tried to get their first Japanese single, "Kona Yuki" (粉雪), onto indie radio shows. The song was eventually picked up by a popular radio DJ and put into heavy rotation due to the demand of listeners. The band released their second indie CD containing songs with Japanese lyrics later in the same year. In 2002, the band would release their first mini-album Hōkai Amplifer (崩壊アンプリファー), which received immense critical acclaim with the sales of the album reaching 35 on the Oricon charts.

In 2003, the band released the singles "Mirai no Kakera" (未来の破片) and "Kimi to Iu Hana" (君という花), which would catapult them to fame. Their first full album, Kimi Tsunagi Five M (君繋ファイブエム), sold over 25,000 copies and landed in the number 5 spot on the Oricon charts in its first week. As their fame grew, fans began calling them simply Ajikan (アジカン), the shortened version of their full name.

When 2004 came around, the band won the award for Best New Artist; their video "Kimi to Iu Hana" also won the award for Best Music Video. Over the course of the year, the band would release four more singles: "Siren" (サイレン), "Loop & Loop" (ループ＆ループ), "Rewrite" (リライト), and "Kimi no Machi Made" (君の街まで). The band also released their second album, Sol-fa (ソルファ), in 2004. The album would go on to sell more than 600,000 copies and reach number one on the Oricon charts for two weeks straight.

In 2005, they released a DVD that stayed at number one on the Oricon DVD charts for an entire month, and played at sold out venues during their Re:Re: tour. The band also held the Nano-Mugen Festival 2005, where eight different bands played to a sold out crowd. Later that year, the band released another single "Blue Train" (ブルートレイン), and held a short tour in the winter.

The band released two albums in 2006: Fanclub (ファンクラブ) and a B-side compilation called Feedback File. Fanclub stayed in the Oricon top five for nearly two months while Feedback File entered the charts at number two. In July, the band held a sequel to their Nano-Mugen Festival known as Nano-Mugen Festival 2 which featured 12 different artists and sold out for all of its performances. The band then went on to release three singles in 2006, "Blue Train", "World Apart" and "Aru Machi no Gunjo". Blue Train managed to obtain a #5 spot on the charts while World Apart went on to become the band's first number one single.

Member Profiles

Kensuke Kita (喜多建介, キタケンスケ)

  • Birthdate: January 24 1977
  • Place of Birth: Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Lead guitarist and background vocal
  • Major: Economics
  • Favorite Bands: Radiohead, Mannix, Supergrass, XTC

Masafumi Gotō (後藤正文, ゴトウマサフミ)

  • Birthdate: December 12 1976
  • Place of Birth: Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Vocalist and guitarist
  • Major: Economics
  • Favorite Bands: Weezer, Number Girl, Teenage Fanclub, Eastern Youth, Howard Jones

Takahiro Yamada (山田貴洋, ヤマダタカヒロ)

  • Birthdate: August 19 1977
  • Place of Birth: Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Bassist and background vocals
  • Major: Literature
  • Favorite Bands: The Beatles, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins, Pet Shop Boys

Kiyoshi Ijichi (伊地知潔, イヂチキヨシ)

  • Birthdate: September 25 1977
  • Place of Birth: Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Drummer
  • Major: Engineering
  • Favorite Bands: Brian Setzer, Hi-Standard

Discography

Early Works

  • Caramelman and Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • I'm Standing Here (November 30, 2001)
  • The Time Past and I Could not See You Again

Albums

Singles

"Mirai no Kakera" (August 6 2003 Oricon #34)

  1. "Mirai no Kakera"
  2. "Entrance"
  3. "Sono Wake o"

"Kimi to Iu Hana" (October 16 2003 Oricon #14)

  1. "Kimi to Iu Hana"
  2. "Rocket No.4"

"Siren" (April 14 2004 Oricon #2)

  1. "Siren"
  2. "Siren"

"Loop & Loop" (May 19 2004 Oricon #8)

  1. "Loop & Loop"
  2. "Entrance (LIVE)"
  3. "Rashinban (LIVE)"

"Rewrite" (August 8 2004 Oricon #4)

  1. "Rewrite"
  2. "Yūgure no Aka"

"Kimi no Machi Made" (September 23 2004 Oricon #3)

  1. "Kimi no Machi Made"
  2. "Hold Me Tight"

"Blue Train" (November 30 2005 Oricon #5)

  1. "Blue Train"
  2. "Road Movie"
  3. "Tobenai Sakana"
  4. "Gekkō"

"World Apart" (February 15 2006 Oricon #1)

  1. "World Apart"
  2. "Eien ni"
  3. "Uso to Wonderland"

"Aru Machi no Gunjō" (November 29 2006)

  1. "Aru Machi no Gunjō"
  2. "Kugenuma Surf"

DVDs

  • Image Work Collection (映像作品集　1巻, Eizō Sakuhinshu 1kan) (November 26, 2004)
  • Image Work Collection (映像作品集　2巻, Eizō Sakuhinshu 2kan) (April 20, 2005)

Miscellaneous

  • Asian Kung-fu Generation presents Nano-Mugen Compilation (June 8, 2005)
    1. "Burn Baby Burn" - Ash
    2. "Blackout" - Asian Kung-fu Generation
    3. "I Love You 'Cause I Have To" - Dogs Die in Hot Cars
    4. "Bored Of Everything" - Ellegarden
    5. "Tongue Tied" - Farrah
    6. "Sugar Bomb Baby" - Industrial Salt
    7. "Rock to Honey" - Sparta Locals
    8. "White Room Black Star [Stout Version]" - Straightener
  • Asian Kung-fu Generation presents Nano-Mugen Compilation 2006 (July 5, 2006)
    1. "Jūni Shinhō no Yūkei" - Asian Kung-fu Generation
    2. "Another Time/Another Story" - Beat Crusaders
    3. "Ren'ai Spirits" - Chatmonchy
    4. "Change" - Dream State
    5. "Stereoman" - Ellegarden
    6. "Dirty na Sekai (Put your head)" - 髭 (HiGE)
    7. "Have you ever seen the stars? (shooting star ver.)" - Mo'some Tonebender
    8. "Getting By" - The Rentals
    9. "Bubblegum" - Silver Sun
    10. "The Nowarist" - Straightener
    11. "I Am For You" - Waking Ashland
    12. "Wake Up, Make Up, Bring It Up, Shake Up" - The Young Punx
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