Tsukiko Amano is a solo underground artist to the J-Rock music scene. Her style varies on the lines of alternative rock and her releases aren’t really considered huge hits. Nonetheless this artist still manages to release excellent and exciting material with haunting and dark melodies. Apart from being a singer, Tsukiko is a talented lyricist, guitarist and artist. Her style of art is very unique. She is mostly known for her theme songs for Fatal Frame II and III.
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Artist: Gackt
Title: DIABOLOS
Release Date: 2005.09.21
Peak Position: #4
Product Code: CRCP-40120
Label: Nippon Crown |
Gackt’s 8th full solo album was released on the 21st of September. It didn’t top the chart but wandered for some time around #4. After the dissatisfaction that “Love Letter” brought about to many of his fans, because of its long, unvaried love-ballad theme, Gackt returns with a promising album, to restore any doubt growing about his talent at composing and singing. It’s clearly good old Gackt and without any recycling of the past.
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Suite November
Release Date: 2002.11.20
Peak Position: #5
Label: SPROUSE/Dream Machine
Product Code: HDCA-10121
First Press: digipack and picture labeled disc
TETSU69’s Official Web Site |
After L’Arc~en~Ciel’s announced hiatus in 2000, the members started solo projects in 2001. tetsu’s solo project is TETSU69, and according to him, the “69″ stands for his birthyear and the all caps is for aesthetic reasons. His CDs were to be released under “SPROUSE”, which became his new (but now seemingly defunct) record label. His first single was the double a-side “wonderful world/TIGHTROPE” which peaked at spot #5 on the Oricon charts. After the release of this single, he left SONY’s Ki/oon division and was signed under Warner Music Japan’s Dream Machine label. His following singles “shinkirô” (mirage) and “15 1/2″ were a year in waiting, came in special packaging, were limited to 10,000 copies, and both peaked at #3. In November 2002 his first, and to this date only, album was released entitled “Suite November”. Let’s see how L’Arc~en~Ciel’s bassist and leader fares on his own.
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evergreen
Release Date: 2001.10.17
Peak Position: #1
Label: HAUNTED RECORDS \ Ki/oon \ SONY Records
Product Code: KSCL-411
First Press: 3″ (8cm) CD with picture label housed in a coffin shaped jewel case (Product Code#: KSDL-1223)
HYDE Official Web Site |
In 2000, much to fans’ surprise, L’Arc~en~Ciel announced that they were going to be on a brief hiatus. Future plans for the band were unsure, but the members knew what they wanted to do individually. hyde was the last of the members to release solo material, and his can be considered as the most experimental of the group. In October of 2001 he released his debut single as HYDE titled “evergreen”. No doubt many fans of the band were surprised at the direction HYDE had chosen for his solo project. His singing style was gentler and his whole presentation became more relaxed and calm, and he even took to wearing simple loose clothing and suits. Let’s see how the (then) new HYDE fairs.
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COUNTDOWN
Release Date: 2005.10.05
Peak Position: #1
Label: HAUNTED RECORDS \ Ki/oon \ SONY Records
Product Code: KSCL 888
First Press: none
HYDE Official Web Site |
After only reuniting with L’Arc~en~Ciel for two years, HYDE has returned to his solo project; which is slowly becoming less of a “project” and more of a career. It seems he has abandoned the idea of being an “interesting” artist with his contrasting angel (ROENTGEN) and devil (666) albums, and prefers to be a full fledged rock soloist. Don’t worry Laruku fans, although tetsu has confirmed hyde working on his solo project for the rest of this year, expect a new single by the band early to mid 2006.
HYDE returns to us with “COUNTDOWN” a hard rock number being used as the Japanese theme song to the movie “STEALTH” (starring Jamie Foxx) and lyrics crying out for peace. He has been recently going down a very open political road since the album “AWAKE” (L’Arc~en~Ciel) and shows no signs of shutting up. 13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1, Let’s review!
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