Dir En Grey is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitarists Kaoru and Die, vocalist Kyo, drummer Shinya and bassist Toshiya, they have released eleven full-length albums. Numerous stylistic changes have made the genre of their music difficult to determine, though it is generally considered to be a form of metal. Originally a visual kei band, the members later opted for more subtle attire, but have continued to maintain a dramatic image on stage.
Kyo is a Japanese musician, singer, lyricist and poet. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the heavy metal band Dir En Grey. He was formerly in a string of visual kei rock bands, with the most notable being La:Sadie's from 1995 to 1997. He then started Dir En Grey in February 1997, following La:Sadie's disbandment with three of its members, formed the experimental rock band Sukekiyo in 2013, and the supergroup Petit Brabancon in 2021. Kyo was inspired to become a musician when he saw a picture of Buck-Tick vocalist Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate. When he then discovered X Japan he was particularly fond of hide and had his parents buy him the guitarist's black signature model guitar. However, after realizing how difficult it was to play guitar and then bass, he then switched to vocals.
Macabre is the second studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey. It was released on September 20, 2000. It was the band's first record to be released in collaboration of Free-Will's Firewall sub-division and Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The original print of Macabre featured an etched, tinted jewel case with five wooden beads placed within the spine. The album proper, like Gauze, included two booklets: one with the lyrics, and the other featuring a related image and poem.
The discography of Japanese R&B singer Misia consists of nine studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play (EP), one live album, six remix albums, twenty-six singles, twelve promotional singles, eighteen video albums and thirty-seven music videos. In 1997, Misia signed a recording contract with BMG Japan and joined the then up-and-coming talent agency, Rhythmedia. Under the sub-label Arista Japan, Misia released her first single, "Tsutsumikomu Yō ni..." in February 1998, followed by "Hi no Ataru Basho" in May. In June, her debut album, Mother Father Brother Sister, opened at number three on the Oricon chart. The album peaked at number one three weeks later and stayed in the top five for eleven consecutive weeks. Mother Father Brother Sister was certified double million and won a Japan Record Award for Best Album, as well as a Japan Gold Disc Award for Pop Album of the Year. In 2000, Misia's second studio album, Love Is the Message, debuted at number one and was certified double million. It won a Japan Record Award for Best Album and a Japan Gold Disc Award for Pop Album of the Year. The album spawned three top ten hits: "Believe," "Wasurenai Hibi" and "Sweetness." Misia's first remix album, Misia Remix 2000 Little Tokyo, was released three months later and shot to number one. It sold over 800,000 copies and is the second best-selling remix album of all time in Japan.
Uroboros is the seventh studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey. It was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States by The End Records and, due to the time difference, on November 12, 2008, in Japan through Firewall and European releases by Gan-Shin. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2012, featuring new and reworked tracks. The album was remastered by Tue Madsen who also produced their following album Dum Spiro Spero.
Touch Me! is Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki's eighth studio album, which was released on January 21, 2009, in Japan by her record label Northern Music. The album was released in two formats; the regular single CD version and a limited CD+DVD version, whose content contained a behind the scenes look at the making of the album, as well an interview and clips from her 2008 tour. The album follows the same pattern as "One Life", in which Kuraki collaborated with new composers.
Arisa is the debut studio album by Japanese recording artist Arisa Mizuki, released through Nippon Columbia on December 4, 1991. Arisa is predominantly a pop music album. It is written by an array of famous Japanese musicians, including Amii Ozaki, Princess Princess vocalist Kaori Okui, Takeshi Kobayashi, Tetsuya Komuro, and The Alfee guitarist Toshihiko Takamizawa. In its review of the album, CDJournal described Arisa as an "idol record" that can appeal to actual music lovers. The online magazine praised Mizuki's vocal ability for being "far greater than the typical teenager" and noted that the only apparent flaw was the album's lack of cohesion.
Ayaka's History 2006–2009 is Ayaka's first compilation album, released on September 23, 2009. The album was released in three versions: 2CD+DVD (limited), 2CD+Photo book (limited) and a regular one disc edition.
Diamond is the debut Japanese studio album by South Korean girl group 4Minute. It was released in Japan on December 15, 2010. It was released in two editions, regular CD only, and limited CD+DVD. The limited edition includes a 52-page photobook that highlights some of their single releases and Japanese debuts. The album sold 7,060 copies in Japan, peaking at the #27 spot in the Oricon weekly charts. The Korean edition of the album was released on January 25, 2011, but doesn't includes the Korean songs from their debut EP "For Muzik".
Magnum Collection 1999 "Dear" is Japanese singer-songwriter Masaharu Fukuyama's second compilation album, released on December 8, 1999. The album debuted at the top of the Oricon chart with sales of 373,790. This is currently the best-selling album by the artist.
Glay is the eleventh studio album by Japanese band Glay. The album was released on October 13, 2010. It reached #1 on the Oricon charts and Billboard Japan Top Albums chart and sold a total of 125,081 copies as of January 3, 2011. It is the first album released under the band's own label "Loversoul Music & Associates." The limited edition came with a DVD featuring a live at Niigata Lots on July 30, 2010 and the anime movie Je t'aime, which was directed by Oshii Mamoru, produced by Production I.G and featured "Satellite of Love" as the theme song.
Dum Spiro Spero is the eighth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey, released on August 2, 2011 in the U.S., and in Japan on August 3.
"Different Sense" is the 27th single by Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey, released on June 22, 2011, in Japan in a regular and limited edition, the limited copy featuring a bonus DVD. It is the third single taken from the band's eighth studio album, Dum Spiro Spero. It peaked at #5 at the Oricon weekly charts.
Arisa II: Shake Your Body for Me is the second studio album by Japanese recording artist Arisa Mizuki, released through Nippon Columbia on October 1, 1992. Arisa II: Shake Your Body for Me is predominantly a pop and dance music album. It is written and produced by an array of famous Japanese musicians, including Anri, Keizō Nakanishi, Takao Konishi, and Tetsuya Komuro.
Fiore is the first compilation album by Japanese recording artist Arisa Mizuki, released through Nippon Columbia on October 1, 1993. The eleven-track set features a selection of songs from Mizuki's first two studio albums, Arisa and Arisa II: Shake Your Body for Me, as well as two original songs. It is Mizuki's first album to include the original versions of both "Densetsu no Shōjo" (1991) and "Too Shy Shy Boy!" (1992).
Cute is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Arisa Mizuki, released through Nippon Columbia on July 21, 1995. It is predominantly a pop music album. Cute was released only seventh months after Arisa III: Look and is Mizuki's last studio album to be released under Nippon Columbia. The album produced two singles, "Anata no Sedai e Kuchizuke o", written and produced by Tetsuya Komuro, and "Dakishimete!." Both singles debuted within the top twenty, with "Anata no Sedai e Kuchizuke o" becoming Mizuki's last single to break the top ten. Despite not being released as a single, track seven, "Kagayaite Ite ," was used as theme song for the NHK television and radio program Minna no Uta throughout June and July 1995.
Arisa's Favorite: T.K. Songs is the second compilation album by Japanese recording artist Arisa Mizuki, released through Nippon Columbia on November 27, 1996. The twelve-track set is a collection of songs written and produced by Tetsuya Komuro, selected from Mizuki's past albums and singles. The compilation is Mizuki's last album on which she is credited as Arisa Mizuki.
Go is the fifth studio album by Japanese rapper Kreva, released through Pony Canyon on September 8, 2011. It is Kreva's first studio album in two years. The album's title, Go, is a word play on the Japanese word for five. Kreva explained, "It's my fifth album so I called it Go". Go produced three singles, including the top ten hit "Idome".
Utahime (歌姫) is a covers album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori. It was released on 24 March 1994 under MCA Records. It is Nakamori's first covers album, and her only covers album to be released in the 1990s. On the same day, the promotional cover single "Kataomoi" was released.
Zero Album: Utahime 2 (歌姫2) is a covers album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori. It was released on 20 March 2002 under the Universal Music Japan sub-label KittyMe. It is Nakamori's second covers album from the Utahime cover album series.
