A giant 2D barcode on a billboard advertisement in Shibuya. People may point their cellphone's camera at it to access the website whose URL is coded in the barcode. It advertises Flumpool's debut album Unreal.
Flumpool (stylized as flumpool) are a Japanese rock band. The band, originally from Osaka Prefecture,[1] was formed in January 2007. The band's name is a portmanteau of the words four (from the number of members in the band), lump, and pool. Thus, the name could be interpreted to mean "collective mass of four" or a "quartet".[2]
On 1 October 2008, the band released a downloadsingle named "Hana ni Nare" (花になれ, "Become a Flower"). Their debut mini-album (though its length is over 48 minutes), Unreal was released on 10 November 2008. Unreal served Platinum certification from the RIAJ for its shipment of 250,000 copies.[3]
History
2002: cube
In 2002, Yamamura, along with his childhood friends, Sakai and Amakawa, formed an acoustic unit named 309. Later, when a support drummer joined them, they formed a band.[4] From then, they changed their name to cube. Yamamura plays acoustic guitar as well as does most vocals. Sakai also plays acoustic guitar while Amakawa plays bass guitar. Furthermore, they issued four independent CD productions.
2007: flumpool
In January 2007, Ogura joined the band as the drummer. On 13 January, the band's name was changed to flumpool. They held live gigs in Osaka-jō Hall and "live houses" around Osaka. On 24 July, the production of an independent single titled "Mirai Kanai" (ミライカナイ, "One's Future") was announced.
2008: Debut
On 25 June, "Mirai Kanai" went up for sale on indiesmusic.com. In July, the promotional video of "labo" was made. The video was ranked number one on Access Rankings. On 27 August, both Tower Records and Tsutaya held the 5,000 limited copies of the independent trial single, "labo". On 1 September, they became the Campaign Song Artist for the telephone service, auKDDI "LISMO". On September 20, their song, "Hana ni Nare" was used for the campaign.
On 5 September, the band was featured on Fuji TV's Mezamashi TV and performed on television for the first time. On October 1, they released "Hana ni Nare" (花になれ, "Become a Flower") as their first digital single with Amuse, Inc. under the newly created sub-label A-Sketch. In just ten days, the song reached 1,000,000 downloads (now 2,000,000). On November 5, they released their second digital single, "Over the Rain (Hikari no Hashi)" (Over the Rain～ひかりの橋～, "Over the Rain (Bridge of Light)"). The song was used as the theme song of TBS drama, Bloody Monday. On the same month, they released their first mini-album, Unreal on the 19th. It reached No.2 on Oricon weekly albums chart.
2009: What's flumpool!?
On 19 February, the band launched their first nationwide tour, "flumpool tour 2009『UNREAL』" with seven performances in six cities. Later in that month, the band released their first major single, "Hoshi ni Negai o" (星に願いを, "Wish Upon A Star") and reached No.2 on Oricon weekly singles chart.
Their second single was released on 1 July, entitled "MW (Dear Mr. & Mrs. Picaresque)/Natsu Dive" (MW ～Dear Mr. & Ms. ピカレスク～／夏Dive, "MW (Dear Mr. & Mrs. Picaresque)/Summer Dive") and reached No.3 on Oricon weekly singles chart. On the same day, their first Live DVD, "『How did we feel then?~flumpool tour 2009 "Unreal" Live at Shibuya Club Quattro~』" was released and reached No.1 on Oricon weekly Music DVD Chart.
A week after the releases, the band began their second nationwide tour, "flumpool tour 2009 "Unclose"" at 18 venues. The tour comprised a total of 19 performances.
On 14 October, the band released their third digital single, "Frame". On 18 November, they released yet another digital single, "Mitsumeteitai".
The band released their first full album, What's flumpool!? on 23 December and reached No.2 on the Oricon weekly albums chart.
2010: Vocalist's polypectomy and year-end arena lives
On 3 February, the band released their third single, "Zanzō" and reached No.3 on Oricon weekly singles chart. The song was used as the theme song of the second season of TBS drama, Bloody Monday. On the same month, they released their second live DVD, "flumpool tour 2009『Unclose』Special!! LIVE at Nippon Budokan". It also reached No.1 on Oricon weekly Music DVD chart.
On 5 March, the band started their third nationwide tour, "flumpool tour 2010「What's flumpool!?~Love&Piiiis Kids Show!!~」" at 40 venues and 46 performances in total. The tour lasted three months.
On 14 March, the band released their first artist photobook, "fourbond".
It was made known on 29 April that flumpool's vocalist, Ryuta Yamamura would undergo polypectomy in June. On 5 May, Ryuta Yamamura announced on "flumpool ROCKS!", flumpool's corner of the radio program TOKYO FM's SCHOOL OF ROCK!, that he will undergo polypectomy after their last concert of the third tour in Okinawa and spend about a month resting.
The band released their fourth major single entitled "reboot~Akiramenai Uta~/Nagareboshi" (reboot～あきらめない詩～／流れ星, "reboot~Don't Give Up Song~/Shooting Star") on 23 June. It reached No.2 on Oricon weekly singles chart. The song, "reboot~Akiramenai Uta~" was used as a support song of Japanese television network NTV's coverage of the FIFA World Cup.
As of 7 July, Yamamura made a Tanabata return after surgery at "flumpool ROCKS!". On 1 August, flumpool performed at "SETSTOCK'10" which was held in Hiroshima. It was their first live after the return of their vocalist.
It was announced on 14 July that the band would sing the theme song entitled "Kimi ni Todoke" (君に届け, "Reaching you") of the movie Kimi ni Todoke. The song "Kimi ni Todoke" was released as a single on 29 September. It debuted at No.2 on the Oricon weekly singles chart. All five major single releases to date have made it to top three on the Oricon weekly singles chart.
The band released a Christmas DVD single entitled "Snowy Nights Serenade~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~" (Snowy Nights Serenade～心までも繋ぎたい～). The release is limited to the members of POOLSIDE, the band's mobile fan club. This first time ever members limited release is a premium package which includes a Special DVD encompassing flumpool's "gratitude" and an original calendar (2011). The song "Snowy Nights Serenade～心までも繋ぎたい～(Xmas ver.)" was the main theme of their year-end arena lives which were held on December 18 and 19 at Osaka-jō Hall and on 25 and 26 December at Yokohama Arena. They expressed their gratitude to their fans for staying with them in the year since the opening of POOLSIDE by turning the words they can't convey very well into this song.
On 31 December, flumpool attended the 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, performing on the show for the second time.
2011–2012: Fantasia of Life Stripe
flumpool held a live tour with rock band, Nico Touches the Walls in January in 3 cities.
The band released their second full album on 26 January. The title of the album, Fantasia of Life Stripe was revealed through a CM, aired on 28 November 2010. Details of the album were disclosed on 29 November 2010 on their official website. The album reached No.2 on the Oricon weekly albums chart.
The band were in charge of the set piece for the Junior High School section of the 78th NHK National Music Contest. A choral composition of the set piece was scheduled to be announced in March. The theme of the contest is "Companions". The title was later announced as "Akashi" (証). "Akashi" was NHK's "Minna no Uta" music broadcast in August to September.
The band released their third Live DVD entitled "3rd Live DVD flumpool Live at YOKOHAMA ARENA!! Special Live 2010「Snowy Nights Serenade~Kokoro Made mo Tsunagitai~」" (3rd Live DVD flumpool Live at YOKOHAMA ARENA!! Special Live 2010「Snowy Nights Serenade～心までも繋ぎたい～」) on April 6. The DVD reached No.3 on Oricon weekly Music DVD chart.
The band started their fourth nationwide tour entitled "Fantasia of Life Stripe~Bokutachi wa Koko ni Iru~" (『Fantasia of Life Stripe～僕達はここにいる～』) from April in 10 major cities and 19 performances. Due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the band kicked off their tour on 9 April in Fukuoka instead of Yokosuga, Kanagawa on 4 April. The two shows which were scheduled in Yokosuga, Kanagawa are replaced by concerts at Kanagawa Kenmin Hall in Kanagawa on 3 and 4 June. The concerts scheduled 7 and 8 May in Sendai, Miyagi was cancelled. The band will hold a live at Zepp Sendai on 12 August instead. The title of the live is "4th tour 2011 "Fantasia of Life Stripe ～僕達はここにいる～" Zepp Sendai Special Live". In the aftermath of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the band's members and their record label A-Sketch made a donation of 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross as part of the fund raising campaign by their agency Amuse. The band will also donate some of the revenue from sales of concert tickets and official goods. They also set up donation boxes at each concert and encourage donations from the crowds.
In May, it was announced that the band would sing the theme song for the "Rugby World Cup 2011".
In June, flumpool's vocalist, Ryuta Yamamura appeared solo in the CM for the mobile game site "Mobage". The song used in the CM is the band's new song which will be released as a double a-side single entitled "Donna Mirai ni mo Ai wa Aru/Touch" (どんな未来にも愛はある/Touch). The song "Touch" is used as the tie-up song for "au AQUOS PHONE IS11SH" commercial. The single was released on 27 July.
2012–present: experience
In December 2012, flumpool released an album titled experience. With the album they made a debut into Taiwan. With a Chinese cover 証明 written by MaydayAshin.
In September 2014, Flumpool makes a Single for Indonesian Tokusatsu Series Satria Garuda BIMA-X titled 'Let Tomorrow be'.
On December 6, 2017, flumpool announced that it was going on indefinite hiatus. Vocalist Ryuta Yamamura was diagnosed with functional vocal disorder, forcing him to stop his activities and seek treatment.[5]
On January 13, 2019, Yamamura announced that he had recovered and flumpool would be resuming activities. They released the single HELP on May 22, and announced their ninth concert tour Command Shift Z would start in September and include Hong Kong tour dates.[6]
On April 17 2023, flumpool performed a concert EARTH X HEART alongside Mayday in Japan.
Moon is the third full-length studio album released by Japanese solo artist Gackt on June 19, 2002. Instead of a booklet, the concept album comes with a printed note by the artist, asking readers to "sense" the record's story, rather than analyzing the lyrics. The booklet was eventually included in the packaging of Moon's 2003 follow-up Crescent. Both albums are linked, as well as his more recent albums Diabolos and Last Moon from the "Moon Saga".
"Baby Don't Cry" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro for her eighth studio album, Play (2007). It was written, composed, arranged, and produced by Japanese musician Naoaki Yamato, under the alias Nao'ymt. The single also included the B-side track "Nobody", a re-recorded version of her single "White Light". It premiered on January 24, 2007 as the third single from the album in Japan. It was also released worldwide on February 21, 2007 through Avex Entertainment Inc. Musically, "Baby Don't Cry" is a pop ballad, influenced by R&B music.
Best Fiction is the greatest hits album by Japanese singer Namie Amuro. Avex Trax released it in a variety of formats on July 30, 2008, and it has since been distributed in several Asian countries. It is Amuro's third compilation album, and features seventeen singles released in the 2000s. The compilation also included five new songs, three of which were released as a triple A-side single called "60s 70s 80s". Furthermore, the album tracks "Do Me More" and "Sexy Girl" experienced success in the Japanese market.
This is the discography for Japanese boy band KAT-TUN.
Hideaki Tokunaga is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and actor.
Next Level is the tenth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released through Avex Trax on March 25, 2009 in five physical formats, and for digital consumption. The album was solely produced by Avex Trax owner Max Matsuura, whereas the album's content was written by Hamasaki herself. Additionally, it marks a return for several composers that helped construct her previous records, including Dai Nagao, CMJK, Kazuhiro Hara, HΛL, amongst others. Stylistically, Next Level is a departure from her previous albums, focusing on electronic music with elements of rock and dance.
The Japanese boy band Kanjani Eight is a pop idol group managed by Johnny & Associates and works released by Infinity Records. The group, currently, has a total of 36 released singles, 9 studio albums, one mini album, and fifteen DVD releases. Thirty three of thirty six singles have placed at number-one on the Oricon singles chart. 47, the concert DVD for their 2007 nationwide tour, was the top selling music DVD of 2008.
Unreal is the first mini-album released by Japanese rock band flumpool on November 19, 2008. Its cover is a nude photography, describing the band's members as "dolls". It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipment of 250,000 copies.
Heaven is Miliyah Kato's fifth studio album. It was released on July 28, 2010.
The... is the debut extended play by South Korean boyband JYJ, a group formed of three of the five members of TVXQ. A Japanese-language EP, it was released under Rhythm Zone, the band's former Japanese label as a part of TVXQ. The release was commercially successful, reaching number one on Oricon's weekly albums chart.
"Arigatō " is a single by Hey! Say! JUMP. It was released on December 15, 2010.
Fantasia of Life Stripe is the second full album by Japanese rock band Flumpool. The album was released on January 26, 2011 in Japan under their record label A-Sketch in two editions: a limited edition premium package and a normal package. The album was certified gold by the RIAJ in January 2011.
Kis-My-Ft2 is a six-member Japanese boy band under Johnny & Associates, with members Kento Senga, Toshiya Miyata, Wataru Yokoo, Taisuke Fujigaya, Yuta Tamamori and Takashi Nikaidō.
"Ultra Lover" is the third Japanese single by South Korean boy band 2PM. It was released on November 2, 2011 in 3 editions: CD+DVD, CD+Photobook and a Regular edition. The single was released along with the group's second live DVD "1st Japan Tour 2011 "Take Off" in Makuhari Messe". The single ranked #4 in Oricon's Weekly chart.
"Tsubomi" is a song by Japanese folk rock band Kobukuro. It is their 15th single and is included on its ninth studio album 5296. The song was written and composed by Kentarō Kobuchi. The single was released on March 21, 2007, in two editions: a CD-only edition and a limited edition. It debuted at number two on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart before topping the chart the following week, and it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), denoting shipment of 500,000 units. "Tsubomi" earned the Grand Prix award at the 49th Japan Record Awards.
Ryuta Yamamura is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, lyricist, composer and actor. He is the vocalist of the flumpool and The Turtles Japan.
"Red" is the fifty-second single by Japanese rock duo B'z. It was released on 10 June 2015. It is their first non-album single since 2012's "Go for It, Baby " and their first single without a b-side since 1996's "Real Thing Shakes". The song was written to be Hiroshima Toyo Carp's pitcher Hiroki Kuroda's entrance song, and its title is a reference to the club's colors.
The following is the discography of hide, a Japanese rock musician who first gained fame in the late 1980s as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan before starting his solo career in 1993. Prior to X Japan, hide was leader and guitarist of the heavy metal band Saber Tiger, who released one self-titled EP in July 1985 and contributed to two omnibuses before ending activities. Although two compilation albums of demos and live recordings and one concert VHS would later be released in 2001, with the band credited as Yokosuka Saver Tiger.
Japanese singer and songwriter Miliyah Kato has released eleven studio albums, six compilation albums, two EPs, one remix album, one cover album, one tribute album, 51 singles, and 15 promotional singles. She has sold over 9 million records in Japan, making her one of the best-selling and most-downloaded artist in the country of all time. Kato has been named as "the charisma of the high school girls" and "the queen of the unrequited love songs" by several media.
Japanese singer-songwriter Mai Kuraki has released twenty-five video albums and three video singles, and been featured in sixty-six music videos, two television series, and eleven commercials. Kuraki debuted in 1999, while she was still in high school, through Giza Studio. The label initially marketed Kuraki in the United States under the name Mai K, and released the single "Baby I Like" (1999). However, the single was a commercial failure which prompted the label to send her back to Japan. There, they released her single "Love, Day After Tomorrow", which peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified million by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAJ). The second single, "Stay by My Side" became her first number one single on the chart. Kuraki's debut album, Delicious Way, topped the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified triple million by the RIAJ.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
