Glacier (band)
Encyclopedia
Glacier is a visual kei
rock
band from Okinawa
, Japan
. Makoto, Nao and Aki have been friends since they were elementary schoolchildren. The three members started the band in Okinawa. In the cause of Okinawan entertainment, they released a CD single Nangoku Shōjo from a Japanese record label Crown Records
on 23 July 2008.
on the mountains or rivers. When the band was in Okinawa, they were not conscious of Okinawa at first. So, when they decide the band name, they chose the thing which is not in Okinawa. But, since they used Okinawan scale, their music style might be categorised as Ryukyuan music.
After the band moved to Tokyo, they thought that they should open their Okinawan spirits which were hiding inside. They expressed the intention on the lyrics of the title song Nangoku Shōjo from the first CD single Nangoku Shōjo. Makoto, who wrote the lyrics, told that he constructed the words for the listeners to remind southern islands because he wanted them to understand easily the band's hometown and feelings. From this way of thinking, the band has began to wide the Okinawan club
pops
as the point in their Okinawan entertainment.
The first album Ryūkyū Carmen 80's has been made with atmosphere of Ryukyuan music, using computer music
and adding popular melodies like Kayōkyoku
. Nao, who composed many songs in this album, said that these sounds were born naturally from his inside. Not only Okinawan club pops, but also southern islands were also one of the concepts of the album. So, a song Ryūkyū Carmen, which was conscious of Spanish passionate sound, was recorded in the album. This song was the first to complete while the band were composing the songs for the album.
The band released a CD single SADISTIC LOVE on 17 December 2008. The previous work Ryūkyū Carmen 80's was released by Crown Records, a member of RIAJ
, but the single has been released by an indie label this time. The song Nangoku Shōjo was one of the songs representative of the band, and it described a bittersweet young love story in Okinawa. As opposed to the song, a tune of SADISTIC LOVE emphasised a taste of House music
, it also expressed an old-fashioned and smart atmosphere.
They had a time to look back upon the band in 2008. As a result, they reconfirmed their essential mind that they want to be a representative of Okinawa and keep their own spirits as an Okinawan band.
Visual kei
music fans have a high affinity for Magazine
in Japan. So, though the Japanese publishing industry is in a long slump, it has been keeping a tendency for many years that a strategic publicity of release or concert information about Visual kei artists was announced entirely on specified Visual kei music magazines. Most of publishers, which publish these magazines, are often headquartered in Tokyo. As a necessary result, the capital city was exclusively telegraphing Visual kei information. But since 2009, the band was gradually decreasing a publicity on the magazines, to make up for it, increasing local media in Okinawa, such as FM Okinawa
, Okinawa Radio or FM21. They had a one-man concert at Naha
, Okinawa
, Japan
on 14 August 2009. And they were invited to a special stage of a traditional event Tsuna Festa Yonabaru 2009 to perform a short concert at Yonabaru
, Shimajiri
, Okinawa
on 15 August.
The band released a CD single Kanasambana as the first work of their own label on 4 November 2009. Naoya Yoshida, who was a guitarist of Valentine D.C., took the post of sound producer on the work. The performance of the special stage at Tsuna Festa Yonabaru 2009 was recorded on a DVD attached to the CD. Love Chuppa, a radio programme of Okinawa Radio, broadcasted a thirty-minute special programme featuring this CD Kanasambana and the band without the members' appearance. Not Made in Japan but Made in Okinawa was printed on the package of the CD Kanasambana. That is, the description shows that the band is conscious of Okinawa further than the past.
Kōjirō, who was a support guitarist until the days before the 8th of November, 2009, has joined to the band as a regular member at the one-man concert on the day.
Kōjirō (guitarist) and Yūki (drummer) left the band on 25th November, 2010.
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Makoto, Nao and Aki have been friends since they were elementary schoolchildren. The three members started the band in Okinawa. In the cause of Okinawan entertainment, they released a CD single Nangoku Shōjo from a Japanese record label Crown Records
Nippon Crown
is a Japanese record label originally established as Crown Records on 6 September 1963. It is a spin-off of Nippon Columbia and is currently owned by karaoke maker Daiichikosho.-Artists:Artists signed to Nippon Crown Music include:* Hanaboy* Kimeru* Metis...
on 23 July 2008.
Biography
GLACIER means a mass of iceGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
on the mountains or rivers. When the band was in Okinawa, they were not conscious of Okinawa at first. So, when they decide the band name, they chose the thing which is not in Okinawa. But, since they used Okinawan scale, their music style might be categorised as Ryukyuan music.
After the band moved to Tokyo, they thought that they should open their Okinawan spirits which were hiding inside. They expressed the intention on the lyrics of the title song Nangoku Shōjo from the first CD single Nangoku Shōjo. Makoto, who wrote the lyrics, told that he constructed the words for the listeners to remind southern islands because he wanted them to understand easily the band's hometown and feelings. From this way of thinking, the band has began to wide the Okinawan club
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
pops
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
as the point in their Okinawan entertainment.
The first album Ryūkyū Carmen 80's has been made with atmosphere of Ryukyuan music, using computer music
Computer music
Computer music is a term that was originally used within academia to describe a field of study relating to the applications of computing technology in music composition; particularly that stemming from the Western art music tradition...
and adding popular melodies like Kayōkyoku
Kayokyoku
is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. The Japan Times describes kayōkyoku as "standard Japanese pop" or "Showa era pop".Kayōkyoku is Western-style-inspired music of Japan. Music in this genre is extremely varied as a result...
. Nao, who composed many songs in this album, said that these sounds were born naturally from his inside. Not only Okinawan club pops, but also southern islands were also one of the concepts of the album. So, a song Ryūkyū Carmen, which was conscious of Spanish passionate sound, was recorded in the album. This song was the first to complete while the band were composing the songs for the album.
The band released a CD single SADISTIC LOVE on 17 December 2008. The previous work Ryūkyū Carmen 80's was released by Crown Records, a member of RIAJ
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
, but the single has been released by an indie label this time. The song Nangoku Shōjo was one of the songs representative of the band, and it described a bittersweet young love story in Okinawa. As opposed to the song, a tune of SADISTIC LOVE emphasised a taste of House music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, it also expressed an old-fashioned and smart atmosphere.
They had a time to look back upon the band in 2008. As a result, they reconfirmed their essential mind that they want to be a representative of Okinawa and keep their own spirits as an Okinawan band.
Visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
music fans have a high affinity for Magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
in Japan. So, though the Japanese publishing industry is in a long slump, it has been keeping a tendency for many years that a strategic publicity of release or concert information about Visual kei artists was announced entirely on specified Visual kei music magazines. Most of publishers, which publish these magazines, are often headquartered in Tokyo. As a necessary result, the capital city was exclusively telegraphing Visual kei information. But since 2009, the band was gradually decreasing a publicity on the magazines, to make up for it, increasing local media in Okinawa, such as FM Okinawa
FM Okinawa
FM Okinawa Co., Ltd. is the broadcasting station which assumes main island of Okinawa of Okinawa a broadcast area for. A series of JFN.-A summary:Catch phrase「いつも心は南向き～Southern Station FM OKINAWA」....
, Okinawa Radio or FM21. They had a one-man concert at Naha
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on 14 August 2009. And they were invited to a special stage of a traditional event Tsuna Festa Yonabaru 2009 to perform a short concert at Yonabaru
Yonabaru, Okinawa
is a town located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 15,405 and a density of 3,069 persons per km². The total area is 5.02 km², making it the second smallest municipality in Okinawa....
, Shimajiri
Shimajiri District, Okinawa
is a district located in Okinawa, Japan. Roughly translated, Shimajiri means "Butt of the island" which refers to its southerly position on the island of Okinawa. Compare this to Kunigami District, Okinawa....
, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
on 15 August.
The band released a CD single Kanasambana as the first work of their own label on 4 November 2009. Naoya Yoshida, who was a guitarist of Valentine D.C., took the post of sound producer on the work. The performance of the special stage at Tsuna Festa Yonabaru 2009 was recorded on a DVD attached to the CD. Love Chuppa, a radio programme of Okinawa Radio, broadcasted a thirty-minute special programme featuring this CD Kanasambana and the band without the members' appearance. Not Made in Japan but Made in Okinawa was printed on the package of the CD Kanasambana. That is, the description shows that the band is conscious of Okinawa further than the past.
Kōjirō, who was a support guitarist until the days before the 8th of November, 2009, has joined to the band as a regular member at the one-man concert on the day.
Kōjirō (guitarist) and Yūki (drummer) left the band on 25th November, 2010.
Single
- Ryūkyū Renka (11 November 2007 / EXCC-0113)
- Nangoku Shōjo (23 July 2008 / CRCP-10202)
- SADISTIC LOVE (17 December 2008 / XQDT-1010)
- Kanasambana (4 November 2009 / HMCG-10001)
- The Dancing Branches (28 April 2010 / Released as music downloadMusic downloadA music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
) - Hoshi no Shirushi [Signs upon a star ] (26 May 2010 / Released as music download)
- Ai no Furu Machi [Lovefall Street ] (30 June 2010 / Released as music download)
- Kariyushi [Celebration ] (28 July 2010 / Released as music download)
Video
- Tokyo Kanasambana (Weekly release only for Japanese mobile phone)
- Nangoku Shōjo (Released on 24 February 2010)
- Aoi Chura Shima (Released on 3 March 2010)
- SADISTIC LOVE (Released on 10 March 2010)
- Orion no Tegami (Released on 17 March 2010)
- Kiku Saki Beni Ao (Released on 24 March 2010)
- Urizun Biyori - Rainy Days (Released on 31 March 2010)
- Ryūkyū Carmen (Released on 7 April 2010)
- Kugatsu incense (Released on 14 April 2010)
- Rhythmic Interlude (Released on 21 April 2010)
- Doll Parade (Released on 28 April 2010)
- Kariyushi (Released on 12 May 2010)
- Hoshi no Shirushi (Released on 19 May 2010)
- Shima UtaShima utais a 1992 song by the Japanese band The Boom. It was written by the lead singer, Kazufumi Miyazawa, based on his impressions from visiting Okinawa for a photo shoot. It is the band's best selling song, well-known throughout Japan and Argentina, and one of the most widely known songs associated with...
(Released on 26 May 2010) - Hoshizuna (Released on 2 June 2010)
- Kanasambana (Released on 9 June 2010)
- Deigo no Hana ga Saku koro ni (Released on 16 June 2010)
- Taiyō no Kuni (Released on 23 June 2010)
Tie-in
| Song | Subject | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Nangoku Shōjo | As an ending theme song of a TV programme Empura, broadcasted by Tokyo Broadcasting System Tokyo Broadcasting System , TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named .... in Japan. |
From July to September, 2008 |