Ryo Owatari, of Do As Infinity
Happy belated birthday to Ryo Owatari, guitarist of the former Jpop/jrock group, Do As Infinity, who turned 36 yesterday!!
Do As Infinity is a Japanese rock group that started with just one man, Dai Nagao. He began his career by composing music for an amateur group, and, after its disbandment, continued composing and writing lyrics, sending out demo tapes, until he was eventually hired by Avex Trax. Under this company he worked on songs for popular artists like Ayumi Hamasaki and hitomi. Eventually, he began to have a desire to create his own band.
Auditions were held. Tomiko Van was chosen as the vocalist less than two days after the application was read, and Ryo Owatari played was asked to play three whole songs after playing a small segment of a song on the guitar. In September of 1999, their first single as a band, Tangerin Dream, was released, and they performed a free concert in Shibuya. They then commenced a nationwide street tour in which they performed one hundred concerts on streets or in CD stores all around Japan.
They released their second and third singles in December and January, and their third single, Oasis, managed to make it into the top 30 of the Oricon charts. “Oasis” also became their first song to be used in advertising. Their next single, Yesterday & Today, released in February 2000, was used as the theme song to the drama Nisennen no Koi, while the b-side, “Raven,” was used as the theme song for the popular horror movie, Uzumaki. Both the drama and the movie attracted more mainstream attention to Do As Infinity’s music.
Their first album was released the next month, in March, at hit the #3 spot on its first day. Their next single, released in August, was again the theme for a movie, and, since the single’s cover picture was taken in Taiwan, it provided the inspiration for a later single, Shinjitstu no Uta, which was used as a theme for the anime Inu-Yasha. Their next single was also released in August: Summer Days became their first famous all-English song, and became a popular part of every single concert. The group finished off the year with another single in November, and participating in the annual year-end countdown at Roppongi.
In January 2001 they released the single Desire, which became the first single that they performed on television, on the music program Music Station. This gained them even more widespread attention, and their second album, New World, was able to debut at #1 on the charts. In February they released their first PV Collection on DVD, and Tomiko signed up to participate in a series of commercials for LAVENUS hair care products.
Do As Infinity’s major popularity came at the release of their 10th single, Fukai Mori, which was used as the second ending theme for the hit anime series InuYasha. It became their most popular song, and gained them the attention they needed for their third album, Deep Forest, to debut #1 on the charts.
The next year the band began to appeal to international fans. They traveled to Taiwan and Hong Kong in April to promote their new compilation album, Do the Best, and performing in local CD shops. They were nominated later that year to receive the Japan Gold Disc Award for Best Rock & Pop Album of the year for Do the Best, and won. Afterwards the group took a short break, and returned in July to release a new single, Under the Sun / Under the Moon. In October, they released Shinjitsu no Uta, which was translated in Mandarin and rerecorded because it was so popular in China. They year 2002 ended with another live tour and the release of their fourth album, True Song.
2003 featured more successful singles from the band, and they performed in more promotional tours and a-nation concerts. They released their fifth album Gates of Heaven, in November.
The next year they took a short break, and then set off for New York City and Dallas to play for the first time in the United States. They also traveled to Korea and participated in the Korea & Japan Friendship Week in JEJU along with popular Korean hip-hop group JTL.
In February 2005 they released their sixth album, Need Your Love, and they promoted this new album with another live tour. In July, they released their twentieth single, TAO, which spoke about friends parting ways. This caused rumors to circulate about the band disbanding, and, on September 29, 2005, exactly six years after the release of their first single, the rumors were verified by an official announcement by the band.
The members have since gone their separate ways. Tomiko Van has pursued a solo career, and made her debut in March 2006 with her album, Farewell. Ryo Owatari is now the leader of the band Missile Innovation, which released its first single in February 2006, and is also working with other popular Avex artists like Ayumi Hamasaki, Ai Otsuka, and AAA. Dai Nagao, the mastermind behind Do As Infinity, is now working with artists under the True Song label.
Debut Date: September 29, 1999
Disbandment Date: September 29, 2005
Label before Disbandment: Avex Trax
Members:
Vocals: Van Tomiko
Guitar: Ryo Owatari
Composer/Lyricist: Dai Nagao
Discography
Singles:
09/29/1999 - Tangerine Dream
12/08/1999 - Heart
01/25/2000 - Oasis
02/23/2000 - Yesterday & Today
08/02/2000 - Rumble Fish
11/29/2000 - We Are
01/24/2001 - Desire
04/25/2001 - Tooku Made
05/30/2001 - Week!
06/27/2001 - Fukai Mori
09/05/2001 - Boukensha Tachi
02/27/2002 - Hi no Ataru Sakamichi
07/31/2002 - Under the Sun / Under the Moon
10/30/2002 - Shinjitsu no Uta
06/11/2003 - Mahou no Kotoba ~Would You Marry Me?~
09/25/2003 - Honjitsu no Seiten Nari
11/06/2003 - Hiiragi
12/15/2004 - Rakuen
01/19/2005 - For the Future
01/27/2006 - TAO
Albums:
03/23/2000 - Break of Dawn
01/21/2001 - New World
09/19/2001 - Deep Forest
03/20/2002 - Do the Best (Compilation)
12/26/2002 - True Song
11/27/2003 - Gates of Heaven
01/16/2005 - Need Your Love
03/15/2006 - Do As Infinity -Final- (Compilation)
03/15/2006 - Do the Box (Compilation)
09/20/2006 - Do As Infinity Premier (Compilation)
09/20/2006 - Do As Infinity 3rd Anniversary (Compilation)
Credits: Wikipedia
Do As Infinity is one of those groups that every Jpop enthusiast must know. They’re just, so classic. I don’t even know how else to say it. But honestly, they really were a great band. Tomiko’s vocals were not exactly amazing but she has a decent voice and really did match the varied style of the music of the group. The band’s music has always been impressive, and it’s really sad that they’ve disbanded.
Fukai Mori
This is one of those songs that you just have to know. I mean, it’s the first Inuyasha theme. And if you’re from my generation then you’ve probably watched Inuyasha. In any case, I’m kind of tired of it because I’ve had it for so long. But it really is a great a song. It’s smooth and the instrumentals are beautiful, and Tomiko’s vocals add the final touch. It’s an awesome song. I’ve just heard too many times. xD; The video is slow but somehow it still held my attention. So it must be decent. :3
Lyrics + Translation
Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari
A live performance! Yay! Actually, not really yay. This is a pretty bad live performance…lol. The actual recorded song is MUCH better. Tomiko sings like crap here. Anyways, this song is more poppy-punky than Fukai Mori or some of their other songs. It’s not a bad song, though not entirely to my taste. Don’t judge the song based on this terrible performance. xD; Well, the only really bad thing about it that Tomiko stinks at singing initially; she gets better. And the band does a great job, I think. x_x;
Lyrics | Translation
Download:
Do As Infinity - Fukai Mori
Do As Infinity - Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari
Commenting is nice~
Do As Infinity is a Japanese rock group that started with just one man, Dai Nagao. He began his career by composing music for an amateur group, and, after its disbandment, continued composing and writing lyrics, sending out demo tapes, until he was eventually hired by Avex Trax. Under this company he worked on songs for popular artists like Ayumi Hamasaki and hitomi. Eventually, he began to have a desire to create his own band.
Auditions were held. Tomiko Van was chosen as the vocalist less than two days after the application was read, and Ryo Owatari played was asked to play three whole songs after playing a small segment of a song on the guitar. In September of 1999, their first single as a band, Tangerin Dream, was released, and they performed a free concert in Shibuya. They then commenced a nationwide street tour in which they performed one hundred concerts on streets or in CD stores all around Japan.
They released their second and third singles in December and January, and their third single, Oasis, managed to make it into the top 30 of the Oricon charts. “Oasis” also became their first song to be used in advertising. Their next single, Yesterday & Today, released in February 2000, was used as the theme song to the drama Nisennen no Koi, while the b-side, “Raven,” was used as the theme song for the popular horror movie, Uzumaki. Both the drama and the movie attracted more mainstream attention to Do As Infinity’s music.
Their first album was released the next month, in March, at hit the #3 spot on its first day. Their next single, released in August, was again the theme for a movie, and, since the single’s cover picture was taken in Taiwan, it provided the inspiration for a later single, Shinjitstu no Uta, which was used as a theme for the anime Inu-Yasha. Their next single was also released in August: Summer Days became their first famous all-English song, and became a popular part of every single concert. The group finished off the year with another single in November, and participating in the annual year-end countdown at Roppongi.
In January 2001 they released the single Desire, which became the first single that they performed on television, on the music program Music Station. This gained them even more widespread attention, and their second album, New World, was able to debut at #1 on the charts. In February they released their first PV Collection on DVD, and Tomiko signed up to participate in a series of commercials for LAVENUS hair care products.
Do As Infinity’s major popularity came at the release of their 10th single, Fukai Mori, which was used as the second ending theme for the hit anime series InuYasha. It became their most popular song, and gained them the attention they needed for their third album, Deep Forest, to debut #1 on the charts.
The next year the band began to appeal to international fans. They traveled to Taiwan and Hong Kong in April to promote their new compilation album, Do the Best, and performing in local CD shops. They were nominated later that year to receive the Japan Gold Disc Award for Best Rock & Pop Album of the year for Do the Best, and won. Afterwards the group took a short break, and returned in July to release a new single, Under the Sun / Under the Moon. In October, they released Shinjitsu no Uta, which was translated in Mandarin and rerecorded because it was so popular in China. They year 2002 ended with another live tour and the release of their fourth album, True Song.
2003 featured more successful singles from the band, and they performed in more promotional tours and a-nation concerts. They released their fifth album Gates of Heaven, in November.
The next year they took a short break, and then set off for New York City and Dallas to play for the first time in the United States. They also traveled to Korea and participated in the Korea & Japan Friendship Week in JEJU along with popular Korean hip-hop group JTL.
In February 2005 they released their sixth album, Need Your Love, and they promoted this new album with another live tour. In July, they released their twentieth single, TAO, which spoke about friends parting ways. This caused rumors to circulate about the band disbanding, and, on September 29, 2005, exactly six years after the release of their first single, the rumors were verified by an official announcement by the band.
The members have since gone their separate ways. Tomiko Van has pursued a solo career, and made her debut in March 2006 with her album, Farewell. Ryo Owatari is now the leader of the band Missile Innovation, which released its first single in February 2006, and is also working with other popular Avex artists like Ayumi Hamasaki, Ai Otsuka, and AAA. Dai Nagao, the mastermind behind Do As Infinity, is now working with artists under the True Song label.
Debut Date: September 29, 1999
Disbandment Date: September 29, 2005
Label before Disbandment: Avex Trax
Members:
Vocals: Van Tomiko
Guitar: Ryo Owatari
Composer/Lyricist: Dai Nagao
Discography
Singles:
09/29/1999 - Tangerine Dream
12/08/1999 - Heart
01/25/2000 - Oasis
02/23/2000 - Yesterday & Today
08/02/2000 - Rumble Fish
11/29/2000 - We Are
01/24/2001 - Desire
04/25/2001 - Tooku Made
05/30/2001 - Week!
06/27/2001 - Fukai Mori
09/05/2001 - Boukensha Tachi
02/27/2002 - Hi no Ataru Sakamichi
07/31/2002 - Under the Sun / Under the Moon
10/30/2002 - Shinjitsu no Uta
06/11/2003 - Mahou no Kotoba ~Would You Marry Me?~
09/25/2003 - Honjitsu no Seiten Nari
11/06/2003 - Hiiragi
12/15/2004 - Rakuen
01/19/2005 - For the Future
01/27/2006 - TAO
Albums:
03/23/2000 - Break of Dawn
01/21/2001 - New World
09/19/2001 - Deep Forest
03/20/2002 - Do the Best (Compilation)
12/26/2002 - True Song
11/27/2003 - Gates of Heaven
01/16/2005 - Need Your Love
03/15/2006 - Do As Infinity -Final- (Compilation)
03/15/2006 - Do the Box (Compilation)
09/20/2006 - Do As Infinity Premier (Compilation)
09/20/2006 - Do As Infinity 3rd Anniversary (Compilation)
Credits: Wikipedia
Do As Infinity is one of those groups that every Jpop enthusiast must know. They’re just, so classic. I don’t even know how else to say it. But honestly, they really were a great band. Tomiko’s vocals were not exactly amazing but she has a decent voice and really did match the varied style of the music of the group. The band’s music has always been impressive, and it’s really sad that they’ve disbanded.
Fukai Mori
This is one of those songs that you just have to know. I mean, it’s the first Inuyasha theme. And if you’re from my generation then you’ve probably watched Inuyasha. In any case, I’m kind of tired of it because I’ve had it for so long. But it really is a great a song. It’s smooth and the instrumentals are beautiful, and Tomiko’s vocals add the final touch. It’s an awesome song. I’ve just heard too many times. xD; The video is slow but somehow it still held my attention. So it must be decent. :3
Lyrics + Translation
Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari
A live performance! Yay! Actually, not really yay. This is a pretty bad live performance…lol. The actual recorded song is MUCH better. Tomiko sings like crap here. Anyways, this song is more poppy-punky than Fukai Mori or some of their other songs. It’s not a bad song, though not entirely to my taste. Don’t judge the song based on this terrible performance. xD; Well, the only really bad thing about it that Tomiko stinks at singing initially; she gets better. And the band does a great job, I think. x_x;
Lyrics | Translation
Download:
Do As Infinity - Fukai Mori
Do As Infinity - Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari
Commenting is nice~