Base Ball Bear

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Base Ball Bear
Origin Flag of Japan Tokyo, Japan
Genre(s) Rock
Years active 2001–present
Label(s) Blitz Pia Records (2003–2005)
EMI Music Japan (2006–present)
Members
Yūsuke Koide
Shōhei Yuasa
Shiori Sekine
Daisuke Horinouchi

Base Ball Bear (ベースボールベアー?) is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo that formally began in 2002, although the members assembled in the autumn of 2001. The band, which was initially named Planet, was formed for a one-time performance at a high school culture festival, but they decided to continue playing due to how well they were received at the festival and how much fun they were having. Base Ball Bear made its major debut in early 2006 with EMI Music Japan. Their style influences include Japanese indie rock bands Number Girl and Supercar, and British rock bands such as Oasis. The band has been noted for the "nostalgic" feel of band leader Yūsuke Koide's lyrics, often about teenage life and memories. They are also known for their contributions to the soundtrack of the movie Linda Linda Linda (in which female bassist Shiori Sekine had a leading role) and performing the themes to the anime series Toshokan Sensō and Ōkiku Furikabutte.

The band's former name, Planet, most likely came from a Supercar song of the same name. Their current name also derives partially from a song name. Koide thought of Japanese singer Chocolat's song "Base Ball and Elvis Presley", and suggested the name "Base Ball". Guitarist Yuasa thought it would be better if they added one more word to it, and the rest of the band agreed. They eventually settled on the word "bear".

Contents

[edit] Members

  • Yūsuke Koide (小出 祐介 Koide Yūsuke?, born December 9, 1984 in Tokyo) - Vocalist & guitarist, primary songwriter and the leader of the band. He likes movies, music, and reading. He likes old school hip hop and his favorite artists include XTC, Happy End and Perfume. He is also a fan of drama actress and idol Meguru Ishii.

[edit] Staff

  • Kenji Tamai (玉井健二 Tamai Kenji) - He has been the primary arranger of songs that Koide writes since 2007. He has also produced songs for other major Japanese musicians including Yuki, Genki Rockets, and Yuna Itō.
  • Ham-chan (ハムちゃん Hamu-chan) and Ōkubo (大久保) - the band's managers.
  • Imamura (今村) - the band's director.
  • Oku (オク) - the band's personal assistant.

[edit] History

Koide originally gathered the band members in 2001, with the purpose of performing at their high school's fall festival. The band's name at the time was "Planet" and they played covers of songs by the band Supercar. Afterwards, all of the band members decided to continue with the band as a hobby.

In April 2002, the band began sending demo tapes to record labels and were advised by Toshiba EMI to change their name, eventually choosing "Base Ball Bear," the name under which they performed their first gig at Shimokitazawa Garage that July. Throughout the rest of the year, they continued playing in the Shibuya and Shimokitazawa areas of Tokyo as their fan base began to grow.

In November 2003, Base Ball Bear signed with Blitz Pia Records, an indies label. They immediately release their first mini-album Yūgata Generation on November 26. The band released their first single, Yume is Vision, in April of the following year. It was the first of the band's songs to be accompanied by a music video and they colloborated with Yūki, a Japanese fashion magazine model and Base Ball Bear fan, to create it. The band spent the rest of 2004 practicing and writing new songs, some of where were featured on compilation CDs.

The band released their first full-length album, High Color Times, on March 16, 2005, and started playing concerts to sold-out crowds in larger venues. Also, Shiori Sekine was cast in one of the lead roles in the film Linda Linda Linda, which features some of the bands music.

Base Ball Bear signed with EMI Music Japan in January 2006, and immediately release an introductory album, Band B ni Tsuite, on January 12. (They had released another version of Band B ni Tsuite on October 14, 2005, but the new released included a couple new songs and other remastering.) They played on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo (若若男女) Summer Tour with Chatmonchy and Snowkel and released their first major album, C, on October 29.

Thei first solo tour, "Live by the C", took place in the spring of 2007. Over the course of the year, they released four more singles, as well as their second major album, Jūnanasai. Their live performances included the Rock in Japan Festival, another round on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo Summer Tour, and the B-Pop High School Tour.

In 2008, the band continues to work on new materials and planned a solo tour called "17-sai Kara Yattemasu Tour" (Starting from 17 Tour) that was scheduled to begin in March. They performed Changes, the ending theme to the Production I.G anime series Toshokan Sensō, which was released on May 8, 2008.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Amateur releases

  • Mae -Front- (前－front－ Front -Front-?) (July 2002)
  1. My Generation' (マイジェネレーション)
  2. Wave
  3. November; JHS (ノーベンバー；JHS)
  4. Pureway
  5. Sky High (スカイハイ)
  • Ushiro -Back- (後－back－ Back -Back-?) (July 2002)
  1. Hope
  2. Rainpark
  3. Evilway
  4. 89
  5. Boy
  • Change Up (チェンジアップ?) (September 2002)
  1. Change Up (チェンジアップ)
  • White Twilight (ホワイトワイライト?) (October 2002)
  1. White Twilight (ホワイトワイライト)
  2. November: JHS (ノーベンバー：JHS)
  3. Planetarium (プラネタリウム)
  4. Slogan (スローガン)
  5. My Generation (マイジェネレーション) (acoustic version)
  • School Life (スクールライフ?) (November 2002)
  1. School Life (スクールライフ)
  • HR (March 2003)
  1. HR
  2. School Life (スクールライフ)
  3. Slogan (スローガン)
  • YUMEisVISION (June 2003)
  1. YUMEisVISION (DREAMisVISION)
  • YUME/SAYONARA (October 2003)
  1. YUMEisVISION (DREAMisVISION)
  2. Sayonara-Nostalgia (Goodbye Nostalgia)

[edit] Indies releases

  • Yūgata Generation (夕方ジェネレーション Evening Generation) (November 26, 2003)
  1. Sayonara-Nostalgia (Goodbye Nostalgia)
  2. Tsuyogari Shōjo (つよがり少女 Show-of-Force Girl)
  3. Metamorphosis Massaichū (メタモルフォーゼﾞ真っ最中 Right in the Middle of Metamorphosis)
  4. Binetsu Boy (微熱ボーイ Low Fever Boy)
  5. Sunset-KI･RE･I (SUNSET~BEAU-TI-FUL)
  6. Yūgata Generation (夕方ジェネレーション Evening Generation)
  7. Boy Meets Girl
  1. Yume Is Vision (Dream is Vision)
  2. Kimi no Speed-kan (君のスピード感 Your Sense of Speed)
  3. Tokyo Pyramid (東京ピラミッド)
  4. Doppelgänger Graduation (ドッペルゲンガー・グラジュエーション)
  1. Gokusaishiki Imagination (極彩色イマジネイション A Vivid Imagination)
  2. April Mirage
  3. Kūhi Ganbō (空飛願望 Aspiring to Fly)
  4. Himawari no Jūnigatsu (向日葵の12月 Sunflower's December)
  5. Shirayuki no Kanojo (白雪の彼女 Snow White Girl)
  6. Umi ni Naritai (海になりたい I Want to Become the Sea)
  7. Aimai Memories (Unclear Memories)
  8. Satellite Town Nite (サテライト・タウンにて In Satellite Town)
  9. Kimi-iro no Machi (君色の街 A Town of Your Color)
  10. Kagenai Futari (翳ない2人 A Shadowless Couple)
  11. Kareshi Kanojo no Kankei (彼氏彼女の関係 Boyfriend-Girlfriend Relationship)
  12. High Color Times
  • Band B ni Tsuite (バンドBについて About Band B) (October 14, 2005)
  1. Crazy for You no Kisetsu (CRAZY FOR YOUの季節 The Season I'm Crazy for You)
  2. Gokusaishiki Imagination (極彩色イマジネイション A Vivid Imagination)
  3. Satellite Town Nite (サテライト・タウンにて In Satellite Town)
  4. Kareshi Kanojo no Kankei (彼氏彼女の関係 Boyfriend-Girlfriend Relationship)
  5. Yume is Vision (Dream is Vision)
  6. Yūgata Generation (夕方ジェネレーション Evening Generation)
  7. Sayonara-Nostalgia (Goodbye Nostalgia)
  8. Girl of Arms

[edit] Major releases

  • Band B ni Tsuite (バンドBについて About Band B) (January 12, 2006)
    • This is the same as the indies release except for track two, which was changed to Labyrinth e no Timing (ラビリンスへのタイミング Timing to the Labyrinth) for the major release.
  • Girl Friend (April 12, 2006)
  1. Girl Friend
  2. Black Sea
  3. City Dance
  4. 4D Kaiwai (4D界隈 4D Neighborhood)
  1. Electric Summer
  2. Good Bye
  3. Sayonara-Nostalgia (Goodbye Nostalgia) (Last Summer version)
  1. Stand by Me
  2. Tenkū Lonely Hearts (天空Lonely Hearts Lonely Hearts in the Ether)
  3. Boy Meets Girl (live)
  1. Crazy for You no Kisetsu (CRAZY FOR YOUの季節 The Season I'm Crazy For You) (album version)
  2. Girl Friend
  3. Matsuri no Ato (祭りのあと After the Festival)
  4. Electric Summer
  5. Swimming Girl (スイミングガール)
  6. You're My Sunshine no Subete (YOU'RE MY SUNSHINEのすべて You're All of My Sunshine)
  7. Girl of Arms
  8. Death to Love (DEATHとLOVE Death and Love)
  9. Stand by Me
  10. Last Dance (ラストダンス)
  11. She is Back
  • Dakishimetai (抱きしめたい I Want to Hold You) (April 4, 2007)
  1. Dakishimetai (抱きしめたい I Want to Hold You)
  2. Kareshi Kanojo no Kankei [Atarashii Kankei ver.] (彼氏彼女の関係[新しい関係 ver.] Boyfriend-Girlfriend Relationship [New Relationship ver.])
  1. Dramatic (ドラマチック) - opening theme to the anime Ōkiku Furikabutte
  2. Tōmei Jūrokuji (透明26時 2 A.M. Clarity)
  3. Yūgata Generation [Atarashii Yūgata ver.] (夕方ジェネレーション [新しい夕方ver.] Evening Generation [New Evening ver.])
  • Manatsu no Jōken (真夏の条件 Midsummer Essential) (July 18, 2007)
  1. Manatsu no Jōken (真夏の条件 Midsummer Essential)
  2. Gokusaishiki Imagination [Atarashii Imagination ver.] (極彩色イマジネイション [新しいイマジネイションver.] A Vivid Imagination [New Imagination ver.])
  1. Aishiteru (愛してる I Love You)
  2. Casual Love (カジュアル・ラヴ)
  3. Aishiteru [karaoke ver.]
  4. Aishiteru [Shiori Rockets ver.] (愛してる [史織ロケッツ ver.])
  1. Jūnanasai (17才 Age 17)
  2. Dramatic (ドラマチック)
  3. Dakishimetai (抱きしめたい I Want to Hold You)
  4. Heaven's Door Girls (ヘヴンズドアー･ガールズ)
  5. Aishiteru (愛してる I Love You)
  6. Seventeen Romance
  7. Futatsu no Sekai (Two Worlds)
  8. Manatsu no Jōken (真夏の条件 Midsummer Essential)
  9. Aoi Haru, Kyomu (青い春.虚無 Youth, Nothingness)
  10. Wink Sniper
  11. Kyōsōkyoku (協奏曲 Concerto)
  12. Kizuite Hoshii (気付いてほしい I Want You to Notice)
  1. Changes (ending theme for Toshokan Sensō)
  2. Summer Anthem
  3. Fiction Once More
  4. Dramatic to Eresama (ドラマチックとエレサマ Dramatic and Electric Summer) (live from Countdown Japan 07/08 at Galaxy Stage)

[edit] Compilations and Collaborations

  • Hi-Style vol.7 Grip (2004)
9. Shōjo to Nue (少女と鵺 A Girl and a Nue) (demo version)
9. Sayonara-Nostalgia
2-8. Sayonara-Nostalgia
  • B Beginning!! (2004.12.24) - split single with Japanese band Bacon
2. April Mirage
4. Tragic Heroine
7. April Mirage
9. Sayonara-Nostalgia

[edit] Related artists

[edit] External links

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