Def Tech

Def Tech is a Japanese pop band signed to Mind Shift Music, an independent label.

Career

Jesse, the vocalist from Rize, named the band, the members of which did their own songwriting, arranging, and production. Def Tech had the 3rd best-selling album in Japan in 2005 and performed at Live8 in Tokyo in July of that year.

Band's break-up

As posted on the their webpage in September 2007: Def Tech dispersed, citing different opinions on music direction as the cause for the split. Again, according to their web site, the band reunited in June 2010.^[1]

Members

• Shen (b. Shenan Brown.^[2] on May 9, 1981 in the People's Republic of China) - grew up in Hawaii. He visited Japan many times growing up because of his father's job (J.D. Brown is a well-known applied linguist). Shen is bilingual in both English and Japanese.
• Micro (b. Yuki Nishimiya (西宮佑騎, Nishimiya Yūki) August 28, 1980) - originally from Ōta, Tokyo. A Hosei University graduate, née created a label, Primary Color Recordz, under Universal Music in February 2007.

Def Tech in popular culture

The band's 2006 album, Catch the Wave, includes the title track that was used in trailers for the 2006 film Catch a Wave (キャッチ・ア・ウェーブ),. Micro played the part of a surfer, using his real name Yuki Nishimiya in the film.

The PlayStation drumming simulation game Taiko no Tatsujin (太鼓の達人) Vol. 6 includes the Def Tech track "My Way", from the band's self-titled 2005 album.

Discography

Single

• Canción de la expansión - Only on iTunes on September 3, 2005. (Limited)
• Bolero - Only on iTunes
• Be The One - Only on iTunes

Album

• Def Tech (1,964,000 copies sold)
• Lokahi Lani (698,000 copies sold)
• Catch The Wave (3rd album) (1,225,757 copies sold)
• Mind Shift (4th album)
• UP (5th album)
• Official Bootleg Mix Compact Disc (6th album) [Mix CD]
• 24/7 (7th album)
• Howzit!? (8th album)

Best Album

• GREATEST HITS (1st best)
• Def Tech BEST MIX (2nd best) [Mix CD]

DVD

• いのり feat. Sakura (Inori feat. Sakura) [DVD Single]
• Def Tech 武道館 [Live DVD]
• OKINAWA Live [Live DVD]

Only iTunes

• "1×2" (Limited Edition) [Album Playlist]
• Footage [Video Playlist]
• Def Tech: Concert Film 2006 [Film at only iTunes]

Def Tech selects Omnibus Album

• Def Tech presents Jawaiian Style Records ～Haleiwa～
• Def Tech presents Jawaiian Style Records ～Laniakea～
• Def Tech presents Jawaiian Style Records ～Waimea～
• Def Tech presents Jawaiian Style Records ～Ehukai～

Music videos

2004

• "My Way"
• "High on Life"

2005

• "Lokahi Lani" (feat. JAMOSA)
• "KONOMAMA" (Def Tech reintroducing RIZE)

2006

• "Catch The Wave"
• "Inori" (feat. Sakura)
• "Blacklist" (SHEN [from 'Def Tech with 'E.D.O.'])

2007

• "HANA Uta" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])
• "Cuz" (feat. Lafa Taylor) (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])
• "You Don't Know" (SHEN [from 'Def Tech' with 'E.D.O.'])
• "Revolvers" (SHEN [from 'Def Tech' with 'E.D.O.'])

2008

• "Always Summer" (SHEN [from 'Def Tech'])
• "PEACE" (SHEN [from 'Def Tech'])
• "カミヒコウキ meets Char" (SHEN from 'Def Tech' with 'E.D.O.')
• "4 Seasons" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])
• "Odore" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])
• "Yukiyanagi ~We're watching you~" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])

2009

• "Piece of Africa" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])
• "Aoi Ito" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])
• "Iz This Love?" (MICRO [from 'Def Tech'])

2010

• "A-1"
• "The Come Back"
• "Rays of Light"

2011

• "Golden Age"
• "take it HIGHER!!"

2012

• "Vocaline"
• "4 Eye, for You"

2013

• "Marathon"
• "The Best Time"
• "Be The One"

2015

• "One Day" (feat. Jake Shimabukuro)

Collaborations

• Rize introducing Def Tech - "Vibration"
• Dan feat. Shen of Def Tech - "Jump Around"
• Yuna Ito feat. Micro of Def Tech - Mahaloha

Awards and nominations

2005

• J-WAVE Tokio Hot 100 Awards - Best Song - "My Way" (Winner)
• J-WAVE Tokio Hot 100 Awards - Best New Artist (Winner)

2006

• MTV Video Music Awards Japan - Best Group Video - "Konomama" reintroducing Rize (Winner)
• MTV Video Music Awards Japan - Best New Artist Video - "Konomama" reintroducing Rize

2007

• MTV Video Music Awards Japan - Album of the Year - Catch the Wave

References

External links

• Official Def Tech Website (Japanese)
• Primary Color Recordz (Japanese)