ASA-CHANG & Junray is a band founded by Japanese percussionist ASA-CHANG, who was the founder and original bandmaster of

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra , commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene. At the time, the band's sound was unlike t ...

. After leaving the group in 1993, he formed ASA-CHANG & Junray in 1998 with programmer and guitarist Hidehiko Urayama. They were joined in 2000 by

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

player U-zhaan. Live, the group used a portable sound-system called 'Jun-Ray Tronics', hence the name; the word 'junray', however, also means 'pilgrimage'. In 2002, the British label

The Leaf Label The Leaf Label is a British independent record label based in Yorkshire, England. Initially an electronic music label, releasing mainly instrumental music, the company's approach now features artists spanning jazz and post-punk. History The Le ...

released ''Jun Ray Song Chang'', which compiled the group's first two Japan-only albums. It was followed a year later by the mini album ''Tsu Gi Ne Pu''. The group's song 'Hana' was featured on Fabric Live 07, while 'Tsuginepu To Ittemita' was included on a

The Wire Tapper ''The Wire'' (or simply ''Wire'') is a British music magazine publishing out of London, which has been issued monthly in print since 1982. Its website launched in 1997, and an online archive of its entire back catalog became available to subs ...

CD. The group's 2005 album, ''Minna no Junray'', featured vocals by singer and actress

Kyōko Koizumi (born February 4, 1966) is a Japanese singer and actress. She is signed to Victor Entertainment. Career In 1981, Kyoko Koizumi participated and won the Star Tanjo! programme and released her 1st single in March 1982. She gained her first num ...

. On March 31, 2010, Urayama and U-zhaan left the band. In 2012, saxophone flute player Yoshihiro Goseki and violinist Anzu Suhara joined as live members. In 2013, their song "Hana" was re-done and used as the ending theme for the anime adaptation of Shuzo Oshimi's '' The Flowers of Evil''. Several versions, including the original, are used throughout the series.

Members

* ASA-CHANG (Hirokazu Asakura, ex.

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

, tablabongo * Yoshihiro Goseki (ex. DCPRG, ex. Zainichi Funk): sax, flute, vocal * Anzu Suhara (ex. Led Act Sect):

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

, vocal

Former members

* Hidehiko Urayama:

, music sequencer * U-zhaan:

Albums

*''Tabla Magma Bongo'', 1998 (Japan only) *''Hana'', 2001 (Japan only) *'' Jun Ray Song Chang'',

2002 *''Tsu Gi Ne Pu'',

2003
BBC review
*''Minna no Junray'', 2005 *''Kage No Nai Hito'', 2009 *''Mahou'', 2016 *事件, 2020

External links

*

Asa Chang on The Leaf Label
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asa-Chang and Junray Experimental musical groups Japanese experimental musicians