Japanese singer

Ringo Sheena , known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer, songwriter and musician. She is also the founder and lead vocalist of the band Tokyo Jihen. She describes herself as "". She was ranked number 36 in a list of Japan's top 100 musicians compiled ...

has been a member of many bands in the course of her career. Most of those listed were during the 1990s and early 2000s and have two-word names, the first being in

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

and the second in

katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...

. This naming convention is also present in her studio albums ''

Muzai Moratorium , also known as ''Innocence Moratorium'', is the debut studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Ringo Sheena, released on February 24, 1999 by Toshiba EMI. The album debuted at #2 and has sold over 1,433,000 copies. The album was certified t ...

'' (1999), ''

Shōso Strip , also known as ''Winning Strip'', is the second studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Ringo Sheena, released on March 31, 2000, by Toshiba EMI. The limited edition version includes a special booklet and case. The album debuted at #1 and ...

'' (2000) and later in 2009, ''

Sanmon Gossip , also known as ''Superficial Gossip'', is the fourth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ringo Sheena, released on June 24, 2009 in Japan through EMI Music Japan and Virgin Music. The album debuted at number 1 with 120,446 units sold and i ...

'', as well as the songs (1999), (1999), her unpublished song (1999), (2000) and (2000).

37564

37564 (''Mi Na Go Ro Shi'', "Massacre") was a session band formed to perform the song "

Nippon Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

" (2014). In its initial line-up, it featured three guitarists: Sheena, session musician Yukio Nagoshi and Shinichi Ubukata of the bands

Ellegarden Ellegarden (stylized as ELLEGARDEN) is a Japanese rock band formed in December 1998 in Chiba, Japan. Ellegarden consists of drummer Hirotaka Takahashi, vocalist/guitarist Takeshi Hosomi, guitarist Shinichi Ubukata, and bassist Yuichi Takada. In ...

and

Nothing's Carved in Stone Nothing's Carved in Stone is a Japanese rock band formed in January 2009. After Ellegarden decided to go into hiatus in 2008, the group's guitarist Shinichi Ubukata created Nothing's Carved in Stone as his solo project. Their debut album ''Paral ...

. In addition, the band featured Noriyasu "Kāsuke" Kawamura on drums, Hiroshi Watanabe on bass and Nobuhiko Nakayama programming the track. 37564 was reformed to record ''

Hi Izuru Tokoro , also known as ''Sunny'', is a fifth studio album by Japanese people, Japanese musician Ringo Sheena released on November 5, 2014 by Universal Music Japan sublabel EMI Records Japan, Virgin Records. It is a compilation studio album compiling sing ...

'' (2014), with Nagoshi, as well as two members of the band 100s, Hiroo Yamaguchi and Tom Tamada.

893

893 (''Hachi Kyū San'', "Yakuza") is a band Sheena formed to perform her ''Chotto Shita Reco Hatsu'' mini-tour in 2014, and also to record the song "Sakasa ni Kazoete" from her "

" (2014) single. It featured Midorin from

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions Soil & "Pimp" Sessions (stylised as SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS) is a Japanese club jazz sextet who formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 2001. They are known for their energetic live performances, having coined the term "death jazz" to describe their music. Histor ...

on drums, Keisuke Torigoe on contrabass, Yoshiaki Sato on accordion, Masaki Hayashi on piano and Ringo Sheena on vocals and guitars. All of the members had performed at Sheena's Tōtaikai: Heisei Nijūgo-nendo Kamiyama-chō Taikai concert in 2013. Sato also arranged the song "

Saisakizaka is the debut single by Japanese actress Yōko Maki, released on May 27, 2013. The Ringo Sheena-produced song was used as the theme song to the film '' The Ravine of Goodbye'' (2013), Maki's first leading film role since '' Veronika Decides to Di ...

" for Sheena's album '' Gyakuyunyū: Kōwankyoku'', released at the time of the concerts.

Ano Yo no Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for her soundtrack album ''

Heisei Fūzoku , also known as ''Japanese Manners'', is a studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ringo Sheena and conductor and violinist Neko Saitō, released on February 21, 2007. The vinyl record version and the DVD "Daiginjou" were released on April 25, ...

'' (2007), which performed the song "Sakuran (Terra Ver.)."

Bakeneko Killer

was a name Sheena gave to the production duo consisting of herself and . The pair worked together on the album ''

Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana , also known as ''Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower'' and ''Chlorine Semen Chestnut Flower'', is the third studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ringo Sheena, released on February 23, 2003, on Toshiba EMI / Virgin Music. The album's lead single was ...

'' (2003). Bakeneko Killer was reunited in 2009 to work on Sheena's studio album ''

''.

Bōtoku Vitamin

was a session band formed to perform the ''Mori Pact'' disc of '' Utaite Myōri: Sono Ichi'' (2002). It was led by , who sequenced and arranged songs, played keyboard, the electric guitar and the

bass synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...

. Other members included (wood bass, electric bass), (drums, tambourine) and occasionally support from Uni Inoue.

Gyakutai Glykogen

was a band formed to perform Sheena's '' Gekokujyo Xstasy'' tour that was performed from April to June in 2000. The band featured Ringo Sheena on vocals and electric bass, Seiji Kameda on electric bass, on electric guitar, on synthesizer and keyboard and on drums. The band's recordings have been released several times in Sheena's discography. They were the first band on Sheena's 3-CD box set ''

Ze-Chyou Syuu , also known as ''The Acme Collection'', is an EP by Japanese singer and songwriter Ringo Sheena. Composed of both live and studio recordings, it was released on September 13, 2000 by Toshiba EMI / Virgin Music. The RIAJ certified ''Ze-Chyou Syuu ...

'', released in September 2000, which featured the band performing the songs "Yattsuke Shigoto," "Gamble" and "Onaji Yoru." Footage of the ''Gekokujyo Xstasy'' tour was later released on DVD and VHS on December 7, 2000. The band were the session musicians for the ''Kame Pact'' disc of ''Utaite Myōri: Sono Ichi'' (2002). The band also performed the '' Zazen Extasy'' live concert, which was recorded in 2000 but released in 2008. In November 2000, Sheena married Gyakutai Glykogen guitarist Junji Yayoshi, and gave birth to a son in July 2001. The pair then later divorced in January 2002.

Hachiōji Gulliver

was a band Sheena performed with before her major debut in 1998 at live houses in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

. It featured on bass, Marvelous Marble member on drums and on sound equipment. The band sung a mixture of Sheena's solo songs and covers of Western musicians, such as T. Rex,

The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...

and

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

Hatsuiku Status

was an

all-female band An all-female band is a musical group in popular music that is exclusively composed of female musicians. This is distinct from a girl group, in which the female members are solely vocalists, though this terminology is not universally followed. While ...

with three bassists formed by Sheena to perform on the ''Gokiritsu Japon'' tour in June and July 2000. The tour was a series of secret lives, with Sheena not being billed as a performing artist. The band consisted of Ringo Sheena (vocals, electric bass),

Metalchicks Metalchicks are a Japanese rock duo supergroup. Their second album, ''St. Wonder,'' was the soundtrack to the 2006 film ''Warau Michael'' (distributed internationally as ''Arch Angels''). Metalchicks also composed the soundtrack of anime series ''He ...

and former

DMBQ DMBQ is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, whose name stands for Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet. They are influenced by British and American rock music of the early 1970s, especially bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Deep Purple, and Led ...

drummer ,

Number Girl was a rock band formed in Fukuoka, Japan in August, 1995 by guitarist and vocalist Shutoku Mukai. They first disbanded in 2002 following bassist Kentaro Nakao's departure from the band. Number Girl played fast, guitar-driven rock similar to th ...

and

Bloodthirsty Butchers Bloodthirsty Butchers was a long-running indie rock and punk rock band from Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Although little-known in the West, they have contributed to two compilations on the Olympia, Washington based Yoyo label. The band has also rel ...

guitarist , electric bassist and Junko Murata from Sheena's previous band Hachiōji Gulliver. The band's setlist was composed entirely of new compositions by Sheena and other band members, often with a theme of growth. The band's recordings have been released twice in Sheena's discography. They were the third band on Sheena's 3-CD box set ''Ze-Chyou Syuu'', released in September 2000, which featured the band performing the songs "Fukurande Kichatta," "Haihai" and "Kōgōsei." Footage of their '' Hatsuiku Status: Gokiritsu Japon'' tour was later released on DVD and VHS on December 7, 2000. The songs "Fukurande Kichatta" and "Haihai" do not appear on the DVD. Bassist Yasunobu Torii appeared in the music video for " Honnō," and guitarist Hisako Tabuchi later featured in the recording of "Sigma."

Himitsu Butai

was a session band created to record the songs "Meisai" and "Ishiki" for the "

Stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

" single and Sheena's third studio album ''Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana'' (2003). It featured electric guitar by Ukigumo (then Ryosuke Nagaoka), drums by (

Vola and the Oriental Machine Vola and the Oriental Machine (also known as Vola) is a four-member Japanese rock band formed by Number Girl and ex-Zazen Boys drummer Ahito Inazawa in 2005. The group is named after the soccer team Vola F.C., which was also the name of the short ...

, formerly

), bass and contrabass by Hitoshi Watanabe,

shinobue The ''shinobue'' (kanji: 篠笛; also called ''takebue'' (kanji: 竹笛) in the context of Japanese traditional arts) is a Japanese transverse flute or fue that has a high-pitched sound. It is found in hayashi and nagauta ensembles, and plays ...

by , violin by

Neko Saito , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese violinist, conductor, composer and music arranger. Saito is the leader of the Saito Neko Quartet, and is known for his many collaborations with musician Ringo Sheena. Biography Saito began playi ...

and didgeridoo by Tab Zombie from

Ikenai Kotachi

were a five-member session band created to record songs for

Rie Tomosaka is a Japanese actress and pop star from Mitaka-shi, Tokyo. She works for Itoh Company. From 1996 to 1997, she has also released music under the name . Profile Tomosaka's father is a beautician. In 1998, she majored in International Culture a ...

's " Shōjo Robot" in 2000. It featured Rie Tomosaka on vocals, Ringo Sheena on piano and chorus,

Hisako Tabuchi Hisako is a Japanese name for females. Although written romanized the same way, the kanji can be different. ''Hisako'' may refer to: * Hisako Arakaki (born 1977), J-pop singer *Hisako Hibi (born 1907), Japanese painter * Hisako Higuchi (born 1945 ...

as the band's guitarist, as a bassist (who later performed with

Chirinuruwowaka , is a Japanese rock band formed in 2005 by Yumi Nakashima, known from the band GO!GO!7188. The band name comes from one sentence of the classical Japanese alphabet “Iroha”, pronounced Chi-ri-nu-ru-wo-wa-ka. History 2005: Beginning Ini ...

) and drummer Rino Tokitsu of Roletta Secohan and Sheena's high school band Marvelous Marble., accessed through The band performed three songs for the single, "Shōjo Robot," "Ikenai Ko" and "Nippon ni Umarete." "Shōjo Robot" and "Ikenai Ko" were written with Tomosaka's image in mind, while "Nippon ni Umarete" was an unused demo from the ''Shōso Strip'' sessions.

Josei Jōi Kinen Orchestra

was an orchestra created to record "Kuki," the Japanese-language version of "Stem" featured on the album ''Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana'' (2003).

Karisome Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007), to record the song "

Karisome Otome is a song written by Japanese singer Ringo Sheena and has several versions. Background The song was first released as a digital single on November 11, 2006, , performed by Ringo Sheena and Soil & "Pimp" Sessions and sung in Japanese. This vers ...

" in September, 2006. The orchestra recorded two versions, the Hitokuchizaka version found on the "

Kono Yo no Kagiri was released by Ringo Sheena, Neko Saito and Junpei Shiina on January 17, 2007 in the name of . It was certified gold by the RIAJ for 100,000 copies shipped to stores in 2007. Background The song was used as theme song for the movie ''Sakura ...

" single as a B-side which was recorded at Hitokuchizaka Studio in

Kudankita is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of four '' chōme''. It was a part of the former ward of Kōjimachi. As of March 1, 2007, its population is 1,404. Kudankita is a luxury and prestigious residential and business zone. The Yas ...

Chiyoda, Tokyo is a special ward located in central Tokyo, Japan. It is known as Chiyoda City in English.Profile< ...

, as well as the Tameikesannoh version, recorded near to the Tameike-Sannō Station in

Nagatachō is a district of Tokyo, Japan, located in Chiyoda Ward. It is the location of the Diet of Japan and the Prime Minister's residence (Kantei). The Supreme Court of Japan is located in neighboring Hayabusachō. Nagatachō is often used to refer ...

, Chiyoda.

Kōcha Kinoko

was one of the bands thanked in the booklet of ''Muzai Moratorium'' (1999), which lists the members' nicknames as Shige, Shin-chan, Shira-chan and Rino.

Komae no Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007), to re-record the song "Gamble," a song originally from ''Ze-Chyou Syuu'' (2000). The orchestra recorded the song at a studio in

Komae, Tokyo is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It is one of 30 municipalities in the western portion of Tokyo known as the Tama Area. , the city had an estimated population of 83,218, and a population density of 13,000 per ...

Kono Yo no Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007), to record the leading single "

Kuri no Hana Kaoru Orchestra

was an orchestra conducted by Yuichiro Goto to record songs for the album ''Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana'' (2003). The orchestra recorded the songs "Shūkyō," "Doppelganger," "Poltergeist" and "Sōretsu."

Kurubushi Hysteric

was one of the bands thanked in the booklet of ''Muzai Moratorium'' (1999), which lists the members' nicknames as Macha, Kuma and Rino.

Mangarama

Mangarama were a special band created for Ringo Sheena's concert at the

Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (), also known as TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall or TaiNEX, is a superimposed purpose-built exhibition complex in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan. It consists of two exhibition halls and is located to the northeas ...

on August 16, 2015. In addition to Sheena, the band featured former Tokyo Jihen members Ukigumo on guitar and Masayuki Hiizumi on piano, Yukio Nagoshi on guitar, Keisuke Torigoe on bass guitar, Tom Tamada on drums and Yoshiaki Sato on accordion. In addition to the rock band ensemble, the band featured brass instruments: Koji Nishimura on the trumpet, Osamu Koike on both the saxophone and the flute, and Yoichi Murata on trombone. Saya and Yuka, two dancers from

Elevenplay Elevenplay is a Japanese dance troupe noted for their incorporation of advanced technologies into their works. It is headed by director and principal choreographer Mikiko. Performances The collaborated with the Rhizomatics groups to produce a p ...

were also billed as being a part of Mangarama.

Marvelous Marble

was a high school all-female band from

who performed at the 9th ''Teens' Music Festival'' in 1995, singing a cover of

Danielle Brisebois Danielle Anne Brisebois (born June 28, 1969) is an American producer, singer-songwriter and former child actress. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Mills on the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms ''All in the Family'' and its spin-off ''Arc ...

song "Just Missed the Train." It featured on guitar, on bass, on keyboard, on drums and Sheena on vocals (then known as Yumiko Shiina). The group also performed at the Nagasaki Kayōsai, reaching the finals. The group disbanded when Sheena left high school in her second year.『イミダス imidas 2001』集英社、2001年、1286頁丹生敦　『林檎コンプレックス - 椎名林檎的解体新書』　太陽出版、2003年、12、33、43、56-57頁 Drummer Rino Tokitsu later went on to perform with the band Roletta Secohan.

Matatabi Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for , a series of concerts held in December 2005. The orchestra was used again for her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007), performing the songs "Papaya Mango," "Yokushitsu," "Meisai" and "Yume no Ato."

Mizuage Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007), to record the song "Sakuran (Onkio Version)," a B-side of the "Kono Yo no Kagiri" single. It was recorded at Onkio Haus in

Ginza Ginza ( ; ja, 銀座 ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous intern ...

Chūō, Tokyo is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward that forms part of the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Chūō City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyobashi and Nihonbashi wards following Tokyo C ...

. ''

Mizuage was a ceremony undergone by apprentice () and some (apprentice geisha) as part of their coming of age ceremony and graduation. For , who had often already lost their virginity, a patron would pay for the exclusive privilege of being a new 's f ...

'' is a term for an

oiran is a collective term for the highest-ranking courtesans in Japanese history, who were considered to be above common prostitution, prostitutes (known as ) for their more refined entertainment skills and training in the traditional arts. Divided ...

's coming-of-age ceremony.

Momoiro Spanner

was one of three session bands formed to record for Sheena's debut album, ''

'' (1999). The band featured Sheena on vocals, piano, fake

koto Koto may refer to: * Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group * Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument * Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana * Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women * K ...

(

Synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

) and whistle, Seiji Kameda on bass guitar, on electric guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocal guidance, and Noriyasu Kawamura on drums and

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

. The band performed the songs "Akane Sasu, Kiro Terasaredo...," "Tsumiki Asobi," "Onaji Yoru" and "Morphine."

Nadataru Orchestra

was a collaboration between Ringo Sheena and Neko Saito for her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007). The orchestra recorded two new songs, "Hatsukoi Shōjo" and "Oiran," which both featured electronic arrangements.

Noraneko Orchestra

was an orchestra used for her ''Baishō Ecstasy'' concert, held on May 27, 2003, that was conducted by Neko Saito. The orchestra was later utilised on her soundtrack album ''Heisei Fūzoku'' (2007), recording the songs "Stem," "Ishiki" and "Poltergeist," where were all originally songs from her album ''Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana'' (2003).

Ōoku Kinen Orchestra

was an orchestra conducted by Yuichiro Goto especially for the recording sessions of "Stem" and ''Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana'' (2003). The orchestra recorded the songs "Stem (Daimyō Asobi-hen)" and the studio version of "Yattsuke Shigoto."

Ringo-haku Kinen Buyō-dan

was a troupe of dancers used for Ringo Sheena's three 10th anniversary concerts at Saitama Super Arena in 2008, . It featured choreographer and dancers , , and . Also featured were the , who performed the

Awa Dance The is held from 12 to 15 August as part of the Obon festival in Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku in Japan. Awa Odori is the largest dance festival in Japan, attracting over 1.3 million tourists every year. Groups of choreographed dancers and ...

, a famous dance from

Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the north, E ...

Ringo-haku Kinen Kangen Gakudan

was a backing band used for Ringo Sheena's three 10th anniversary concerts at Saitama Super Arena in 2008, ''(Nama) Ringo-haku '08: Jūshūnen Kinen-sai''. It featured vocals, electric guitar, electronic keyboard by Ringo Sheena, arrangement by Neko Saito, electric guitar by Yukio Nagoshi, electric bass by Seiji Kameda, drums by Noriyasu Kawamura, piano by , electric and acoustic guitar by , percussion by and

sequencer Sequencer may refer to: Technology * Drum sequencer (controller), an electromechanical system for controlling a sequence of events automatically * DNA sequencer, a machine used to automatically produce a sequence readout from a biological DNA sam ...

by . As well as the band musicians, a 60-member orchestra was featured, which was conducted by Neko Saito and led by concert master Great Eida. The orchestra featured more than 16 instruments, including flutes, an oboe, a clarinet, a

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

s, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, trumpets, trombones, percussion instruments, a harp, vilions, violas, cellos and double basses.

Saimin Electric Guitar

was one of the bands thanked in the booklet of ''Muzai Moratorium'' (1999), which lists the members' nicknames as Ryota, Kore and Sada.

Seirei Catharsis

was a non-musical collaborative unit between Sheena and illustrator

Mitsuru Nakamura is a Japanese artist and poet who also goes by the name 326. He created new artwork for the PR campaign of a Japanese television network, and designed the art for the video game ''Gitaroo Man ''Gitaroo Man'' is a rhythm video game developed by ...

. It was featured in Nakamura's 1999 illustration book,

Shūdan Jiketsu

was a band formed in 1999 featuring Ringo Sheena (vocals), Susumu Nishikawa (guitar) and Seiji Kameda (bass). The band was used for miscellaneous live events in 1999, as well as studio recordings.

Tensai Präparat

was a band formed to perform at Sheena's tour of university campuses in November 1999. Audio from these tours was recorded for ''Ze-Chyou Syuu'' (2000), however Sheena was not satisfied with the results, and re-recorded three songs in studio instead for the collection. The band consisted of Ringo Sheena on vocals and electric guitar, on electric guitar, Eikichi Iwai on electric bass and

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

and on drums. Tensai Präparat recorded the songs "Mellow," "Fukō Jiman" and "So Cold" for ''Ze-Chyou Syuu''.

Tokyo Jihen

is a band formed in 2004, which became Ringo Sheena's main musical project from 2004 to 2012. The initial line-up of the band was composed of Ringo Sheena as the band's vocalist, main songwriter and guitarist, long-time producer of Sheena's solo works

Seiji Kameda is a Japanese music producer, arranger and bass guitarist. He has worked extensively with Ringo Shiina, serving as her producer and touring bassist for many years, including his tenure with their band Tokyo Jihen from 2005 to 2012. Biography ...

as a bassist, session drummer , pianist for the jazz ensemble band

PE'Z was a Japanese jazz instrumental band consisting of five men, dubbed "The Samurai Jazz Band." They were signed onto Sony Music Japan from 2008 until their split in 2015. History PE'Z began their music careers playing live on the streets of Shi ...

Masayuki Hiizumi , also known by the name H Zett M (stylised as H ZETT M) is a Japanese keyboardist and producer. He became a member of jazz instrumental band Pe'z in 1999, and was a member of Ringo Sheena's band Tokyo Jihen between 2004 and 2005. In 2007, Hiizumi ...

, and guitarist . The group initially were the concert musicians who played for Sheena's Electric Mole tour in 2003. After the band's debut album ''Kyōiku'' (2004) and first live tour ''Dynamite!'', Hiizumi and Hirama left the band. They were replaced by guitarist Ukigumo of the band Petrolz, and pianist

Ichiyō Izawa , better known by his stage name is a Japanese pianist, vocalist and songwriter, best known for his work in the Ringo Sheena-helmed band Tokyo Jihen. He is also the lead vocalist and pianist of the band Appa. Biography Izawa was born in 1976 ...

of the band

Appa Appa or APPA may refer to: Organizations *American Pet Products Association, an industry association in the United States * American Psychopathological Association, a scientific professional organization * American Philosophical Practitioners Ass ...

Tokyo Magical Big Band

was a special unit of Tokyo Jihen, to perform the song " Onna no Ko wa Dare Demo". The project was led by conductor

Takayuki Hattori is a Japanese film, television, video game and non-soundtrack music composer, arranger and conductor. He is the son of the composer Katsuhisa Hattori and grandson of composer Ryoichi Hattori. He has won three Japan Academy Prize awards in the ...

, and featured all of the members of Tokyo Jihen, as well as 13 additional musicians to perform the swing jazz song.

Tokyo Samba Paradise Band

was a special unit of Tokyo Jihen, to perform the song " Tengoku e Yōkoso (Tokyo Bay Ver.)", a

samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

instrumental version of the song. Tokyo Jihen members performed their regular instruments, except for Hata, who performed on the

agogô An agogô (Yoruba: ''agogo'', meaning bell) is a single or a multiple bell now used throughout the world but with origins in traditional Yoruba and Edo music and also in the samba '' baterias'' (percussion ensembles). The agogô may be the oldes ...

tamborim A ''tamborim'' ( or ) is a small, round Brazilian frame drum of Portuguese and African origin. The frame is 6" in width and may be made of metal, plastic, or wood. The head is typically made of nylon and is normally very tightly tuned in order ...

, shaker,

timbales Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...

and

surdo The surdo is a large bass drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, such as Axé/Samba-reggae and samba, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section. It is also notable for its association with the cucumbi genre of the Ancient Near ...

. There were two additional members in the project, flautist Hideyo Takakuwa and vibraphone performer

Midori Takada Midori Takada ( ja, 高田みどり) (born December 21, 1951) is a Japanese composer and percussionist. She has been described as a pioneer of ambient music, ambient and minimalism (music), minimalist music. Early career and Mkwaju Ensemble Takad ...

Uchū Antenna

was a group that formed in Fukuoka in August 1996 after Sheena left high school. It featured , who later had a solo career, and . Sheena later performed chorus work on Takashi Taniguchi's 1998 album ''Becoming''.

Yokoshima

is a band formed by Ringo Sheena in 2002, featuring Jumpei Shiina (keyboard), Ringo Sheena (chorus), Takashi Numazawa (drums), on piano and Ryosuke Nagaoka (vocals, guitar). Nagaoka was later known as

Tokyo Jihen , also known as Tokyo Incidents, is a Japanese rock band formed by Ringo Sheena, after leaving her solo career. The band's debut single " Gunjō Biyori" was released in September 2004, and they ended activities in February 2012. The band sold 2. ...

guitarist Ukigumo. The group released a cover of the Toto song " Georgy Porgy" as a limited download between April 10 to April 17, 2002, and later May 1 to May 9, 2002. Takashi Numazawa, who was the session drummer of Sheena's album ''Utaite Myōri: Sono Ichi'' (2002), was acquainted with the drummer of Toto,

Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (; April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work with the rock band Toto but is one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on ...

. Numazawa learned how to drum from Jeff's father

Joe Porcaro Joseph Thomas Porcaro (April 29, 1930 – July 6, 2020) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Personal life The Porcaro family is, on the paternal side, originally from San Luca, an Aspromonte village in the province of Reggio Calabria. Joe ...

, and he worked in his drum school as an instructor after graduation. This gave Sheena the idea for the project. Though Ringo Sheena was going to sing all the parts of this song at first, she was dissatisfied at how her voice could not mimic

Steve Lukather Steven Lee Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a stea ...

's voice. After hearing Nagaoka, who was a member of Junpei Shiina's band, sing to the song in her car, she felt his voice was much more suited to the song, and made him the main vocalist. Sheena considers the performance just a "copy" of the song and not a cover with any extra input, and felt it was not something suitable to put on an album.

Zekkyō Solfeggio

was one of three session bands formed to record for Sheena's debut album, ''Muzai Moratorium'' (1999), however they performed only a single song, "

Marunouchi Sadistic is a song composed and Lyricist, written by Japanese rock singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist Ringo Sheena. It was recorded for her debut album ''Muzai Moratorium'' in 1999. Background Ringo Sheena released her debut single "Kōfukuron" i ...

." The band featured Sheena on vocals, piano,

melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usual ...

handclap A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), b ...

and footsteps, Seiji Kameda on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Noriyasu Kawamura on drums, backing vocals, handclaps and footsteps.

Zetsurin Hectopascal

was one of three session bands formed to record the bulk of Sheena's debut album, ''Muzai Moratorium'' (1999). It featured Sheena on vocals, and drums for "Kabukichō no Joō." Other members included of Diamond Head playing acoustic and electric guitar, Seiji Kameda playing bass and Noriyasu Kawamura playing drums and singing backing vocals. The band recorded the songs "Tadashii Machi," "

Kabukichō no Joō is Japanese singer Ringo Sheena's 2nd single and it was released on September 9, 1998 by Toshiba EMI, East World. It was certified gold for 100,000 downloads to cellphones by the RIAJ in 2011. Background M1 is the song which Ringo Sheena wrot ...

," "

Kōfukuron is the debut single by Japanese singer Ringo Sheena and it was released on May 27, 1998 by Toshiba EMI, East World. Since Sheena suddenly gained popularity, it was decided that this single was resold as a 12 cm single. New edition, includi ...

(Etsuraku-hen)," "Sid to Hakuchūmu," " Koko de Kiss Shite." and "Keikoku."

References

{{Tokyo Jihen Bands