is a Japanese

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

sung by

Lia Lia is a feminine given name. In the Spanish-speaking world, it is accented Lía. In America, the name may be a variant of Leah or Lea. Lia may be a diminutive of various names including Julia, Cecilia, Amelia, Talia, Cornelia, Ophelia, Rosal ...

, written by

Jun Maeda is a Japanese writer and co-founder of the visual novel brand Key under Visual Arts. He is considered a pioneer of nakige visual novels, and has mainly contributed as a scenario writer, lyricist, and musical composer for the games the company ...

, composed by

Shinji Orito is a Japanese musical composer originally from Hyōgo, Japan working for the visual novel brand Key under VisualArt's. Before forming Key, Orito worked for another software company named Leaf where he contributed to four games. After leaving ...

, and

arranged In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchest ...

by Kazuya Takase. The song was recorded at Paramount Studio in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

by the

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

studio Key through their

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

Key Sounds Label Key Sounds Label is a Japanese independent record label formed in 2001 as a brand of the publishing company VisualArt's. Key Sounds Label was formed to catalog and release music related to visual novels produced by the brand Key, also under Visua ...

for use as the opening

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...

of Key's 2000 visual novel ''

Air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

''. A short version of the song was first released on

I've Sound I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different vocalists, known as to their fa ...

's July 2000 compilation album '' Verge''. The full version of "Tori no Uta" first appeared on the limited edition

remix album A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 200 ...

Ornithopter An ornithopter (from Greek ''ornis, ornith-'' "bird" and ''pteron'' "wing") is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Designers sought to imitate the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats, and insects. Though machines may differ in form, ...

'' (September 2000) originally bundled with the first printing release of the ''Air'' game, though "Tori no Uta" was not remixed on the album. The song was later widely distributed on the '' Air Original Soundtrack'' (2002), the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

of the visual novel. The song was later featured as the opening theme to the ''Air'' anime series in 2005. The Japanese

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

radio show ''Moteken'' used "Tori no Uta" as the ending theme to their October 15, 2007 broadcast. Shinji Orito commented on the song in the ''Air Original Soundtrack'' booklet where he remarked, "Even though I have made up my mind that the song "Tori no Uta" best captures the themes of ''Air'', arriving at this was extremely difficult. Besides being under a lot of pressure, I'm still quite inexperienced in the field of music; this is the area I want to become stronger in most of all."

Musical structure

"Tori no Uta" is the longest track featured in ''

'', spanning 6:08 minutes. "Tori no Uta" is a

song in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...

which begins in the

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes need ...

key and waits until the eighth measure for

to begin singing. The song is kept in B minor for the first verse, shifts to

G-sharp minor G-sharp minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative major is B major. Its parallel major, G-sharp major, is usually replaced by its enharmonic equi ...

for the second, and again shifts to the previous key's supertonic,

A-sharp minor A-sharp minor is a minor musical scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has seven sharps, while the direct enharmonic equivalent, B-flat minor, has five flats. Its relative major is C-s ...

(or enharmonically

B-flat minor B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five flats. Its relative major is D-flat major and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent, A-sha ...

) for the third, then after a brief modulation to

C-sharp minor C-sharp minor is a minor scale based on C, with the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of four sharps. The C-sharp natural minor scale is: : Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale ar ...

, continues into the first measure of the fourth verse where it shifts back to B minor for the rest of the verse. After a short

break Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning res ...

, the key goes back to G-sharp minor and continues the same pattern as before. At the end of this sequence in verse seven, the first verse is repeated as the sole chorus in B minor. An instrumental coda is used to close the song which lasts for about one-sixth of the entire piece's length. The song's instrumentation primarily uses a synthesizer as a base, but does include a short

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

sequence lasting for the first eight measures, along with piano accompaniment throughout the song. The song moves at 122

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...

, and Lia's

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...

spans almost two octaves from F-sharp₄ to D₆.

Release history

"Tori no Uta" has been released many times in original and remix versions. The song was first released as a shortened version spanning 3:09 minutes on

's July 2000 compilation album '' Verge''. The first release of the song on

, the record label affiliated with Key, was on the 2001 album '' Humanity...'' as a remix version subtitled " Bossanova version" and was sung by Mina Minomo. The full-length original version of the song was first released on the limited edition

'' (September 2000) originally bundled with the first printing release of the ''Air'' game. The song was later widely distributed on the '' Air Original Soundtrack'' (2002), the

of the visual novel, in original, short, and instrumental versions. An instrumental

version of "Tori no Uta" was released on the album '' Re-feel'' (2003) by Key Sounds Label. A remixed version arranged by Cosmic Seekers was included on the albums '' Air Analog Collector's Edition'', and ''OTSU Club Music Compilation Vol.1'', both released by Key Sounds Label in 2006. Another instrumental piano version was released on the album '' Key 10th Memorial Score'', and a remixed version arranged by Blasterhead was included on the album ''OTSU:Blasterhead'', both released by Key Sounds Label in 2009. The song was included on two remix albums released by Key Sounds Label in July 2012: ''Keynote'' remixed by Sōshi Hosoi, ''VisualArt's 20th Anniversary Remixes'' remixed by PandaBoY. A re-arranged version of the song was released on Shinji Orito's album '' Circle of Fifth'' in October 2012. A classical music version was released on the remix album ''Key Classic'' in December 2012 by Key Sounds Label. The song also appeared on several albums released by

. The first was a remix on her first independent album ''Prismatic'' (2004); the song carried the subtitle "2004 summer version: Relaxin' with lovers mix", and later appeared on Lia's

best of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

album ''Crystal Voice'' (2007). The original version appeared on Lia's best of album ''Diamond Days'' (2007), and a remix version by StripE subtitled "StripE REMIX" was included on her best of album ''Spectrum Rays'' (2007). A new vocal recording of "Tori no Uta" was released on Lia's ''Enigmatic LIA 2'' album in early 2007, and another remix by DJ Sharpnel subtitled " he speed freak's noise rave remix was released on Lia's ''Enigmatic LIA 3'' album in early 2009. Live versions of the song have appeared on two live albums by Lia. The first was the June 2005

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

album ''Prologue'' featuring tracks performed at Lia's concert of the same name in

Shibuya Shibuya (wikt:渋谷, 渋谷wikt:区, 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern ...

, Japan in January 2005. The second was the June 2008 DVD album ''The Limited'' featuring tracks performed at Lia's concert at

Zepp Tokyo The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in which ...

in September 2007; this album also contained a bonus track of "Tori no Uta" subtitled "

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pre ...

]". Another live version appeared on Key Sound Label's ''List of KSL Live World albums#KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX, KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX'' live album featuring tracks performed at the second KSL Live World 2008 concert held in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, Japan in May 2008. Later, a live version appeared on Key Sound Label's '' KSL Live World 2010: Way to the Kud Wafter'' live album featuring tracks performed at one of the May 22, 2010 KSL Live World 2010 concerts held in Tokyo. "Tori no Uta" was sampled for the second movement of a symphony on the bonus CD '' Shinwa e no Izanai'' released with the special edition DVD version of the ''Air'' film in August 2005. A

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the song, sung by

Asami Imai is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Early Wing. She debuted as a voice actress in 1999 and as singer in 2009 by releasing her first single "Day by Day / Shining Blue Rain" under the 5pb. Records label. She is also well known f ...

, was released on a two-disc music album and

audio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

entitled ''Your Song''. The album was released in January 2007 by Namco Bandai Games for their

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

'' The Idolmaster''; Imai is the voice of Chihaya Kisaragi from ''The Idolmaster''. The cover version was re-released in August 2007 on an

image song An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album (often called an image album or character album) for an anime, game, '' dorama'', manga, or commercial product that is sometimes sung by the voice actor or actor of a characte ...

and audio drama CD entitled ''The Idolmaster Master Artist 05 Chihaya Kisaragi'' featuring songs sung by Imai. Another cover version, sung by

Masaaki Endoh is a Japanese singer-songwriter who is prominent in the area of soundtracks for anime and tokusatsu productions. He is one of the founders of the Anison band JAM Project and has been a regular member ever since its inception in 2000. His nick ...

, was released on Endoh's anime song cover album ''Enson2: Cover Songs Collection Vol.2'' sold in December 2008. A cover version of "Tori no Uta" appeared in the sequel of

Front Wing is a Japanese visual novel studio known for the production of adult ''bishōjo games''. Its main office is located in Taitō, Tokyo. The representative producer and president is Ryūichirō Yamakawa. “Frontwing” is the company's main brand, ...

's visual novel '' Time Leap'' titled ''Time Leap Paradise'' released in July 2009. Another cover version by Chihiro Yonekura appeared on her 2011 cover album ''Nakeru Anison''. A cover version was released in January 2012 as an official demo for the

Vocaloid 3 Vocaloid 3 is a singing voice synthesizer and successor to Vocaloid 2 in the Vocaloid series. This version of the software is a much more expansive version, containing many new features, three new languages and many more vocals than past software ...

product IA: Aria on the Planetes; Lia is the voice provider of IA. "Tori no Uta"'s melody has also appeared in two of the

medleys Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music * Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this na ...

Kumikyoku Nico Nico Douga is a series of video medleys, and is also the title of one of the videos in the series. The original video was created by Shimo (しも), a user of the video sharing website Nico Nico Douga. Overview Kumikyoku Nico Nico Douga was first upload ...

. A portion of "Tori no Uta," sung by Nikki, is present in the Chinese hip-hop song "Looking Back" by Yin Ts'ang. In Japan and the Chinese community, "Tori no Uta" has been referred as the "National Anthem" of ACG.

Shaun Yu controversy

On August 27, 2005, Anime News Network reported that

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

an musician Shaun Yu may have

plagiarized Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...

"Tori no Uta". Yu's current album, ''The Best of Shaun Yu'', features a track called "Melody" which sounds like the ''Air'' theme. Though Key made no official statement at the time, an investigation was initiated. On September 21, 2005, it was reported that a second song on ''The Best of Shaun Yu'' may have been plagiarized from a song composed by Hiroyuki Tōshima, "Tenshi no Kyujitsu". Yu had stated that his producers, YesMusic, had arranged both tracks, and that he was unaware of the situation. YesMusic, in turn, had stated that it licensed the rights to the song from Key/VisualArt's for

mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

distribution, but that the album came out in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

before licensing could be arranged for that territory. However, Key/VisualArt's denied this, as per a statement on Key's website: :Official Announcement Regarding Plagiarism of "Tori no Uta": :Thank you very much for supporting products of our humble company. According to information provided by fans, we've learned that Shaun Yu's distributed by Sony BMG Entertainment (Taiwan) is suspected plagiarizing our music—"Tori no Uta". We apologize for worrying supporting fans. We have filed a formal complaint to Sony BMG Entertainment and made following demands: :*Apologize publicly on the web. :*Credit the composer of "Tori no Uta" to

clearly. :*If the above two requirements are fulfilled, we will not ask for financial compensations. :We have been negotiating with Sony BMG Entertainment (Taiwan) with those terms. Regrettably, Tommy Chi, director of YesMusic, the production company of this CD, has made a false announcement today that he had purchased distribution rights from us. It is a pity and is regrettable. In order to show our objection to his plagiarizing actions and his dishonest attitude, we shall not license any of our creation to them, including Tori no Uta. These days, we have received supports from both Japanese and Taiwanese fans. You have our immense gratitude. Please keep supporting our humble company, Key, in the future. :''Translation from Anime News Network, not the official website.'' On September 29, 2005, Sony BMG Taiwan posted a statement of apology in both Chinese and Japanese on their official website. CD shipments were cancelled and recalled.

Notes and references

External links

Key Sounds Label's official website

Lia's personal website
{{Authority control 2000 songs Key Sounds Label Lia (singer) songs New-age songs Trance songs