SAWA
SAWA is a Japanese electro-pop artist from a suburb outside Tokyo, Japan.
Contents
Profile
- Name: SAWA
- Birthday: November 6th
- Blood Type: AB
- Height: 157cm
Information
SAWA lives in the suburbs, about one hour from Tokyo. Her mother made the perfect-pitch girl pick up the violin at the tender age of four, and by age 10, she took up the piano out of her own will. Later, influenced by favorite artists such as m-flo, Jazztronik and FreeTEMPO, she began writing and performing music based on club music. At the same time, she proceeded to college to make her childhood dream come true – to become a teacher. She acquired the license for a high school English teacher, and taught at a local high school, although only for three months.
SAWA seized the chance in 2006, when she participated in a club event in Yokohama that she thought was an audition (but actually not). Her transparent yet characteristic, miraculous voice, as well as her fresh and cute presence that had never been seen in other club music singers in the past, she caught the attention of many music creators. During this time SAWA began working with Front Men Entertainment under the name SK-V. Through the partnership this name changed from SK-V to SK5 and finally Kouchi. Although no tracks were released from this partnership, a clip of 坂道 (Slope) is still featured on the Kouchi website today. Titles thought to have been recorded under this label are 坂道 (Slope), メリーゴーランド (Merry Go-Round), Talking, Happiness, and In The Music.
In May 2008, she participated as vocalist in Discovery, produced by Fukutomi Yukihiro, which was the opening theme song of PSP software Nippon-no Asokode. One month later, in June 18th, she made her indie debut with COLORS, a five-track mini album produced by Takeshi Hanzawa (FreeTEMPO). It debuted at #8 on iTunes Music Store's comprehensive album chart, and stayed in the top 3 for three weeks since release in the dance music chart, already showing signs of a major breakout.
The following year, Sawa made her major label debut on Sony Music Entertainment Japan's sublabel, Epic Records, releasing two mini-albums, I Can Fly and Swimming Dancing. I Can Fly was released on July 22, 2009 with commercial tie-ins to MBS TV fashion program "Dress" and a summer commercial for Honda. Swimming Dancing was released on November 25, 2009.
A new mini-album titled あいにいくよ (Ai ni Ikuyo) is set to be released on April 7th, 2010 and will see SAWA working with producers Nawata Hisashi, Jazzin'park, Junya Ookubo Zyun (ANA) and RAM RIDER.
Discography
Mini-Albums
- [2008.06.18] COLORS (indie)
- [2008.12.10] Time & Space (indie)
- [2009.07.22] I Can Fly
- [2009.11.25] Swimming Dancing
- [2010.04.07] Ai ni Ikuyo (あいにいくよ)
Digital Downloads
Compilation / Soundtracks / Others
- [2008.10.08] Gekkan Probowler - eRETRO (#2 SUMMER OF LOVE)
- [2008.11.05] WIRED CAFE Music Recommendation Precious (#8 Lovefool)
- [2008.11.12] Suneohair - Birthday (#9 Yuganda Futari (歪んだ二人?))
- [2009.01.07] ELECTRO GIRL LOVERS (#5 Discovery)
- [2009.02.18] Juicy Fruits {#2 Raspberry Dream)
- [2009.03.18] Judy and Mary - 15th Anniversary Tribute Album (#5 RADIO)
- [2009.07.22] GUNDAM 30th CUSTOM {#8 Ima wa Oyasumi (いまはおやすみ?))
- [2009.07.22] Sound Around - Every With You (#4 Every With You feat.SAWA)
- [2009.08.05] Seaside Town (#1 Samba De Mar)
- [2009.09.02] J-Girls Celebrity Mix (#25 Many Colors)
- [2009.09.23] RYUKYUDISKO - pleasure (#4 SPLASH☆ feat. SAWA)
- [2009.11.25] Kentaro Takizawa - Big Room (#9 Another Landscape feat. SAWA + #11 Keep Love Together feat. The Big Room Family)
- [2010.03.17] Anan Ryoko - Another Beginning (#12 Dreaming feat. SAWA + #16 Dreaming feat. SAWA -Japanese Ver.-)
