YUKI (singer)

YUKI (2008)

YUKI is a Japanese singer/song-writer formerly part of JUDY AND MARY. She made her solo debut in 2002.

Profile

• Name: YUKI
• Maiden Name: Isoya Yuki (磯谷有希)
• Married Name: Kuramochi Yuki (倉持有希)
• Nicknames: Yukky, Yukiss, Sarah
• Birthday: February 17, 1972
• Birthplace: [[Wikipedi:Hakodate|Hakodate], Hokkaido Japan
• Height: 156 cm
• Weight: 46 kg
• Blood Type: A
• Spouse: YO-KING (Kuramochi Youichi)
• Family: Son (name not public), Mother (Ryouko), Father (Mou), Older sister (Yukari), Little brother (Taminori)

Information

Career

YUKI's first appearance in the music scene was in 1993 as the lead singer and lyricist of Judy and Mary. YUKI co-founded JAM in 1991 with bassist and friend, Onda Yoshihito. JAM enjoyed huge success in the 90's, releasing seven albums, twenty-two singles and embarking on several national stadium tours throughout their 10-year career. During a Judy and Mary hiatus in 1999, YUKI joined the super-group NiNa, singing alongside Kate Pierson of the B=52's and released two singles one album with the group, both of which were successful. Also, in November of 1999, YUKI collaborated with alternative singer Chara and released the single, "Ai no Hi 3tsu Orange" which sold well over 200,000 copies and reached number six on the Oricon charts. Following JAM's break-up in 2001, YUKI joined the all-girl rock band Mean Machine as back-up vocalist, lyricist and one of two drummers. In 2002 she debuted as a solo artist with "the end of shite" and has been enjoying a successful solo career ever since.

Aside from music, YUKI is part of the photography group Sleep, as their primary model and poet. YUKI has also written and illustrated a monthly journal page for "What's In" magazine, titled "YUKI no Hateshinai Tawagoto" ("YUKIの果てしない戯言";"YUKI's Endless Nonsense"). Throughout the 1990's, YUKI created 100 pages, and those pages were later compiled and published in her three autobiographies, "Girly Swing", "Girly Boogie", and "Girly Tree". YUKI still occassionally creates these pages for her fanclub and special events. YUKI has also worked as a DJ on several different shows, most notably on "All Night Nippon" from 1994-1996.

Throughout her career YUKI has collaborated with many artists, including such musicians as: GLAY, HALCALI, SUNEOHAIR, GING NANG BOYZ, Chara, Sukima Switch, K, Carole King, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, KT Tunstall, and Higurashi Aiha. Her videos are often directed by artist Nagi Noda and stylist Hirano Fumiko.

Music

YUKI is one of Japan's most recognized vocalists, known for her unique voice, popular fashion style and energetic live performances. Her musical style has constantly undergone change throughout her career. In her indie days, under the name "Sarah", she and Judy and Mary played punk, with evident influence from bands like The Ramones, REBECCA, and The Sex Pistols. By the end of the 1990's YUKI and the band's musical style had developed into experimental pop-rock. YUKI proved her love of classic rock during her side projects, NiNa and Mean Machine, as well as her first solo album, "PRISMIC". Her second album, "commune" experimented with an accoustic sound. Her third album "joy" marked a drastic change in her musical style from rock to pop; YUKI retained this style for her fourth album, "Wave", and most recent singles.

Like Chara, Shiina Ringo, and other female Japanese musicians, YUKI is often compared to Icelandic musician Bjork. Her voice is usually loved or hated, due to it's high pitch and nasality; however, her voice has a wide range, and YUKI is rarely heard off-key. Though primarily a singer and lyricist, YUKI can also play guitar, drums, tenor sax, piano, pianica, and harmonica. She wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the lyrics for JUDY AND MARY and continues to write her own lyrics as a solo artist, with very few exceptions. Her lyrics are often considered "strange" or abstract, however they generally focus on the theme of love. She has also fully composed several of her songs, including the single "66db" and several tracks on "PRISMIC."

Personal Life

YUKI is known for being quite private about her personal life. In September 2000, YUKI married Magokoro Brothers frontman, YO-KING. She gave birth to their first son on April 18, 2003, however the child died from unknown causes on March 17, 2005. YUKI gave birth to her second son on August 29, 2006. YUKI and YO-KING have written one known song together, the tune "Densetsu no Futari" on HALCALI's album "Ongaku no Susume".

Recent Activity

To date, YUKI has released five albums, seventeen singles, five DVDs and six biographical books. Her achievements include three #1 albums and thirteen Top 10 singles. She has sold over 2.19 million copies of her albums and singles in Japan alone. On October 3rd, 2007, YUKI released "five-star", a singles collection, to commemorate her fifth year as a solo artist. In April 2008, YUKI released her 17th official single, "Kisha ni Notte," and in May 2008 she released her third live DVD "YUKI LIVE "5-star" ~The gift will suddenly arrive~."

Most recently YUKI embarked on a two-month national tour, entitled "YUKI concert New Rhythm Tour 2008." The tour ended on May 30th after 10 shows. Since then, YUKI has preformed in two other live shows: one special solo show on June 4th, and another show with GING NANG BOYZ on June 22nd. Though no new releases or appearances have been announced, the staff journal at YUKI's official website was updated on July 18th with an entry stating that "though things are quiet on the surface," YUKI is hard at work on "pre-production" in the studio.

Trivia

• Before forming JUDY AND MARY, YUKI had worked as a tour guide and a beautician.
• GLAY is from the same home town as YUKI (Hakodate), and she and the band have been acquaintances since the late 1980s. YUKI has also occasionally appeared on GLAY albums.
• YUKI cites 1980s band REBECCA as a huge source of inspiration. (As she said: "私の音楽はここから始まった"; "the place where my music began")
• Since first breaking into the top 40 with the release of JUDY AND MARY's 1994 single, "Hello! Orange Sunshine," not one of YUKI's albums or singles (including side projects Mean Machine and NiNa) has dropped below #38 on the Oricon Charts. Only 3 singles have charted at #30 or below, and only 6 of all albums and singles have charted below #20.
• YUKI has appeared on over fifty Top 20 releases (albums and singles) since August, 1994.

Discography

Albums

• [2002.03.27] PRISMIC
• [2003.03.26] commune
• [2005.02.23] joy
• [2006.09.06] Wave
• [2007.10.03] five-star (Single Collection)

Singles

• [2002.02.06] the end of shite
• [2002.03.06] Prism (プリズム)
• [2002.06.05] 66db
• [2002.11.20] Stand Up! Sister (スタンドアップ！シスター)
• [2003.02.19] Sentimental Journey (センチメンタルジャーニー)
• [2003.03.19] Humming Bird (ハミングバード)
• [2004.08.18] Home Sweet Home
• [2004.11.10] Hello, Goodbye (ハローグッバイ)
• [2005.01.19] JOY
• [2005.04.27] Nagai Yume (長い夢; Long Dream)
• [2005.06.29] Dramatic (ドラマチック)
• [2005.09.07] Yorokobi no Tane (歓びの種; Seed of Happiness)
• [2006.01.25] Melancholinista (メランコリニスタ)
• [2006.08.09] Fugainaiya (ふがいないや; Worthless)
• [2007.08.08] Hoshikuzu Sunset (星屑サンセット; Stardust Sunset)
• [2007.12.12] Wonderline (ワンダーライン)
• [2008.04.16] Kisha ni Notte (汽車に乗って; Train Ride)
• [2009.03.04] Rendezvous (ランデヴー)

Other Singles

• [2005.01.23] JOY (Vinyl)
• [2007.05.25] Biscuit (Cell Phone Release)

DVDs

• [2005.03.02] Sweet Home Rock'n Roll Tour
• [2005.03.02] YUKI VIDEO (ユキビデオ)
• [2006.01.25] YUKI TOUR "joy"
• [2008.03.19] YUKI VIDEO 2 (ユキビデオ2)
• [2008.04.16] YUKI LIVE "5-star" ~The gift will suddenly arrive~

Tours / Concerts

• [2002.05.01] PRISMIC TOUR 2002 (Tour Start Date)
• [2002.08.10] Rock in Japan Festival 2002 (Grass Stage)
• [2002.08.11] J-WAVE LIVE 2000+2
• [2003.12.08] From Diva's County
• [2004.01.25] Soul of Donto 2004
• [2004.05.08] Sony Music Festival 2004
• [2004.07.03] Diva's County (with guests Mocchi and Ring)
• [2004.07.25] MEET THE WORLD BEAT 2004
• [2004.08.21] HIGHER GROUND 2004
• [2004.08.29] J-WAVE LIVE 2000+4
• [2004.09.20] SWEET LOVE SHOWER 2004
• [2004.09.22] Sweet Home Rock'n Roll Tour (Tour Start Date)
• [2004.12.02] Joy to the Music, Joy to the World
• [2005.01.30] Soul of Donto 2005
• [2005.03.25] YUKI TOUR "joy" (Tour Start Date)
• [2005.07.31] HIGHER GROUND 2005
• [2005.08.05] Rock in Japan Festival 2005 (Grass Stage)
• [2005.08.21] J-WAVE LIVE 2000+5
• [2005.09.03] Otodama ~Fountain Soul Sound~ (OTODAMA～音泉魂～)
• [2005.09.04] TREASURE 052 with ZIP-FM ～walking on air～
• [2005.09.15] SMA Bali 3 Carnival (SMAバリ3カーニバル)
• [2006.01.27] Soul of Donto 2006 -7th Anniversary-
• [2007.11.02] YUKI LIVE "5-Star"(Tour Start Date)
• [2008.03.22] Suido Hashi YUKI 2008 (水道橋ユキ2008)
• [2008.04.17] YUKI concert New Rhythm Tour 2008 (Tour Start Date)
• [2008.06.04] YUKI live Blitz Pop Generation
• [2008.06.22] Hot Stuff 30th Anniversary "Black and Blue"

Collaborations

• [1996.02.07] GLAY - "Beat Out!" (#8 Shuumatsu no Baby talk)
• [1997.06.21] Magokoro Brothers - "B.A.D" (#10 KIMOCHI E)
• [1999.11.26] Chara + yuki - "Ai no Hi 3tsu Orange"
• [2002.10.30] Dive Into Disney (#12 BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO (4106,Yuki, TDC, Masa(SPOONY))
• [2004.03.24] GLAY - "The Frustrated" (#14 Minamigochi)
• [2004.06.23] RELAXIN' WITH JAPANESE LOVERS VOL. 3 (#7 Koibito yo (version))
• [2004.09.01] Magokoro Covers (#9 BABY BABY BABY)
• [2004.11.24] HALCALI - "Ongaku no Susume" (#11 Densetsu no Futari (Lyrics: YUKI))
• [2005.01.15] GING NANG BOYZ - "Kimi to Boku no Daisanji Sekaitaisen deki Renaikakumei" (#8 Kakenukete Sei Haru feat.YUKI)
• [2005.01.26] CollaBo GumBos Vol. 1 (#9 Yume no Naka (YUKI & LAY-RAN))
• [2005.09.07] Hachimitsu to Clover Original Soundtrack (#2 Dramatic)
• [2005.09.28] Diva (#3 Funky Fruits)
• [2005.11.01] Jpop CD Vol. 2 (#5 Dramatic)
• [2006.01.25] HIT STYLE (Disc 2 #14 JOY)
• [2006.03.08] Yano Akiko - "Hajimete no Yano Akiko" (#4 Gohan ga Dekita yo (Guest: YUKI))
• [2006.08.02] NARUTO - Best Hit Collection 2 (#2 Home Sweet Home)
• [2006.12.12] Jewel Songs ~Seiko Matsuda Tribute & Covers~ (#1 Himitsu no Hanazono)
• [2007.01.17] Hachimitsu to Clover COMPLETE BEST (#1 Dramatic, #4 Fugainaiya)
• [2008.03.28] Detroit Metal City Tribute to Krauser II　~THE METAL MIX~ (#5 JOY-METAL JOY REMIX-)

Books & Publications

• [1997.02.??] YUKI Girly Rock
• [1997.02.01] YUKI Girly Swing
• [2000.06.01] YUKI Girly Folk
• [2000.06.01] YUKI Girly Boogie
• [2003.09.??] SLEEP - Footsteps of Dream
• [2004.03.01] Girly Rock Mini
• [2004.03.01] Girly Swing Mini
• [2004.03.01] Girly Folk Mini
• [2004.03.01] Girly Boogie Mini
• [2004.03.20] YUKI Girly Wave
• [2004.03.20] YUKI Girly Tree
• [2005.11.29] Guitar Accompaniment YUKI Songbook
• [2006.11.29] Piano Accompaniment YUKI Best Selection ~ Fugainaiya
• [2006.12.25] Band Score YUKI BEST
• [2007.02.28] Guitar Accompaniment YUKI Best Selection ~ Fugainaiya
• [2007.10.09] Piano Solo YUKI the end of shite ~ Hoshikuzu Sunset
• [2008.05.28] Band Score YUKI Best ~ Kisha ni Notte

Producer

• [2008.04.18] Cappucino Due (カプチーノ・ドゥエ)

External Links

• Official Website
• Oricon Style Profile
• Punk Girl: the Ultimate YUKI Fansite