Arai Akino

Arai Akino (2009)

Arai Akino (新居昭乃) is a Japanese musician widely known among anime fans for doing the themes of Outlaw Star, Tokyo Underground, KURAU Phantom Memory, and several more. She has collaborated frequently with artists in composition, lyrics, and vocals, including ZABADAK. She is also part of the indies unit marsh-mallow.

Arai is often compared with Sakamoto Maaya for their prominence in anime and easy-listening music, although Arai has been around longer than Sakamoto. At the age of 50 she is still touring and releasing new original music.

Profile

• Name: Arai Akino (新居昭乃)
• Birthdate: August 21st, 1959
• Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
• Blood Type O

Information

As a child, Arai Akino learned how to play the organ in kindergarten, and her parents bought her a piano in order for her to sing and make music. She would listen to classical music collections her parents had, along with works by Daniel Vidar. She was also exposed to Led Zeppelin from her younger brother and Pink Floyd from a friend. In addition, she loved reading The Diary of Anne Frank after graduating elementary school.

Arai debuted in July 1986 with the single Yakusoku, which was used as the theme for Windaria. She began working with many artists, including Tane Tomoko (who would become her best friend) and the band PSY-S. Arai continued to compose, write, and sometimes sing the themes for anime, commercials, and other artists. She was also the vocalist of the unit Goddess In the Morning.

After nearly five years of no releases under her own name, Arai returned to singing and releasing her own music in 1997 with the best-of album Sora no Mori. The albums to follow in 2000 and 2001 ranked high on the Oricon. She also had her own radio show, Viridian House, from 1997 to 2005.

Dicography

Albums

• [1986.10.21] Natsukashii Mirai (懐かしい未来; Nostalgic Future)
• [1997.10.22] Sora no Niwa (そらの庭; Sky Garden)
• [2000.05.24] Furu Platinum (降るプラチナ; Falling Platinum)
• [2001.05.23] Kouseki Radio (鉱石ラジオ; Crystal Radio)
• [2004.09.08] Eden (エデン)
• [2009.04.29] Sora no Sphere (ソラノスフィア; Sphere of the Sky)

Best Albums

• [1997.08.21] Sora no Mori (空の森; Forest of the Sky)
• [2002.04.24] RGB
• [2005.11.23] sora no uta (Song of the Sky)

Other Albums

• [2005.05.20] VHmusic
• [2006.07.16] VHmusic 2 the first euro tour

Singles

• [1986.07.05] Yakusoku (約束; Promise)
• [1986.09.21] Chizu wo Yuku Kumo (地図を行く雲; A Cloud Which Passes Through the Map)
• [1992.01.21] Kaze to Tori to Sora ~reincarnation~ (風と鳥と空; The Wind, the Birds, and the Sky)
• [1992.11.21] Kooru Suna (凍る砂; Frozen Sand)
• [1996.04.24] Shounen no Hane (少年の羽; Wings of Youth)
• [1998.01.21] Hiru no Tsuki (昼の月; The Moon at Noon)
• [1998.01.21] Tsuki no Ie (月の家; House of the Moon)
• [1999.11.20] Kanaete (叶えて; Grant My Wish)
• [2000.02.13] PALME Songs
• [2001.02.21] Hana no Katachi (花のかたち; Shape of a Flower)
• [2002.05.22] Kakusei Toshi (覚醒都市; The City of Awakenings)
• [2004.08.04] Natsukashii Umi (懐かしい宇宙(うみ); Nostalgic Universe)
• [2006.05.24] Kimi e Mukau Hikari (キミヘ ムカウ ヒカリ; The Light That Faces You)
• [2008.01.23] Kin no Nami Sen no Nami (金の波 千の波; Golden Waves A Thousand Waves)
• [2009.08.05] Mitsu no Yoake (蜜の夜明け; Dawn of Honey)

External Links

• Official Website
• a new Eden (fansite)