3/8/2005

L’Arc~en~Ciel (ラルク アン シエル), also known as Laruku (ラルク) or L’Arc to their fans, is a popular Japanese rock band consisting of four members. The name means “Arc in the Sky”, or “rainbow” in French.

Biography

Early days

In February of 1991, Tetsu and Hyde, along with Hiro (guitar) and Pero (drums) formed the band named after a movie that Tetsu had seen. After a year of gaining notoriety in their hometown of Osaka, Hiro left the band on June 12, 1992. Pero soon followed on December 30 of that same year, supposedly to join up with his buddy hiro again. Tetsu convinced his friend Ken to quit his studies in architectural design and join the band. A new drummer, Sakura, was recruited after Tetsu saw him play. In 1993, the band released their debut album, DUNE under the indies label Danger Crue, which was met with plenty of success, managing to be #1 on the Oricon indies charts.

Sakura Days

This caught the attention of some major labels, so in 1994, they signed for Sony’s Ki/oon division, releasing their 2nd album, Tierra, that same year. heavenly followed in 1995 and True, their first million seller, in 1996.

Yukihiro days

In 1997, sakura was arrested for heroin possession and quit the band. Their popularity was growing too rapidly to quit, so a new tour was organized and yukihiro joined the band. The first concert date of the new tour in Tokyo Dome had an attendance of 56,000 and sold out in four minutes, a testament to their popularity. Their next album was HEART, in 1998.

L’Arc~en~Ciel released three more albums of new material during the next few years: ark and ray which were released simultaneously in 1999, followed by REAL in 2000, which, for the longest time, was the last CD of new material, although many more compilation and remix albums would follow. L’Arc~en~Ciel also composed several theme songs for various anime series, including DNA², Rurouni Kenshin, Great Teacher Onizuka and Fullmetal Alchemist. They also created the ending theme song to the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

After a while, however, the various members began working on various solo projects. Hyde released several solo albums, ken founded SONS OF ALL PUSSYS, tetsu started TETSU69 and yukihiro played with Acid Android. The band seemed close to calling it quits.

Post-Hiatus days

In June 2003, Laruku came back to play a series of seven concerts in Tokyo called the "Shibuya Seven Days" and announced a new album for release in the following year. So, in February 2004, their first single in more than three years came out, followed by another one in early March. Finally, their long-awaited new album, SMILE, was released on March 31.

Shortly after, on June 2, 2004, the single 自由への招待 (Jiyuu e no Shoutai) introduced "P’UNK~EN~CIEL", a part change, for the first time on CD with "milky way". In the past, the band also played a P’UNK version of "Round and Round" live.

On July 31, 2004, L’Arc~en~Ciel made their first U.S. concert debut at Otakon 2004. Approximately 12,000 Otakon attendees attended the concert which was held at a outside venue for the first time in Otakon’s musical guests history, the 1st Mariner Arena located near the Baltimore Convention Center.

In October 2004, it was revealed by Sony Music Japan that they will release a DVD of the Otakon 2004 concert on December 8, 2004 in Japan for 4,515 yen, approximately $40 USD. Tofu Records, who handles L’Arc’s U.S. releases, was scheduled to release of the DVD in America on January 25, 2005, but it has been postponed indefinitely. At the concert, Sony Music Japan had people filming the concert but Otakon believed it was for archival purposes.

The single ‘Killing Me’ was released with another P’UNK track on January 13, 2005.

Looking ahead, the band will do the opening and ending themes for the Fullmetal Alchemist movie. Whether or not the song(s) will be a single is currently open to speculation. In addition, "L’Arc~en~Ciel TOUR 2005" has been announced but information pending.

Line-up

Current

• hyde (vocals) (solo hyde)
• tetsu (bass, backup vocals) (solo TETSU69)
• ken (guitar) (solo S.O.A.P.)
• yukihiro (drums) (solo Acid Android)

Former

• sakura (drums 1992-1997)
• hiro (guitar 1991-1992)
• pero (drums 1991-1992)

D’ARC~EN~CIEL

• Dark Tetsu (vocal)
• HYDE DARK (guitar)
• Suck D’ark La (bass)
• k:en D’Arc (drums)

P’UNK~EN~CIEL

• TETSU P’UNK(guitar, vocals)
• HYDE P’UNK (guitar)
• YUKIHIRO P’UNK (bass)
• KEN P’UNK (drums)

Discography
Highest chart positions and units sold:

Albums

• DUNE (1993)
• Tierra (1994) #7 - 161,000
• heavenly (1995) #3 - 391,000
• True (1996) #1 - 1,428,000
• HEART (1998) #1 - 1,551,000
• Ark and Ray (1999) #1 & #2 - 2,275,000 & 2,138,000
• REAL (2000) #1 - 1,098,000
• SMILE (2004) #2 - 378,748

Compilations & Remixes

• ectomorphed works (2000) #3 - 228,000
• Clicked Singles Best 13 (2001) #1 - 1,337,830
• The Best of L’Arc~en~Ciel 1994-1998 (2003) 195,500
• The Best of L’Arc~en~Ciel 1998-2000 (2003) 190,800

Singles

• 1992
  • Flood of tears |indie single| 1,000 (limited edition)
• 1994
  • Blurry Eyes |major debut single| #22 - 52,000
• 1995
  • Vivid Colors c/w Brilliant Years #16 - 118,000
  • 夏の憂鬱 (natsu no yuuutsu) [time to say goodbye] c/w あなたのために (anata no tame ni) #15 - 67,000
• 1996
  • 風にきえないで　 (kaze ni kienaide) c/w I’m so happy #4 - 196,000
  • flower c/w さようなら (sayounara) #5 - 320,000
  • Lies and Truth c/w　賽は投げられた (sai wa nagarareta) #6 - 285,000
• 1997
  • 虹 (niji) c/w THE GHOST IN MY ROOM #3 - 708,000
• 1998
  • winter fall c/w metropolis #1 - 835,000
  • DIVE TO BLUE c/w Peeping Tom #1 - 845,000
  • HONEY #1 - 1,224,000
  • 花葬 (kasou) #4 - 1,036,000
  • 侵食 (shinshoku)~lose control~ #2 - 926,000
  • snow drop c/w a swell in the sun #1 - 1,132,000
  • forbidden lover c/w 花葬 (kasou) -1014 mix- #1 - 826,000
• 1999
  • HEAVEN’S DRIVE c/w metropolis -android goes to sleep mix- #1 - 1,124,000
  • Pieces c/w fate -fake fate mix- #1 - 735,000
  • Driver’s High c/w Cradle -down to the earth mix- #2 - 340,000
  • LOVE FLIES c/w shinjitsu to gensou to -out of reality mix- #1 - 514,000
• 2000
  • NEO UNIVERSE/finale c/w hole #1 - 1,104,000
  • STAY AWAY c/w get out from the shell #2 - 734,000
• 2001
  • Spirit dreams inside -another dream- c/w Spirit dreams inside #1 - 340,770
• 2004
  • READY STEADY GO #1 - 365,500
  • 瞳の住人 (hitomi no juunin) #1 - 194,600
  • 自由への招待 (jiyuu e no shoutai) c/w milky way by P’UNK~EN~CIEL #1 - 232,900
• 2005
  • Killing Me c/w Round and Round 2005 by P’UNK~EN~CIEL #1 - 120,

Videos

• 1992
  • L’Arc~en~Ciel (VHS/concert)
• 1993
  • Touch of DUNE (VHS)
• 1994
  • 眠りによせて (VHS/video single)
  • Siesta~Film of Dreams (VHS)
• 1995
  • and She Said (VHS/video single)
• 1996
  • heavenly ~films~ (VHS/concert)
• 1998
  • A PIECE OF REINCARNATION (VHS/concert)
  • ハートに火をつけろ！ Light My Fire (VHS/concert)

  1999

  • CHRONICLE (VHS+DVD/PV collection)
  • ハートに火をつけろ！ Light My Fire (DVD/concert)
  • A PIECE OF REINCARNATION (DVD/concert)
  • 1999 GRAND CROSS CONCLUSION (VHS+DVD/concert)

  2001

  • CHRONICLE 2 (VHS+DVD/PV collection)
  • CLUB CIRCUIT 2000 REALIVE - NO CUT - (VHS+DVD/concert)

  2003

  • heavenly ~films~ (DVD/concert)
  • and She Said (DVD/video single)
  • Siesta ~Film of Dreams~ (DVD)
  • 眠りによせて (DVD/video single)
  • 7 (DVD/concert)
• 2004
  • LIVE IN U.S.A. ~at 1st Mariner Arena July 31, 2004~ (DVD/concert)

External links

Official Sites

• L’Arc~en~Ciel Official Site
• L’Arc~en~Ciel Official Sony Site
• L’Arc~en~Ciel Official English Site
• Tofu Records Official Site
• Danger Crue Records Official Site
• hyde Official Site
• Sons of All Pussys Official Site (ken solo)
• TETSU69 Official Site (tetsu solo)
• Acid Android Official Site (yukihiro solo)

Fan sites

• Fourth Avenue Cafe, an English Fan Site
• L’Arc Europe - European Fan Base
• Bye Bye Reality
• Sunrise

(Source: Wikipedia)