Check this guy out, he’s songwriter, composer and a musical protege. I think his songs are rather sweet. He wrote a song called Cry No More that was performed by Sony’s Mika Nakashima. Here’s a taste of his music, performed by Mika Nakashima:

Lensei is an Japanese-Australian chap who was born in Australia but is currently performing around the world. You can find some hilarious videos of his life in Japan on Youtube too - just search for Lensei. Here’s his biography:

Lensei was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in August 1984. Shortly after, his family moved to the Gold Coast, where Lensei began his love of music. Starting piano aged just 7, he left school at age 8 when he began home-schooling. “I had so much time once I didn’t have to go to school – I could concentrate on the things I loved to do!” His piano teacher, Nadia McKenzie, took him through the next few years, furthering his piano skills through classical music exams. “I have to thank her for where I am now – she started me composing from age 10.” By 12, Lensei was creating complex songs based on the extensive musical knowledge he had by then.

In 1999 he gained entry to A.B. Paterson College on a full music scholarship. “I got involved in every co-curricular activity possible and enjoyed it all immensely, especially the Bands, Choirs and School Musicals”. Lensei played Pontius Pilate in the 2001 Gold Coast Arts Centre Summer School production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. He also played the lead role in school musicals ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ and ‘Guys and Dolls’. In 2001 Lensei was appointed College Vice-Captain and upon graduation received the rarely awarded ‘Principal’s Award for Outstanding Service to the College Community’ in addition to awards for ‘Dux Proximae’, ‘Excellence in the Performing Arts’ and ‘Outstanding Leadership’.

Lensei’s love of singing led him to join ‘The Blenders’, Australia’s gold medal male acappella chorus when he was only 12. In 1999 he traveled to California with the Chorus and competed in the International Championships. In the same year he won a silver medal in the Australian quartet championships. In 2004 Lensei went with The Blenders to Christchurch, New Zealand where they won the Pan-Pacific Championship. In October 2005 The Blenders once again won the Australian championship for the seventh time with Lensei in the front row. Front row of the chorus involves complex choreography and dancing, where Lensei excelled.

He began his professional singing career in 2002 and has entertained in venues around the Gold Coast and Brisbane. His song list includes jazz, swing, rock and pop numbers from the 30s to today’s hits and his own originals, depending on the occasion.
Later that year, Lensei released “It Had To Be You”, his first solo CD - a compendium of 14 songs from the Swing Era. “Fans kept asking me if I had a CD for sale, so I decided to oblige. I get letters from people I don’t know telling me how much they love the CD.”

Lensei travelled during 2003 to Japan for a lucrative position playing as a regular at the Compass Rose Sky Lounge at Westin Hotel, Tokyo, Japan. While there, his talents were not unnoticed and he also entertained at the opening of new Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo. In May 2003, Lensei progressed to the final 16 out of 10,000 entrants in the Sony Auditions in Japan. This resulted in an arrangement with Sony Music Publishing Japan, for which he now writes original music.

In April 2005 Lensei again travelled to Japan where he represented his University, being guest speaker and performing at Queensland Government Seminars at the Aichi World Expo in Nagoya.

While there he met Japan pop-star, Mika Nakashima, who had just released her third album “Music” which features one of Lensei’s songs. (Lyrics re-written in Japanese by Mika and re-titled ‘Rocking Horse’). “It’s such a great arrangement of my song and Mika is a brilliant singer – I got the news that she was recording my song on my 20th birthday. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present!”

In November 2005, Sony advised Lensei that Mika’s next single would be another of his songs “Cry No More”. The song is due for release in Japan on 22nd February this year and will also be used over the closing credits of a prime time animated television show “Blood+”. “I am really happy that Mika will be recording another of my songs. I can’t wait to hear what she does with it.”

Lensei graduated in December 2005 from the Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University, Gold Coast, with a Bachelor of Popular Music. So what’s next for this talented performer and composer?

“I want to sing and record a CD of my own songs.” As Lensei has written over a hundred original songs, he’ll have a lot to choose from. “But first I’m going to Japan, to meet Mika again and see if I can present my songs to other artists there as well.” In the meantime he says “I’m having a great time. When you do what you love, it’s all good.”

- Lensei.com

Well, I hope his talents will flourish into fulfillment someday. Cheers!

Közi (こうぢ Pronounced “Koji”) is a Japanese visual kei artist who plays guitar, piano, keyboard and synthesizer. Közi is most famous for his time in the largely popular visual kei band Malice Mizer. Currently Közi is playing in industrial rock act Eve of Destiny, as well as continuing his own solo project.

Közi’s career began at the end of the 1980s in two bands, Girl’e and Beyond The Reinsight. Information about these bands is very scarce. In 1991 he joined Matenrou (also known as Matenrow) with future Malice Mizer member Mana and released two demo tapes. Mana and Közi left Matenrou after deciding they both had similar ideas about creating music. They formed Malice Mizer in 1992. After Malice Mizer disbanded in 2001, Közi joined Haruhiko Ash and created Eve of Destiny, an industrial rock band that toured outside of Japan, performing at various festivals in Europe.

In 2002, Közi collaborated with Japanese author Minako for the book Izayoi No Tsuki (十六夜の月), which Közi provided the eerie soundtrack for. He then performed a special singing event in Japan which cemented the fact that he was following a solo career. Közi’s first solo release was the double-disc, double-single package KHAOS/KINEMA, which included the memorable “Promenade”. The track was re-released several months later on his debut album Catharsis (カタルシス). Közi’s MEMENTO single is dedicated to the late Malice Mizer drummer Kami (drummer).

During his time in Malice Mizer, Közi often assumed the role of a pierrot doll, dressing in clown-like costumes with large ruffs, always in shades of red, his favourite color. In music videos and on-stage he would often make movements reminiscent of a marionette (string puppet). Közi has continued this visual style to some extent, but his contemporary stage costumes are more gothic. His work on the Izayoi No Tsuki project was reminiscent of carnival music, and artwork for his projects usually follow a dramatic, theatrical theme. Details about his private life are sketchy. Due to lyrical and visual content in his work, it is generally assumed that he is interested in sado-masochism and has an eyeball fetish, a source of continual amusement to his fans.

Wiki

Song: Life Goes On

Jun Shibata (柴田淳, Shibata Jun?, born November 19, 1976 in Setagaya, Tokyo) is a Japanese pop female singer-songwriter. Her nickname is “Shibajun”. Many of her songs are of slow and medium tempo and/or ballads expressive of fragility. Occasionally her soft vocals are accompanied by herself on the piano.

In her early stages of her singing career, she was known to have travelled extensively nation-wide to perform live at local record stores in front of small crowds.

She has provided lyrics to the well-known Japanese singing-duo Chemistry for their song “Tsukiyo”.

Song: tsuki no mado

Song: Colorful

Song: 柴田淳 - 片想い

Luna Sea is a Japanese rock band. It was formed in 1989 by Ryuichi Kawamura, Yasuhiro “Sugizo” Sugihara, Shinobu “Inoran” Inoue, Jun “J” Onose and Shinya Yamada, a lineup that remained consistent until the band’s breakup in 2000. They released seven studio albums and several singles and VHS/DVD releases throughout the 90s. Luna Sea recently announced that they will reunite for a concert in December 2007.

Discovered by the late Hideto Matsumoto (then lead guitarist of X Japan), Luna Sea were signed by X Japan co-founder Yoshiki Hayashi to his independent label Extasy Records, on which they released their self-titled debut album in 1991. Originally a visual kei band, they held the “Luna Sea First Year Anniversary One Man - Kurofuku Restricted” concert, which earned them the label “Kurofuku Kei” which was later applied to other bands. Kurofuku (黒服) means black suit or mourning clothing.

By 1995 the group’s popularity had reached the point at which it would headline the Tokyo Dome, Japan’s largest indoor live venue. Five years later, the stadium would also host the band’s farewell concerts. Having already been on a year-long hiatus between releases of the albums Shine and Lunacy, Luna Sea decided to disband after two more performances on December 26 and 27, 2000.

Since then, the members have either pursued solo careers (like Ryuichi and J), new bands (like Inoran with Fake?) or collaborations with other musicians (such as the short-lived The Flare by Sugizo and Lazy Knack vocalist Yuna). Shinya mostly retired from the music industry after marrying Aya Ishiguro of the pop girl group Morning Musume. More recently, Inoran has left Fake? and reunited with Ryuichi to form Tourbillon in 2005, while Sugizo has joined the supergroup Skin in 2007, which also features pop/rock artists Gackt and Miyavi, as well as Yoshiki.

On August 27, 2007 Luna Sea announced on its official website that the group will reunite for concert at the Tokyo Dome on December 24, 2007, titled “God Bless You ~One Night Dejavu~”.

Song: Storm

Song: I for you

Song: Long song (live)

Official Website
Wikipedia

This Japanese Reggae artist has a very unique sound to her. I mean, I know reggae is what it is - its distinct sound is unmistakable. But Metis, she found her calling Reggae instead of RnB which is what she started in the music industry with. I have all the love for indie-artistes, truly madly deeply. I feel that they are generally MORE reflective and expressive than the contemporary pop groups you see on MTV.

Song:Ume wa Saita ka Sakura wa Mada kaina

Song: Answer

D’espairsRay is a Japanese rock band formed in 1999 by Hizumi, Karyu, Zero and Tsukasa. The lineup has since remained the same and as of March 2007, the group has released several singles and EPs, as well as a two full-length records. Besides Japan, D’espairsRay have also toured Europe and North America in recent years, along with domestic releases in these territories. They performed at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2006, and a second album, titled Mirror was released on April 11, 2007.

Is it me or are the members in this rock band look a little girlish? They seem to touch the Visual Kei area a little, eh?

Check out the band’s official website and MySpace site.

Song: Garnet

Song: Forbidden

song: Reddish

This is a new found favorite of mine from Utada Hikaru :)

Here’s a link to its translated lyrics for this song: COLORS

Toshi Kubota (KUBOTA Toshinobu, 久保田利伸) is a Japanese singer who is originally from Shizuoka, Japan. Toshi is a pioneer of soul music in Japan. His music styles have varied over the years, from pop-oriented sounds through to reggae and soul.

Toshi has managed to sustain a lengthy recording career. He has released a total of ten Japanese albums, three English albums, and four compilation albums since his debut.

Toshi made his Japanese debut in 1986 with the album, Shake It Paradise. His popularity peaked with his award-winning 1990 release, “Bonga Wanga.” Toshi’s albums have consistently sold over a million copies each in Japan. His biggest hit single came in 1996 in a duet with Naomi Campbell entitled “La La La Love song”. The single was used as a theme song of a television drama “Long Vacation” and sold two million copies in Japan.

Toshi made his English debut in 1995 with the album “Sunshine, Moonlight” and followed up with 2000’s “Nothing But Your Love.” His latest release is 2006’s “For Real?”.

song: la la la love song

song: Missing (live)

Song: Mercy, Mercy Me

Check out his official website

Porno Graffitti (ポルノグラフィティ, Poruno Gurafiti), also known as Porno (ポルノ, Poruno) is a Japanese male rock band from Innoshima. The band got their name from the album Pornograffitti by the band Extreme. They currently record under Sony Music Entertainment Japan Records (also known as SME Records) label.

The origin of this band is a band called “No score” that was formed by Haruichi Shindo with his cousin in high school. After Haruichi made the band, he asked Akihito Okano and Masami Shiratama (Tama) to join his band. As the band name says, all of them could not read a score for the first time. When they started the band activity, Haruichi was the vocalist, but they found out that Akihito could sing better than him, so Haruichi gave the vocalist position to Akihito, and he got the guitarist position. This is the foundation of Porno Graffitti.

They came out with the song Apollo in 1999. Two single CDs Saudade and Agehachō both sold over a million copies in Japan. They are also well known for the song Melissa, used as the opening theme of the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, in 2003. They also created the song Hitori no Yoru, used as the opening theme of the anime series GTO, back in 2000 and Winding Road, used as the ending theme of the anime series Ayakashi Ayashi, in 2006. A cover of their 2000 single Music Hour was featured in a stage of the Nintendo DS rhythm game Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2.

Song: Mugen

Song: Melissa

Song: Hitori no Yoru

Check out their official website: Porno Graffitti

Chihiro Onitsuka (鬼束ちひろ, Onitsuka Chihiro?, born October 30, 1980 in Nango, Miyazaki) is a female Japanese popular music singer-songwriter and pianist.

Onitsuka debuted with her single Shine in early 2000 and has captured many people with her vocals. She can reach incredibly high and low tones, giving her a wide array of options for singing, from fast-paced guitar melodies to melancholy piano pieces.
Her parents encouraged Onitsuka to listen to Western music and by the time she was ten, she wrote her first poems, receiving praise from her parents, friends and teachers, who called them ‘earnest efforts’. Secretly, however, she knew that just writing ‘earnestly’ wasn’t enough. From that time onward, she tried to write every day, and by the time she was in junior high school, she began to gain more confidence.

Having been influenced by Alanis Morissette in junior high school days, it was the encounter with Jewel’s music and presence during the high school years that strongly impelled Onitsuka to become a singer-songwriter. With some 70 original compositions and several other auditions under her belt, Onitsuka entered the 1998 Virgin Tokyo Artists Audition, going on to winning Grand Prize. Then only 17, Onitsuka started her career as a professional and moved to Tokyo in spring 1999 after graduating from high school.

February 2000 saw the release of Onitsuka’s debut single “Shine.” The following single “Gekkou” was selected the theme song to a TV drama series, gaining nationwide attention to this new artist. While “Gekkou” remained a long-term best-seller, the up-tempo single “Cage” was released in November 2000, followed by the fourth single “Memai/Edge” in February 2001 which was Onitsuka’s first love song. The highly anticipated debut album Insomnia was then released in March 2001, immediately topping the Original Confidence album sales charts in the first week of release.
In early September 2003, Onitsuka recorded her October single “Ii Hi Tabidachi, Nishi e,” a cover of a 1978 song, to be used as the theme for Japan Railway’s “Discover the West” campaign. She recorded this song right before she took a hiatus to have throat surgery.[1]

In early 2004, Toshiba EMI released a Singles Box against the wishes of Onitsuka. This caused so much anguish for her that she left Toshiba and signed on as an artist under Universal Music, and given a lot more freedom in her work. She released one single, “Sodatsu Zassou (育つ雑草)”, which was a major change from her folk-pop style into rock. Prior to the release, she held a concert in which she performed the song and a Nirvana cover. Contrary to popular belief, she did not announce a hiatus at this time; no hiatus was announced and the subsequent lack of release from her had been a great mystery to her fans, who eagerly anticipated the next release and hoped that one would indeed be forthcoming. Later on, she admitted that the reason for her departure from the music scene was because of mental fatigue caused by the series of new releases and tight schedules.

Onitsuka started her full come-back to the music industry in 2007, with a live performance on March 17 at AP BANG! Tokyo Kankyo Kaigi, Studio Coast, Tokyo and has announced plans to release a come-back album and do concert touring. Her first release is the single titled “Everyhome”, which was released on May 30. It reached #9 on the Oricon weekly charts.

It is interesting to note that even though Onitsuka is on a different label now, Toshiba EMI has still been releasing her music in the forms of DVDs and singles collections. The singles collection does not even have a photo of Chihiro as the cover, and instead a drawing replaces her. It is most likely that they will stop soon as there are no more new songs or footage that they own.

Song: Infection

Song: Shine

Song: Back Door