the blog of EVERYTHING JAPANESE!


Kagrra,
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Kaggra, promoting San (2005)

PROFILES

ISSHI

kagrra3.jpgStage Name: Isshi 一志
Position: Vocalist, Lyricist
Born: 7th December
Origin: Shinano Province
Blood Group: A
Height, Weight: 173cm, 54kg.
Official Links: Kagrra,’s Official Website, Isshi’s Blog.

Rumor has it that one of his ancestors was a demon. From infancy Isshi has been interested in ancient Japan including folklore and Buddhist imagery. This interest manifests itself in the unique stories he tells through the lyrics he writes today. He’s also an avid reader, especially ghost stories and the occult; fragments of which show up all over the world of Kagrra. Isshi is currently expanding the scope of his writing and producing essays for a monthly article in a music magazine.

AKIYA

kagrra4.jpgStage Name: Akiya 楓弥
Position: Guitarist, Composer
Born:
25th August
Origin: Ibaraki Prefecture
Blood Group: B
Height, Weight: 175cm, 57kg.
Official Links: Kagrra,’s Official Website, Akiya’s Blog.

Owner of a boundless variety of ideas, Akiya is the most sensitive to the tastes of modern times. Expanding well past music, his field of view allows him to endlessly absorb new things and make them a part of himself. Even limiting the discussion to music, he likes and listens to a vast variety of genres. His sensitivity to the world shows greatly in the compositions of Kagrra, bringing about a number of styles of music from rock to pop.

NAO

kagrra2.jpgStage Name: Nao 女雅
Position: Bass Guitarist
Born: 2nd February
Origin: Hokkaido Prefecture
Blood Group: A
Height, Weight: 175cm, 57kg
Official Links: Kagrra,’s Official Website, Nao’s Blog.

With a sunny disposition, Nao is the mood-maker of Kagrra. His innocent smile and kind words harmonize those around him. As a radio DJ and event announcer, Nao further shows off his unique abilities in the art of conversation. His natural command of a wide range of areas drives his activity in music and the media. His motto, “Whatever you do, do it your best” leads him with ambition to give everything his all.

SHIN

kagrra5.jpgStage Name: Sin 真
Position:
Guitar, Koto
Born: 11th September
Origin:
Saitama Prefecture
Blood Group: B
Height, Weight: 164cm, 50kg
Official Links: Kagrra,’s Official Website, Shin’s Blog

Shin figures centrally in Kagrra’s composition process. He gives off a calm, unique aura, but is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to musical technology. Shin’s knowledge and skill is indispensable to Kagrra’s song writing. His personality drives him to investigate to the very end of whatever subject holds his interest and he is eternally curious.

IZUMI

kagrra1.jpgStage Name: Izumi 白水
Position: Drums
Born: 11th February
Origin: Hokkaido Prefecture
Blood Group: 0
Height, Weight: 162cm, 56kg
Official Links: Kagrra,’s Official Website, Izumi’s Blog.

The leader of Kagrra. Izumi has a calm demeanor and is quick to forgive, but at his core he’s levelheaded. Easily the central pillar of Kagrra, Izumi’s eternal coolness, skill at judging his surroundings, and fervor of his work supports Kagrra. Also wearing the hat of visual creator for the band, Izumi constantly is expanding the places where he can express himself-well past the confines of music.

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Kagrra, back when it was still a Visual-Kei band

BIOGRAPHY

Kagrra originally started out in 1998 as a band called CROW under Key Party records. They released one mini album and a live DVD during this time, and toured with their ‘brother band’ Lar~Mia. CROW were known as the “Black feathers” and Lar~Mia the “white feathers”. Not much is known about their CROW days, except perhaps that they wrote their popular song Hyakkiyakou at this time.

After being moderately successful, CROW changed their name, their record label and left their ‘brother band’ behind. In 2000, they renamed themselves Kagrra under PS Company records. Kagrra is a deliberate misspelling of the Japanese word 神楽, or “kagura” (a traditional Japanese dance), meaning “music of the gods”. At this time their musical style was vastly different than it is now. It relied heavily on average Visual-Kei singing techniques, and was much darker in tone. The band released their first single as Kagrra entitled Kotodama and a mini-album titled Nue later that year.

Come March, Kagrra joined teams with Dué le quartz and Kagerou for the TRIBAL WARNING tour in which they toured Hong Kong and together they released the WARNING! single in September 2001.

It was also with this record label that they started working with their album cover designer Fukaya Yoichiro, and his work has become somewhat of a trademark within Kagrra fan communities.

After signing under Columbia records in 2003, Kagrra, added a comma (,) after their name to symbolize the dark side of the Chinese Yin Yang. After this, the band changed their image from Visual-Kei to what they called “Neo-Japanesesque”. Their musical style has now evolved immensely and their sound is much lighter and unique than before. On January 1st, 2004, Kagrra released their first mainstream single Urei, soon followed by an album.

In 2007, the band left Columbia and switched to KING, arguing that Columbia was the main responsible for their underground image. Their first release under KING was the album CORE released at the beginning of 2008.

LYRICS

Coming soon

DISCOGRAPHY

Coming soon

1 Comment so far
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Amazing post, with such info about the band neatly packed into it. ^^

Comment by P-chan




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