Links

woensdag 21 augustus 2013

J-Pop Corner: Iruma Rioka (梨丘いるま)


Iruma Rioka (梨丘いるま) is a singer and songwriter. With her mixture of electro-pop, classical & goth music she creates an unusual and mysterious atmosphere. Iruma is nicknamed “Rapunzel” because of her long hair. A similar artist is Kanon Wakeshima.

At an early age Iruma started to play the piano. By the time she was six, she was already composing her own music. After her graduation from the conservatory she moved to Tokyo to pursue her solo career. While composing melodies Iruma is not only influenced by artists Bjork and Shiina Ringo, but also by church bells, music boxes and classical masterpieces. It's no wonder that she chose the Gothic Lolita fashion for her on stage performances. The clothing suits her music style and her fans love her outfits. Fans say that she doesn't only plays music, but also creates wonderful stories. Iruma herself said that it was easier for her to express herself through music because introverted nature. A lot of fans found her honesty inspiring.

Iruma's first album, “IRUMA”, was released in March 2008. It was right after she teamed up with her support guitarist Nemu. In June the first live tour followed in Kyushu. This gained her attention from some local newspapers and magazines. A month later, her PV “Vanilla” was nominated for best indie PV. Since “Vanilla” was one of the six best Pvs out of 300, a lot of people started to notice Iruma. She even caught attention from overseas people. In October 2008 she released two mini-albums called “Secret Garden” and “Secret Garden -Dream-”. Her career was just starting but aside from recording and holding concerts, Iruma demonstrated/sold synthesizers and played piano in a bar.

In early 2009 she toured once again in Kyushu, but this time a Russian tour followed. On Valentine's Day she performed in St. Petersburg and a day later she performed in Moscow. Later that year, in August, album “Hollow Mellow” was released.

On December 31, 2010, album “Crimson Princess” went on sale. From June 30 to July 3, 2011, she made an appearance at “Japan Expo” in France. A month later, in August, a second version of “Secret Garden” was released. The duet song “Yume” was rerecorded by Iruma and Nemu.

From April 27 to 29, 2012, you could find Iruma at the “Anime Central 2012” convention in Rosemont, Illinois. In March of this year she made an appearance at the “Kawaii Kon” in Hawaii.








Geen opmerkingen:

Een reactie posten