Sambomaster

Infobox musical artist
Name = Sambomaster


Img_capt = Left to right: Yasufumi Kiuchi, Yamaguchi Takashi, Yoichi Kondo
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Japan
Genre = Alternative rock
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Sony Music Japan
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.sambomaster.com/pc/index.html The Official Sambomaster Site] [http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Arch/SR/Sambomaster/index.html Sony Music's Official Site]
Current_members = Takashi Yamaguchi
Yasufumi Kiuchi
Yoichi Kondo
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

nihongo|Sambomaster|サンボマスター|Sanbomasutā is a Japanese rock band signed by Sony Music Japan.

History

Lead vocalist and guitarist Yamaguchi Takashi first met drummer Yasufumi Kiuchi a few years back, at a university music club they were both members of. The duo ran into bassist Yoichi Kondo during February 2000, and the three went on to officially form the band now known as Sambomaster. They made their debut at a live house in Tokyo's Kōenji district and soon followed this up with the self-production of their first single "Kick "no Oni" ("Kicking Demons"), which they spent nearly a year working on. It was subsequently released in April 2001 as a limited edition of 300 copies. For the first time, listeners outside of a live show were presented with vocalist and frontman Yamaguchi's vocals, which shift between a soft, sandpaper-like melodic voice to all-out screaming madness. Sambomaster's musical style is a blend of punk/classic rock, pop, jazz and rock ballads.
The year 2003 saw the release of their very first major-label album, "Atarashiki Nihongo Rock no Michi to Hikari" and a live performance at the Fuji Rock festival's "Rookie GO GO". This led to a huge rise in their success and more widespread notoriety. They have been gathering acclaim from both critics and regular listeners ever since.

In 2004 and 2005, Sambomaster released the majority of their hit singles including "Seishun Kyōsōkyoku" and "Sekai wa Sore wo Ai to Yobundaze"; "Seishun Kyōsōkyoku" was used as the fifth opening theme to the hit anime series "Naruto", and "Sekai wa sore Ai to Yobunda ze" ended up being the ending theme to the popular Japanese sitcom/comedy "Densha Otoko" (and also Nintendo DS game "Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2"). They were also asked to do the main theme to the movie "Koi no Mon", which became the song "Tsuki ni Saku Hana no Yō ni Naru no". Recently, their song "Hikari no Rock" was featured as the single for the film "".

The band is still very active currently, releasing singles and albums, which are continuously rising up the Japanese music charts.

Members

Takashi Yamaguchi (山口隆 "Yamaguchi Takashi"):Lead Vocalist, Guitar:Born: February 8, 1976:Hometown: Fukushima

Yasufumi Kiuchi (木内泰史 "Kiuchi Yasufumi"):Drums, Chorus:Born: August 4, 1976:Hometown: Chiba

Yoichi Kondo (近藤洋一 "Kondo Yoichi"):Bass, Chorus:Born: June 16, 1977:Hometown: Tochigi

Discography

ingles

"Kick no Oni" (indie) (April 2001)
# Introduction
# Kung-fu Rock
# Golden Circle no Ornette Coleman
# Kick no Oni
# Saikyō Cyclone
# Tsunagari
# Sambomaster no Kyūjitsu

"Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi" (April 7, 2004)
# Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi
# Netchū Jidai
# Dandan
# Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru (Studio Live Version)

"Tsuki ni Saku Hana no Yō ni Naru no" (July 22, 2004)
# Tsuki ni Saku Hana no Yō ni Naru no
# Tegami (King of Soul mix)
# Itoshiki Hibi (Nashville Skyline version)
# Hito wa Sore o Jounetsu to Yobu (Live Version)

"Seishun Kyōsōkyoku" (December 1, 2004)
# Seishun Kyōsōkyoku
# Tsunagari (King of Laidback mix)
# Ame
# Seishun Kyōsōkyoku (NARUTO OPENING MIX)

"Utagoe yoo kore" (April 27, 2005)
# Utagoe yoo kore
# Sad Ballad no Sekai
# Seishun Kyōsōkyoku (Live Version)

"Sekai wa Sore wo Ai to Yobundaze" (August 3, 2005)
# Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yobunda ze
# Atsui Suna to Warui Ame
# Boku ni Sasagu

"Subete no Yoru to Subete no Asa ni Tamborine o Narasu no da" (November 2, 2005)
# Subete no Yoru to Subete no Asa ni Tambourine o Narasu no da
# Ano Kane o Narasu no wa Anata
# Hanarenai Futari

"Tegami" (March 15, 2006)
# Tegami ~Kitarubeki Ongaku to Shite~
# Get Back Sambomaster
# Yoyogi nite

"Itoshisa to Kokoro no Kabe" (August 2, 2006)
# Itoshisa to Kokoro no Kabe
# Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yobunda ze (Live Version)

"I Love You" (April 18, 2007)
# I Love You
# Beibi Beibi Su
# Coaster
# Kyōkai Mae Tōri

"Very Special!!" (July 25, 2007)
# Very Special!!
# Ubai Toru Koto Nitsuite
# Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi (Sekai Rokku Senbatsu Version)

"Hikari no Rock" (December 12, 2007)(Theme song for BLEACH: The DiamondDust Rebellion)
# Hikari no Rock
# Hikari no Rock (Instrumental)

Albums

"Atarashiki Nihongo Rock no Michi to Hikari" (December 3, 2003)
*English: "The Way and Light of New Japanese Rock"

"Sambomaster wa kimi ni katarikakeru" (January 19, 2005)
*English: "Sambomaster is Talking to You"

"Boku to Kimi no Subete o Rock 'n Roll to Yobe" (April 12, 2006)
*English: "And You Shall Call All That Comes Between Us 'Rock n' Roll"'

"Ongaku no Kodomo wa Mina Utau" (January 23, 2008)
*English: "The Child of Music is Our Singing"

Concert DVDs

Atarashiki Nihongo Rock o Kimi ni Katarikakeru ~Sambomaster Shoki no Live Eizōshū~ (November 2, 2005)
:A UMD version with the same tracklist was released on November 30, 2005.
# Kung-fu Rock ~ Aware na Bobu Isoide Ike yo
# Itoshiki Hibi ~ Futari
# Zanzō
# Yogisha de Yattekita Aitsu ~ Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru
# Yogisha de Yattekita Aitsu
# Hito wa Sore o Jonetsu to Yobu
# Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi
# Itoshiki Hibi
# Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru
# Asa
# Seishun Kyōsōkyoku
# Tegami
# Yokubō Rock
# Sayonara Baby
# Utagoe yoo kore
# Korede Jiyū ni Natta no Da
# Shūmatsu Soul
# Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru
# Tsuki ni Saku Hana no Yō ni Naru no

Atarashiki Nihongo Rock no Video Clip Collection (October 18, 2006)
#(Videoclip) Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru
#(Videoclip) Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru (Studio Live Version)
#(Videoclip) Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi
#(Videoclip) Tsuki ni Saku Hana no Yō ni Naru no
#(Videoclip) Seishun Kyōsōkyoku (Haikyo Version)
#(Videoclip) Seishun Kyōsōkyoku (Samba Version)
#(Videoclip) Utagoe yo Okore
#(Videoclip) Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yobunda ze
#(Videoclip) Subete no Yoru to Subete no Asa ni Tambourine o Narasu no da
#(Videoclip) Tegami ~Kitarubeki Ongaku to Shite~
#(Special Track) Making Clip - Seishun Kyōsōkyoku (Samba Version)
#(Special Track) Making Clip - Sekai wa Sore o Ai to Yobunda ze
#(Special Track) Making Clip - Subete no Yoru to Subete no Asa ni Tambourine o Narasu no da
#(Special Track) TV Commercial

Other albums

"Hōkago no Seishun" (July 2, 2003)
: Sambomaster appeared in a split album with the band Onanie Machine. This is the first appearance of some of Sambomaster's future hit songs, such as "Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi", "Tegami", and "Sononukumori ni Yō ga Aru" (as well as the other two in their own right). The versions on this album feature only Takeshi, Yasufumi, and Yoichi playing the songs. Later versions, such as the versions on their singles and albums, were touched up, polished, re-mixed, and sometimes re-recorded with extra musicians. In a sense, the songs on this album are the "original" versions. Sambomaster songs are tracks 6 to 10, italicized and bolded below:
# Mendokusee
# Lovewagon
# Boku wa Stalker
# Soshiki
# Pokochin
# "Sayonara Baby"
# "Utsukushiki Ningen no Hibi"
# "Tegami"
# "Futari"
# "Sono Nukumori ni Yō ga Aru"

"E.V. Junkies II "GUITAROCKING"" (June 30, 2004)
: Sambomaster has 2 songs on this compilation album, tracks 9 and 14, italicized and bolded below. "Itoshiki Hibi - Country Sad Ballad ver.-" is a version with Alice singing most of the vocals. (Note: "Sad" in "Country Sad" may be a misspelling of "Side". Officially the song name in Japanese is spelled with "saddo" which can be confused with "saido".)
# Kimi to iu Hana / ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
# MAGIC WORDS / Straightener
# Mountain A Go Go / CaptainStraydum
# Shalilala / FLOW
# Ima made nan domo / The Massmissile
# Nostalgic / the droogies
# Jitterbug / ELLEGARDEN
# Gunjō / Tsubakiya Quartette
# "Tsunagari / Sambomaster"
# Shiroi Koe / Lunkhead
# Boku no Sonzai wa Uso janakatta / OUTLAW
# ALIVE / RAICO
# Rakuyou ~Long Ver.~ / ORANGE RANGE
# "Itoshiki Hibi - Country Sad Ballad ver.- / Alice meets Sambomaster"

"Magokoro COVERS" (September 1, 2004)
: Sambomaster recorded a cover of Magokoro Brothers' "Dear John Lennon" in this compilation album.
# ENDLESS SUMMER NUDE (Tomita Lab. Remix) / 冨田ラボ
# Sora ni Maiagare / Okuda Tamio
# Ai / HALCALI
# Loop Slider / Suneohair
# Ningen wa Mō Owari da! / PUFFY
# STONE / Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
# Standard 3 / Rosetta Garden
# "Haikei, John Lennon / Sambomaster"
# BABY BABY BABY / YUKI
# Subarashiki kono Sekai / Imawano Kiyoshirō
# Atarashii Yoake / MB's

"Koi no Mon" Original Soundtrack (September 23, 2004)
: Sambomaster was featured in the Original Sountrack of the movie Koi no Mon. Sambomaster songs are tracks 1, 2, 14, 15, and 18, italicized and bolded below:
# "Tsuki ni Saku Hana no Yō ni Naru no"
# "Hito wa Sore o Jōnetsu to Yobu"
# MOHAWK!
# FOUR FINGER
# Noiko no Heya
# AQUAM
# Ishi ga ite, Kimi ga ite
# BIG SITE
# Fukashigi Jikken Karada Gibarengaa
# FORTRESS EUROPE
# office blue
# AGATHA
# S
# "Kono yo no Hate ～koi no mon short version～"
# "Kono yo no Hate ～koi no mon strings version～"
# 6:27
# Kaisō
# "Sambomaster wa Shūmatsu ni Soul Instrument o suru no da no Kan"
# Koi no Mon

External links

* [http://www.sambomaster.com/pc/index.html Sambomaster's Official Site]
* [http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Arch/SR/Sambomaster/index.html Sony Music's Official Site]