Key Sounds Label

Infobox record label
name = Key Sounds Label


image_bg =
parent = Key
founded = 2001
founder = Visual Art's
defunct =
distributor =
genre = J-pop, Video game music
location = Osaka, Japan
url = http://key.soundslabel.com/

Key Sounds Label is a Japanese record label formed in 2001 as a brand of the publishing company Visual Art's. Key Sounds Label was formed to release music related to visual novels produced by the brand Key, also under Visual Art's, known for developing such titles as "Kanon" and "Air". Excluding two albums and one single that were released by Key and Visual Art's before the label's formation, every album and single which has its basis from one of Key's titles is on this label. The majority of the music on the label is by Key's signature composers Jun Maeda, Shinji Orito, and Magome Togoshi, though Togoshi is no longer affiliated with Key or Visual Art's.citeweb|url= http://magome.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2007/07/key_8ca9.html|title=Magome Togoshi's official blog announcement of his resignation from Key|date=July 10, 2007|accessdate=2008-05-11|language=Japanese]

There are other albums and singles on the label not directly related to the visual novels, such as two singles by Lia and one album by Riya.citeweb|url= http://key.soundslabel.com/discography.htm|title=Key Sounds Label's discography|publisher=Key Sounds Label|accessdate=2008-05-11|language=Japanese] Key often sells albums and singles on this label at the convention, Comiket; as of Comiket 74 in August 2008, nineteen out of thirty-four separate releases have been initially sold at the convention. Key Sounds Label is not under contract with JASRAC, or any other Japanese copyright collecting agency.

History

Key Sounds Label has its origins in 1999, two years before the first album on the label was released. When the visual novel company Key, under the publisher Visual Art's, was about to release their debut title "Kanon", Key produced the arrange album "Anemoscope" and bundled it with the first-print release of "Kanon" released in June 1999. [citeweb| url=http://vgmdb.net/db/albums.php?id=4970|title="Anemoscope" album listing|publisher=VGMdb|accessdate=2008-08-03] The second music release, a single, occurred in November 1999. [citeweb|url=http://vgmdb.net/db/albums.php?id=4972| title="Last regrets / Place of wind which arrives" single listing|publisher=VGMdb|accessdate=2008-08-03] The third release, another arrange album, followed in September 2000 bundled with the first-print release of Key's second title "Air", and was the first music release by Key to bear a catalog number, "KYCD-0303". [citeweb|url= http://vgmdb.net/db/albums.php?id=1785|title="Ornithopter" album listing|publisher=VGMdb|accessdate=2008-08-03] Each of these three were released in limited editions, and thus were not widely sold.citeweb|url= http://respect-maeda.com/sounds.html|title=Key Sounds Label albums with contributions by Jun Maeda|accessdate=2008-05-11|language= Japanese]

In 2001, Visual Art's and Key decided to form Key Sounds Label and start cataloging the albums and singles released by Key with the tag "KSLA–" followed by the four-digit label number. For example, the first release bears the catalog number "KSLA-0001". The first two releases on the label were an album and a single first released at the convention Comiket 60 in August 2001, and were sold by Key. Since then, Key has regularly sold singles and albums under Key Sounds Label at subsequent Comiket conventions. As of Comiket 74 in August 2008, nineteen out of thirty-four separate releases have been initially sold at the convention. Following the convention established with "Kanon" and "Air", Key has released three more arrange albums bundled with the first-print releases of Key's later titles "Clannad", "Little Busters!", and "

Most of the releases on the label contain music directly related to Key's visual novels, whether they be original soundtracks, remix albums, or image song singles and albums. There are other music singles and albums produced by members of Key not related to Key's titles. For example, the first album released on the label, "Humanity...", is the only album released by Shinji Orito's produce band Work-S. Two maxi singles containing songs sung by Lia were released on the label in December 2002 and August 2003. An album entitled "Love Song" was released in August 2005 containing songs sung by Riya of Eufonius. In December 2006, Key Sounds Label produced the first drama CD on the label, and two more followed in July 2007. In December 2006, the first anime music single to commemorate the second anime TV series adaptation of "Kanon" was produced on the label, and an anime single for the "Clannad" anime TV series followed in October 2007. A third anime music single, this time for the "Clannad After Story" anime TV series, will be released in November 2008.

The first LP album on Key Sounds Label contained songs from "Air" and was only released during the first concert of the Japanese trance music group OTSU held in May 2006. The second LP album contained songs from "Little Busters!" and was only released during the second OTSU concert held in May 2008. Both concerts were sponsored by Key Sounds Label. The first "OTSU Club Music Compilation" album primarily containing remixed music from Key's visual novels was released in June 2006. The second "OTSU Club Music Compilation" album was released in February 2008 as a promotion for the second concert, and contained remixed music from "Little Busters!".

Key hosted a concert as a part of Key's tenth anniversary commemoration called KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX which was held on May 10, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan, and again on May 17, 2008 in Osaka, Japan. [citeweb|url=http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/ksllive_otsu02/index.html|title=KSL Live World 2008 official website|publisher=Key|accessdate=2008-04-04|language=Japanese] Each time, the concert lasted for two and a half hours and featured songs sung by Lia, Rita, Chata, and Tomoe Tamiyasu who have previously sung songs for singles and albums released under Key Sounds Label.citeweb|url= http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/info/2008/03/post_6.html|title=Presenting Information on an Event - KSL Concert|publisher=Key|date= March 14, 2008|accessdate=2008-03-14|language=Japanese] Tickets for the event were first available through mail order online on March 26, 2008. [citeweb|url= http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/info/2008/03/ksl_live_world_2008_way_to_the_littlebusters_exotsu_02.html|title="KSL Live World 2008: Way to the Little Busters! EX", "OTSU #02", Ticket Mail Order has Started|publisher=Key|accessdate=2008-04-04|language= Japanese] A two-CD remix album entitled "KSL Live World 2008 Pamphlet and Memorial Disc" was sold at both concert showings bearing the catalog numbers "KSLC-0001—0002" and contains six remixed vocal versions of "Kanon"'s opening theme "Last regrets" on the album's A-side;citeweb|url= http://vgmdb.net/db/albums.php?id=8687| title="KSL Live World 2008 Pamphlet and Memorial Disc" album listing|publisher=VGMdb| accessdate=2008-08-03] two of the tracks appeared on previous Key Sounds Label releases, and one is from the 1999 I've Sound compilation album "Regret". [citeweb|url= http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/ksllive_otsu02/goods.html| title=Goods section at KSL Live World 2008's official website|publisher=Key|accessdate=2008-08-03|language= Japanese] The B-side of the album contains a recording of a group talk of the live performers from the concert.

Artists

Unlike typical record labels, Key Sounds Label does not license any of the artists featured on albums and singles released on the label. When Key Sounds Label formed, Jun Maeda, Shinji Orito, and Magome Togoshi were Key's signature composers and have continued to produce the majority of the music on Key Sounds Label. In October 2006, however, Togoshi left Key and is no longer affiliated with either Key or Visual Art's. One of the founding members of Key, OdiakeS, left Key before Key Sounds Label formed, but did contribute on the "Kanon Original Soundtrack" and the remixing of a song on "Clannad"'s remix album "-Memento-". [citeweb|author=OdiakeS|url=http://www.beta.or.jp/~odiakes/disco.html|title= OdiakeS' discography on his personal website|accessdate=2008-08-04|language=Japanese] Singers that have provided their talents for songs on the label include: Ayana, Lia, Riya, Keiko Suzuki, Rita, Chata, and Tomoe Tamiyasu. The musical units Work-S, Eufonius, OTSU, PMMK, and MintJam have also produced music on Key Sounds Label. Musicians from I've Sound have been working with Key Sounds Label on the arrangement of songs, as have many others.

Discography

ee also

* List of record labels

References

External links

* [http://key.soundslabel.com/ Key Sounds Label's official website] ja icon
* [http://key.soundslabel.com/discography.htm Key Sounds Label's discography] ja icon