Quruli

Bio:

■ Biography
Quruli - Bad News / JVC Speedstar

Over the course of 15 years, 9 albums and 23 singles, Kyoto natives Quruli have become Japan's rock and roll ambassadors. Their globetrotting discography (accomplished in Japan, America, Austria and the UK) has blurred genre boundaries without losing anyone's attention -- the band is a fixture on the Oricon (Japanese Billboard) charts.

Quruli's first six albums display breadth and focus in equal abundance. High water marks include 2002's The World Is Mine, a guitar-driven medley of electronica-tinged anthems and sound collage; 2004's Antenna proved the band could play straight-ahead rock with world-class thunder and bombast (supporting gigs included an appearance at Barsuk Records' South by Southwest showcase); 2005's Nikki found Quruli honing subtle songcraft, bolstered by their knack for the memorable and a crystal clear sonic effort from producer Liam Watson (White Stripes).

A visit to Vienna's Mozart Festival in late 2006 provided frontman Shigeru Kishida with the inspiration for 2007's Tanz Walzer, a crystallization of Quruli's expansive approach. Recorded in Vienna with French producer Stephane 'Alf' Briat (AIR, Phoenix), the album propelled the band to the apex of their critical and popular success. It was followed by 27 sold out shows, including a Yokohama performance that featured full orchestral accompaniment, recorded and released as a live album (Philharmonic or Die) and DVD (Yokohama Winner).

Tanz Walzer was also followed by the first Quruli-organized Kyoto Music Expo (now in its 5th year), Kyoto's sole outdoor music festival and an homage to the global scene that inspires the band. Every September 15,000 music fans make their way to Kyoto to witness a culturally eclectic group of performers hand-picked by Quruli.

Quruli's last two efforts, 2009's Souls and 2010's Kotoba ni Naranai, Egao wo Misete Kure Yo depict a band comfortably synthesizing a menagerie of influences. A second best-of compilation, My Hometown, was also released in 2010 and its quick ascent to Oricon's #1 spot is a vindication of the risk-taking and originality that have characterized Quruli's songwriting.

Few bands consistently sell records in the internet era. Even fewer do it without resorting to pandering. Quruli is that rare band whose commitment to making music that favors creation over imitation has paid off handsomely. By becoming a musical prism through which all manner of songs and sounds intuitively pass, the band has managed to create something as genuine as it is popular, a discography that will endure in its acknowledgment that the world of music does and should change constantly.

-Dreux Richard

NEW ALBUM

BEST OF QURULI / TOWER OF MUSIC LOVER 2 VICL-63760 ￥2,800 (w/t) 2011/6/29 Release

NEW SINGLE

Kiseki VICL-36647 ￥500 (w/t) 2011/06/01 Release

ALBUM

Kotoba ni naranai egao wo misete kureyo VICL-63550 ￥3,045 (w/t) 2010/9/8 Release

Boku no sundeita machi VICL-63630～1 ￥3,200 (w/t) 2010/5/26 Release

Quruli Tribute BNCL-40 ￥3,000 (w/t) 2009/10/21 Release

Souls VICL-63341 ¥3,045 (w/t) 2009/6/10 Release

Philharmonic or die VICL- 62751〜2 ¥3,045 (w/t) 2008/02/23 Release

Tanz Walzer VICL-62510 (Normal Edition) ¥3,045 (w/t) 2007/06/27 Release VICL-62410 (Premium Edition) ¥3,045 (w/t) 2007/06/27 Release

	BEST OF QURULI / TOWER OF MUSIC LOVER VICL-61985 (Normal Edition) ¥3,045 (w/t) VIZL-195 (Premium Edition) ¥3,400 (w/t) 2006/07/26 Release
	NIKKI VIZL-156 (Premium Edition) VICL-61770 (Normail Edition) ¥3,045 (w/t)
	Antenna VICL-35607 ¥3,045 (w/t) 2004/03/10 Release
	Original Soundtrack; Jose, the Tiger and the Fish VICL-61220 ¥1,890 (w/t) 2003/11/05 Release
	THE WORLD IS MINE VICL-60854 ¥3,045 (w/t) 2002/03/20 Release
	TEAM ROCK VICL-60696 ¥3,045 (w/t) 2001/02/21 Release
	Reference Book VICL-60530 ¥3,045 (w/t) 2000/01/21 Release
	Good-bye, Stranger VICL-60365 ¥3,045 (w/t) 1999/04/21 Release
	Fandelier BNCL-003 ¥2,000 (w/t) 1998/05/15 Release

DVD

Yokohama Wiener VIZL-283 (Premium Edition) ¥4,500 (w/t) VIBL-430 (Ordinary Edition) ¥3,900 (w/t) 2008/05/21 Release

	Quruquru Bushi Quruli Live Tour 2004 Documentary Film VIBL-177 ¥3,900 (w/t) 2004/09/22 Release
	Quruquru Zushi Quruli Video Clips 1998-2004 VIBL-176 ¥3,300 (w/t) 2004/07/21 Release

BOOK

Omoide Qurulin ¥1,400 (w/t) 2008/05/21 Release

Quruli Poetry Book ¥1,365 (w/t) 2010/05/21 Release

Record Label: