KEIKO, a member of the disbanded three-girl vocal group Kalafina, released her debut solo album on December 2, titled ‘Lantana’.
‘Lantana’ Trailer:
Kalafina made their debut in January 2008 with ‘Oblivious’, the ending theme to the feature-length anime ‘The Garden of Sinners’, followed by songs for TV anime such as ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ and ‘Fate/Zero’. The group were produced by Yuki Kajiura, resulting in a rich sound with expressive choral vocals, an artistic tapestry sewn into every song, sometimes referred to as “baroque pop”. The group not only found great success in Japan, but globally as well; Kalafina performed their first overseas concert in Boston in 2009, followed by shows in USA, France, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and more, as well as headline shows in Taipei, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The group disbanded in March 2019.
A year later, in April 2020, KEIKO began her solo career. Commenting “I want to try my hand at a variety of music styles as KEIKO,” she announced that she would commence work on an album, while also challenging herself to write lyrics for the first time for her debut digital single ‘Inochi no Hana’ (‘Flower of Life’), which was coupled with the song ‘Be Yourself’ that showed a very different new side to this young artist. Her next release, ‘Ray’ / ‘Hajimari wa’ (‘Beginning’), once again showcased two very different musical styles.
‘Inochi no Hana’ lyric video: https://youtu.be/w7q4bSEcIO4
‘Be Yourself’ music video: https://youtu.be/iezYnYqXHqg
‘Ray’ music video: https://youtu.be/vk8aZPbWyZc
‘Hajimari wa’ music video: https://youtu.be/7DcPjYC-vac
In September 2020, KEIKO followed these early releases with her first live performance, ‘KEIKO First Live K001 – I’m home’. A 10-minute highlights video from the concert was published on YouTube, with captions in English giving a summary of her career.
‘KEIKO First Live K001 – I’m home’ Teaser Video:
KEIKO’s debut album ‘Lantana’ was released today, featuring her four previously released songs alongside many new ones. The new album track ‘Nanairo no Finale’ (‘Seven-Color Finale’), with a MV that was recently published on YouTube, was written by Kalafina producer Yuki Kajiura, who recently wrote LiSA’s massive hit, ‘Homura’. The album focusses strongly on the 34 year old’s vocal prowess in the mixing of the tracks – something that Kalafina fans will appreciate.
‘Nanairo no Finale’ Music Video:
As she begins her new solo career, KEIKO reflected on her 10 years or so as a member of Kalafina, saying, “I have always and will continue to cherish Kalafina’s music, and that feeling will never change. I hope to take the next step of my journey with fans old and new, and to release many new styles of music.” This sentiment can be felt throughout the album, with a variety of musical tones from song to song – making it the perfect album for a fresh start.
To commemorate the release of her solo debut album, KEIKO will perform a concert in Tokyo on December 16, 2020, titled KEIKO Live K002 ** Lantana * Saita yo **.
The concert will also be livestreamed to purchasers of the album at Tower Records Online (registration required): https://tower.jp/article/feature_item/2020/12/02/0704
KEIKO commented about the album: “‘This is a song I’d like to sing’ and ‘On this song I’d like to find the perfect sound’. With thoughts like these, I followed my curiosity and broadened my musical horizons, hoping that it would eventually take shape as an album. Rather than beginning with a firm concept, my approach was to just focus on being a singer, and finding a variety of songs to sing. I took advice from producers and staff at my label, and just relaxed as I sang, without overthinking it. I made time to find the sound, the music, the words. I was absorbed in making this album for about a year.”
Regarding the songs on the album, she said: “Because I chose the songs my heart most wanted to sing, the album is filled with songs that each have their own strong sense of individuality. It’s like… It’s like my favorite chocolate box. If listeners can find at least one song that appeals to their taste, I’ll be happy. Once the album is out, I would be fascinated to know which songs each person enjoys. An album is a luxury. I will live with each of these songs day by day, at concerts and in my daily life, by myself and with my fans, make changes to the songs and let them grow, sometimes break them a little… The more I think about ways to experience this music, the more the future ahead expands in my imagination. I can’t wait for the day when I can feel the joy of music together with all of you.”
Artist: KEIKO
Album: Lantana
Release date: December 2, 2020
Listen https://avex.lnk.to/KEIKO_Lantana
Also Available
1st digital single ‘Inochi no Hana’ / ‘Be Yourself’
Purchase and streaming links: https://avex.lnk.to/KEIKO_0527
2nd Digital Single ‘Ray’ / ‘Hajimari wa’
Purchase and streaming links: https://avex.lnk.to/KEIKO_2nd
Live information
KEIKO Live K002 ** Lantana * Saita yo **
Date: December 16, 2020; 18:00 open/19:00 start
Venue: Zepp DiverCity TOKYO
Concert tickets and livestream tickets: HOT STUFF PROMOTION
https://www.red-hot.ne.jp/play/detail.php?pid=py20557 (Japanese only)
Tel: +81-3-5720-9999 (Weekdays 12:00-15:00 JST)
Official website: https://avex.jp/keiko-singer/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/keikostaff
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRr3yX9Kp5QVyr6JwxNnIJA
(From information provided by Avex)
