Formed in Okinawa in 2001, Orange Range is known as a "mixture hip-hop" band. A sextet, the band comprises Ryo （low range vocals), Hiroki （mid range vocals), Yamato （high range vocals), Naoto （guitar）,Yoh （bass), and Katchan （drums), all acquaintances since childhood, and plays tight, melodic tunes overlaid with the rap of the group's three MCs. The band gigged aggressively from its inception, playing over 70 gigs a year in tiny Okinawa alone, during which time the members honed the chops that would eventually help win them a major label contract. Orange Range made their major label debut on Sony Music Entertainment with the EP
Kirikirimai in 2003. Their second single, the summer anthem "Shanghai Honey" helped the band to break into the big time, scoring them a giant hit and raising them to national status. The band's major label debut full-length,
First Contact, dropped in December 2003, after several months of the band playing high profile dates including the Summer Sonic festival. A melange of hip-hop, rock, electronica, and reggae,
First Contact helped to popularize the term "mixture hip-hop", in addition to rocketing up the charts. After an October 2004 re-release of their 2002 record for Spice Records entitled
Orange Ball, the band released their second major label full-length,
musiQ two months later in December. Including four #1 singles, the record sold over 2 million units and garnered them the "New Artist of ...
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Formed in Okinawa in 2001, Orange Range is known as a "mixture hip-hop" band. A sextet, the band comprises Ryo （low range vocals), Hiroki （mid range vocals), Yamato （high range vocals), Naoto （guitar）,Yoh （bass), and Katchan （drums), all acquaintances since childhood, and plays tight, melodic tunes overlaid with the rap of the group's three MCs. The band gigged aggressively from its inception, playing over 70 gigs a year in tiny Okinawa alone, during which time the members honed the chops that would eventually help win them a major label contract. Orange Range made their major label debut on Sony Music Entertainment with the EP
Kirikirimai in 2003. Their second single, the summer anthem "Shanghai Honey" helped the band to break into the big time, scoring them a giant hit and raising them to national status. The band's major label debut full-length,
First Contact, dropped in December 2003, after several months of the band playing high profile dates including the Summer Sonic festival. A melange of hip-hop, rock, electronica, and reggae,
First Contact helped to popularize the term "mixture hip-hop", in addition to rocketing up the charts. After an October 2004 re-release of their 2002 record for Spice Records entitled
Orange Ball, the band released their second major label full-length,
musiQ two months later in December. Including four #1 singles, the record sold over 2 million units and garnered them the "New Artist of the Year" award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, following in the footsteps of other Okinawan bands including Kiroro, Da Pump, and Speed that have won the award. While Orange Range have won great acclaim for their catchy songs, they get low marks from some for originality, and several of their songs appear to borrow heavily from previoous pop hits. The song “Locolotion” has frequently been described as a combination of Little Eva’s “Locomotion” and Shampoo’s “Trouble”, and in fact the songwriting credits were belatedly amended. Whether influenced by or borrowing, the group has continued to turn out hits. In 2005, the band again nabbed a top award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, this time taking home the coveted "Artist of the Year" prize. The band has been successful with commercial tie-ups as well, having music included in the Fuji TV drama
Fire Boys, anime programs (
Bleach,
Naruto), a television commercial for the soft drink Match, and the movie
Ima Ai ni Ikimasu, maximizing their exposure and sales, and helping make them one of the largest selling acts in the decade thus far.
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