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SAMPLE MUSIC
song: azure
song: life on
2/21/2007 - HAYATO and val would like to thank everyone that visited them this past weekend at Katsucon and Megacon. Thanks for supporting DuelJewel |
Duel Jewel is an indies band based in Tokyo. Formed in January 1997 by founders Shun and Val, the group consists of: Shun (gu), Val (dr), Hayato (vo), Yuya (gu), and Natsuki (ba). Natsuki is the newest member, having joined in the spring of 2002, just in time for the band's first overseas appearance at Project A-Kon in Dallas, Texas during June of that year.
The first U.S. visit was a success as the band gained many new enthusiastic followers. Two concerts during the visit drew approximately 1500 fans and autograph sessions were quite popular as well. This success also spread to Japan, where Duel Jewel added more dates to their live schedule in the Tokyo area and began to hold more events in other major Japanese cities. Additional time was also spent in the recording studio as the band released their 2nd album, "Noah", and contributed songs to indies omnibus CDs.
2003 and 2004 continued this momentum as the band returned to the U.S. six times and held exciting shows in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas, Anaheim, San Jose, and Houston. Each visit added more fans to the band's overseas support base and also exposed more people to Duel Jewel's infectious, happy style of visual music. The group also enjoyed meeting all of their overseas fans at each appearance, signing numerous autographs and posing for endless photos with the fans. These two years also saw the band increase their popularity in Japan with a full live show schedule, another CD titled "Vermilion", and more tracks on omnibus CDs. Duel Jewel also began receiving attention from Japanese media outlets with magazines like "SHOXX" and "Cure" featuring the band in interviews, photos and reports (a report of the band's Houston appearance was featured in 2 consecutive issues of "Cure"), and music TV shows began airing the group's videos.
2005 has seen Duel Jewel concentrate primarily on activities in Japan, with another CD release ("The Birth") in February, live events (including important tours during the summer with major indies groups like Phantasmagoria, ISABELLE and D'espairs Ray), more one-man live shows in April and September (both sold-out), and increased magazine attention. In September the band signed with a new management company, Zero Range Entertainment, which has taken an active role in promoting the group across Japan and fine-tuning the members' already strong musical talents.
Musically, Duel Jewel covers a wide range with songs from soulful ballads to headthrashing hard rock. Each member contributes to every song in the band's repertoire, resulting in a strong sound that's sure to please even the most discriminating music fan. The group's live shows (especially one-man performances) are a must-see, as the band goes all out in their on-stage performance, encouraging the fans to respond in kind. And a one-man is usually not complete without a surprise or two, usually from Yuya.
The past eight years have seen the boys mature immensely as a band and become a solid name in the Japanese indies scene. The members are very eager to make more overseas tours and meet more fans, both old and new. It looks like the future will be very bright indeed for Duel Jewel. |
JHRE History
「azure」
「The Birth」
「Visions」
「Visions」
