EE Jump
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Harmony Production |
| Defunct | April 2002 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Key people | Tsunku (producer), Sonim (main vocalist), Yuki (rapper) |
| Products | Music singles and planned album |
| Parent | Harmony Production |
EE Jump (presented as EE JUMP) was a Japanese musical duo established by Harmony Production in 2000. Their tracks, crafted under the guidance of Tsunku, were distributed by Toy's Factory. The ensemble consisted of Sonim as the main vocalist and Yuki performing as the rapper.
The group rose to prominence with their single "Otto Totto Natsu da ze!", which climbed to number five on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. EE Jump dissolved in April 2002 after Yuki became involved in multiple controversies.
Pre-debut
In 1999, Harmony Promotion selected three teenagers to form a group called "EE Jump," a wordplay on a Japanese expression. The project was produced by Tsunku and initially featured Sonim as the lead singer—discovered through auditions for Morning Musume's third generation—and Yuki Goto, younger sibling of Morning Musume's Maki Goto, who took on the role of rapper. A half-Canadian member named Ken joined as the dancer. Their debut took place with a televised dance performance on Warau Inu no Bōken. Before their official CD release, Ken exited the agency, later revealing his intention to pursue a career in professional soccer.
2000-2001: Debut
On October 18, 2000, EE Jump launched their first single, "Love is Energy!", which served as the theme song for Warau Inu no Bōken. The accompanying music video was shot in Manhattan, New York. Subsequent singles included "Hello! Atarashii Watashi" released on January 24, 2001, followed by "Otto Totto Natsu da ze!" on May 16, 2001. The latter became a seasonal hit, securing the #5 position on Oricon. Additionally, EE Jump hosted a weekly radio program on Mondays titled .
Their fourth single, "Iki na Rhythm!", came out on August 29, 2001. During its promotion cycle, Yuki engaged in a conflict with the female manager overseeing the group, which escalated to physical aggression and his unauthorized trip to Tochigi Prefecture. As a result, chief manager Kaoru Wada imposed a three-month suspension on Yuki's activities. During this suspension, Sonim maintained solo efforts under the name EE Jump featuring Sonim and released the fifth single, "Winter (Samui Kisetsu no Monogatari)", on November 28, 2001.
2002: Disbandment
After issuing an apology, Yuki returned in February 2002 and EE Jump issued their sixth single titled "Seishun no Sunrise" on March 6, 2002. Soon after finishing middle school, Yuki was caught drinking underage at a cabaret club alongside a member of Johnny's Jr. Despite warnings from Wada to keep such matters private, Yuki disregarded these instructions. Consequently, Wada and producer Tsunku terminated his contract in April 2002. The group's debut album, EE Jump Collection 1, which was slated for release on May 9, 2002, was subsequently cancelled due to his dismissal.
Following these events, EE Jump disbanded and efforts shifted toward promoting Sonim as a solo artist. Tracks originally intended for the cancelled album—including "Ai wa Motto Sou Janakute", "Missing You", and "Ada Boy & Da Girl"—were re-recorded and featured as B-sides on Sonim’s solo singles.
Members
Studio albums
| Title | Year | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||||
| EE Jump Collection 1 (EE JUMP コレクション1) | 2002 |
|
— | — |
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were unreleased in that market. | ||||
Singles
| Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Position | Sales Figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | |||
| "Love is Energy!" | 2000 | 18 |
|
| "Hello! Atarashii Watashi" (HELLO!新しい私) | 2001 | 17 |
|
| "Otto Totto Natsu da ze!" (おっととっと夏だぜ!) | 5 |
| |
| "Iki na Rhythm!" (イキナリズム!) | 14 |
| |
| "Winter (Samui Kisetsu no Monogatari)" (WINTER～寒い季節の物語～) (credited as EE Jump featuring Sonim) |
10 |
| |
| "Seishun no Sunrise" (青春のSUNRISE) | 2002 | 12 |
|
| A dash ("—") indicates releases that either did not chart or were not issued in the specified market. | |||