Garnet Crow
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Yuri Nakamura, Hitoshi Okamoto, Nana Azuki, Hirohito Furui |
| Defunct | 2013-03-30 |
| Fate | Disbanded |
| Successor | None |
| Headquarters | Japan , Japan |
Area served | Japan |
Key people | Yuri Nakamura (vocals), Hitoshi Okamoto (guitar), Nana Azuki (keyboard, lyricist), Hirohito Furui (keyboard, arranger) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
| Owner | Giza Studio (label) |
Number of employees | 4 (band members) (1999–2013) |
| Parent | Giza Studio |
| Website | www |
Garnet Crow (written as GARNET CROW) was a Japanese pop-rock group established in 1999 under the Giza Studio label. The ensemble consisted of Yuri Nakamura on vocals, alongside Hitoshi Okamoto, Nana Azuki, and Hirohito Furui. Their sound, influenced by the neo acoustic style, features prominent tracks such as "Flying," "Yume Mita Ato De," and "Spiral." Although they released numerous singles early on, the band refrained from live concerts and television appearances until 2002.
Distinguished by their distinctive blend and Nakamura's unique vocal tone, Garnet Crow stood out in the music scene. In addition to their group activities, individual members found success: Nakamura and Azuki collaborated creatively, Okamoto launched a solo career, and Furui earned recognition as one of Japan’s highest-paid arrangers.
On March 30, 2013, the group declared their disbandment, culminating with a farewell concert on June 9, 2013. Seven years later, on March 29, 2020—the anniversary of their debut—they unveiled a special 20th-anniversary initiative on their official website; this event did not mark a reunion.
Summary
The band name "Garnet Crow" symbolizes their aspiration for music with the depth and richness akin to garnet’s deep red hue, while "Crow" was chosen for its sound and the evocative imagery of a "scarlet crow" in Japanese culture. The group consistently consisted of four members: lead singer Yuri Nakamura, keyboardists Nana Azuki and Hirohito Furui (who also served as band leader), and guitarist Hitoshi Okamoto. Their collaboration began in 1999 with a demo tape for Mai Kuraki’s American indie label, which catalyzed the formation of their own band. Three members were previously affiliated with Being Group, a production company; Nakamura joined as vocalist and composer.
Within Garnet Crow, roles were well-defined—Nakamura composed melodies while Azuki penned lyrics, forming the core of their songwriting process. Their musical approach, grounded in Neo Acoustic traditions, was described upon debut as "21st Century Neo-Neo Acoustics." Between 1999 and early 2002, they concentrated on studio recordings but started performing live shows in 2002 across cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kyoto. These live experiences influenced their music creation by incorporating Latin American rhythms and Canzone styles.
Prior to releasing the single "Yume mita ato de" in 2002, Garnet Crow avoided TV appearances, likely due to Being Group’s strict media policies. From that point onward, they began appearing on television music programs; however, band members admitted that these performances often generated considerable stress.
History
- 1999 – The quartet collaborated on Mai Kuraki’s demo tape before officially forming Garnet Crow. They debuted independently with the mini-album First Kaleidscope (Kimi no Uchi ni Tsuku Made Zutto Hashitte Yuku).
- 2000 – Entered the mainstream market with singles "Mysterious Eyes" and "Kimi no Uchi ni Tsuku Made Zutto Hashitte Yuku". Released six singles throughout the year.
- 2001 – Issued three singles along with one album.
- 2002 – Recorded "Yume Mita Ato de" for the anime Detective Conan, which peaked at #6 on Oricon charts. Made their first television appearance and embarked on a live tour. Launched fan club G-Net and hosted the program Garnet Time. Released three singles and one album.
- 2003 – Participated in the Giza Studio Valentine Concert alongside Mai Kuraki and Rina Aiuchi. Ended Garnet Time. Released two singles and one album.
- 2004 – Conducted their second tour; members also took part in Hitoshi Okamoto’s solo concerts. Released three singles and one album.
- 2005 – Celebrated fifth anniversary with a third tour, contributed an anime theme song for MÄR, held fan events and a commemorative concert, and issued their first best-of compilation Best. Released two singles; contributed to Sayuri Iwata’s single composition.
- 2006 – Fourth tour undertaken; experimented with Digipak formats and special bonus content. The September single "Maboroshi" served as a TV drama theme song. Released four singles and one album.
- 2007 – Marked seventh anniversary with a fan club concert and exclusive live performance at Kyoto’s Ninna Temple. Released four singles.
- 2008 – Completed fifth tour; all releases (two singles and one album) entered Oricon’s Top Ten rankings.
- 2011 – Produced "Misty mystery," which became the title track for the Detective Conan anime series.
Members
- Yuri Nakamura – lead vocals and songwriting
- Nana Azuki – keyboard and lyricist
- Hirohito Furui – keyboard and music arrangement
- Hitoshi Okamoto – guitar
Discography
Studio Albums
- First Soundscope: Mizu no Nai Hareta Umi e (2001)
- Sparkle: Sujigakidōri no Sky Blue (2002)
- Crystallize: Kimi to Iu Hikari (2003)
- I'm Waiting 4 You (2004)
- The Twilight Valley (2006)
- Locks (2008)
- Stay: Yoake no Soul (2009)
- Parallel Universe (2010)
- Memories (2011)
- Terminus (2013)
MINIQLO
MINIQLO is a subunit of the band, its name stemming from "Mini Garnet Crow," consisting of members Yuri Nakamura and Hitoshi Okamoto. In this formation, Yuri handles vocals and piano, while Okamoto provides backing vocals alongside guitar. MINIQLO performs during Garnet Crow’s live shows and has released two mini-albums: Paralyzed Frequency and above all else!!. Each mini-album features three reinterpreted Garnet Crow tracks. These releases were exclusively available at concerts in 2010, with above all else!! also sold during the 2010-2011 Special Countdown Live events.
Magazine Appearances
Featured in J-Groove Magazine:
- November 2000 Vol.1
- December 2000 Vol.2
- January 2001 Vol.3
- March 2001 Vol.5
- June 2001 Vol.8
- September 2001 Vol.11
- January 2002 Vol.15
- April 2002 Vol.18
- May 2002 Vol.19
- June 2002 Vol.20
- August 2002 Vol.22
- September 2002 Vol.23
- November 2002 Vol.25
- December 2002 Vol.26
- January 2003 Vol.27
- February 2003 Vol.28
- September 2003 Vol.35
- October 2003 Vol.36
- December 2003 Vol.38