Metafive
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Yukihiro Takahashi |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Metafive was a Japanese musical ensemble consisting of Yukihiro Takahashi, Keigo Oyamada, Yoshinori Sunahara, Towa Tei, Tomohiko Gondo, and Leo Imai.
History
The group originated when Yukihiro Takahashi assembled a band to support his 2014 concert tour, initially named Yukihiro Takahashi & Metafive. By 2015, they adopted the simplified name Metafive.
Takahashi explained that the initial title was a humorous reference to the band Hiroshi Uchiyamada & Cool Five.
Between 2014 and 2016, the band took part in the World Happiness Festivals, with British drummer Steve Jansen joining their lineup in 2016.
Metafive enjoyed commercial recognition in Japan: their first album, Meta (2016), climbed to number 13 on the Oricon Albums Chart, while their EP Metahalf (2016) peaked at number 12.
On July 24, 2020, Metafive released the single "Kankyo to Shinri / Environmental" for digital streaming and download.
The band planned to launch their second studio album METAATEM on August 11, 2021. Nevertheless, following public backlash related to Oyamada’s prior bullying accusations—which led to his withdrawal from the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony committee—the group canceled their "METALIVE 2021" concert set for July 26, 2021, and subsequently called off the album release just two weeks before its scheduled date.
On August 20, Metafive appeared at Fuji Rock Festival '21 with a modified lineup featuring Imai and Sunahara alongside support musicians Seiichi Nagai and Kenichi Shirane. Later, on November 4, they announced a streamed concert video titled "METALIVE 2021" for November 20; attendees who purchased tickets received a CD or vinyl edition of the previously shelved METAATEM album. This performance was recorded live without an audience on July 26, involving the full lineup except Takahashi, who was on hiatus recovering from brain surgery. The limited availability of the album resulted in elevated prices on resale platforms.
The ensemble performing at Fuji Rock rebranded as "METAATEM" and took part in OTODAMA'22 in May 2022. Subsequently, they changed their name to "TESTSET," debuting under this new identity in April 2022 with fresh material.
On July 19, 2022, Metafive announced a broad release of METAATEM scheduled for September 14 but confirmed it as their final album, indicating the band's dissolution during the previous year. TESTSET issued their debut EP EP1 TSTST in August 2022 without prior announcement.
In January 2023, Takahashi died at age 70 due to pneumonia linked to earlier health complications that had restricted his involvement with Metafive.
Members
- Yukihiro Takahashi (member of Yellow Magic Orchestra)
- Keigo Oyamada (also known as Cornelius)
- Yoshinori Sunahara (previously with Denki Groove)
- Towa Tei (formerly part of Deee-Lite)
- Tomohiko Gondo
- Leo Imai
Studio albums
- Meta (2016)
- Metaatem (2021)
Live albums
- Techno Recital credited as Yukihiro Takahashi & Metafive (2014)
- Metalive (2016)
EPs
- Metahalf (2016)
Singles
- "Split Spirit" released under Yukihiro Takahashi & Metafive (2014)
- "Environmental" issued in 2020
- "The Paramedics" launched in 2021