Kobukuro

Biography

Kobukuro (コブクロ) is a Japanese rock band formed in 1998. The name is a portmanteau of the two members' family names, Kentarō Kobuchi and Shunsuke Kuroda.

Members

Kentarō Kobuchi (小渕健太郎, Kobuchi Kentarō; b. March 13, 1977); guitar, vocals, various other instruments)
Shunsuke Kuroda (黒田俊介, Kuroda Shunsuke; b. March 18, 1977); main vocals)
The duo's visual appearance is striking due to their height difference, with Kuroda standing over 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) tall. As a group, they are known for their harmonies.

History

In May 1998, Kobuchi and Kuroda met each other in Sakai near Osaka. Kobuchi was a salesman who held street concerts every Saturday for relaxation and Kuroda was a physical education teacher and a street musician. In September the same year, Kobuchi offered Kuroda a song and, seeing that Kuroda was not a skilled guitar player, Kobuchi became the guitar player of the group. Thus, Kobukuro was formed.
Kobukuro received moderately successful ratings for their first three indie albums—Saturday 8:PM×Saturday 8:PM21 July 1999 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1ボクノイバショ3:342夢唄5:203ストリートのテーマ4:274虹の真下4:465遠くで・・7:15 (July 1999), ANSWER×ANSWER19 December 2000 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1遠回り5:012光5:283心に笑みを4:554坂道6:125神風4:116そばにいれるなら6:537MoonLightParty!4:00 (December 2000) and Root of My Mind×Root of my mind4 March 2000 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1２人4:292LOVE3:543DOOR5:094Bye Bye Oh! Dear My Lover4:055桜5:246轍4:597赤い糸6:23 (March 2001). Kobukuro signed with Warner Music Japan in 2001, and made their debut with the hit single, "Yell" which reached number 4 on the Oricon Charts.
Kobukuro released the studio album Nameless World×NAMELESS WORLD21 December 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Flag7:222桜6:003六等星 -NAMELESS STAR TRACK-5:414ここにしか咲かない花6:145待夢磨心 -タイムマシン-4:546Pierrot4:277Saturday5:058大樹の影5:469NOTE5:2810Starting Line4:5911LOVER’S SURF4:2012同じ窓から見てた空8:45 on December 21, 2005. Nameless World became their first number-one album on the Oricon weekly charts. On September 27, 2006, they released their greatest hits album All Singles Best×ALL SINGLES BEST27 September 2006 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11君という名の翼5:032あなたへと続く道5:453ここにしか咲かない花6:114毎朝、ボクの横にいて。 -Sweet drip mix-5:275Million Films5:216永遠にともに5:017blue blue4:418宝島4:199雪の降らない街5:1810願いの詩4:09Disc 21風4:362YOU4:273miss you5:244YELL 〜エール〜5:235Bell4:596轍 -Street stroke-4:547DOOR 〜The knock again〜5:248太陽5:169桜6:0110未来への帰り道5:23, which topped the Oricon weekly charts for four consecutive weeks.
On March 21, 2007, Kobukuro released the single "Tsubomi." Musician Marty Friedman stated that the song's simple arrangement did away with the musical influence of Western culture. The song became their first number-one single on the Oricon weekly charts. "Tsubomi" won the coveted "Grand Prix" awards in December 2007 at the 49th Japan Record Awards. The song was included in their 2007 studio album 5296, which also topped the Oricon weekly charts.
On their 2009 album Calling×CALLING5 August 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1サヨナラHERO4:262恋心5:453To calling of love6:234虹5:075STAY5:386天使達の歌5:397FREEDOM TRAIN5:448Summer rain5:169Sunday kitchen5:0310神風4:4511ベテルギウス6:1312時の足音5:3213赤い糸6:56, Kobuchi wrote "Sayonara Hero" as a memorial song for Kiyoshiro Imawano, who had died earlier that year. On March 3, 2010, they released their cover version of "Layla" (used in a Pepsi Nex commercial they starred in) as a digital single of iTunes Store without the release of a physical CD.
On May 17, 2010, the sales of All Singles Best passed 3,000,000 copies on the Oricon charts, becoming the first album to do so in 7 years and 10 months, since the 2002 achievement of Southern All Stars' Umi no Yeah!!, originally released on June 25, 1998.