Yoko Ueno
Yoko Ueno is a Japanese recording artist. Her catalog holds nine solo CDs, a remix collection, one DVD, and four soundtracks for anime and film, spread across a decade and a half. Before any of those solo releases appeared, she was already performing as a member of four different bands. She moved between ensembles rather than building one steady group identity. That combination of band work, solo albums, and soundtrack work raises a simple question. Which bands shaped her, and where did her solo music end up being used? The rest of this documentary traces both threads, starting with the ensembles that came first.
Oranges & Lemons, Vita Nova, Marsh-Mallow, and Zabadak each featured Yoko Ueno before she released music under her own name. Each band represents a separate credit rather than one continuous membership, spread across different projects over time. No single tenure or era is described alongside these names, only the fact of her presence in each one. That gap in detail marks a turning point. Once her name appears alone, on her own CDs and soundtracks, specifics start to multiply.
'Voices' arrived on the 5th of December 1993, released through Biosphere Records, marking Yoko Ueno's first CD under her own name. She followed it with a remix collection, 'Yoko Ueno e-mix,' on the same label on the 25th of March 1996. 'Nursery Chimes' came next, issued on the 25th of May 1997 through NTT Pub.
'*1' and 'Puzzle' both reached listeners on the 23rd of January 2002. They came through different labels, Toera Records for the first and Victor Entertainment for the second. 'SSS -Simply Sing Songs-' followed on the 24th of July 2003, released by Nippon Crown.
'Shizen Genshō,' meaning 'Natural Phenomena,' followed on the 25th of May 2005, again on Nippon Crown. A follow-up release, '*2,' came from Toera Records on the 6th of December 2006. Two related releases arrived in March 2007 through tilde disc. A live recording called 'YK20audio' came out on the 4th, tied to the 20th anniversary of her debut. A companion DVD, 'YK20visual,' followed on the 25th. 'Tokyo Humming' closed out this run of solo CDs, arriving on the 10th of September 2008 through Geneon.
By the time 'Tokyo Humming' appeared, her music had already reached far beyond her own albums, into scores written for other creators' stories.
Her contribution to 'Brigadoon Marin-To-Meran,' billed as Original Sound Track 2, reached listeners through Victor Entertainment on the 24th of January 2001. The same label issued the soundtrack for '.hack// tasogare-no-yubiwa-densetsu' on the 21st of February 2003. 'Gamera: Chĩsaki Yusha-Tachi (Gamera the Brave),' an Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, followed from avex trax on the 26th of March 2006. Her last soundtrack credit in this catalog, for 'Dolphin-Blue~Fuji, Mouichido-sora-e/Churaumi~Okinawa Churaumi-suizokukan-e-no-shõtai,' came from tilde disc on the 4th of July 2007. It stands as the most recent soundtrack entry in her catalog.
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Common questions
Who is Yoko Ueno?
Yoko Ueno is a Japanese recording artist who performed in the bands Oranges & Lemons, Vita Nova, Marsh-Mallow, and Zabadak before building a solo career. Her solo catalog includes CDs, a remix collection, a DVD, and soundtrack work.
What was Yoko Ueno's first solo CD?
Yoko Ueno's first solo CD was 'Voices,' released through Biosphere Records on the 5th of December 1993.
What bands did Yoko Ueno perform in before her solo career?
Yoko Ueno performed in Oranges & Lemons, Vita Nova, Marsh-Mallow, and Zabadak before releasing music under her own name.
What soundtracks has Yoko Ueno worked on?
Yoko Ueno contributed to the soundtracks of 'Brigadoon Marin-To-Meran' in 2001, '.hack// tasogare-no-yubiwa-densetsu' in 2003, 'Gamera: Chĩsaki Yusha-Tachi (Gamera the Brave)' in 2006, and 'Dolphin-Blue~Fuji, Mouichido-sora-e/Churaumi~Okinawa Churaumi-suizokukan-e-no-shõtai' in 2007.
When did Yoko Ueno release 'Tokyo Humming'?
Yoko Ueno released 'Tokyo Humming' through Geneon on the 10th of September 2008, the last CD in this catalog.
What labels released Yoko Ueno's music?
Yoko Ueno's music was released through Biosphere Records, NTT Pub., Toera Records, Victor Entertainment, Nippon Crown, tilde disc, Geneon, and avex trax across her solo CDs, remix work, DVD, and soundtracks.