I always make mention of Plastic Tree being my favorite band.  To be honest they’re one of the few bands I follow that I don’t get tired of.  I’ve been listening to them for around twelve years now (showing my age…).  While I’ve gone through phases with different bands, Pura has been pretty constant for me since 2005.  I appreciate their ability to evolve their sound without being pretentious.    

So in honor of their tribute album announcement (that I didn’t know about until yesterday like the wonderful fan that I am), I thought I’d share some info about them to the uninitiated.

*Image from their staff Twitter account: @Pla_Staff*

Current Line Up (Pictured above left to right): Kenken Sato (Drums), Ryutarou Arimura (Vocals & Guitar), Tadashi Hasegawa (Bass), and Akira Nakayama (Guitar)

Former Members: Koji (Drums), Shin (Drums), Takeshi Oshodani (Drums), Hiroshi Sasabuchi (Drums); As you can see they went through a fair share of drummers… 

The band was formed by Ryutarou and Tadashi in 1993.  Akira and Koji joined not long after.  By that time they changed the name of the band from NTT FUCKS to Plastic Tree.  They made their debut on a major record label in 1997.  A ton of releases and several drummers later, they’re still around.

They’re known for blending melodic guitar rock with pop, metal, and even electronic elements which, combined with Ryutarou’s unique and instantly recognizable vocals, form a sound that’s distinctly Pura.

Relating to Anime and Video Games - “Sink” was used as an ending song for Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo (Anime) - “Namida Drop” was used as an ending for Garasu no Kantai (Anime) - “Mirai Iro” was used as an ending song for Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s (Anime) - “Silent Noise” was used as the opening theme for Collar X Malice (Otome Game; PS Vita)

Take a look under the cut for a listing of their releases along with a video clip of a song of theirs called “Thirteenth Friday” off of their “Ammonite” album.  “Thirteenth Friday” isn’t their newest song, but it’s a bitch to find decent video clips of their newer PVs.  

First Song of the Day: “Mata, otsukisama” by Arimura Ryutarou