Today’s Special: A is for…

September 7, 2008 by rabi

Welcome to a new series called “Cafe Rabu’s Menu: Today’s Special” that will feature the letters from A to Z on my playlist, game list, tv list, etc… Expect irregular series updates. I used to do this on my personal blog, but I didn’t get past “Q”. And since I have stalled on that letter for over a year, I thought perhaps I should restart it in this J!-ENT special corner.

Aya on the cover of Senjou no Hana A is for… AYA 亜矢　(official site)

I fell in love with AYA’s style since someone in my blogging world introduced her to me around 2004-2005. She was born in Hokkaido, Japan. As part of a hard rock and punk girls’ band when she was in junior high, you can just imagine the type of songs that she would end up writing. Her voice might be a bit difficult to get used to at the beginning, but I think it just fits so well with all the impressive rock numbers that she made.

AYA’s debut album “Senjou no Hana” (pictured left) in 2002 was produced by the finest rock artists, including members from Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc., and has received raving reviews from Japanese rock circles. AYA plays the electric guitar in almost all her songs and during live. She also plays the bass in some of the songs on her albums.

Up until June of 2004, AYA has released 3 singles, 1 mini album, 2 full albums, and a limited release of a live single in Japan. There was also an international release of her 2nd album + the mini album in a single CD by BMG International, but that CD has been discontinued as I researched for materials to write for this post.

More recently, AYA has written a ballad called “Forever” for ANNA TSUCHIYA in her debut album “strip me?” in 2006. During the same year, AYA has also created another ballad called “OVER NIGHT”, which was used as the ending theme of the anime “Le Chevalier D’Eon“.

Even though AYA has not released any songs in the past 2 years, I hope that secretly somewhere she is creating the songs that she likes, and will some day come to wow us in this J-rock world that truly needs more female rockers.

Here are a few videos that I have been able to find on YouTube.com. Hope you like them.

HANDS - AYA’s debut single, also in her first album Senjou no Hana (A FLOWER IN THE BATTLEFIELD)
CRAZY MERMAID - from her first album Senjou no Hana (A FLOWER IN THE BATTLEFIELD
Sentaku no Asa (Japanese version) - also from her first album. *Note: This is a live performance video on Pop Jam
Kinjirareta Uta (FORBIDDEN SONG) - from the mini album Kinjirareta Uta (FORBIDDEN SONG)
OVER NIGHT - from the anime Le Chevalier D’Eon