Rin' Explained

Rin'
Background:	group_or_band
Origin:	Geidai, Japan
Instrument:	koto, sangen, jushichi-gen, biwa, shakuhachi
Genre:	Pop/Traditional Japanese music
Years Active:	2003–2009, 2019-present
Label:	avex trax, Domo Records
Current Members:	Mana - 吉永真奈 (Mana Yoshinaga) Tomoca - 長須与佳 (Tomoca Nagasu) Chie - 新井智恵 (Chie Arai)
Website:	https://rin-futatabi.amebaownd.com/

Rin' is an all-female Japanese pop group which combines traditional Japanese musical instruments and style with elements of modern pop and rock music. It is a female trio of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music alumni who graduated in 2003. The band made their performing debut in December 2003, at Meguro Gajoen, and in April 2004, their first single, called Sakitama, was released by avex trax.

Chie Arai and Mana Yoshinaga play koto, sangen, and jushichi-gen, while Tomoca Nagasu plays biwa and shakuhachi. All three perform vocals.

According to the band's website, the name Rin' comes from the English word 'ring', the Japanese word Wa (和, meaning both 'ring' and 'Japanese-style'), and from the trio's hope to create a 'ring', or circle, of music.

Since their debut, the band has performed in many venues around the world, and have released four singles and several albums. A number of their songs have been used as themes for anime and movies, most notable is Fuhen used in the Samurai 7 anime.

Their chief international album, Inland Sea, was released worldwide: in Europe and the United States on April 25, 2006 and in Japan on August 30, 2006,^[1] ^[2] featuring guest performances by Leigh Nash^[3] and Lisa Loeb.^[3]

According to the band's website, as of 13 February 2009, Rin' had put an end to their activities and decided to disband.^[4] ^[5]

After 10 years, the group announced their reunification on their official websites on March 8, 2019, and thereafter released the single Koumyou in the same year, held a number of concerts, and released a new album HORIN in 2021..^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10]

Members

(born November 20, 1979) - vocals, koto, sangen, jushichi-gen
(born December 22, 1978) - vocals, satsuma biwa, shakuhachi
(born May 10, 19??) - vocals, koto, sangen, jushichi-gen

Discography

Singles

(7 April 2004)
1. 1. 1. 1. (30 June 2004)
    2. Release
    3. Release(Instrumental)
(20 April 2005)
1. 1. 1. 1. (31 August 2005)
        Flashback: Rin' Version

Albums

(12 May 2004)
1. 1. 1. 1. (featured as the ending theme to the anime series Samurai 7)
    2. weakness
    3. Smile On: English ver.
2. Will
  1. 1. Eternal
(29 September 2004)
1. 1. 1. 1. The Grace
        
        innocence
    2. Nomado
      1. Hanging in there
(14 November 2004)
1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
2. Last Christmas
3. Rin' Xmas Medley: Silent Night / 赤鼻のトナカイ / I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus / Jingle Bells / We Wish You a Merry Xmas / Silent Night
  1. 1. 1. Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence
4. White Christmas
5. In My Life (First edition-only bonus track))
(Live album, 30 March 2005)
Inland Sea (released in U.S./Europe on 25 April 2006, in Japan on 30 August 2006) ^[1] ^[3]
1. New Day Rising (feat. Leigh Nash)
2. Solemn
3. What the Rain Said
4. Never Knew What Love Meant (feat. Leigh Nash)
5. Moss Garden
6. Anti Hero (feat. Lisa Loeb)
7. Inland Sea
8. Sea of Tranquility (feat. Leigh Nash)
9. Superflat(Part II)
10. Past Imperfect
11. AA170
12. (Japan-only bonus track)
Inland Sea -Special edition- (Includes 2 CDs and a DVD. The first CD is the same like the normal Inland Sea CD without track 12. So here is only the track list of the second CD. The DVD includes the videos of Anti Hero, Sakura Sakura (サクラサクラ), Inland Sea Spot and Samurai Heart)
1. 1. 1. 1. (5 December 2007)
    2. Genji
2. (feat. alan)
  1. 1. 1. The title comes from the poem Ihora (Ihora-uta) (jap. いろは歌; 伊呂波歌)

DVD

(17 November 2004)

Other

Rin' featuring m.c.A・T Flashback (31 August 2005; used in Kamen Rider Hibiki & The Seven Senki)
Crossover Japan '05 CD/DVD (28 September 2005)
Provided traditional instrument sounds to the backing track for the single Samurai Heart [侍 Heart] recorded by Japanese pop band AAA. Released December 2006 by Avex Trax music as part of a double A side single package called Black and White, which featured the tracks Samurai Heart and Winter Lander. (Rin' only play on 'Samurai heart' and track is credited to AAA, not as a Rin' single).
In 2008 Rin' collaborated with Japanese composer Conisch on the soundtrack to a Japanese TV drama series called Hana goromo yume goromo　「花衣夢衣」. This resulted in an album of this music being released through EMI Music Japan (4 June 2008). Although this work is not acknowledged on the Rin' websites (as it is released by a record label different than their usual Avex Trax), the group get equal title credits, appearing as Rin' & Conisch. The album has 34 tracks, lasts 69 minutes and mixes Rin's traditional Japanese instruments with a full western orchestra.

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Inland Sea - Wiki.theppn. 2007-01-04. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060621201958/http://wiki.theppn.org/Inland_Sea. 2006-06-21.
Web site: Ｒｉｎ'-リリース-ORICON STYLE ＷＭミュージック. 2007-01-04. ja.
Web site: Rin' : : Inland Sea. 2007-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061207080610/http://www.domo.com/rin/index.html . 2006-12-07.
Web site: お知らせ. www.tomoka-nagasu.com. 2018-12-25.
Web site: Rin\' - 吉永真奈オフィシャルブログ「千代に八千代に・・・」. Rin\' - 吉永真奈オフィシャルブログ「千代に八千代に・・・」. ja. 2018-12-25.
Web site: 『ご報告』. 吉永真奈オフィシャルブログ凛〜Ring〜. ja. 2019-03-21.
Web site: 『ありがとうございました！』. 吉永真奈オフィシャルブログ凛〜Ring〜. ja. 2019-03-21.
Web site: 『ご報告』. 長須与佳 Official blog『おとつづり』. ja. 2019-03-21.
Web site: 『御礼』. 長須与佳 Official blog『おとつづり』. ja. 2019-03-21.
Web site: 新井智恵 on Instagram: "いつも温かく見守ってくださり、心より感謝申し上げます。本日は、皆様に報告がございます。 2004年にメジャーデビューし、2009年に解散をしました【和楽器ユニットRin'】。今年4月7日には、デビュー15年を迎えます。…". https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/chiesakurasparkling/1995033183808173422 . 2021-12-26 . registration. Instagram. en. 2019-03-21.