Janne Da Arc

Janne Da Arc (ジャンヌダルク is a Japanese rock band, hailing from Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. The band's name is often seen shortened to either "Janne" (ジャンヌ) or "JDA".

Members
Vocals: yasu (also performing as Acid Black Cherry)
Guitar: you
Bass: ka-yu (also having a solo career as DAMIJAW)
Keyboard: kiyo
Drums: shuji


Biography
The Band is currently signed on the motorod record label, a subsidiary of avex trax. They have released three indies albums, nine major-label albums (including single collections), 26 singles, and 13 DVDs.

On May 9, 2006, they celebrated their tenth anniversary of their formation, the date marking when the final member, shuji, became an official fixture of the band's lineup. The band was not named after historical figure Joan of Arc, despite their song "Kyuuseishu --Messiah--" being about her; rather, yasu named the band after a character in the manga "Devilman" by Go Nagai. A picture series of the character can be seen on the art for the band's limited edition Janne Da Arc 10th ANNIVERSARY INDIES COMPLETE BOX, released March 15, 2006.

Their sound is self-described as "pop-rock", and vocalist yasu takes many musical cues from his musical idol, MORRIE of the 1980s Japanese rock band DEAD END. However, Janne Da Arc has proven themselves to be very versatile as well as proficient at their chosen instruments, and draws influence from the favorite bands and musical styles of all of their members.

As of January 26 2007, the members of Janne Da Arc are pursuing solo projects, concurrent with their work in the band. See official announcement in Japanese or an unofficial fan translation into English, and below for an itemization of solo activities by member.


Members information
-yasu (Yasunori Hayashi), vocalist, born January 27, 1975 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, blood type A. Favorite artists include DEAD END and BOOWY. yasu describes himself as someone who generally likes to remain at home, with a penchant for going out and playing pachinko and reading manga late into the night. His favorite manga is Parasyte, and he has recommended the movie "SE7EN" as well as the television show "24" to listeners of Janne Da Arc no Moto, the band's weekly radio program through fmosaka. yasu is also quite proficient at guitar and keyboard, the latter of which he uses to compose most of his music.

-you (Yutaka Tsuda), guitarist, born July 24, 1974 in Kobe, Japan, blood type O. Favorite artists include Unicorn and Nuno Bettencourt. you is generally considered to be the quietest member of Janne Da Arc, but he often tells long, humor-filled stories during Janne Da Arc's live shows. yasu describes him as a very cool, collected individual. shuji, however, describes him as the member of the band that rainy weather seems to follow around, thanks to several of Janne Da Arc's live shows being done on days with severe rainfall.

-ka-yu (Kazuyuki Matsumoto), bassist, born January 21, 1975 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, blood type A. Favorite artists include CRAZY COOL JOE (ex DEAD END bassist) and BOOWY. ka-yu is like a brother to yasu, and is characterized by his more Visual Kei look in comparison to the rest of the band members, as well as his love for animals.

-Kiyo (not open to the public), keyboardist, born June 27, 1974 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, blood type A. Favorite artists include Earth, Wind, and Fire and Keith Emerson. kiyo is the oldest member of Janne Da Arc, and acts as an older brother to the band. He has a very distinctive sense of humor, as seen on his personal blog, but is also known to have a quick temper. He is the resident gourmet of the band, and enjoys food very much.

-shuji (Shuji Suematsu), drummer, born November 21, 1974 in Kobe, Japan, blood type O. Favorite artists include X JAPAN and LOUDNESS. shuji is often referred to by the other members as "Gramps" because of his older appearance and down-to-earth nature. He is fairly computer-savvy, and keeps a personal blog on his official site. In contrast to guitarist you, shuji considers himself to be a fair-weather man.

All the members, with the exception of Ka-yu, graduated from Hirakata West High School in the same class. For the release of their single Furimukeba..., Janne Da Arc returned to their high school to give a special performance, which became the feature film HIRAKATA.


Discography:

[i]demo tapes[/i]

[--.11.1992] Demo #1

1. Deja-vu
2. Strange Voice
3. JESUS CHRIST

[--.06.1993] Demo #2

1. Legend of~ Dreamers
2. Labyrinth
3. Psycho Dance

[--.08.1994] Demo #3

1. ICE
2. 闇の月をあなたに... (Yami no Tsuki wo Anata ni...)
3. Orleans
4. Hunting

[21.07.1997] Resist

1. MISTAKE