BLUE ENCOUNT

Overview

BLUE ENCOUNT (nicknamed "Bluen") is a Japanese rock band signed to Three Hundred Entertainment, with SME Records as its label. The lineup is Shunichi Tanabe (vocals, guitar), Yuya Eguchi (guitar), Yuta Tsujimura (bass) and Yoshihide Takamura (drums). Tanabe writes the lyrics and music for every song. In 2016 the band played its first headline show at Nippon Budokan.

Career

Tanabe, Eguchi and Takamura met in 2003 at a technical college in Kumamoto and formed BLUE ENCOUNT in 2004. The name comes from a superstition that bands with a color in their name sell well, and from a Hong Kong film Tanabe saw at a rental shop, "Blue Encounter", which he long mistook for "Blue Encount".

In 2006 the band entered the Kyushu qualifier of TEENS' MUSIC FESTIVAL 2006 as Kumamoto's representative but did not advance to the national finals. The bassist at the time left to continue his studies, and after Eguchi and Takamura graduated, the three moved to Tokyo and enrolled at Tokyo School of Music Shibuya. Tsujimura, a year ahead of them, joined as a support member. In 2008 they appeared in The 2nd Music Revolution JAPAN FINAL as Tokyo FINAL representatives, and Tsujimura officially joined.

Their first mini-album, "the beginning of the beginning", came out in 2010, but results were disappointing and the members call this period their "dark age." In 2011 they toured in a split series with ircle and SUPER BEAVER, whose advice they often credit with helping them escape it. The second mini-album "HALO EFFECT" followed on April 11, 2012; its title track "HALO" grew on YouTube and live attendance began to rise. In November 2013 they released the split album "BONEDS" with MY FIRST STORY, AIR SWELL and SWANKY DANK.

The band made its major debut on Ki/oon Music on September 10, 2014, with the EP "TIMELESS ROOKIE". On October 9, 2016, they held their first Nippon Budokan concert, which sold out on the day tickets went on sale and drew 11,000 fans. During the show Tanabe asked the producer of the drama "THE LAST COP", for which the band performed the theme song, to put them in it, and they appeared as themselves in the October 29 episode. They played Makuhari Messe in 2017 and Yokohama Arena in 2021.

In June 2022 Tsujimura announced he would base himself in the United States from the following spring while remaining a member. On February 11, 2023, the band held its second Budokan show, "BLUE ENCOUNT TOUR 2022-2023 knockin' on the new door THE FINAL", Tsujimura's last concert before leaving. During 2023 and 2024, support bassists included Akira Akirakani of THE ORAL CIGARETTES, Kazuhiko Nakamura of 9mm Parabellum Bullet, Shinichi Ino of IRabBitts, Kyosuke Maeda of androp and Takahiro Shimogami of Alcalli; SPYAIR's MOMIKEN filled in for one day at TREASURE05X 2023. In September 2025 Tsujimura's full return to Japan was announced.

Recent releases

The band released the singles "Journey through the new door", "DESTINY" and "有罪布告" in 2023, then "POISON", "overtime", "gifted" and "chang[e]" in 2024. In 2025 came "Bloody Liar", the album "Alliance of Quintetto" in February, and "BLADE" in July, preceded by TV-size "Destiny ver." and "Bond ver." versions in April and June.

Musical style

BLUE ENCOUNT works across J-rock, J-pop and anime music. All songs are written and composed by vocalist Shunichi Tanabe.