DEEN

Overview

DEEN is a Japanese band formed in 1993 around vocalist Shuichi Ikemori and keyboardist Koji Yamane. A former member of the Being agency family that fueled a 1990s boom, the group had sold over 15 million CDs by March 2023. Their first single and first album both became million-sellers, a first in Japanese music history.

Career

1993–1999

DEEN debuted on March 10, 1993 with "Konomama Kimi dake wo Ubaisaritai", a song created by Show Wesugi (original Wands vocalist) and Tetsuro Oda; the group was formed to sing it, and it became a million-seller. The fifth single "Hitomi Sorasanaide" (June 22, 1994) gave them their first Oricon No. 1 and second million-seller, and the debut album "DEEN" sold over 1.5 million copies. In 1995 "Mirai no Tame ni", their first self-written single, reached No. 1 and brought their first TV appearance. They began playing live in 1996, and "Hitorijanai" became an ending theme for Dragon Ball GT. In 1997, "Gin'iro no Yume" was adopted as an official volunteer support song for the Nagano Olympics, "Kimi ga Inai Natsu" served as a Detective Conan ending, and "Yume de Aru Youni" became the theme of Tales of Destiny, remaining a fan favorite for over a decade. In 1998 the first best-of "SINGLES+1" topped Oricon and the band moved to BMG Japan's Berg label.

2000–2005

In May 2000 they released the fully self-produced album "'need love". Drummer Naoki Uzumoto left, and the band introduced classical elements. In 2001 they issued their first ballad best-of, and "ANOTHER LIFE" (English version) appeared in the Korean film My Sassy Girl. In 2002 they covered Kyu Sakamoto's "Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o" on "Waon" with violinist Diana Yukawa. "Tsubasa wo Kaze ni Nosete" (2003) returned them to the Oricon top 10 after about seven years, and they fully left Being for BMG Funhouse. In 2004 they became the first Japanese act to hold a solo concert in Korea after the full lifting of the ban on Japanese music. In 2005 the self-cover single "Konomama Kimi dake wo Ubaisaritai/Tsubasa wo Hirogete" hit No. 9, and "DEEN The Best Kiseki" followed.

2006–2017

The 2006 album "Diamonds" came with a video for "Diamond" featuring baseball manager Bobby Valentine. A 47-prefecture tour followed in 2007. In 2008, for their 15th anniversary, they played their first Nippon Budokan concert, and "Eien no Ashita" (the Tales of Hearts theme) debuted at No. 6 on Oricon. Budokan shows continued in 2009 and 2010. For the 20th anniversary in 2013 they released "DEENAGE MEMORY" and "Hatachi / Ame no Roppongi", moved to Epic Records Japan and played their first two-day Budokan run. In 2014 came their first Western cover album "Kimi ga Iru Natsu -Everlasting Summer-", and in 2015 the single "Senkai Koigokoro!".

2018–present

In January 2018 guitarist Shinji Tagawa announced he would leave after the March 10 Budokan concert, leaving DEEN a duo. In February 2019 they released "Mirai kara no Hikari" (Tales of the Rays theme), followed in March by their first duo album "NEW JOURNEY". In 2020 they kept active with infection-control measures despite the pandemic delaying 25th-anniversary plans. In January 2021 they released their first city pop cover album "POP IN CITY for covers only" (cover art by Hiroshi Nagai), followed in July by the original album "TWILIGHT IN CITY for lovers only", which reached No. 6 on Oricon's weekly chart and made DEEN top-ten album artists in three decades: the 1990s, 2000s and 2020s. "Shupuru" arrived in December 2021. In 2022 they held "The Last Journey 47 no Tobira", their first 47-prefecture tour in five years and the last of their career. For the 30th anniversary, "DEEN The Best DX Basic to Respect" (March 8, 2023) re-recorded 1990s singles with the current band, with TUBE's Michiya Haruhata on guitar solo. A Budokan concert followed on March 12, and in October 2023 Ikemori appeared at an anime song festival in Melaka, Malaysia. "DANCE IN CITY for groovers only" came in January 2024 and "ROCK ON!" in January 2025.

Musical Style

Beginning as a rock band, DEEN spans J-POP, kayokyoku and city pop. Since the late 1990s they have largely self-produced, incorporated classical elements, and once described their style as "Neo-AOR". In the 2020s they released a run of city pop covers and original works.