Sugar Soul

Sugar Soul
OriginJapan
Years active1996–2001
LabelsFlava Records (1997)
Warner Music Japan (1998—2001)
Past membersAiko, DJ Hasebe, Kawabe
Websitewww.wmg.jp/artist/sugarsoul

Sugar Soul (シュガー・ソウル, Shugā So'uru) was a Japanese three-member R&B group which formed in 1996. They soon made their debut in January 1997 on the Flava Records label. The members featured DJ Hasebe (programming), Aiko Machida (vocals) and Kawabe (composer). The band achieved success with the single "Garden" in 1999, which featured Kenji Furuya of Dragon Ash. The band was seen as one of the prominent new R&B-style musicians in Japan in the late 1990s.

In 2001, the band went on a permanent hiatus after the release of the single "Soulmate." Vocalist Aiko went on to become the vocalist of drum and bass band Kam in 2010.

Kumi Koda covered the Sugar Soul song "Ima Sugu Hoshii" in 2006, and in 2009 May J. covered "Garden."

Discography

Original albums

Year Album Information Oricon
Albums
Charts
 Reported
sales
1999 On
  • Released: February 24, 1999
  • Label: Warner (WPC6-10006)
  • Formats: CD, rental CD
 10 139,000
2000 Uzu (うず; "Swirl")
  • Released: May 24, 2000
  • Label: Warner (WPC6-10083)
  • Formats: CD, rental CD
 3 340,000

Other albums

Year Album Information Oricon
Albums
Charts
 Reported
sales
2001 Sugar Soul Live: Balance
  • Live album
  • Released: January 24, 2001
  • Label: Warner (WPC6-10117/8)
  • Formats: 2CD, rental CD
 12 44,000
2002 Soul Jam
  • Remix album
  • Released: May 22, 2002
  • Label: Warner (WPC6-10117/8)
  • Formats: CD, rental CD
 97 3,000
Soul Mix
  • Remix album
  • Released: October 23, 2002
  • Label: Warner (WPC6-10220)
  • Formats: CD, rental CD
 — —
2003 Sugar Soul
  • Greatest hits album
  • Released: October 29, 2003
  • Label: Warner (WPCL-10016)
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD, rental CD
 20 24,000

Singles

Release Title Notes Oricon
singles
charts
 Oricon
sales
 Album
1997 "Those Days" Re-released in 1999, sales pertain to re-release 34 30,000 —
1998 "Kanashimi no Hana ni" (悲しみの花に; "To a Flower of Sadness") Debut single under Warner 75 11,000 On
"Sauce" Produced by Shinichi Osawa 51 33,000
1999 "Namibia" (ナミビア) Produced by Hirofumi Asamoto 50 13,000
"Garden" feat. Kenji 2 923,000 Uzu
"Siva 1999" feat. Zeebra 10 152,000
2000 "Respectyourself" 15 76,000
"Ii yo" (いいよ; "It's Good") 79 2,600
2001 "Soulmate" Final release as a band 46 7,000 —

References

  1. ↑ "Sugar Soul". Discogs. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
  2. ↑ Condry, Ian. Hip Hop Japan: Rap and the Paths of Cultural Globalization. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006
  3. ↑ "Sugar Soulが10年ぶりに復活". RBB TODAY. 2010-06-22. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  4. 1 2 3 "アーティスト： Sugar Soul". Oricon. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Retrieved June 6, 2011. (subscription only)