Cero (Japanese pronunciation:[seꜜɾo]) are a Japanese pop band from Tokyo. The band was formed by singer, guitarist, and flautist Shōhei Takagi, keyboardist Yū Arauchi, and drummer Tomoyuki Yanagi in 2004. They were joined by guitarist Tsubasa Hashimoto in 2006 and musician Keiichi Suzuki became their producer in 2008. They released their debut album, World Record, in 2011, after which Yanagi departed the band. As a group of three, the band has released four studio albums; the most successful, Poly Life Multi Soul (2018), reached fourth place on the OriconAlbums Chart. The band has received two finalist awards at the CD Shop Awards and were named Best Alternative Artist at the 2016 Space Shower Music Awards.
History
An abbreviation for Contemporary Exotica Rock Orchestra, Cero was formed in Tokyo by singer, guitarist, and flautist Shōhei Takagi, keyboardist Yū Arauchi, and drummer Tomoyuki Yanagi in 2004.[2] They were joined by guitarist Tsubasa Hashimoto in 2006, and record producer and musician Keiichi Suzuki would begin to produce for the band in 2008 after developing an interest in their sound. They subsequently participated on the Commmons-released compilation album Strange Song Book: Tribute to Haruomi Hosono 2 (2008). In 2011, the band signed to indie label Kakubarhythm to release their debut studio album, World Record.[1][3] It explores genres such as J-rap and dub pop for an avant garde and exotic-like sound,[4][5] and peaked at number 170 on Oricon's Albums Chart.[6] Following the album's release, Yanagi departed the band to focus on his work as an illustrator.[7]
As a group of three, they released their next album My Lost City in 2012, which rose to 33rd on Oricon's chart.[6][8] The band's third album, Obscure Ride (2015), won a finalist award at the 2016 CD Shop Awards.[9] It was their first album to break into the top ten, charting on both Oricon's chart and Billboard Japan'sHot Albums.[6][10] The CD singles "Yellow Magus" and the double A-sided "Orphans" / "Yōsari" had been released in preparation for the album; both reached the top 30 of the Oricon Singles Chart and charted around 50 on Billboard Japan'sHot 100.[6][11] The same year as Obscure Ride, Takagi joined the FM802 program Music Freaks as a DJ on behalf of Cero alongside Blue Encount [ja] singer and guitarist Shunichi Tanabe.[12] The band won Best Alternative Artist at the 2016 Space Shower Music Awards.[13]
The band followed Obscure Ride with Poly Life Multi Soul in 2018, earning a second finalist accolade at the CD Shop Awards.[14] Their most commercially successful album to date, it reached number four on Oricon's chart and eight on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums.[6][10] They contributed music for the anime television series Carole & Tuesday in 2019.[15] With the 2020s, all members of the band released solo albums: Takagi released Triptych (2020) under the solo project Shohei Takagi Parallela Botanica,[16] Arauchi released Śisei (2021),[17] and Hashimoto started the project Diorama Scene and released Awai (2022).[18] The band's fifth and most recent album, E O (2023), peaked at number 27 on Oricon's chart.[6]
^My Lost City was released prior to the establishment of the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart. Upon release, it reached number 27 on the Top Albums Sales ranking.[21]
^"Summer Soul" did not chart on the Hot 100, but reached number 29 on the Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay chart.[23]
References
^ ab"Cero". CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
^Heather Phares. "Cero Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
^ abcdefgh"Ceroの作品" [Works by Cero] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024. Citations regarding chart positions outside the top 50:
"World Record - ランキングデータ" [World Record - Ranking Data] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
^"Ceroのドラマー柳智之がバンド脱退、絵描きに専念" [Cero Drummer Tomoyuki Tanagi Announces Departure to Focus on Illustration Work]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). May 12, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
^"スペシャ「Music Awards」でドリカム2冠、Bumpは投票1位に" [Dreams Come True Takes Two Awards at Space Shower Music Awards, and Bump Wins First Place in Voting]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
^"cero・荒内佑、初のソロAL『Śisei』8月リリース決定 千葉広樹、角銅真実、Julia Shortreedら参加" [Yū Arauchi from Cero to Release First Solo Album in August, to Feature Hiroki Chiba, Manami Kakudo, and Julia Shortreed]. Spincoaster (in Japanese). July 7, 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
^"cero橋本翼ソロプロジェクト・ジオラマシーンの「あわい」が完全版になった" [Awai by Cero Tsubasa Hasimoto's Solo Project Diorama Scene Becomes Complete Version]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). September 30, 2022. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
^Citations regarding sales numbers to albums by Cero:
"World Record" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
"My Lost City" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
"Obscure Ride" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
"E O" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via the You Taiju service.
^"Ceroの合算アルバム売上TOP1作品" [Cero's Top 1 Album by Combined Sales] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
