L'Arc-en-ciel

Originating in Japan despite its French nomenclature, the rock group L'Arc-en-Ciel assembled in 1991 under the leadership of bassist Tetsuya Ogawa. Two original members exited the following year, yet Ogawa, known professionally as Tetsu, recruited replacements and sustained the project. April 1993 brought the quartet’s first full-length release, Dune, which topped the independent charts and secured a Sony contract the next year. That same 1994 period also yielded the sophomore effort Tierra. Building on this momentum, the band issued Heavenly in 1995 and True in 1996. A 1997 narcotics-related arrest of drummer Sakura triggered commercial repercussions, prompting a temporary withdrawal from public view. Later that year, with Yukihiro installed on drums, the group staged a triumphant, sold-out return concert in Tokyo. Strengthened once more, they reclaimed prominence via the 1998 album Heart. A career peak arrived in 1999 when Ark and Ray appeared simultaneously and claimed the top two positions on the album chart. Real followed in 2000, after which the members dispersed into individual endeavors and remix projects. Activity resumed in 2003, leading to the band’s debut North American appearance at a Baltimore anime convention in 2004; footage of that performance later surfaced on DVD. A U.S. distribution agreement with HMV was finalized in 2007. Although Awake and its accompanying tour materialized in 2005, another two-year hiatus ensued as solo pursuits again took precedence. The collective reconvened in 2007 to issue Kiss and launch a tour extending from December of that year through February 2008.