Sakerock

Sakerock
Origin	Saitama, Japan
Years active	2000–2015
Labels	Kakubarhythm Compare Notes
Past members	Gen Hoshino Daichi Itō Kenta Hamano Kei Tanaka Takuji Nomura
Website	Official Website

Sakerock (サケロック, Sakerokku), typeset as SAKEROCK, was an instrumental Japanese band.

Led by Gen Hoshino, the group was formed in 2000 by graduates of a high school in Hannō, Saitama. The band was named after a Martin Denny song and performs uplift, melodic instrumental music influenced by jazz, folk, Latin music and exotica. Over the decade, they released more than 10 albums and mini-albums, including soundtracks for Japanese movies, television dramas and stage plays. They were signed to the Kakubarhythm label.

Members

• Gen Hoshino (星野源, Hoshino Gen) — guitar, marimba
• Daichi Itō (伊藤大地, Itō Daichi) — drums, percussion

Member of Cherry's, Good Dog Happy Men and Killing Floor.

• Kenta "Hamaken" Hamano (浜野謙太, Hamano Kenta) — trombone, scat

Member of Asa-Chang & Blue Hats (ASA-CHANG&ブルーハッツ), Gentle Forest Jazz Band, Killing Floor, Newday and Zainichi Funk (在日ファンク).

• Kei Tanaka (田中馨, Tanaka Kei) — bass, hawaiian guitar

Left on 26 December 2011. Member of Chopiiin (ショピン) and Shugo Tokumaru & The Magic Band (トクマルシューゴ＆ザ・マジックバンド).

• Takuji Nomura (野村卓史, Nomura Takuji) — keyboards

Still acts as a support-member. Member of Goodluck Heiwa (グッドラックヘイワ), Natsumen and Wuja Bin Bin.

Both Gen Hoshino and Kenta Hamano pursue acting careers; together with Kei Tanaka and Daichi Itō, they appeared in Kankurō Kudō's 2009 film The Shonen Merikensack (少年メリケンサック, Shōnen Merikensakku).

Discography

Albums

• Yuta (2003)
• Yuta (Renewal) (2003)
• Life Cycle (2005)
• Penguin Pull Pale Piles Sound Tracks 「Best」 (2005)
• Tropical Dōchū (トロピカル道中, Toropikaru Dōchū) (2006)

with Asa-Chang and Ren Takada as Sakerock All Stars (サケロックオールスターズ)

• Songs of Instrumental (2006)
• Ojiisan-sensei (おじいさん先生) original soundtrack (2007)
• Penguin Pull Pale Piles #12: Yurameki (ペンギンプルペイルパイルズ#12「ゆらめき」, Pengin Puru Peiruzu #12 Yurameki) original soundtrack (2007)
• Honyarara (ホニャララ) (2008)
• Muda (2010)
• Sayonara (2015)

Mini-albums / EPs

• Sakerock (2002) (demo)
• Ian Ryokō (慰安旅行) (2004)
• Catchball-ya (キャッチボール屋, Kyatchibōru-ya) original soundtrack (2006)

Singles

• "Ana o Horu / 2, 3-nin" (穴を掘る / 2、3人) (2004)
• "Kaishain to Ima no Watashi" (会社員と今の私) (2008)

They also contributed music to Isshin Inudō's film Yellow Tears (黄色い涙, Kiiroi Namida) starring Arashi and based on a manga by Shinji Nagashima.

Videos

• "Gūzen no Kiroku" (ぐうぜんのきろく) (2005)
• "Gūzen no Kiroku 2" (ぐうぜんのきろく2) (2007)
• "Radical Holiday Sono 0" (ラディカルホリデー その0, Radikaru Horidē Sono 0) (2008)
• "Radical Holiday Sono 1" (ラディカルホリデー その1, Radikaru Horidē Sono 1) (2009)
• "Gūzen no Kiroku 3" (ぐうぜんのきろく3) (2009)
• "Gūzen no Kiroku Final" (ぐうぜんのきろくファイナル, Gūzen no Kiroku Fainaru) (2012)

External links

• Official website
• Gen Hoshino website
• Kei Tanaka website