I-lulu -- Kana Mizushima & Yoshimi Katayama
I-lulu -- Kana Mizushima & Yoshimi Katayama

Profile (I-lulu)

Sadly, not much is known about this group. But I'll tell you what I do know. ^^

"I-lulu" (that first letter is an "i") is a Japanese pop/rock group. They made their debut on December 14, 2005, with the release of their "Taiyou no Kasa" single. Their producer is Dai Nagao, who owns True Song Records and its accompanying website, Area404. (^^) I think Dai outsources his material to other studios (probably to reduce costs), because I-lulu's CDs are released by get over the records, Inc. ... which is part of Victor Entertainment.

The group has 2 members:

    Kana Mizushima (水島 歌菜): vocalist; also writes lyrics
  • Birthdate: April 28
  • Birthplace: Okinawa Prefecture
  • Blood Type: O
  • Fave Artists: Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Hitomi Yaida (AKA "Yaiko")
  • Hobbies: Trying all kinds of delicious food.
  • Special Talent: Playing drums.

    Yoshimi Katayama (片山 義美): guitarist; also composes & arranges songs
  • Birthdate: March 17
  • Birthplace: Okinawa Prefecture
  • Blood Type: A
  • Fave Artists: Eikichi Yazawa, Eddie Van Halen, Mr. Children, B-SHOP
  • Hobbies: Watching movies (he's somewhat of a movie expert)
  • Special Talent: Playing guitar, making "goya chanpuru" (AKA "Okinawan stirfry")

As you can see, Kana and Yoshimi have very different tastes. Kana tends to like pop, and Yoshimi tends to like rock. (^^) But these "differences" are the very core of I-lulu: their music blends together both genres (which is one reason why their first album is called "ROPS" -- "Rock & Pop[s]"). Kana & Yoshimi work -- and sound -- very good together. Kana's nasally voice has charm and innocence, and Yoshimi's guitar playing is fluid and powerful. It's a wonderful, delicate, and carefully thought-out balance.

As for their music, it's a blend of old and new styles. "Kan Hi Zakura", for instance, has a '60s vibe to it, while "Pistol" has more of a modern rock sound. The same goes for "Taiyou no Kasa": it's a mixture of rock/J-Pop (and actually, I think it'd be the perfect song for an anime/television series. ^^) And the acoustic version of "Futari de" proves that I-lulu can perform simple melodies (singing + a guitar), and still make the song become haunting and memorable.

Overall, I was VERY pleased with this group. I'm now one of their fans, and I can hardly wait for their next release! (^^) Hopefully when you're through visiting the site, you'll become a fan too.