[AyUta]

Here's an interesting article posted over at NINGIN

Unappreciated Artist Spotlight: RURUTIA

Multi-million dollar music videos, the hottest hairstyles and fashions, album covers shot by famous photographers. Amidst the buzz of all this in modern day J-Pop there lie artists whose music you have never heard. In fact, you’ve probably never even heard their names. One of those artists is RURUTIA.

Having debuted in 2001 with her single “Itoshigo Yo,” RURUTIA has remained strong as one of those rare artists that even though seldom people know about her, the ones who do will probably never forget her music. Some people might consider her a failure, while others see her as a “gem,” an artist lost in the quickly rushing current of promotional work released by more popular artists. It has never been confirmed as to why she has never received any promotional work, whether it be because of her extremely secretive image (nobody even knows her real name!), or whether she’s just selective when it comes to her fans. This question became more prominent when she decided to switch from the famous Toshiba EMI label which houses artists like Utada Hikaru and Shiina Ringo, to a completely unknown, and previously nonexistent indies label called “Pheorix Records.” The switch was explained by RURUTIA that she “did not have complete freedom” in her work, that it was too constraining and her music style was taking a change that she did not approve of.

Her music is constantly evolving, taking elements from every type of music whether it be classical, new age, electronica, or even rock and turning it into an all new unique melody that blends seamlessly. There’s nothing to be surprised about when hearing a dozen of instruments at once in her songs. Her music mostly retains what some might call “atmospheric,” and in many cases seems to shatter the border between imagery and sound. And the most surprising part is that she does everything herself. Composing, writing, and arranging music are just a few of the things she does, and she does them all with joy. In fact, she claims that making music is her “greatest joy of all.” And it shows.

Now what is an artist, with so much talent and originality, doing at the very bottom of the Oricon charts? Making new music of course! RURUTIA released her 7th full-length album “Seirios” on February 27th. She shows no signs of slowing down, releasing at a consistent rate of at least 1-2 albums or singles a year. For an artist with very little popularity, it’s quite a feat. Whether RURUTIA is your cup of tea or not, checking out her music could very well change the way you see music. Or, just maybe make you hate music altogether.