moumoon -- Kousuke Masaki & YUKA
moumoon -- Kousuke Masaki & YUKA

Profile (moumoon)

moumoon is a 2-member group, comprised of YUKA (vocalist, lyricist), and Kousuke Masaki (guitarist, synthesizer, composer, arranger).

In the summer of 2004, YUKA and Kousuke met each other through a mutual friend. Soon afterwards, they formed a group and named it "moumoon", which is a combination of the French word "mou" ("soft, tender") and the English word "moon". Why they decided to name the group "Tender Moon" is unknown.

Since their official debut in 2006, moumoon has been on several record labels:
  • TRUE SONG RECORDS (and voicellar records/GATE RECORDS, Inc.) - Independent (Indies) label
  • avex trax - Major label

As you may know, TRUE SONG RECORDS (TSR) is Dai Nagao's music label. (^^) But truth be told, I'm not really sure what TSR does. All of their artists' CDs were released on other record companies (ex: "get over the records" released I-lulu's CDs)...so I'm not sure if TSR outsourced their work to other companies (so they can save money), or if TSR is more of a talent/scouting agency.

But anyway, let's move on. ^^;;

On July 26, 2006, moumoon released their first CD. It was a double single (with ONLY 2 tracks and no instrumentals), called "Flowers/Pride", and it had a limited (5,000 copies) release. Their debut single did REALLY well; it ranked #7 on the Oricon Indies Chart.

Their next CD was a mini-album called "Flowers". It had 9 tracks, and was released on September 6, 2006. This CD also did really well, and avex (the parent company of TRUE SONG RECORDS) decided to promote moumoon directly.

moumoon's first "major debut" on avex records was another mini-album, called "love me?". This time, the mini-album had 6 tracks (instead of 9), which was a bit disappointing. HOWEVER...since avex artists tend to release a lot of CDs at a relatively fast pace, the good news is that moumoon released more CDs. (^_^) They've also been heavily promoted, appearing on TV shows such as Music Station, and performing in concerts with other major artists. They even headlined Do As Infinity's reunion/comeback concert!

Part of moumoon's appeal is their unique music skills. They're part of a small group of artists (like Do As Infinity, and Ringo Shiina/Tokyo Jihen) who are "genreless". That means their music can take on many different styles (ska, R&B, rap, etc.) and it doesn't sound "out of character" at all.

moumoon is also part of an even smaller group of artists -- the ones who REALLY understand English. Both YUKA and Kousuke speak English, and their lyrics effectively mix Japanese and English. So you'll rarely find any "Engrish" in their songs. =)

moumoon's unique music, powerful lyrics, and YUKA's strong vocals are truly something special. So many people have high hopes for them, and that includes me. (^^) I sincerely hope you'll grow to love this group as much as I do. ♡

^_^   I'll end this page by posting their official profiles, which were translated to English by me, Tangerine Dreamer and Kiwi Musume:

    YUKA (full name unknown): vocalist; also writes lyrics
  • Birthdate: December 3, 1985
  • Birthplace: Tokyo
  • Hobbies: Watching movies, reading and writing, taking walks
  • Other Talents: Drawing, playing the violin and shamisen
  • Fave Artists: Michelle Branch, Des'ree, Alanis Morissette, Natalie Imbruglia

    •      Thanks to her mother (who's a music professor) and her father (who's a professional violinist), YUKA's been in love and involved with music her entire life. But she didn't get serious with music until she was a teenager.

         When YUKA was in middle school, she developed many hobbies (such as dancing; she even became a cheerleader), but she still couldn't get away from music. Somehow, she wound up being in the school orchestra and eventually she started singing.

         Due to her musical talent, YUKA had the opportunity to study abroad at age 16. She went to the USA, and stayed mostly in the Midwest region (visiting the states of Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and cities like Chicago). At the end of her studies, YUKA had changed: her musical knowledge grew, her style evolved, and her English improved. She soon transferred back to Japan, finished her high school education, and is currently in college.

    Kousuke Masaki (柾 昊佑): guitarist; uses synthesizers; also composes & arranges songs
  • Birthdate: June 22, 1977
  • Birthplace: Ishikawa Prefecture
  • Hobbies: Tennis
  • Other Talents: Snowboarding
  • Fave Artists: Carole King, Alanis Morissette

    •      Like YUKA, Kousuke has also been in love and involved with music his entire life.

         His mother taught him to play piano at an early age. When he was a teenager, he too had his musical tastes "evolve" and he learned how to play more instruments. At 13, he learned how to play guitar and at 15, he learned how to use synthesizers. Soon afterwards, he joined a band called MTR and they began recording music non-professionally (which probably means they just made a band for fun. They also might have sold/given away demo tapes).

         When he was 17, Kousuke had the chance to study abroad. He too, went to the United States (but he went to the East Coast [and the city of Boston], and not the Midwest like YUKA did), and he went to college when he returned to Japan. In college (thanks to his friend, Coro), he soon joined another band called "DTM" where he played guitar and composed the band's songs.

         After graduating from college, Kousuke became a popular composer. He's made music for stage shows (musicals, etc.), commercials, and even worked with well-known musical artists.