sakanaction by サカナクション

Sakanaction (stylized as sakanaction, Japanese pronunciation: [sakanakuɕon]) is the sixth studio album by Japanese band Sakanaction, released on March 13, 2013. Primarily created in recording sessions that began in September 2012 and lasted approximately four months, the album was recorded at the home of band's vocalist and songwriter, Ichiro Yamaguchi. In order to reach an audience, the band challenged themselves by creating music for commercial tie-ups and television dramas. Prior to the album, the band released three singles: two acting as theme songs for Japanese television dramas and another used in a commercial campaign for the design school Mode Gakuen. Theming the album around the concept of a Möbius strip, the band separated their music into two different types: external-facing songs meant for a wide audience, and internal-facing, created as a reflection of their personal musical tastes. The theme represented the band's efforts in attempting to bridge the gap between these two song types. Yamaguchi classified each song on the album as either external or internal, except for the album's preceding single "Music", which he saw as both. The album featured a strong dance sound, influenced by the band members' current musical tastes. Electronic musician Aoki Takamasa, who had previously created remixes for the band, collaborated with Sakanaction on the primarily instrumental songs "Structure" and "Inori". The album was primarily promoted during its release by two songs: "Aoi", an "external" song commissioned for NHK's 2013 soccer broadcasts that was promoted on radio and released exclusively on iTunes two weeks before the album, and "Inori", an "internal" song that was promoted with a music video and was released as the Inori EP, a vinyl exclusive release on June 26, 2013. From March to June 2013, the band promoted the album with the Sakanaquarium 2013 tour, including their first solely billed concert in Taiwan. The album was their first release to debut at number one on the Japanese Oricon albums chart, and was also certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan during its first month. As of 2016, the album is the band's most commercially successful release. Critics were positive about the album, praising Sakanaction's stronger dance sound, however were either disappointed that there was not a greater change, or were alienated by the "internal" songs. The album was chosen as one of the general award-receiving albums for the 2014 CD Shop Awards, however did not receive one of the major awards.