K-BLE JUNGLE : The First JAPAN x EURO Project

K-BLE JUNGLE is the first JAPAN x EURO project which was formed by Eriko Kawasaki, a Japanese singer and DJ Shiru, an Italian native DJ.
Eriko and DJ Shiru started making music together in 2012, and in 2013 they started using the name K-ble Jungle.

The music project K-ble Jungle, plays in clubs and disco-bars. especially in Japan, whereas in Europe they are often invited to perform at festivals dedicated to the Oriental world. As a result of ERIKO’s studies of opera singing, concluded in Japan and Italy, their style is different because it has lyric mark, but includes also pop, electronic and rock sounds.

In Japan ERIKO had appeared as a television guest and worked for various agencies for advertising purposes. She has appeared in many magazines and specialized sites as a model, she has participated in the Japanese TV shows such as Hirujugedon of Nagasaki and Nobunaga in Nagoya, as a product testimonial or telling about her experiences in Europe. She has also worked for different agencies as a showgirl, called “talent”Japanese idol in Japan, a word which indicates a person with various entertainment capacities.

ERIKO has worked between Europe and Italy for a few years now. She first moved to Italy for its musical tradition, she studied opera music at the Conservatory. She graduated from music school in Japan. In addition to singing, she also studied piano and trumpet. In Europe, ERIKO often works as a model, for cosplay costumes, but also wearing kimono and traditional Japanese clothes during more traditional festivals.

In 2011 ERIKO participated in charity concerts organized by Ochacaffè to raise funds for victims of the tsunami that struck Japan: with other artists she sang and played traditional Japanese music on the piano. Among her appearances were “Miss Small World 2011” which took place at the Carcano theatre in Milan, where she was finalist as a representative of Japan.

After a beginning of karaoke host, Kawasaki has undertaken a career as a pop singer in the band K-ble Jungle, converting herself into a more complete artist. The K-ble Jungle (Eriko and DJ Shiru) regularly appear at the most interesting and largest festivals of Japanese culture in Europe, such as Lucca Comics & Games, Japan Matsuri in Switzerland, Comicon of Naples, various festivals in France and Portugal. On the stage of such festivals she performs covers of soundtracks of anime, J-pop and J-rock original songs, sometimes even some traditional music.

Some of songs that she presents at festivals are composed with DJ Shiru, some other by her sister Risa.

These shows are often hosted in themed events in discotheques and clubs, both in Japan and Europe. K-ble Jungle have also a a channel on Youtube, where they upload videos of some of their shows. Moreover, they create videos where they speak about Japan, where Kawasaki sings and dances, she tells about her next initiatives creating a sort of always updated video blog.

ERIKO is also a host in three TV shows aired in Italy on three different TV channels: Neko TV, Zapping TV and Quarta Rete.

Musically, DJ Shiru had always worked with Japanese music, also in Japan, where he had lived for two years and where he goes back every year for work.

Their first demo CD came out only for the Japanese market in occasion of their first tour, and it was distributed only at live concert and special fan meetings in Tokyo and Osaka. In Japan they also recorded a piece with the ensemble of traditional music Za Goninbayashi, a remixed version of their classic Murasaki no Uta, which was originally written by DJ Shiru. In 2014 their first mini-album, including six original songs, was published in Italy, Japan and Switzerland with the title OIKAKETE FUTURE. Their performances are varied and unique as regards to what happens on the stage, this also because of the guests who perform with them: in 2013 we saw them collaborating with Miho Yamaji, a female player of “koto”, and with the male player of shamisen Keisho Ohno, and in 2014 they have shared the stage with the idol group Bakusute Sotokand Icchome.

DISCOGRAPHY:
2013 Demo CD, distributed in Japan only :

Cable Jungle – ERIKO + DJ Shiru
Songs:
紫の歌feat. Za Goninbayashi| Written by DJ Shiru
Alive | Written byリサ
おいかけてSummer | Written byリサ
微笑みの爆弾| Written by 馬渡 松子
星間飛行| Written by菅野 よう子, 松本隆
もののけ姫 | Written by久石 譲

2014, distributed in Japan only

Colorful CD
おいかけてSummer Long Version | Written byリサ
Alive | Written byリサ
Future | Written byリサ
Winter Story | Written byリサ
星間飛行Remix | Written by菅野 よう子, 松本隆, Remixed by DJ Shiru
Intro 2014 | Written by DJ Shiru
Akai Uta | Written by DJ Shiru
War Drums | Written by DJ Shiru
Murasaki no Uta Dark Version | Written by DJ Shiru

2014 Demo CD Single, distributed in Japan only:
Remixes
Songs:
Murasaki no Uta
Dirty Droppers
Akai Uta
Inner Universe (Remixed by Slugger Punch)

2014, Maxi-single, available in Italy, Switzerland, and online
Oikakete Future
Oikakete Summer Long Version
Alive
Future
Akai Uta
War Drums
Murasaki no Uta

Please visit these links for more updates about K-BLE JUNGLE!
Links: website www.kblejungle.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kblejungle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kawasaki0406

Image credits: Naoya Yamaguchi, Studio DIVA; Tokyo