Tsuki Amano (天野月 Amano Tsuki), formally Tsukiko Amano (天野月子 Amano Tsukiko), is a female Japanese rock singer-songwriter, musician, and illustrator, famous for singing various songs in the Fatal Frame series. Chō, for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly . She also sang the theme for Fatal Frame III: The Tormented, Koe, the theme and alternate ending song of Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, Zero no Chōritsu and NOISE, the theme song of Fatal Frame II: Deep Crimson Butterfly, Kurenai, and one of the theme songs of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, In This Cage.
Biography[]
Childhood[]
Amano developed a passion for music at the age of five, when she started to learn how to play the piano. While in school she joined various music clubs and was part of her junior high school chorus club as a soprano until eventually becoming more well known after joining the school theater group. During high school, Amano bought her first guitar, which she still uses to this day.
OTOKURA RECORDS[]
Amano promoting Ningyou, one of her singles
Amano first exposure to the music industry was when she joined a small private band. She had then recorded some songs on a cassette tape and sent it to one of her close friends. The tape would then end up in the possession of OTOKURA RECORDS. After hearing her songs and vocal talent, OTOKURA RECORDS called Amano and would work out a contract for her if she accepted their offer, which she did.
After signing with the independent label in early 2001, she soon released her first set of singles only a couple months apart from each other, starting with her first single, Hakoniwa (箱庭; A Miniature Garden). Though none of her early works would chart on the Oricon charts, Amano signed with OTOKURA RECORD's major label parent company, Pony Canyon, and debuted as a major artist with Bodaiju in November of 2001.
After the success of Bodaiju, Amano began to release singles and studio albums yearly with as many as three albums or singles per year.
Chō and Fatal Frame (Zero)[]
Amano in the Chō music video
After the success of Fatal Frame, Tecmo wanted an image song for the sequel and series creator Makoto Shibata found the then-newly debuted Amano in the Japanese independent community. Shibata contacted Amano to express interest of her performing a vocal theme song for the series. Amano created the song Chō using documents on the game's story, themes and setting. In November 12 2003, Pony Canyon released Chō as Amano's seventh major single and included the song in her third major album Tenryū.
After the success of Fatal Frame II and Chō, Shibata wanted to have Amano perform vocal theme songs for their upcoming Fatal Frame titles. Amano would then returned multiple times to create theme songs for Fatal Frame III: The Tormented, Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, and a new theme song for the Wii remake of Crimson Butterfly, and Fatal Frame V: Maiden of Black Water.
Illustrator[]
Cover of Hikari no Circus, featuring artwork by Amano
Apart from songwriting and performing, Amano is also a clothing designer, making the clothes for her promotional videos. She is also an illustrator and loves to draw. Amano also has an online webcomic illustrated by herself. Some of her independent released albums and singles feature cover artwork of her illustrations, most notably the singles "Hikari no Circus" and "Utsukushiki Mono", with each coming with a digital illustrated book.
Retiring from OTOKURA RECORDS[]
On August 1st, 2008 Amano announced that she would both retire as a singer and stop activities under her real name. However, she revealed that she would still continue to compose songs for other artists but take more of a "backseat role".
On New Year's Day 2009 Amano announced her new stage name would be Amano Tsuki and that she would turn her focus on being an illustrator. The reasoning for the change of her name was that the year of the rat was over so Amano decided to drop the "rat" kanji (子) from her name.
Return to Music and Future Projects[]
Amano promoting Torikago -in this cage after her return to music
However, in January 2010, Amano revealed on her blog that she would return to OTOKURA RECORDS and music while under her new stage name. Amano is still writing new songs for OTOKURA RECORDS and is still known in the J-rock and independent music community.
During the development of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Amano returned to provide vocal songs for the soundtrack as well as perform a vocal theme song for the game. Similar to her previous collaboration with the Fatal Frame soundtracks, she included the new Fatal Frame vocal song, In This Cage, in her latest album after returning to music.
Concerning Fatal Frame, Amano may still write and perform new vocal songs for the series as she still has interest in the series as well as the development team still have interest in Amano.
Trivia[]
- Amano claimed in interviews that she is not very fond of the horror genre. However, she enjoys and is a fan of the Fatal Frame series.