| Tofu Records | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Sony Music (US/JP) |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Yaz Noya |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Distributor(s) | Sony Music |
| Genre | Various: mostly pop and rock |
| Country of origin | US |
| Location | Santa Monica, California |
Tofu Records (東風レコード, Tofu Rekodo) was a US record label of Sony Music Entertainment Japan that was launched in 2003 to distribute Japanese Sony artists in the United States, and that closed in 2007. Their first signed artist was T.M.Revolution, and they used the anime fandom community to spread the word. T.M.Revolution's U.S. concert debut at Otakon 2003 was successful, drawing an audience of over 5,000.
Tofu Records' second signing was with L'Arc-en-Ciel. The label kicked off publicity for the group with a concert at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland during Otakon 2004. L'Arc-en-Ciel made 1st Mariner Arena history by being the first music group from Japan to headline there. The concert drew an estimated 12,000. In 2006, Tofu Records also published the Splurge album by pop rock duo PUFFY. They also represented Nami Tamaki, High and Mighty Color, ZONE, Miss Monday, Rhymester, Soulhead and Polysics.
In March 2007, Tofu Records closed. Releases on Sony Music Japan now appear on Columbia or Epic Records through a new deal.
Releases
All releases listed at discogs.com.[1]
| Artist | Title | Catalog # | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boom Boom Satellites | Epk | BBSEPK-9 | 2005 | DVD |
| Various Artists | Jpop CD | TOF-001 | 2003 | |
| T.M. Revolution | Coordinate | TOF-002 | 2003 | |
| Nami Tamaki | Greeting | TOF-007 | 2004 | |
| L'Arc-en-Ciel | Smile | TOF-010 | 2004 | |
| L'Arc-en-Ciel | Clicked Singles Best 13 | TOF-011 | 2004 | rerelease of Japanese album |
| Various Artists | Japan for Sale Vol. 4 | TOF-014 | 2004 | |
| Polysics | Polysics or Die!! | TOF-015 | 2004 | |
| Various Artists | Appleseed Original Soundtrack | TOF-016 | 2004 | 2-CD set |
| Polysics | 8-Track CD Sampler + Bonus CD Extra | TOF-018 | 2005 | |
| T.M. Revolution | Vertical Infinity | TOF-019 | 2005 | |
| L'Arc-en-Ciel | Awake | TOF-021 | 2005 | |
| Asian Kung-Fu Generation | Sol-Fa | TOF-022 | 2005 | includes DVD |
| Polysics | Now Is the Time! | TOF-024 | 2006 | |
| Boom Boom Satellites | Full of Elevating Pleasures | TOF-026 | 2005, 2006 | three versions with same catalog # |
| Hyde | Faith | TOF-029 | 2006 | includes DVD |
| Hitoshi Sakamoto | Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack | TOFU 033 | 2006 | 2-CD set |
See also
References
- ^ "Tofu Records" discogs.com. Accessed 14 April 2013.