Wowaka

Wowaka (stylized as wowaka, Japanese: ヲワカ; (1987-11-04)November 4, 1987 – (2019-04-05)April 5, 2019),[1] also known as Genjitsutouhi-P (現実逃避P), was a Japanese musician, who was best known for his Vocaloid music and for being the lead vocalist in the band hitorie. Considered to be one of the most influential musicians in the Vocaloid industry, Wowaka had made many critically acclaimed songs throughout his career spanning over a decade.[2]

wowaka
Wowaka in 2017
Background information
Also known asGenjitsutouhi-P (現実逃避P)
Born(1987-11-04)November 4, 1987
Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
DiedApril 5, 2019(2019-04-05) (aged 31)
Occupation(s)Composer, lyricist, arranger, vocalist, guitarist
InstrumentsHatsune Miku, Fender Telecaster
Years active2009–2019
LabelsBalloom
Associated actshitorie
Websitewww.hitorie.jp
lineblog.me/hitorie/

Wowaka began his career in 2009, debuting with the song In the Gray Zone. (グレーゾーンにて。) He later co-founded the record label Balloom in 2011, and in the same year released his debut album Unhappy Refrain (アンハッピーリフレイン), which is considered to be a classic work in the Vocaloid industry. Following this, joined the band hitorie as the lead vocalist, and continued work there for the rest of his career.

On April 5, 2019, at the age of 31, he passed away due to heart failure.[3]

Early life

Wowaka was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan on November 4, 1987.[1] He was interested in joining rock bands since his middle school, starting as a guitarist, he joined bands in his high school and college. He was an alumnus of University of Tokyo, and was the leader of the music club "Toudai Onkan" (東大音感).[4] In college, he began composing original musics for his band.[5]

Career

Wowaka's first contact with Vocaloid music was in December 2008, when he listened to livetune's song Last Night, Good Night. Taking a liking to the song, he was shocked to learn that this song was one-man's work. He then quit his band, and began creating Vocaloid music using Hatsune Miku in April 2009.[6][7] Wowaka began his musical career in May 2009, by uploading his original Vocaloid music titled In the Gray Zone. (グレーゾーンにて。) to the Japanese video-sharing website Niconico Douga. In the video of In the Gray Zone, trying to convey the image of the song without using illustrations of Vocaloid characters, wowaka used his own drawing instead, and, for consistency, he kept this style in all his later Vocaloid works.[5]

Wowaka's songs published on Niconico are characterized by obscure lyrics depicting thoughts of young women in fast-paced melodies.[6] He has said that although he initially wanted to make music that can only be made using Vocaloid, he later realized the advantages of Vocaloid music.[8] He became known under the name "Genjitsu Touhi P" after writing in music descriptions the phrase "Escaping from reality, how nice!" (Japanese: 現実逃避って、いいよね！)[5] His works gained particularly large popularity on Niconico Douga. After releasing his self-published album, he helped found Balloom, an independent record label, along with other musicians popular on Niconico Douga.

In May 2011, Wowaka released his debut studio album Unhappy Refrain (アンハッピーリフレイン) under the Balloom label.[9][10] The album opened to critical acclaim. It is considered a classic in the Vocaloid music industry, and is often considered Wowaka's signature work. The tracks, including "Two-faced Lovers", "World's End Dancehall", "Rolling Girl", and "Unhappy Refrain", all attained a cult following.[11] Following this, Wowaka was the composer and lyricist of the single And I'm Home, which was used as one of the ending theme songs in the 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica.[12] In the same year, he joined the rock band hitorie as the primary vocalist and guitarist,[1] and shifted his focus towards the band. Hitorie released their debut album Room Sick Girls Escape (ルームシック・ガールズエスケープ) in 2012.[13]

In August 2017, Wowaka released his final Vocaloid song entitled Unknown Mother Goose (アンノウン・マザーグース) following six years since his previous works in Vocaloid. The song was created for Hatsune Miku's 10-year anniversary compilation album Re:Start.[14] In October of the same year, he released his own vocal cover version of the song under hitorie.[15] In an interview, Wowaka credited Hatsune Miku for getting him into making music. He stated: "I never gave it a second of thought 10 years ago as I posted songs, but no matter how you look at it, Hatsune Miku is the one who got me to start music. Miku is sort of like a mother figure to me."[16][17]

Death

Wowaka died in his sleep on April 5, 2019, due to heart failure, at the age of 31. The death was announced on hitorie's website on April 8, 2019.[18] After his death, the band announced the cancellation of planned concert tours, and that it had not yet decided its future activities.[19] A private funeral was held by his family members.[1] On June 1, 2019, hitorie held a remembrance concert. On Hatsune Miku's Magical Mirai 2019 and Miku Expo Europe 2020 concerts, tributes were held to honor him.

Legacy

Various Vocaloid artists have made music with Wowaka as an inspiration.[16] His songs like "Rolling Girl" and "World's End Dancehall" are considered widely influential, and, along with other songs of his, inspired others to make covers and derivative works.[2] Following his death, fans of Wowaka paid tribute to him on various social media to commemorate his musical and vocal capabilities.[3]

Musician Kenshi Yonezu, also known by his stage name Hachi when creating Vocaloid music, was a close friend of wowaka. After wowaka's death, Yonezu praised wowaka for having a deep impact on the concept of "Vocaloid-esque" music among Vocaloid creators, and that since his own music was also influenced by wowaka, he held his greatest respect for him.[20]

Aiden Strawhun wrote on Kotaku that "For those who've been part of the Vocaloid community since Hatsune Miku's early days, Wowaka's name carries more than just the weight of nostalgia. It carries a teenage-angsty resonance thanks to songs such as the turbulent, cacophonic 'Rolling Girl.' [...] Where there is Hatsune Miku, there is Wowaka. [...] With his passing, we've not only lost a huge, immensely influential part of the community but a monumental part of our history. His work, though, will live on. Wowaka did more than create music for a generation. He created magic."[2]

Discography

Studio albums
List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions
JPN
[21]
the monochrome disc
  • Released: November 15, 2009
  • Label: Hinichijou Records
  • Formats: CD
 —
World 0123456789
  • Released: February 7, 2010
  • Label: Hinichijou Records
  • Formats: CD
 —
SEVEN GIRLS' DISCORD
  • Released: November 14, 2010
  • Label: Hinichijou Records
  • Formats: CD
 —
Unhappy Refrain (アンハッピーリフレイン)
  • Released: May 18, 2011
  • Label: Balloom
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 6
"—" denotes items which did not chart in that region.

Compilation Albums
Title Album details
EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Supernova
  • Released: December 2, 2009
  • Label: Exit Tunes
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Zureteiku (ずれていく)
EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocalolegend feat. Hatsune Miku (EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocalolegend feat.初音ミク)
  • Released: January 20, 2010
  • Label: Exit Tunes
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Two-Faced Lovers (裏表ラバーズ, Ura Omote Lovers)
EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Supernova 2
  • Released: March 3, 2010
  • Label: Exit Tunes
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Rolling Girl (ローリンガール)
LOiD-02 -postrock- LOiD's MiND
  • Released: March 17, 2010
  • Label: LOiD
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: delayed verb
EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocalogenesis feat. Hatsune Miku (EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocalogenesis feat.初音ミク)
  • Released: May 19, 2010
  • Label: Exit Tunes
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Rolling Girl (ローリンガール)
VOCAROCK collection feat. 初音ミク
  • Released: July 21, 2010
  • Label: FARM RECORDS
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
Niconico Touhou Kenbunroku Genkyokushuu (ニコニコ東方見聞録 原曲集)
  • Released: January 5, 2011
  • Label: BinaryMixx Records
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
Letters to U
  • Released: April 20, 2011
  • Label: Aniplex
  • Formats: CD
  • Composer and arranger
"Niconico Touhou Kenbunroku" Utattemita -Cast Vocal shuu- (「ニコニコ東方見聞録」歌ってみた 〜キャストボーカル集〜)
  • Released: April 27, 2011
  • Label: BinaryMixx Records
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
SUPER VOCALO BEAT
  • Released: June 1, 2011
  • Label: Dwango User Entertainment, Inc.
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
VOCALOID BEST from Niconico Douga (Red) (VOCALOID BEST from ニコニコ動画 (あか))
  • Released: June 22, 2011
  • Label: Sony Music Direct
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
V.I.P Append(Marasy plays Vocaloid Instrumental on Piano)
  • Released: July 27, 2011
  • Label: Dwango
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
antinotice/hanabira (「antinotice」 /「花弁」)
  • Released: August 17, 2011
  • Label: Toy's Factory
  • Formats: CD
  • Composer and lyricist
Hatsune Miku - Project DIVA - extended Complete Collection (初音ミク-Project DIVA- extend Complete Collection)
  • Released: November 9, 2011
  • Label: Sony Music Direct
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Rolling Girl (ローリンガール), Two-Faced Lovers (裏表ラバーズ, Ura Omote Lovers)
Kaeshi uta (かえしうた)
  • Released: November 30, 2011
  • Label: dmARTS
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
Hatsune Miku DANCE REMIX Vol.1 (初音ミク DANCE REMIX Vol.1)
  • Released: December 7, 2011
  • Label: JVC Kenwood Victor Entertainment
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
LOVER"S"MiLE
  • Released: February 22, 2012
  • Label: Aniplex
  • Formats: CD
  • Composer and arranger
TwinTail・TwinGuitar
  • Released: May 9, 2012
  • Label: Royal Records
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Rolling Girl (ローリンガール)
Hatsune Miku 5th Birthday Best - Impacts - (初音ミク 5thバースデー ベスト〜impacts〜)
  • Released: August 1, 2012
  • Label: Dwango
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Two-Faced Lovers (裏表ラバーズ, Ura Omote Lovers)
Yuukei Sekai Reconstruction (有形世界リコンストラクション)
  • Released: October 17, 2012
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Two-Faced Lovers (裏表ラバーズ, Ura Omote Lovers)
V-box
  • Released: October 31, 2012
  • Label: dmARTS
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Unhappy Refrain (アンハッピーリフレイン)
Hatsune Miku - Project DIVA - F Complete Collection (初音ミク -Project DIVA- F Complete Collection)
  • Released: March 6, 2013
  • Label: Sony Music Direct
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Unhappy Refrain (アンハッピーリフレイン), World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
LANDSPACE
  • Released: October 30, 2013
  • Label: Aniplex
  • Formats: CD
  • Composer, arranger, lyricist
HATSUNE MIKU 10th Anniversary Album「Re:Start」
  • Released: August 30, 2017
  • Label: Dwango
  • Formats: CD
  • Song featured: Unknown Mother Goose (アンノウン・マザーグース)

Vocaloid songs
List of Vocaloid songs uploaded to Niconico Douga under the names wowaka and Genjitsu Touhi-P, and the Vocaloids they were sung by.
Title Year Notes
In the Gray Zone (グレーゾーンにて。, Gray Zone nite)
(Hatsune Miku)		 2009 First musical work.
Two-Faced Lovers (裏表ラバーズ, Ura Omote Lovers)
(Hatsune Miku)		 Sixth work. Received over 7,000,000 views.
Rolling Girl (ローリンガール)
(Hatsune Miku)		 2010 Received over 6,000,000 views.
World's End Dancehall (ワールズエンド・ダンスホール)
(Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka)		 Received over 10,000,000 views.
Unhappy Refrain (アンハッピーリフレイン)
(Hatsune Miku)		 2011 Received over 4,000,000 views.
Unknown Mother Goose (アンノウン・マザーグース)
(Hatsune Miku)		 2017 Received over 3,000,000 views. Last Vocaloid song before his death.
gollark: How is C "higher level"? It's a very low-level language.
gollark: This sort of thing is why I download music.
gollark: Seriously?!
gollark: I vaguely know a few people from Turkey on a few other Discord servers, they complain about it quite often.
gollark: They must really like having lots of roles.

References
  1. Antonio Pineda, Rafael (April 7, 2019). "Hitorie Band Vocalist/Vocaloid Producer wowaka Passes Away at 31". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  2. Strawhun, Aiden. "Remembering A Vocaloid Legend Behind Some Of The Best Hatsune Miku Songs". Kotaku. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  3. Yemi, Frank (2019-04-08). "Wowaka death: Vocaloid producer and Hitorie vocalist dies of acute heart failure". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  4. "この学生サークルが面白い！ vol.16 東大音感」音楽主義". www.ongakusyugi.net (in Japanese). 2017-11-17. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  5. ボカロ神Pと超絶クリエイターたち〜才能が出逢う場所 (in Japanese). Yamaha Music Media. 2011. pp. 22–24. ISBN 978-4636867572.
  6. "ボカロPインタビュー". Gekkayo (in Japanese). ゲッカヨ (426): 26. July 2011.
  7. "バンドとニコ動、2つの顔を持つ「裏表ラバーズ」作者の素性". ascii.jp (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 2010-02-13. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  8. VOCALOIDをたのしもう6 (in Japanese). Yamaha Music Media. 2011. p. 40. ISBN 978-4-636-86584-4.
  9. "ネットの音楽クリエーターたちが新レーベルを設立". Nikkei Trendy Net (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications. 2011-03-05. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  10. "「毎回外さないようにしているのは焦燥感や、もやもやした気持ち」ニコ動ヒットメーカーwowakaが描く思春期の感情". webDICE (in Japanese). アップリンク. 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  11. "「裏表ラバーズ」「ローリンガール」などを発表したボカロP＆バンド・ヒトリエのwowakaさんが急性心不全のため死去". にじめん (in Japanese). 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  12. "Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Ending 3 : and I'm home". www.nautiljon.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  13. "Hitorie : Room Sick Girl's Escape". www.nautiljon.com (in French). Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  14. "【知りたい】wowakaの6年ぶりボカロ曲"アンノウン・マザーグース"までを貫く世界観とは？". rockinon.com (in Japanese). 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  15. "ヒトリエ、wowakaボカロ楽曲「アンノウン・マザーグース」セルフカバー配信＆サブスクリプション開始". Musicman-net. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  16. "Wowaka, beloved Hatsune Miku composer, dead at 31". The Daily Dot. 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  17. 森, 朋之. "初音ミクの10年～彼女が見せた新しい景色～｜wowaka（ヒトリエ）×DECO*27対談 ボカロシーンの牽引者たちが語る「あの頃、何が起こったのか」 - 音楽ナタリー 特集・インタビュー". Natalie Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  18. Komatsu, Mikikazu (2019-04-08). "Vocaloid Song Artist/Hitorie Vocalist wowaka Passes Away due to Acute Heart Failure". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  19. "ヒトリエからのお知らせ". www.sonymusic.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  20. "米津玄師、ｗｏｗａｋａさん訃報をＲＴ　過去には「影響受けた人間の一人」とツイート". デイリースポーツ online (in Japanese). 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  21. "wowaka(現実逃避P)の作品" [List of wowaka (Genjitsu Touhi P)'s Releases]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved April 8, 2019.

See also
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