fripSide

fripSide is a Japanese trance band active since 2002, built around music producer Satoshi Yaginuma and vocalists. The group’s history is divided into three distinct phase with different vocalists:

Phase 1 of fripSide debuted in 2002 with vocalist nao. During this phase, the group established itself by releasing music primarily through the independent and amateur community Muzie. After signing with Visual Arts in 2006, many of their songs became theme songs for Visual Arts games. They also briefly maintained a side group, fripSide NAO project!, from 2007 to 2009, to release tracks in a different style. Significant releases from this phase include “magicaride”, “an evening calm”, “come to mind”, and “flower of bravery”. nao officially graduated from fripSide in March 2009.

Phase 2 began in September 2009 with Yoshino Nanjo taking over as vocalist. This transition marked a decisive shift in fripSide’s sound toward the symbolic trance and electronic style they are now famous for. Their first release in this phase, “only my railgun”, served as the opening theme for the TV anime A Certain Scientific Railgun. The song was a massive success and brought fripSide into the mainstream and making it one of the most recognizable songs in the overall anime music industry. Other popular tracks from this phase include “LEVEL5-judgelight”, “sister’s noise” and “black bullet”. Nanjo graduated from fripSide with a graduation live tour in 2022.

Phase 3 began in April 2022 with the introduction of two new vocalists, Hisayo Abe and Mao Uesugi. This phase continues the established trance style from Phase 2 but incorporates new variations. Popular recent releases include “dawn of infinity, “Red Liberation”, “PHASE NEXT”, among others.

Despite their graduation, former vocalists nao and Yoshino Nanjo have continued to collaborate occasionally as guest vocalists on future tracks and live performances, such as anniversary releases “Decade” and “double Decades”, as well as “re:ceptivity” and “Secret Operation”.