1. Overview
Aira Mitsuki (アイラミツキJapanese, born September 21, 1988), a Japanese singer from Saitama Prefecture, initially debuted as Aira Mitsuki on August 8, 2007, quickly establishing herself as a "future-born technopop icon" and a leading figure in the "second-generation technopop" movement. Her early career saw her release her debut album, Copy, in 2008, and expand her activities with multiple singles and albums, live performances, and collaborations. After releasing her album I'll Be Back in 2013, she entered a hiatus. She returned to the music scene in 2015 under the name 아이라 미츠키Aira MitsukiKorean, releasing the digital single "LIGHTSAVER." Her musical style is largely characterized by technopop elements, often compared to artists like Perfume and Capsule, and features heavy use of vocoders and synthesizers. Her lyrics frequently explore themes of science fiction, technology, and social issues such as global warming and human apathy. As of 2018, her activities have become inactive.
2. Career
Aira Mitsuki's musical journey began with a significant audition win and evolved through various releases, live performances, and collaborations, marked by a hiatus and a subsequent return under a new name, ultimately culminating in an inactive status.
2.1. Debut and Early Career (2007-2008)
In 2007, Aira Mitsuki was selected as the grand prize winner from 6,325 applicants in the "Mega Trance 2007" audition, which was touted as one of the largest auditions of the year. Upon her debut, she was branded as a "future-born technopop icon" and positioned as part of the "second-generation technopop" movement, a term that signified artists following the breakthrough success of Perfume. On August 8, she made her indie debut with the single "Colorful Tokyo Sounds No. 9," produced by Terukado Ohnishi, under FARM RECORDS. A track from this single served as the official tie-up song for the Transformers Café, a collaboration project for the 2007 Transformers film, located in Roppongi. Aira also performed at an MTV-sponsored event for the film on July 25 and participated in a club live tour across 30 locations nationwide around the same period.
In January 2008, Aira Mitsuki held her first overseas performance at a live house in Beijing, China. She then made her major debut on March 5, 2008, with the single "China Discotica," which was released as a tribute to China for the 2008 Olympics. On May 7, she released the Tower Records-exclusive single "Darling Wondering Staring / STAR FRUITS SURF RIDER," limited to 2,000 copies. Her first album, Copy, was released on September 3, 2008, in two versions: a 12-track regular edition and a 16-track extended edition. The extended version included bonus tracks "Star Fruits Surf Rider," "Rock'n Roll Is Dead," and "Romantic Rope," and featured the Yakenohara version of "High Bash" instead of the original. Special bonus tracks were also offered: "Yakenohara Megamix" for Tower Records purchases and "L0ne1yBoy L0ne1yGirl" for HMV purchases. To promote the album, Tower Records launched an official collaboration campaign called "COPY Daisakusen," which included the release of NO MUSIC NO LIFE double-name T-shirts. The album's opening track, "Galaxy Boy," was used as the ending theme for Aichi Television's program Bonita! Bonita!! and for the promotion of the Dream car club of Tamoei Yakushiji. Copy reached a peak daily position of number 31 on the Oricon chart and a peak weekly position of number 48, selling 3,163 copies. On October 29, 2008, she released her second major single, "Robot Honey." This release marked a significant shift in her promotion, as she revealed her face in the jacket art and promotional video, having previously conducted promotions without showing her bare face. "Robot Honey" was used as the ending theme for TV Tokyo's national network program "Robo Tsuku," the opening and ending theme for SKY PerfecTV! Promo and e2 Promo's "Sky Para," and was included in Konami's rhythm game jubeat ripples.
2.2. Expansion of Activities (2009-2011)
Following "Robot Honey," Aira Mitsuki released "Valentine Step" and "Sayonara Technopolis" in February 2009. "Valentine Step" was an HMV-exclusive single. For "Sayonara Technopolis," Aira Mitsuki famously purchased a plot of land on the Moon as a promotional stunt. On January 29, 2009, she made her first appearance on terrestrial television, performing "Sayonara Technopolis" on NHK General's "MUSIC JAPAN". On March 19, she held a free invitation-only concert titled "mixi×Aira Mitsuki Special LiVE" at Liquidroom Ebisu, the footage of which was later included in her live DVD Aira Mitsuki Special Live "090319" in LiquidRoom, released on May 20, 2009. This DVD was simultaneously released with her fourth major single, "Barbie Barbie," which was featured in a Swans Mansion TV commercial. On May 29, she appeared on NTV's "Ongaku Senshi MUSIC FIGHTER" in the "New Fighter" segment, where she performed "Barbie Barbie."
On June 17, 2009, Aira Mitsuki released the Village Vanguard-exclusive CD Aira no Kagaku CD (Aira's Science CD), a collaboration with Gakken's "Otona no Kagaku Magazine." This release featured Masami Takeuchi playing the thereminvox. Her second studio album, Plastic, was released on July 22, 2009. The album included guest vocalists such as AYUSE KOZUE, Shigeo (from SBK/the samos), and □□□. The first limited edition came with a bonus CD featuring remixes by eight artists, including 80kidz and Yuuki Saito (from HiGE). Following the album's release, Aira Mitsuki embarked on her first tour across Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. On November 2, her official fan club, "I LOVE," was launched.
In 2010, starting June 1, a collaborative commercial between "Tokyo graffiti" and Glico Vision Shibuya began airing on the Glico Vision Shibuya screen, featuring Aira Mitsuki. On June 2, she released the mini-album 6 Force, with the emerging instrumental band Sawagi serving as guest producers. On August 7, she performed a DJ set with producer Terukado at the DANCE STAGE of Summer Sonic 2010 in Osaka. On August 13, she held a one-man live stream on Ustream as the opening act for "point presents enjoy? 100music," a collaborative project between the company Point and Myspace. On November 17, she released her third album, ??? (Three Questions), under the new label D-topia Universe. This album featured songwriting contributions from HAN JAE HO, KIM SEUNG SOO, and AN JUN SUNG, and included a collaboration with artist KAN ROY. She also covered Kenji Ozawa's song "Aishi Aisarete Ikarete Ikiru no Sa." To promote the album, she launched a Tower Records-exclusive event called "Hatena Shop Crawling" and embarked on the "Aira Mitsuki LiVE TOUR 2011 '???'", which visited six cities.
On April 20, 2011, a DVD+CD titled Aira Mitsuki LiVE TOUR 2011 "???" in LIQUIDROOM was released, featuring footage from the tour finale and a new single CD. On December 7, she released the collaboration album ×~PARK OF THE SAFARI with Saori@destiny.
2.3. Hiatus and Return (2013-2015)
On August 21, 2013, Aira Mitsuki released her final album with D-topia, titled I'll Be Back. Following this release, she announced a hiatus from her musical activities, which officially commenced after her one-man live performance on September 29, 2013.
In 2015, Aira Mitsuki returned to the music scene as an independent artist. She initially used the name "AIRA" before settling on アイラミツキJapanese (Aira Mitsuki) for the release of her new music. On September 21, 2015, she digitally released her comeback single, "LIGHTSAVER -Single-", with "I'LL AGAIN.." as its coupling track. This release was produced by IZUMAC (NUXX) and made available for download on platforms including iTunes Store, Amazon Music, and Google Play Music.
2.4. Recent Activities and Current Status (2016-Present)
Following her return, Aira Mitsuki continued with digital releases, including "Days" on March 23, 2016, and "Detective A" on April 13, 2016. She released her album Pyramidal on November 12, 2017. Her last recorded activity was on September 12, 2018, when she released "Playlist (feat. Aira Mitsuki)" as a guest vocalist for "Tokyo ni Seijaku wo." Since then, her social media updates have ceased, and she has been largely inactive in her musical career.
3. Musical Style and Artistry
Aira Mitsuki's distinctive musical style is predominantly classified as technopop, often drawing comparisons to popular acts produced by Yasutaka Nakata, such as Capsule and Perfume. Aira herself has acknowledged her admiration for Nakata's work. Her influences, as noted on her MySpace page, include Pizzicato Five, Kahimi Karie, Yuki, Justice, Cornelius, and Daft Punk. She has also covered songs by these and other artists, including Kenji Ozawa, Genki Rockets, Cascada, Lenny Kravitz, and her former labelmate Saori@destiny.
A central characteristic of Aira's music is its consistent use of vocoders and synthesizers, creating a signature sound that often features ambient sound effects. Lyrically, her songs frequently explore themes of science fiction and popular culture. Recurring concepts include space, robots, and technology. For instance, "Galaxy Boy" is a space-themed song about a "prototypical galaxy boy," while "Sayonara Technopolis" and its B-sides delve into social issues such as human apathy and global warming, even proposing a move to the Moon as a solution.
Throughout her career, Aira Mitsuki has experimented with various genres while maintaining her core electronic foundation. Her debut album, Copy, leaned heavily into a dance sound. "Valentine Step" incorporates strong Latin influences, and "Sayonara Technopolis" was marketed as "electro meets big beat". She has also recorded several ballads and a heavy techno cover of Lenny Kravitz's "Rock and Roll Is Dead". Despite these genre explorations, she has remained consistent in her use of voice filters and synthesizers.
Visually, Aira's music videos frequently utilize animation and CGI, often featuring fashion-forward costumes. She has openly expressed her fandom for video games like Pokémon and stated in interviews that she draws significant inspiration from science fiction and technology. The promotional activities for "Sayonara Technopolis" notably included her purchasing a plot of land on the Moon, tying directly into the song's thematic content. Her EP Aira's Science CD features two tracks, "Science Music" and "Senjō no Merry Christmas," which incorporate the thereminvox, played by Masami Takeuchi. This CD also includes a cover of Kahimi Karie's "Mike Alway's Diary" and a remix by I Am Robot and Proud, alongside versions of "Science Music" and "Senjō no Merry Christmas" without the thereminvox. While primarily a vocalist, Aira has incorporated various instruments into her live performances, playing drums, different synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers throughout her career.
4. Discography
Aira Mitsuki has released a diverse range of musical works throughout her career, including studio albums, mini-albums, singles, and various other limited and compilation releases.
4.1. Studio Albums
| No. | Release Date | Title | Oricon Peak Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2008.09.03 | Copy | 48 | Sold 5,010 copies. |
| 2nd | 2009.07.22 | Plastic | 33 | Sold 4,195 copies. |
| 3rd | 2010.11.17 | ??? (Three Questions) | 45 | Sold 2,758 copies. |
| 4th | 2013.08.21 | I'll Be Back | 134 | Last album before hiatus. |
| 5th | 2017.11.12 | Pyramidal | Out of Chart | Released under アイラミツキJapanese. |
4.2. Mini-albums
| No. | Release Date | Title | Oricon Peak Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | 2009.06.17 | Aira no Kagaku CD (Aira's Science CD) | Out of Chart | Village Vanguard limited release. |
| 1st | 2010.06.02 | 6 Force | 34 | Sold 3,391 copies. |
4.3. Singles
| No. | Release Date | Title | Oricon Peak Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aira Mitsuki (Indie) | ||||
| 1st | 2007.08.08 | "Colorful Tokyo Sounds No. 9" (カラフル・トーキョーサウンズ・NO.9Japanese) | 122 | Official tie-up song for the Transformers film's "Transformers Café". |
| - | 2008.05.07 | "Darling Wondering Staring / STAR FRUITS SURF RIDER" | 114 | Tower Records limited release (2,000 copies). |
| - | 2009.01.21 | "Valentine STEP" | 63 | HMV limited release. |
| Aira Mitsuki (Major) | ||||
| 1st | 2008.03.05 | "China Discotica" (チャイナ・ディスコティカJapanese) | 103 | Released as a tribute to China for the 2008 Olympics. |
| 2nd | 2008.10.29 | "Robot Honey" (ロボットハニーJapanese) | 43 | TV Tokyo "Robo Tsuku" ending theme; SKY PerfecTV! "Sky Para" opening/ending theme; included in Konami's jubeat ripples. |
| 3rd | 2009.01.21 | "Sayonara Technopolis" (サヨナラ TECHNOPOLiSJapanese) | 27 | Aira purchased land on the Moon for promotion. |
| 4th | 2009.05.20 | "Barbie Barbie" | 51 | Swans Mansion TV CM. |
| 아이라 미츠키 (Digital) | ||||
| 1st | 2015.09.21 | "LIGHTSAVER" | Out of Chart | First digital single after hiatus. Coupled with "I'LL AGAIN..". |
| 2nd | 2015.10.28 | "Animo!" | Out of Chart | Released digitally. |
| 3rd | 2016.03.23 | "Days" | Out of Chart | Released digitally. |
| 4th | 2016.04.13 | "Detective A" | Out of Chart | Released digitally. |
| - | 2018.09.12 | "Playlist" (feat. 아이라 미츠키Aira MitsukiKorean) | Out of Chart | Released as "Tokyo ni Seijaku wo feat. 아이라 미츠키Aira MitsukiKorean". |
4.4. Other Releases
- Collaboration Album**
- ×~PARK OF THE SAFARI (Aira Mitsuki × Saori@destiny) (2011.12.07), Oricon Peak Position 210.
- Venue-Limited CD-R Releases**
- "Heavenly Star" (2007)
- "Everytime We Touch" (2007)
- "L0ne1yBoy L0ne1yGirl" (2008)
- "MEGAMIX CD" (2008)
- "OUT edit vol.1" (2009) - Lawson limited release.
- Vinyl**
- Aira Mitsuki "5" mix (2009.10.18)
- DVDs**
- Aira Mitsuki Special Live "090319" in LiquidRoom (2009.05.20), Oricon Peak Position 70.
- Aira Mitsuki LiVE TOUR 2011 "???" in LIQUIDROOM (DVD+CD) (2011.04.20), Oricon Peak Position 163.
- Compilation Appearances**
- MEGA TRANCE08 (2007.08.08): Includes "Colorful Tokyo Sounds NO.9 (DJ U☆HEY? & RED CLAVIA Remix)."
- Teardrop (2008.12.17): Includes "Senjou no Merry Christmas" and "MIKE ALWAYS DIARY."
- for winter music Lovers ~ TECHNOPOP Xmas (2009.11.11): Includes "Senjou no Merry Christmas."
- SUN/Tokyo ni Seijaku wo (around April 2021, event/mail order): Includes "Playlist 2021 (feat. 아이라 미츠키Aira MitsukiKorean)."