Midori Tatematsu
Midori Tatematsu 立松 緑 | ||||||||||||
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Background information | ||||||||||||
Born | [1] | May 28, 1988|||||||||||
Origin | Osaka, Japan | |||||||||||
Genres | Power metal | |||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Musician | |||||||||||
Instrument(s) | Guitar | |||||||||||
Years active | 2013–present | |||||||||||
Member of | Lovebites | |||||||||||
Bodybuilder | ||||||||||||
Personal info | ||||||||||||
Height | 150 cm (4 ft 11 in)[2] | |||||||||||
Weight | 41 kg (90 lb) | |||||||||||
Professional career | ||||||||||||
Active | 2021–present | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Midori Tatematsu (Japanese: 立松 緑, born May 28, 1988) is a Japanese heavy metal musician and fitness competitor. She is best known as a guitarist of the all-female band Lovebites since their founding in 2016. She was previously in the all-female band Gekijo Metalicche from 2013 to 2016. Midori began weight training in November 2021 during a hiatus in Lovebites' activities, and has since earned two silver medals in fitness competitions.
Early life
Midori started to learn piano at around two or three years of age and electric organ at eight.
Music career
Midori made her professional debut as a member of the all-female metal band Gekijo Metalicche (激情★めたりっちぇ). The Osaka-based trio was formed in June 2013 at the suggestion of composer Yoshingwie Masamsteen, who was a classmate of Midori's at MI Japan.[7][8] He was a fan of all-girl bands, but, as he is a man, told Midori to form one and he would provide the music.[8] She agreed and recruited vocalist Migaki Nishino and drummer Tsubasa "Zen" Zenta through contacts at MI Japan.[8] After meeting Migaki, whom Midori said looked like a member of AKB48 and sang in a moe voice, they decided to combine that vocal and visual style with metal.[7] Takayuki Murakami of Barks described Gekijo Metalicche's music as an aggressive sound based on heavy metal and featuring death voices and shouts, but in an original concept that combines it with loli voices, technical playing, and cute visuals like idols.[8] As such, they were labeled gap moe, referring to the "gap" or difference between their idol-like appearance and intense musicality.[9] Because they are Japanese Zen did not want to use English in their band's name, therefore it is a mix of kanji and hiragana. She coined "metalicche" as a cute version of "metal", Midori added "gekijo" which means "passion", and Migaki wanted to add a "★".[5]
Gekijo Metalicche had their first concert on August 1, 2013,[7] which was also the release date of their first single, "Imi no Hate/Sekai 'kan'". The band's second single, "Hissatsu! Reversible", was released on February 2, 2014, and followed by the mini-album I Yassaaa on September 6, 2014. "Mirai Antai", their third single and last release on an indie label, was released on February 11, 2015.[10] The band then signed with major record label King Records and released Upgrade (Kari), their first and only studio album, on May 13, 2015.[11][12] Gekijo Metalicche disbanded on February 12, 2016, after Midori and Tsubasa decided to leave the band.[13]
Later that year, Midori was announced as a member of the newly formed all-female heavy metal band
Midori provided music to the 2020 video game No Straight Roads.[21][22]
Musicianship
Midori is known for her technical proficiency and the use of various techniques in her guitar playing, such as
Midori became interested in heavy metal music from Galneryus and visual kei metal bands such as Deluhi.[7] She later said, "The more I played guitar, the more I started thinking I wanted to play more technically difficult and complex music, so I shifted to [metal]."[14] She traced those bands' roots to Western metal and studied guitarists that were featured in magazines.[7] Midori cited Galneryus' Syu as her favorite guitarist and said he has a uniquely Japanese style of playing.[7] She has since listed Kiko Loureiro, Nuno Bettencourt and Yngwie Malmsteen as her biggest guitar influences.[4][23] Particularly, Loureiro for his wide variety of licks and Brazilian fusion-like nuances, Bettencourt for his sense of rhythm and the way he builds solos, and Malmsteen for his vibrato.[23][24]
Equipment
Midori almost exclusively uses ESP Guitars, mainly E-II Horizons with Floyd Roses.[23] She explained, "the high frets are easy to play and the balance of the guitar is good, so it suits my technical playing style."[23] She uses two different colors, each with a different tuning.[23] The Reindeer Blue one has a purple paint job on its quilted maple top and Seymour Duncan pickups; an SH-1n '59 in the front and an SH-15 Alternative 8 in the back.[29] The black E-II Horizon is nearly the same, but has a Seymour Duncan Sentient pickup in the front and is kept in drop D tuning.[29] In Gekijo Metalicche and early Lovebites, she used a white ESP E-II FRX.[12] In 2019, Midori collaborated with the ESP Guitar Craft Academies in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Sendai to make one guitar each.[30] She has since used two of them live; one that is based on the ESP Arrow shape, and the other that is a combination of an ESP Ultratone and Snapper.[23] Of the latter, which is the only synchronized tremolo guitar she has, Midori said, "It's an all-around guitar with a lot of controls, which can make a variety of sounds, but retain its thickness."[23]
Midori has signature model
Fitness career
In August 2021, Lovebites temporarily suspended all activities while they looked for a new bassist.
Midori competes in bikini
Discography
With Lovebites
- Awakening from Abyss (2017)
- Clockwork Immortality (2018)
- Electric Pentagram (2020)
- Judgement Day (2023)
With Gekijo Metalicche
- "Imi no Hate/Sekai 'kan'" (意味の果て/世界「観」, August 1, 2013)
- "Hissatsu! Reversible" (必殺!リバーシブル, February 2, 2014)
- I Yassaaa (September 6, 2014)
- "Mirai Antai" (未来安泰, February 11, 2015)
- Upgrade (Kari) (あっぷぐれーど(仮), May 13, 2015)
References
- ^ a b c d e f "ヘビメタのギタリストがバキバキで芸術的なボディラインを魅せる!". Fitnesslove.net (in Japanese). August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "2022年 第14回 北区オープンボディビル・フィットネス大会" (PDF). Japan Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "LOVEBITES プロフィール・バイオグラフィ・リンク". Barks (in Japanese). August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Entrevista exclusiva: LOVEBITES". Headbangers Brasil (in Portuguese). October 6, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c "激情★めたりっちぇ『I YASSAAA(アイヤッサー)』". Beeast (in Japanese). October 18, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e ""It's not always easy – metal is not a mainstream genre in Japan. But we can expand the range of people who enjoy it": Lovebites' Midori Tatematsu on her mission to bring 24-fret metal shred to the masses". Guitar World. August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "激情★めたりっちぇ 激ロック インタビュー". Geki-Rock (in Japanese). May 12, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "【インタビュー】激情★めたりっちぇ「ロリ声とデスヴォイスでメタルフェス<ヴァッケン>にいつかは出てみたい」". Barks (in Japanese). May 14, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ ""ギャップ萌え"系ガールズバンド「激情★めたりっちぇ」がキングレコードからメジャーデビュー". Barks (in Japanese). February 10, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "ギャップ萌えヘヴィ・メタル・バンド"激情★めたりっちぇ"、5/13リリースのフル・アルバムにてメジャー・デビュー決定!". Geki-Rock (in Japanese). February 8, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ ""ギャップ萌え"メタルバンド、激情★めたりっちぇがメジャーデビュー". Natalie (in Japanese). April 3, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ a b "激情★めたりっちぇ、ギャップ萌えの波状攻撃". Barks (in Japanese). April 22, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Gekijo★METALicche Disband". JaME World. February 12, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ a b c "LOVEBITES – Interview (2017)". J-Generation. August 10, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "INTERVIEW: Lovebites". Distorted Sound. June 6, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- BraveWords. July 27, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- BraveWords. September 4, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- Loudersound. December 18, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ "LOVEBITES Named Best New Band at The Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards 2018". JaME World. June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "LOVEBITES、新体制での再始動を発表 新メンバーは弱冠20歳の気鋭ベーシストfami". Oricon (in Japanese). October 21, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ Midori Tatematsu [@midori_gt] (August 27, 2020). "I'm shredding over SAYU battle in the brand new game #NoStraightRoads 🧜🏻♀️✨🎸 Play the game and start the music revolution!!!🤘🏽🔥 https://nostraightroads.com It's an honor for me to participate in this project alongside amazing musicians💓🙏🏽" (Tweet). Retrieved August 12, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Boss Battle Records drops soundtrack for 'No Straight Roads'". The Brag. August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "LOVEBITES: "It's easier to develop lead guitar techniques if you have a good sense of rhythm"". Guitar World. April 28, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "miyako&midoriが語る、LOVEBITESの信念を込めた新作『ジャッジメント・デイ』". Guitar Magazine (in Japanese). April 27, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Interview: Lovebites "It's so stimulating coming into contact with a culture different from Japan."". Devolution. February 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ "LOVEBITES 激ロック インタビュー". Geki-Rock (in Japanese). January 23, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Interview – Lovebites' international metal ambitions". Kevy Metal. November 1, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "LOVEBITES 激ロック インタビュー". Geki-Rock (in Japanese). June 6, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "【LOVEBITES機材紹介】2023.3.12@EX THEATER ROPPONGI LOVEBITES 「WE ARE THE RESURRECTION」ライブレポート". Stagegear.jp (in Japanese). June 4, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ "GCA × アーティスト コラボ企画2019". ESP Guitar Craft Academy (in Japanese). Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ "Japan's All-Female Metal Band LOVEBITES To Go On Hiatus Following Bassist's Exit". Blabbermouth.net. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "選 手 権 大 会 審 査 結 果 一 覧 表" (PDF). Yokohama Bodybuilding Fitness Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "選 手 権 大 会 審 査 結 果 一 覧 表" (PDF). Kanagawa Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ 2022北区オープン【ボディフィットネス】 (video). Tokyo Body Building Federation. November 19, 2022. Event occurs at 17:17. Retrieved August 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ "選 手 権 大 会 審 査 結 果 一 覧" (PDF). Japan Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ "2023年08月06日開催 ジャパンオープン選手権大会(第34回) 男子ボディビル/女子フィジーク/ミスフィットネス/ボディフィットネス/ミックスドペアボディビル". Physique Online (in Japanese). August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "選手権大会審査結果一覧表" (PDF). Japan Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2023.
External links
- Midori's official store website
- Midori's fitness profile on Instagram