History Music / AngelA

Their major breakthrough occurred in 2003, when they both got four of their songs used as opening / ending themes for the anime series ''Anime/StellviaOfTheUniverse'' and began a new record deal with Starchild / King Records (which has continued up through the present). This was followed by several other inclusions on anime soundtracks[[note]]and a new non-anime ones, too[[/note]], with ''FafnerInTheAzure'' having become the series they're most associated with; all later parts of the ''Fafner'' franchise so far have featured their music. With the greater resources available to them from this point onwards, the band began to include more session musicians and more (non-digital) instruments in their recordings, and sometimes also in concert (reducing the amount of pre-recorded music needed for their concerts). In particular, they began holding a large-scale concert called "Music Wonder Great Circus" yearly in late December (the 2010 event was filmed and released on home video).

* ''[[CubixRobotsForEveryone Saiko Robot Konbokku]]'' (3DCG animated TV series, 2003, Japanese version only): "Stay With Me" (OP), "Egao de Bye-Bye" (ED)

* ''HeroesPhantasia'' (video game, 2012): "The Lights of Heroes" (theme song)

* ''LionMaruG'' (tokusatsu TV series, 2006): "Tori" (ED), "Jinsei Yūgi" (ED)

* Fafner In The Azure: Dead Aggressor: Exodus (2015): "Exist" (OP), "An'ya Koro" (ED)

Their major breakthrough occurred in 2003, when they both got four of their songs used as opening / ending themes for the anime series ''StellviaOfTheUniverse'' and began a new record deal with Starchild / King Records (which has continued up through the present). This was followed by several other inclusions on anime soundtracks[[note]]and a new non-anime ones, too[[/note]], with ''FafnerInTheAzure'' having become the series they're most associated with; all later parts of the ''Fafner'' franchise so far have featured their music. With the greater resources available to them from this point onwards, the band began to include more session musicians and more (non-digital) instruments in their recordings, and sometimes also in concert (reducing the amount of pre-recorded music needed for their concerts). In particular, they began holding a large-scale concert called "Music Wonder Great Circus" yearly in late December (the 2010 event was filmed and released on home video).

* ''StellviaOfTheUniverse'' (2003): "Asu e no Brilliant Road" (OP), "Kirei na Yozora" (ED), "The End of the World" (ED), "Dear My Best Friend" (ED)

* ''TheCaseFilesOfYakushijiRyoko'' (2008):[[note]]These are officially by KATSU rather than angela.[[/note]] "Thème Principal" (OP), "La Vie en Rose" (ED)

* AnimeHair -- KATSU

Their music gained some notice outside of Japan when Creator/{{Geneon}} released ''Stellvia'' and ''Fafner'' in North America. This led to angela's first three Starchild-era [=LPs=] getting published by Geneon in that part of the world, and to the band performing at three US/Canadian anime conventions (Otakon, Sakura-con, and CN Anime) during 2004-2005[[note]]albeit with a prerecorded backing track, and no backing band[[/note]]. However, that company's brief venture into the record business in America was a commercial failure (even more so than their DVD business was). The band's records since then have not been released outside Japan, though beginning in 2010 they've performed yearly at Anime Festival Asia in Singapore. Also, they appeared as one of the (many) musical acts at each of the Animelo Summer Live yearly events during 2008-2010.

Their major breakthrough occurred in 2003, when they both got four of their songs used as opening / ending themes for the anime series ''StellviaOfTheUniverse'' and began a new record deal with Starchild / King Records (which has continued up through the present). This was followed by several other inclusions on anime soundtracks[[hottip:*:and a new non-anime ones, too]], with ''FafnerInTheAzure'' having become the series they're most associated with; all later parts of the ''Fafner'' franchise so far have featured their music. With the greater resources available to them from this point onwards, the band began to include more session musicians and more (non-digital) instruments in their recordings, and sometimes also in concert (reducing the amount of pre-recorded music needed for their concerts). In particular, they began holding a large-scale concert called "Music Wonder Great Circus" yearly in late December (the 2010 event was filmed and released on home video).

Their music gained some notice outside of Japan when Creator/{{Geneon}} released ''Stellvia'' and ''Fafner'' in North America. This led to angela's first three Starchild-era [=LPs=] getting published by Geneon in that part of the world, and to the band performing at three US/Canadian anime conventions (Otakon, Sakura-con, and CN Anime) during 2004-2005[[hottip:*:albeit with a prerecorded backing track, and no backing band]]. However, that company's brief venture into the record business in America was a commercial failure (even more so than their DVD business was). The band's records since then have not been released outside Japan, though beginning in 2010 they've performed yearly at Anime Festival Asia in Singapore. Also, they appeared as one of the (many) musical acts at each of the Animelo Summer Live yearly events during 2008-2010.

* ''TheCaseFilesOfYakushijiRyoko'' (2008):[[hottip:*:These are officially by KATSU rather than angela.]] "Thème Principal" (OP), "La Vie en Rose" (ED)

** "Break Out" and "All My Love", for ''Shin-Hakkenden''[[hottip:*:although these were not sung by atsuko, but rather by Masami Suzuki and Shiho Kikuchi, respectively, who were the seiyuu for two characters from the show]]

* ''Anime/{{K}}'' (upcoming, fall 2012): "Kings" (OP)

* CoverVersion -- They covered the OP song from ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'', "You Get to Burning", and "Dearest" from the ''Nadesico'' sequel movie, on a non-album single. They also have covered the ''[[NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'' OP song "Zankoku Tenshi no Tēze" live sometimes, including at Animelo 2009 together with Chiaki Ishikawa. They also covered the OP song from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' (first series), "Happy☆Material", at Animelo 2008 (under the "Domestic Love Band" pseudonym).

** There have also been a few others who have covered songs by angela, including YuiHorie (who covered "on my way" from ''I/O'' on her 2004 album ''Rakuen'', and also covered a song from a 2001 angela single on her 2008 album ''Darling'', including KATSU playing piano on the latter), Yoko Ishida (who covered "Asu e no Brilliant Road" on her album ''Hyper Yocomix'' and on her concert video ''Live in Concert'', and also covered "Shangri-La" on her album ''Hyper Yocomix 2''), and [[JAMProject Masaaki Endoh]] (who covered "Asu e no Brilliant Road" on his album ''ENSON'').

* ''Anime/{{K}}'' (upcoming, fall 2012): "KINGS" (OP)

** "Itsuka no Zero Kara" and "Kyōkaisen Set Me Free" from ''Anime/{{K}}''

* CoverVersion -- They covered the OP song from ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'', "You Get to Burning", and "Dearest" from the ''Nadesico'' sequel movie, on a non-album single. They also have covered the ''[[NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'' OP song "Zankoku Tenshi no Tēze" live sometimes, including at Animelo 2009 together with Chiaki Ishikawa.

* ''K'' (not yet released): "KINGS" (OP)

** "Itsuka no Zero Kara" and "Kyōkaisen Set Me Free" from ''K''

** ''Itsuka no Zero Kara'' and ''Kyōkaisen Set Me Free'' from ''K''

* ''AsuraCryin'' (2009): "Spiral" (OP), "Link" (ED)
* ''AsuraCryin 2'' (2009): "Alternative" (OP), "Kanata no Delight" (ED), "Kirafuwa" (ED)

* ''[[{{ptitlep23b1sab}} Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor]]'' (2004): "Shangri-La" (OP), "Separation" (ED), "Proof" (ED)
* ''[[{{ptitlep23b1sab}} Soukyuu no Fafner: Right of Left]]'' (2005): "Peace of Mind" (OP)

* ''[[{{ptitlep23b1sab}} Soukyuu no Fafner: Heaven and Earth]]'' (2010): "Sōkyū" (theme song), "Sayonara no Toki Kurai Hohoen de" (insert)

** "DEAD SET", for ''[[{{ptitlep23b1sab}} Soukyuu no Fafner: Right of Left]]''
** "FORTUNES" and "Rikai to Hakai no Prelude", for ''[[{{ptitlep23b1sab}} Soukyuu no Fafner: Heaven and Earth]]''

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/angela_from-lastfm_image-35325801.jpeg

Their music gained some notice outside of Japan when {{Geneon}} released ''Stellvia'' and ''Fafner'' in North America. This led to angela's first three Starchild-era [=LPs=] getting published by Geneon in that part of the world, and to the band performing at three US/Canadian anime conventions (Otakon, Sakura-con, and CN Anime) during 2004-2005[[hottip:*:albeit with a prerecorded backing track, and no backing band]]. However, that company's brief venture into the record business in America was a commercial failure (even more so than their DVD business was). The band's records since then have not been released outside Japan, though beginning in 2010 they've performed yearly at Anime Festival Asia in Singapore. Also, they appeared as one of the (many) musical acts at each of the Animelo Summer Live yearly events during 2008-2010.

* IAmNotShazam -- Using a common given name as a band name was just asking for people to make this mistake.

The band leaders, "atsuko" (singer) and "KATSU" (instrumentalist), began writing songs together in 1993 (according to the band's website). Originally, few or no other musicians were involved, requiring recordings to be assembled piecemeal with the use of computers and/or recording studios, and requiring backing tracks to be used during concerts. In 1999, they contributed the opening song and two image songs for the anime series ''Shin-Hakkenden'', with a Warner Music sub-label releasing the opening song as the band's first single, and the image songs being sung by members of the show's voice cast and released on an image song compilation. Neither the show nor its music got much attention from the public (initially, at least). The band then departed that record label and spent the next 3-4 years recording music that they released as self-published [=CD-Rs=]. (Many of these early records, including their debut single, were produced only in small quantities, and have therefore become expensive collectors' items.)

Their major breakthrough occurred in 2003, when they both got four of their songs used as opening / ending themes for the anime series ''StellviaOfTheUniverse'' and began a new record deal with Starchild / King Records (which has continued up through the present). This was followed by several other inclusions on anime soundtracks[[hottip:*:and a new non-anime ones, too]], with ''FafnerInTheAzure'' having become the series they're most associated with -- all later parts of the ''Fafner'' franchise so far have featured their music. With the greater resources available to them from this point onwards, the band began to include more session musicians and more (non-digital) instruments in their recordings, and sometimes also in concert (reducing the amount of pre-recorded music needed for their concerts). In particular, they began holding a large-scale concert called "Music Wonder Great Circus" yearly in late December (the 2010 event was filmed and released on home video).

{{Geneon}}'s North American division released both ''Stellvia'' and ''Fafner'' on DVD. This led to angela's first three Starchild-era [=LPs=] getting published by Geneon in that part of the world, and to the band performing at three US/Canadian anime conventions (Otakon, Sakura-con, and CN Anime) during 2004-2005[[hottip:*:albeit with a prerecorded backing track, and no backing band]]. However, the company's venture into the record business was not commercially successful (even less so than their eventually-failed DVD business). The band's records since then have not been released outside Japan, though beginning in 2010 they've performed yearly at Anime Festival Asia in Singapore. Also, they appeared as one of the (many) musical acts at each of the Animelo Summer Live yearly events during 2008-2010.

In 2005 and 2006, {{Geneon}} released the band's three most recent (at the time) albums in the United States. Soon after, though, Geneon's US division all but went out of business, and closed their music division entirely, and no more of the band's records have been released outside of Japan since.

* RecordOfLoudnessWar -- As with most pop music, level compression tends to be used on their records. One song that led some people to complain about the level compression was "Tsubasa" ([[http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showthread.php?t=57993&page=3]] [[http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showthread.php?t=67279]]); this is probably because it has an ocarina solo with some high notes during an otherwise-quiet part of the song, which was then made loud by the level compression.

* ''[[CubixRobotsForEveryone Saiko Robot Konbokku]]'' (2003, Japanese version only): "Stay With Me" (OP), "Egao de Bye-Bye" (ED)
* ''Vampire Host'' (2004): "In Your Arms" (OP), "Solitude" (ED)
* ''LionMaruG'' (2006): "Tori" (ED), "Jinsei Yūgi" (ED)
* ''Wonderful World'' (2010): "Wonderful World" (theme song), and the {{background music}}
* ''Shinjū Tenshi'' a.k.a. ''Synchronicity'' (2011): "『Real』 wa…" (theme song)
* ''HeroesPhantasia'' (2012): "The Lights of Heroes" (theme song)

angela is a band that's best known for [[AnimeThemeSong opening]] and [[EndingTheme ending]] theme songs of {{anime}} and {{tokusatsu}} television shows. Their music typically features dense arrangements including strings, brass, electric guitar, choral vocals, and electronic sounds. It also includes influences from various musical styles including electronica, rock, swing jazz, and ska.

!!Other shows / films featuring music by angela: