Hōkai Amplifier

Hōkai Amplifier
EP by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
Released	November 25, 2002 (original) April 23, 2003 (re-release)
Recorded	2002 at GOK Sound Studio in Tokyo, Japan
Genre	Indie rock, alternative rock
Length	22:54
Label	Under Flower FLOWER-047 Ki/oon KSCL-542 Spectrum SPJL-001
Producer	Katsuhisa Ogawa
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION chronology
I'm Standing Here (2001) Hōkai Amplifier (2003) Kimi Tsunagi Five M (2003)

Hōkai Amplifier (崩壊アンプリファー Hōkai anpurifā, "Collapse Amplifier") is the major-label debut EP by Japanese rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, released on November 25, 2002 on Under Flower Records.^[1]

Background

After six years since its inception and three independent releases, Asian Kung-Fu Generation contributed to the Under Flower compilation album, Whatch You Gonna Do?, before dropping their first major-label EP.^[1] The critically acclaimed mini-album topped the High Line Records weekly chart for two weeks straight and peaked at number thirty-five on the Oricon indies sales chart.^[2] Due to its success, Hōkai Amplifier was re-released by Ki/oon Records on April 23, 2003. Although the mini-album didn't release any singles, the intro track "Haruka Kanata" enjoyed immense domestic and international popularity after it came to be used as the second opening theme for the anime series Naruto.^[3] In 2014, the album was released again as a 12 inch analog record.^[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Masafumi Gotō except:

• "Rashinban" written by Masafumi Gotō and Takahiro Yamada

1. "Haruka Kanata" (遥か彼方, "Far Away Distance") – 4:02
2. "Rashinban" (羅針盤, "Compass") – 2:32
3. "Konayuki" (粉雪, "Powder Snow") – 3:46
4. "Ao no Uta" (青の歌, "Blue Song") – 3:52
5. "Sunday" (サンデイ Sandei) – 4:03
6. "12" – 4:36

Personnel

Masafumi Gotō – lead vocals, guitar, lyrics Kensuke Kita – lead guitar, background vocals Takahiro Yamada – bass, background vocals Kiyoshi Ijichi – drums Kumiko Ishikawa – additional vocals Asian Kung-Fu Generation/Katsuhisa Ogawa – producer

Jun-ya Iwata – engineering, mixing Masato Wantanabe – mixing Kazuhiro Yamagata – mastering Kenichi Nakamura – recording Kanetsugu "Kan" Tanaka – directing Yusuke Nakamura/KAN – art direction

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Peak positions
2002	High Line Records	1
	Oricon Indie	35

References

CDJapan

1. "Under Flower Label – Release discography". Under Flower Label. Under-flower Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2008-10-09. (Japanese)
2. Rhoades, Reginald (July 2004). "ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION". Animerica: 59. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
3. "ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION: Hōkai Amplifier". ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Official Website. Ki/oon Records Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-09. (Japanese)
4. "Information - Sony Music". ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. Sony Music Japan. 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-03. (Japanese)