Quruli

One of Japan’s first breakout alt-rock bands, Quruli has topped the charts—and regularly changed up their sound—for more than 20 years. ∙ Quruli was formed in 1996 by a trio of college friends, who took the group’s name from a sign in the Kyoto subway. ∙ The band enlisted indie/experimental music icon Jim O’Rourke (Sonic Youth) to produce their second album, 2000’s Zukan (Picture Book). ∙ Team Rock, from 2001, was the first Quruli LP to hit the Japanese Top 10, and the band’s next nine studio albums have all done the same. ∙ Taking a classical turn, they teamed up with Vienna’s Ambassade Orchestra for their 2007 LP, Tanz Walzer, and joined them again for the 2008 live album Philharmonic or Die. ∙ In 2007, Quruli launched their own music festival, the Kyoto Music Expo, an annual event which takes place every September in their hometown. ∙ The band composed the soundtrack for the award-winning 2011 Japanese film I Wish.