A Japanese group from Okinawa that mixed pop and hip-hop to success in the first decade of the 21st century, OrangeRange were formed in 2001 by Kitao Kazuhito (drums, but he would eventually leave) and Naoto Hiroyama (guitar). The band would expand over the years, taking on Yoh Miyamori (bass), Yamato Ganeko ("high" vocals), Hiroki Hokama ("midrange" vocals), and Ryo Miyamori ("low" vocals), and moving from a pop/rock sound to a more hip-hop-influenced feel. The band released two independent albums in 2002 before landing a deal with Sony, which released their debut album, 1st Contact, in 2003. All of their subsequent albums, through 2007's pair of albums, Orange and Range, managed to occupy either the top or runner-up spot on the charts, and the band's nearly 20 singles have all been good to great sellers. They have also had their music appear in television, films, and commercials, especially in manga such as Bleach and Naurto.
