Ars Nova (1990s rock band)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Ars Nova

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Img_capt = Ars Nova at the ProgSol festival in 2003 ; from left to right : Keiko Kumagai, Masuhiro Goto and Shinko Shibata.
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Origin = Japan
Genre = Progressive rock
Years_active = 1983–present
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Current_members = Keiko Kumagai
Shinko "Panky" Shibata
Hazime
Satoshi Handa
Past_members = Keiko Thubata
Kyoko Kanazawa
Yumiko Saito
Akiko Takahashi
Naomi Miura
Mika Nakajima
Masuhiro Goto

Ars Nova is a Japanese progressive rock band.

The current members are:
*Keiko Kumagai (keyboards)
*Shinko "Panky" Shibata (bass)
*Hazime (drums)
*Satoshi Handa (guitar)

Ars Nova's music features tends to feature keyboards heavily -- this was particularly true between 1998 and 2003 when the band had two keyboardists. Common sounds include the ubiquitous Hammond organ, as well as more recent digital sounds. Almost all of their music is instrumental.

The band's musical influences are ELP, Goblin, PFM, Rick Wakeman, Balletto di Bronzo and classical music. Keiko Kumagai, the keyboardist, writes all the band's compositions. She has played on the Ayreon album "Universal Migrator part two: Flight of the Migrator". This band has been for a long time an all-female band, a seldom case in the world of progressive rock.

Band history

*1983 : Kyoko Kanazawa (bass), Keiko Thubata (keyboards) and Yumiko Saito (drums) form Ars Nova. The band covers bands such as ELP and Trace.
*1986 : Keiko Thubata leaves the band and Keiko Kumagai replaces her, and plays two gigs with the band before leaving for personal reasons.
*1991 : The band reforms with Keiko Kumagai on the keyboards.
*1992 : Release of "Fear and Anxiety"
*1993 : Yumiko Saito is replaced by Akiko Takahashi on the drums.
*1994 : "Transi", their second album, is released. It allows the band to be known outside the boundaries of Japan.
*1995 : Ars Nova plays a gig for the first time outside Japan, at the "Prog Fest '95" festival in Los Angeles, USA.
*1996 : "The Goddess of Darkness", their third album, is released.
*1997 : First gigs in Europe. Kyoko Kanazawa leaves the band in October.
*1998 : Release of the album "The Book Of the Dead", on which plays a guest bassist, Ken Ishita (ex-Deja Vu). Beginning of a world tour in October with Naomi Miura as a second keyboardist and bass replacement.
*2001 : Release of "Android Domina", with Mika Nakajima as a second keyboardist.
*2003 : Release of "Biogenesis Project", an album featuring numerous guest musicians, including Masuhiro Goto (Gerard, Ningen-Isu), who becomes the new drummer of the band, replacing Akiko Takahashi. Mika Nakajima leaves the band and is replaced by the bassist Shinko Shibata. Satoshi Handa begins playing as a guest for live gigs later in the year.
*2005 : Drummer Masuhiro Goto leaves the band and is replaced by Hazime. Satoshi Handa becomes a member of the band and will play for the next studio album.

Discography

*1992 : Fear and Anxiety
*1994 : Transi
*1996 : The Goddess of Darkness
*1997 : The Six Singular Impressions (compilation)
*1998 : The Book Of the Dead
*2001 : Android Domina
*2001 : Lacrimaria
*2003 : Biogenesis Project
*2005 : Force for the Fourth -Chrysalis-

External links

* [http://arsnova.chocot.net Official website]
* [http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=28 Albums reviews]