ALI PROJECT is a Japanese music duo well known for their strong Gothic Lolita image and various opening and ending themes of famous Anime shows such as Rozen Maiden, Code Geass or .hack/Roots. The duo consists of Arika Takarano (real name: Ari Hironaga, born 28th September 1963 in Kumamoto, Japan, vocals & lyrics) and Mikiya Katakura (born 1st August in Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan, music). Never listed as official members, but always mentioned in the albums' booklets, violinists Yu Sugino and Tuyoshi Watanabe are a vital part of this duo. Katakura met Takarano in 1985 when he just graduated from music school and was looking for a singer. As ARI PUROJEKKUTO, they released their first song Sakura no Hana ha Kuruizaki on a compilation CD named Rebel Street IV ~Some Girls one year later. Their first album Gensou Teien was released in 1988. However, they made their major debut in 1992 as ALI PROJECT. In the late 90s, they decided to shift their artistry to a much darker direction which Takarano referred to as a switch from Shiro Ari to Kuro Ari, they stick to the Kuro Ari concept ever since. ALI PROJECT makes music regularly to this date which is generally highly influenced by Classical music, yet Katakura's love for experimenting is obvious. He makes heavy use of synthesizers and likes to intergrate key elements from other, often contemporary music styles and genres such as Rock, Metal, Hip Hop or even Drum 'n' Bass. Their music's distinct sound is driven by a well-made mix of synthetic and organic, always complemented by Takarano's highly complex lyrics and clean vocals. They developed a signature sound for Anime related work though. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/ALI+PROJECT">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.