A-Sketch Inc. (エー・スケッチ) is a record company and artist management company of Universal Music Group. It was formerly a subsidiary of Amuse.
On This Label
Released or manufactured by A-Sketch, from this catalogue:
- ONE OK ROCK - Yononaka Shredder - ONE OK ROCK, released March 19, 2008 (
AZBL-1). Released By, Releasing Label. - ONE OK ROCK - This Is My Budokan! 2010.11.28 - ONE OK ROCK, released February 16, 2011 (
AZBS-1004). Releasing Label. - ONE OK ROCK - Jinsei x Boku = - ONE OK ROCK, released March 6, 2013 (
AZZS-15). Releasing Label. - ONE OK ROCK - Jinsei Kakete Kimi wa Tour Live & Film - ONE OK ROCK, released October 9, 2013 (
AZBS-1015), from the ONE OK ROCK 2013 "人生×君=" TOUR. A&R Direction (Kazunori Ito), A&R Producer (Kaoru Aoki), A&R Producer (Masami Yamamoto), A&R Promotion in Chief (Atsushi Gaja), Desk (Ayako Ohmi), Desk (Honami Yasuda), Label Management (Fumi Kozu), Label Management (Junko Inose), Label Management (Taku Arai), Label Producer (Naoki Murayama), Label Producer (Tatsuo Yagi), Manufactured By, Product Management (Takashi Kanai), Product Management Assistant (Asumi Aiba), Promotion (Aya Saito), Promotion (Ayako Nakamura), Promotion (Hiroki Kojima), Promotion (Iku Tamaki), Promotion (Kanako Yamada), Promotion (Kaoru Koike), Promotion (Kenji Nagaoka), Promotion (Kota Katae), Promotion (Mikiko Yonezawa), Promotion (Nodoka Ishii), Promotion (Tatsuya Fujii), Promotion (Yukio Isome), Released By, Releasing Label, Sales Promotion (Akihiro Kitamura), Sales Promotion (Ko Endo), Sales Promotion (Rina Koishi), Sales Promotion in Chief (Tatsuya Shimizu). - ONE OK ROCK - Mighty Long Fall at Yokohama Stadium - ONE OK ROCK, released April 29, 2015 (
AZBS-1030). Releasing Label. - Maximum the Hormone - Dhurha Vs Dhurha - Maximum the Hormone, released January 12, 2022 (
WPZL-90246). Courtesy Of.
Gallery
History
Translated from the ja.wikipedia article A-Sketch (CC BY-SA 4.0), revision 110812611.
Overview
A-Sketch was established on April 1, 2008, as Amuse, which had continued to operate as a management agency for music artists and actors, formed a joint venture with KDDI and launched its own record label with the aim of effectively producing and supplying appealing music. The name A-Sketch combines the initial “A” of “au,” “Amuse,” “Artist,” and “Audience” with “Sketch,” meaning a drawing from life. It embodies the idea that KDDI, Amuse, artists, and audiences would come together to create new ways of enjoying music, as if painting them on a canvas. Its representative director is Nobuyuki Souma (相馬信之), a former senior managing director of Amuse who previously served as chief manager of Southern All Stars. Sales distribution was initially outsourced to Amuse Soft Entertainment, Amuse’s video and music software subsidiary, before being transferred to Amuse’s headquarters.
On February 14, 2025, a share transfer agreement was concluded by agreement between the two companies in connection with the transfer to Universal Music LLC (UMLLC) of all shares owned by the company and Amuse. Universal acquired 66% of the company’s issued shares and became its largest shareholder.
History
On October 1, 2008, flumpool debuted as the first artist. Their debut digital single, “Hana ni Nare”, recorded 1 million downloads, while their debut album, Unreal, reached number two on the Oricon Albums Chart and received the New Artist Award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards.
2009
On October 21, WEAVER debuted as the second new artist with the digital single “Hakuchoumu”.
flumpool released the album What’s flumpool!?, which reached number two on the Oricon Albums Chart. flumpool also appeared on the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen at the end of the year.
2010
ONE OK ROCK’s single “Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer” reached number nine on the Oricon Singles Chart, while the album Niche Syndrome reached number four on the Oricon Albums Chart. On November 28, 2010, the band held a solo concert at Nippon Budokan.
WEAVER’s digital single “Bokura no Eien: Nando Umarekawatte mo, Te wo Tsunagitai dake no Ai Dakara” was used in a tie-in with au’s “LISMO!” service. Their album Shinsekai Souzouki, released in two consecutive months as a first and second part, sold more than 100,000 copies in total. Following flumpool, WEAVER received the New Artist Award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards.
flumpool’s single “Kimi ni Todoke” served as the theme song for the film Kimi ni Todoke and became a long-running hit both physically and digitally. The group appeared on the 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the second consecutive year. In December, it also held two-day performances at Osaka-jo Hall and Yokohama Arena, all of which sold out on the day tickets went on sale.
A-Sketch began providing management services for NICO Touches the Walls.
2011
flumpool released the album Fantasia of Life Stripe, which reached number two on the Oricon Albums Chart.
ONE OK ROCK simultaneously released the single “Answer is Near” and the DVD THIS IS my BUDOKAN?!.
WEAVER held its first solo hall concerts at Shibuya C.C.Lemon Hall and NHK Osaka Hall. Both venues sold out on the day tickets went on sale.
2013
In May, MASH A&R was established through joint investment by MUSICA, A-Sketch, SPACE SHOWER TV, and HIP LAND MUSIC. Its later roster included THE ORAL CIGARETTES, Frederic, Saucy Dog, LAMP IN TERREN, Panorama Panama Town, and YAJICO GIRL.
In August, the anime label Astro Voice was established, releasing mimeiMIMI’s debut single “Sentimental Love” as its first release.
In March 2018, the new label DMM music was established jointly with DMM.com.
2019
In January, A-Sketch began providing management services for Keina Suda (須田景凪).
On June 19, Riko Aida’s debut EP Principal was released as the first new artist release from DMM music, jointly produced with Astro Voice. It reached number four on the Oricon Albums Chart.
In November 2021, A-Sketch entered into a partnership with Kazuyoshi Yoshii’s new label UTANOVA MUSiC. On December 1, its first release, “Maru ka Batsu”, was digitally released.
On December 31, 2022, Saucy Dog appeared on the 73rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
2023
On February 26, WEAVER, which had debuted as the second new artist, disbanded.
On April 1, Yuuji Sugimoto (杉本雄治), who had been WEAVER’s vocalist before the group disbanded on February 26, entered into an agency agreement with A-Sketch. On July 19, he released the debut single “Amazing Grace” under his solo project ONCE.
2025
On February 14, as stated above, A-Sketch and Amuse concluded a share transfer agreement, by mutual agreement, for the transfer to UMLLC of all shares in A-Sketch held by Amuse, effective that day. The transfer price was ¥2.772 billion.
On September 17, it was announced that, in connection with the share transfer agreement with Universal, distribution of previously released music for digital streaming would transfer from A-Sketch to Universal Music, and that new releases from September 20 of the same year onward would be distributed through Universal.
On October 10, the company relocated its headquarters from the third floor of the Ninomiya Building, 18-4 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya, to the eleventh floor of the Jingumae Tower Building, 1-5-8 Jingumae, Shibuya.
Often Credited With
Credited on 2 or more of the same releases, most shared first.
All 14
Sources
- Wikidata entity Q11188596.
- ja.wikipedia, A-Sketch (revision 110812611), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photograph: A-Sketch.png on Wikimedia Commons, Public domain; a trademark of its owner, by A-Sketch.
