ALI Project

ALI PROJECT is a Japanese band with a strong aristocratic aesthetic, consisting of Arika Takarano (vocals & lyrics) and Mikiya Katakura (music & arrangement). In the band's early days their music leaned toward light, cheerful, and refreshing songs. In recent years, however, their sound has shifted to a darker, more mysterious tone. Lead singer and lyricist Arika Takarano describes this change as a transition from White Alice (白アリ) to Black Alice (黒アリ). Although the group has largely moved into the "Black Alice" phase, they occasionally perform in the White Alice style as well. They made their indie chart debut in 1988 as Ari (Ant) Project (蟻プロジェクト) with the album Fantastic Garden (幻想庭園, Gensō Teien). That album was later included in Tatsumi Takayuki's book Philosophy of Progressive Rock (プログレッシヴ・ロックの哲学), which led to the band being associated with the progressive rock genre. Four years later, in 1992, they changed their name and made their major debut with the single "Fall in Love, Maiden" (恋せよ乙女, Koiseyo Otome). Most of their releases have been on Toshiba-EMI, Victor Entertainment, and Tokuma Japan. The band is well known in the anime community for having songs featured in several anime openings and endings, most notably Noir and Rozen Maiden.