Promoting Kiken na Anata
Promoting Wa Shoi! / Good bye, Good girl.
Promoting FiNAL DANCE
Promoting DiE
Tentenko (テンテンコ) is a Japanese singer, producer, and DJ. She was a former first-generation member of BiS from 2013 to their disbandment in 2014. Afterwards, she became a self-produced soloist, performing both as a singer, and a composer of experimental electronic music and techno.
Biography[]
Early Career[]
In 2006, Tentenko founded the experimental unit FLORIDA with her childhood friend Takizawa Tomoe. Their music was mostly ambient soundscapes that they would record on cassette tape and sell at their local record store, Weird-meddle record.
By 2012 she was singing with a band called Hakoiri Kibun (箱入り気分), but as they weren't very popular, Tentenko got a job at idol bar Dear☆Stage, hoping to draw attention and increase the band's fame.
2013[]
On May 26th, Tentenko joined BiS alongside First Summer Uika and Kamiya Saki. Having been interested in the group before, she attended their audition hoping to meet the members, only to also end up joining them.
Tentenko's first single with BiS, DiE, was released on June 26th.
2014[]
On February 2nd, BiS officially announced that they would disband in July.
Tentenko's only studio album as a member of BiS, WHO KiLLED IDOL?, was released on March 5th.
On July 8th, BiS' first generation disbanded at Yokohama Arena. During the show, Tentenko announced that she would return to being a freelance musician. At around the same time, she also made the decision to reform FLORIDA. Soon after graduating from BiS, Tentenko launched her own magazine, Tentenko ZINE, and began crowdfunding for her own record label and debut single.
On September 11th, Tentenko released her first solo DVD, Fuuin Sareta Tentenko no Eizo 1.
2015[]
Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Tentenko released her debut single, Good bye, Good girl. on January 14th through her newly-established TENTEN RECORDS label.
On April 18th, FLORIDA released their debut single, Migite Hidarite.
FLORIDA's debut album, Florida, was released on June 23rd.
On September 4th, Tentenko collaborated with HALMENS member Kenzo Saeki to record an EP of HALMENS covers, Tentenko sings HALMENS.
Starting with Hibiya Kouen on September 30th, Tentenko also started recording and releasing self-produced CD-R albums on a near-monthly basis. Unlike "Good bye, Good girl" and later studio releases, these albums typically consisted of (usually instrumental) tracks in the dark ambient, dub and noise genres.
2016[]
In early 2016, Tentenko reunited with her BiS Kaidan groumate Mikawa Toshiji to form the noise unit, MikaTen.
MikaTen's debut album, Angel Noise, was released on February 17th.
On August 16th, Tentenko released her major debut single, Houkago Sympathy, under the Toys Factory record label.
Tentenko's debut studio album, Kougyou Seihin, was released on December 14th. However, by this point, she had also released many self-produced experimental CD-Rs.
2017[]
On April 22nd, Tentenko re-released the single Wa Shoi! / Good bye, Good girl, for World Record Store Day.
Sometime in Fall 2017, Tentenko formed the electronic unit ZVIZMO with avant-garde musician Ito Atsuhiro.
On November 11th, ZVIZMO released their debut album, also called ZVIZMO.
Tentenko released her second solo studio album, Kiken na Anata, on December 6th.
2018[]
On March 14th, Tentenko released a vinyl-only single, Nantonaku Abunai / ROBOT, for World Record Store Day.
From April, Tentenko started making frequent appearances on the BYS YouTube channel, along with other first-generation BiS members.
On July 27th, Tentenko signed to the UK record label, Toothpaste Records.
Tentenko's first international album, Tentenko, was released on September 21st.
On December 5th, Tentenko released a cat-themed studio EP, ALL YOU NEED IS CAT ~Neko Koso Wa Subete~.
2019[]
On June 25th, Tentenko released her first photobook, HER, and held an exhibition to commemorate the release.
Tentenko's second international release was the joint EP, Super Mild, alongside fellow techno musician Kopy. The EP was released on November 19th.
On October 11th, another internationally-released Tentenko album, Deep & Moistures: The Best of Private Tracks, was released. It was a compilation album of tracks from her long-running Deep & Moistures series of CD-Rs.
In December, Tentenko opened a Bandcamp account to release her self-published CD-R albums digitally, starting with Deep & Moistures 21 ~ Aimaina Kyoukai-sen.
Starting December 20th, Tentenko held her first overseas performances in Germany.
2020[]
After almost five years, Tentenko finally ended her series of monthly CD-R releases with her fiftieth consecutive release, Deep & Moistures 22 ~ Silver Lining, on January 13th. She stated that, while she would not give up recording CD-Rs completely, they would be released on an irregular basis instead.
2021[]
On March 5th, Tentenko released the limited-edition vinyl LP, An Antworten EP, in collaboration with overseas record store, bleep.
In the Spring, Tentenko recorded a song, What-if Box, for the compilation album, Sense of Life (Musicians Side). The album was released on May 15th.
Tentenko's second compilation album under φonon, My Sweet Dream: The Best of Private Tracks #2, will be released on July 16th.
Personal Life[]
Tentenko was born in Kushiro, Hokkaido on the 27th of August, 1990.
She lives with Haack and Cosey, her two cats, who are named after Bruce Haack and Cosey Fanni Tutti respectively.
Profile[]
- Stage Name: Tentenko (テンテンコ)
- Birth Date: August 27, 1990 (age 33)
- Birthplace: Hokkaido, Japan
- Nickname: Tenten (テンテン), Tenko (テンコ)
- Western Zodiac:
Virgo - Eastern Zodiac: Horse
- BiS Role: Killer Member (殺し屋担当)
- BiS status:
- 2013.05.26: Joined BiS
- 2014.07.08: Graduated (BiS disbands)
- BiS Colour: Red
- WACK Groups:
- BiS (2013-2014)
- Other Groups:
- BiS Kaidan (2013-2014)
- FLORIDA (2006-)
- MikaTen (2016-)
- ZVIZMO (2017-)
Virgo
RedDiscography[]
For solo works see Tentenko/Solo Discography
For everything else see Tentenko/Discography
Publications[]
Other Media[]
Solo DVDs[]
- [2014.09.11] Fuuin Sareta Tentenko no Eizo 1
Live Video[]
- [2014.09.24] BiS Kaisan Live ~BiS nari no Budokan~ @Yokohama Arena
- [2015.12.30] Watashi O Noise Ni Tsurette LIVE! - Hijokaidan x Yurumerumo!
Film[]
- [2014.07.08] BiS Nari no All Night Nippon DVD
- [2015.07.22] Kanzenban BiS Cannonball 2014
Trivia[]
- Tentenko is one of only two past or present WACK members to market their own branded socks.
- Her name is taken from a character in a Taiwanese film, aired in Japan as a TV show with the title "Rairai Kyonshiis".
- Her self-introduction during her time as a member of BiS, "My reputation precedes me. (Who are you?)" (噂がが一人歩きしてるみたいだね; uwasa ga hitoriaruki shiteru mitai da ne) is a reference to Uma Thurman's line from the film Kill Bill Vol. 1 upon encountering Gogo Yubari.
- Tentenko's influences include Togawa Jun and The Residents.
Gallery[]
- See Tentenko/Gallery