Perfume (Japanese band)

Perfume
Perfume at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (2015). From left to right: Kashiyuka, A-chan and Nocchi.
Background information
Origin	Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Genres	J-pop techno bitpop electropop dance-pop synthpop
Years active	1999[1]–present
Labels	Momiji Bee-hive Tokuma Japan Universal J[2] Perfume[3] Polydor
Members	Ayano Ōmoto ("Nocchi") Yuka Kashino ("Kashiyuka") Ayaka Nishiwaki ("A-chan")
Past members	Yuka Kawashima
Website	perfume-web.jp

Perfume (パフューム, Pafyūmu) is a Japanese girl group consisting of Nocchi, Kashiyuka and A-chan. The group formed in 1999 in Hiroshima, Japan, before relocating to Tokyo in 2003 and linking a close partnership with producer Yasutaka Nakata, who created a distinct "technopop" identity for the group. Their performances are noted for their choreography and incorporation of technology with futuristic imagery, and Perfume has emerged as one of the most successful Japanese girl groups.

After a slew of indie singles, Perfume made their major label debut with "Linear Motor Girl" on Tokuma Japan in 2005. Their early releases, including Perfume: Complete Best (2006), were met with modest commercial reception, before seeing a breakthrough in 2007 with the single "Polyrhythm". Their debut studio album, Game (2008), began a streak of nine consecutive number-one albums. Perfume's next album, Triangle (2009), produced the number-one singles "Love the World" and "One Room Disco".

Perfume's early music was marked by a post-Shibuya-kei sound, which later transitioned towards contemporary electronic dance music; incorporating elements of bitpop, techno, and house music. The group is also known for their heavily processed vocals, making use of autotune and vocoders. Their best known songs include "Electro World", "Chocolate Disco", "Dream Fighter", and "Laser Beam".

In 2012, Perfume signed with Universal Music Group as apart of efforts to expand their international reach, commencing with their fourth studio album, Level3 (2013). Their later catalogue features the hit singles "Flash" and "Tokyo Girl", and the group is set to release the two-part concept album Nebula Romance (2024 and 2025) in honor of their 25th anniversary.