Originally formed at a college music club by the trio of vocalist/guitarist Shigeru Kishida, bassist Masashi Sato, and drummer Nobuyuki Mori, Quruli quickly became a leading force in the alternative rock movement in Japan. The group's first EP arrived in 1998, breaking away from the saccharine sounds common to J-pop and J-rock alike and moving to a somewhat more complex, sophisticated feel. Releasing album upon album (with 19 to their credit as of 2008), Quruli moved to the top of the Japanese rock listings year by year, cementing their status with a stop at SXSW in 2003 (exposing themselves to the American indie market) and Budokan soon after. A tenth anniversary compilation debuted in the Top Five on the Oricon charts in 2006, followed by additional expansion with a classically infused, Vienna-produced album (Tanz Walzer) charting strongly in 2007 and an album with full orchestral backing (Philharmonic or Die) following in 2008. ~ Adam Greenberg