DOPING PANDA

Doping Panda began as an indie rock band, but moved to bridge the two vital parts of the Japanese music scene -- optimistic alternative rock and shiny dance-pop -- though staying firmly on the rock side. The trio, which consists of Yutaka Furukawa (vocal, guitars, and programming), Taro Houjou (bass), and Hayato (drums), has been bouncing around the Japanese indie scene since the turn of the century, releasing the debut album Performation as early as 2001. It was followed by two more indie releases, the EP PINK PaNK (2002) and the full-length We in Music (2004), before Doping ...