# Masafumi Gotoh

Masafumi Gotoh (後藤 正文, Gotō Masafumi) or Gotch (December 2, 1976) is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kanto Gakuin University. The three formed Asian Kung-Fu Generation in 1996, with drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi joining the band shortly after. As the main songwriter of the band, Gotoh is credited with writing a majority of their lyrics, but has a strong tendency to share songwriting duties equally among his bandmates. His vocal style most often alternates between soft, melodic singing, and harder, harsher, yelling. Masafumi has a degree in economics and his favourite artists include Weezer, Number Girl, Oasis, Teenage Fanclub, and Beck. He produces records for other artists such as Chatmonchy, Dr. Downer and The Chef Cooks Me. He was also one of the founding members of the band Skeletons (スケルトンズ).
In 2010, Gotoh launched his own music label, only in dreams. In 2012, he started a solo project under the name Gotch, and released the single "'Lost". In 2014, he released his debut solo album, Can't Be Forever Young and released live album called, Live in Tokyo. In 2016, he released his second solo album, Good New Times, with most songs using English lyrics. In 2024, he established a non profit organization "Apple Vinegar Music Support" and build a studio called "Music inn Fujieda" in Fujieda to support young and independent musicians. In March 2024, Gotoh released drone/ambient music album Recent Report I under his original name.

## Discography
### Solo
#### Studio albums (as Gotch)

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | JPN Oricon | JPN Billboard |
| Can't Be Forever Young | Released: 30 April 2014 Label: only in dreams Formats: CD, LP, download | 14 | — |
| Good New Times | Released: 13 July 2016 Label: only in dreams Formats: download, CD, LP | 25 | 47 |
| Lives By The Sea | Released: 3 March 2021 Label: only in dreams Formats: download, CD, LP | 115 | — |

#### Studio albums (as Masafumi Gotoh)

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications :
| Title | Details |
| Recent Report I | Released: 27 March 2024 Label: only in dreams Formats: Cassette, download, streaming |

#### Live albums

List of live albums, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Details | JPN Oricon | JPN Billboard |
| Live in Tokyo | Released: 3 December 2014 Label: only in dreams Formats: CD, LP, download | 85 | — |

#### Extended plays

List of extended plays :
| Title | Details |
| Goto to Togo (with Kiyomaru Togo) | Released: 10 May 2021 Label: only in dreams Formats: Cassette, download |

#### Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | JPN Oricon | Album |
| "Lost" | 2012 | — | Can't Be Forever Young |
| "The Long Goodbye" | 2013 | — | Can't Be Forever Young |
| "Wonderland" | 2014 | 48 | Can't Be Forever Young |
| "Route 6" | 2014 | — | — |
| "Taxi Driver" | 2017 | — | Lives By The Sea |
| "Nothing But Love" | 2020 | — | Lives By The Sea |
| "Stay Inside" (featuring Mabanua) | 2020 | — | Lives By The Sea |
| "The Age" (featuring BASI, Dhira Bongs and Keishi Tanaka) | 2020 | — | Lives By The Sea |
| "Heaven" (with GuruConnect) | 2023 | — | Non-album singles |
| "Stateless" (featuring YonYon) | 2024 | — | Non-album singles |

### Other

* New Order – Waiting for the Sirens' Call (2005) lyrics on "Krafty (Japanese Version)"
* Dr. Downer – Rising (2011) music director
* Special Others – Special Others (2011) collaboration on "Dance in Tsurumi"
* Feeder – Generation Freakshow Japanese edition (2012) vocals on "Idaho"
* Chatmonchy – "Kirakira Hikare" (2012) producer; vocals on "Karisomethod"
* Chatmonchy – Henshin (2012) producer on "Yes or No or Love" and "Kirakira Hikare"
* Dr. Downer – Gensō no Maboroshi (2013) producer
* The Chef Cooks Me – Kaitentai (2013) producer, vocals on "Kanjōsen wa Bokura o Nosete"
* ART-SCHOOL – YOU (2014) producer
* Ovall - "Nadaraka Yoru" (2018) vocals
* The Mattson 2 – Vaults of Eternity: Japan (2018) vocals on "My Memories Fade"
* Co.Ruri Mito - MeMe (2019) music producer
* Nahavand – Vandalism (2019) producer, vocals on "Hold On"
* The Chef Cooks Me – "Kakato de Ai o Uchinarase" (2019) vocals
* SOFTTOUCH – "Jiyū Ishi" (2019) producer
* Aiha Higurashi – "Je t'aime" (2019) producer
* Aiha Higurashi – "Shining all over" (2019) vocals
* Manami Konishi – Cure (2020) producer and backing vocals on "Endless Summer", producer on "Ain't Nobody Know"
* FIRE EX. – "The Light" (2020) vocals
* Moment Joon – "Doukutsu" (2020) vocals
* The Rentals – "Goodbye, Steve" (2020) vocals
* SOCCER*SCHOOL - "last summer bleeze" (2021) mixing
* Moment Joon – "Distance" (2021) vocals
* Hironoi Momoi – "Fog" (2021) vocal, lyrics
* Lil Boom – "The End of the World" (2021) vocals
* Nahavand – "World Trigger"' (2022) recording
* Yuragi – For you, Adroit it but soft : Remixes & Rarities (2022) mastering
* The Tiva – On This Planet (2022) mastering
* Mofution Vibration – "Oboroge" (2022) mixing, mastering
* Dhira Bongs – A Tiny Bit of Gold in The Dark Ocean (2022) vocals on "Make Me Fallin In Love Again"
* Link – Tsuki no Hana EP (2023) producer, recording, mixing
* Jared Mattson – Peanut (2023) vocals on "Koko ni Kite"
* Kanjani Eight – "Ikiteru Bokura" (2023) songwriter
* Takehisa Chiba – "Spacewalker" (2023) vocals, vocals engineer, mixing
* Link – Taiyou to Tsuki no Beatniks (2023) producer, recording, mixing
* A Flood of Circle – Candle Songs (2024) producer on "Candle Songs"
* Furusato Osamu to Furoshiki – "Ryusui" (2024) co-producer, recording, mixing, mastering; guitar and chorus on "Ryusui"; lyrics, vocal, guitar, and programming on "Ryusui Remix"
* Furusato Osamu to Furoshiki – "Takibi" (2024) co-producer, recording, mastering