# Ayane (singer)

Ayane (彩音, born October 9) is a female Japanese singer from Saitama Prefecture, who is mainly known for having performed several songs used in video games and anime.
She has performed theme songs for numerous animated works, including Higurashi When They Cry, Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō, Ayakashi, 11eyes: Tsumi to Batsu to Aganai no Shōjo, the Memories Off series, and Steins;Gate, among others.

## Biography

She studied piano, and began writing lyrics and dancing since early childhood.
In 2004, she released her debut single, entitled "Kizuna", which was used as opening theme for the TV anime series W Wish. Her first moderate success came in 2007 with her 5th single, "Nageki no Mori", which was used as the opening theme of the PlayStation 2 game Higurashi: When They Cry – Matsuri and became her first Top 30 entry on the Oricon charts.
In 2009, her 8th single "Lunatic Tears...", which was used as theme song for the computer game 11eyes: Tsumi to Batsu to Aganai no Shōjo, received high acclaim and won the Gold Prize in the theme song category at the Bishojo Game Awards.
In 2014, she released her third studio album, Luminous Flux, and later released her 10th anniversary commemorative album Base Ten, for which she included re-arranged versions of previous singles, self-covers, and anime covers. This year she was also invited to numerous international anime-related events, and performed live in Russia, the United States and Taiwan.
In November 2016, her 23rd single "Soul Buster" was used as theme song of the Chinese-Japanese co-produced anime of the same name.
In 2019, she celebrated the 15th anniversary with the release of the EP for Dearest, whose leading song was used as theme song for the video game Memories off -Innocent Fille-, and also held her 15th anniversary concert Ayane 15th Anniversary Live -for Dearest- at Club Seata in Kichijoji, Tokyo.
In 2020, Ayane was appointed to perform the ending theme song for the Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou anime. She subsequently also performed the second ending theme of Gou, and the opening theme of the final season Higurashi: When They Cry – Sotsu in 2021.

## Discography
### Albums
#### Studio albums

| Title | Album details |
| Archive Lovers | Released: April 25, 2007 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD+DVD, CD |
| Elephant Notes | Released: August 6, 2008 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |
| Lyricallya Candles | Released: December 22, 2010 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |
| Luminous Flux | Released: January 29, 2014 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD+DVD, CD |
| Life time____. | Released: October 9, 2024 Label: Mages. Formats: CD |

#### EPs

| Title | Album details |
| For Dearest | Released: March 27, 2019 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |
| Songs for... Music from MAGES. Studio | Released: August 31, 2022 Label: MAGES. Formats: Digital download |

#### Concept albums

| Title | Album details |
| Base Ten | Released: October 8, 2014 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD+DVD, CD |
| Resilience -Memories Off Best- | Released: March 21, 2018 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |
| Analogy -Ayane Higurashi Song Collection- | Released: July 28, 2021 Label: MAGES. Formats: CD+Blu ray disc, CD |

#### Remix albums

| Title | Album details |
| Hyper Moe Trance | Released: May 25, 2007 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |
| Hyper Moe Trance II | Released: July 23, 2009 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |
| Hyper Dance Remix | Released: December 26, 2012 Label: 5pb.Records Formats: CD |

### Singles
#### 2000s

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | JPN | Album |
| 2004 | "Kizuna" (KIZUNA〜絆) | 95 | Elephant Notes |
| 2005 | "Ribbon" | 112 | Elephant Notes |
| 2005 | "Orange" | 71 | Archive Lovers |
| 2006 | "Film Makers" | 114 | Archive Lovers |
| 2007 | "Nageki no Mori" (嘆きノ森) | 30 | Archive Lovers |
| 2007 | "Dolphin Jet" (DOLPHIN☆JET) | 78 | Elephant Notes |
| 2008 | "Cloudier Sky" | 81 | Elephant Notes |
| 2008 | "Lunatic Tears..." | 68 | Elephant Notes |
| 2008 | "Sono Saki ni Aru, Dareka no Egao no Tame ni" (その先にある、誰かの笑顔の為に) | 64 | Lyricallya Candles |
| 2009 | "Endless Tears..." | 25 | Lyricallya Candles |
| 2009 | "Gravity Error" | 60 | Lyricallya Candles |
| 2009 | "Arrival of Tears" | 22 | Lyricallya Candles |

#### 2010s

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | JPN | Album |
| 2010 | "Angelic Bright" | 40 | Lyricallya Candles |
| 2010 | "Jūjika ni Sasagu Septet" (十字架に捧ぐ七重奏) | 45 | Lyricallya Candles |
| 2011 | "Crest of Knights" | 151 | Luminous Flux |
| 2012 | "Cry Out" | 168 | Luminous Flux |
| 2013 | "Itsu mo Kono Basho de" (いつもこの場所で) | 34 | Luminous Flux |
| 2013 | "Phenogram" (フェノグラム) | 54 | Luminous Flux |
| 2013 | "Genjutsu no Crossroad" (幻術のクロスロード) | 157 | Luminous Flux |
| 2013 | "Kaiko no Fatalitat" (邂逅のフェタリテート) | 170 | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Headway! Buccaneers/Never Give Up" | 165 | Non-album single |
| 2015 | "If" | 156 | Non-album single |
| 2016 | "Soul Buster" | — | Non-album single |
| 2018 | "Resilience" (レジリエンス) | — | Resilience -Memories Off Best- |

#### 2020s

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | JPN | Album |
| 2020 | "God's Syndrome" (神様のシンドローム) | 39 | Analogy -Ayane Higurashi Song Collection- |
| 2021 | "Irregular Entropy" (不規則性エントロピー) | 57 | Analogy -Ayane Higurashi Song Collection- |
| 2022 | "Anagram of Coda" | 181 | Life Time____. |
| 2023 | "Dream On" | 197 | Life Time____. |
| 2025 | "Not Always True" | — | Non-album single |

### Other

* カカシ (Kakashi) — crystal2 ~Circus Vocal Collection~ Vol.2
* 月と夜空とホウキ星 (Tsuki to Yozora to Houkiboshi) — Yanezutai no Kimi he opening song
* Fractal Tree — PS2 game Que -Fairy of ancient leaf- opening theme
* デコトラ☆愛らんど～伝説の男達～ (Dekotora ☆ Airando ~Densetsu no Otokotachi~) — Wii game Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri ~Yosakoi Bakusou Onban~ insert song
* After Rain (Live ver.) — THE WORKS Chiyomaru Shikura Gakkyoku Shuu
* 宵闇の月に抱かれて (Yoiyami no Tsuki ni Dakarete) — FAR EAST OF EAST / Tatsh Music Circle Touhou project Arrange CD
* 旋風ノ舞 (Senpuu no Mai) — Wii game Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Do Don to 2 Daime
* Close Your Eyes (kors k mix) - ULTRA RELOAD Vol.1 feat. AKABEi SOFT2
* Lunatic Tears... (DJ Shimamura Remix) — SUPER SHOT3: Bishōjo Game Remix Collection
* Red Rose Evangel — Arcade game Taiko no Tatsujin playable song
* Purple Rose Fusion - Arcade game Taiko no Tatsujin playable song
* 覚醒 - Fractional Vision (Kakusei - Fractional Vision) - Visual Novel SINCLIENT theme song
* Divine Beast - Hatsukoi 1/1 character theme song
* Re-Start - Aikomyu!! -IDOL Communication- ending theme
* punitive justice～千年の錯綜～ (Sennen no Sakusou) - PC game Shoujo Shin'iki ~ Shoujo Tengoku -The Garden of Fifth Zoa- ending theme
* いつもこの場所で (Symphonic Ver.) (Itsumo Kono Basho de) - STEINS;GATE SYMPHONIC REUNION
* REALIZE (vocals) - Cytus

### With platoniX

* CARRY ON NIGHT (English Version) — "beatmania IIDX 10th Style"
* PLATONIC-XXX — "beatmania IIDX 10th Style"
* Don't be afraid myself — "beatmania IIDX 11: RED"
* Under the Sky (with Sayaka Minami from BeForU) — "beatmania IIDX 12: HAPPY SKY" & "Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2"
* Xepher (with Yumi Natori) — "beatmania IIDX 12: HAPPY SKY"
* DOUBLE ♥♥ LOVING HEART (with Sayaka Minami from BeForU) — "beatmania IIDX 13: DistorteD"
* CARRY ON NIGHT (Dub's Old Gamers Remix) — "V-RARE SOUNDTRACK 12"
* Don't be afraid myself (trance edge mix) — "V-RARE SOUNDTRACK 14"

### As Junko Hirata

* Xepher (ver1.1) (with Tatsh and Yumi Natori) — "Bemani Top Ranker Ketteisen"
* 月光 (ver0.99) (Gekkou (ver0.99)) — "Bemani Top Ranker Ketteisen"
* Love Again... (with Tatsh) — "beatmania IIDX 11: RED CS"
* With Your Smile (with Shoichiro Hirata) — "beatmania IIDX 14: GOLD"
* 旅立ちの唄 (Tabidachi no Uta) (with Tatsh) — "pop'n music 14 FEVER!"
* Love Again... 'Brand New Life Mix' - Tatsh album MATERIAL
* 旅立ちの唄 'Graduation Mix' - Tatsh album MATERIAL

### Songs written for other artists

* GLORY DAYS (lyrics) — from W Wish, performed by Saeko Chiba
* WONDERLAND (lyrics & composition) — performed by Maria Yamamoto
* MOON PARTY (lyrics & composition) — performed by CoCo☆HONEYMOON (Atsuko Enomoto & Maria Yamamoto)
* LOVE&HISTORY (lyrics & composition) — performed by Maria Yamamoto
* Reijou Doll (lyrics) — PC game Reijou Trader opening theme, performed by Yuuri Nashimoto
* Gekkou (lyrics) — "beatmania IIDX 12: HAPPY SKY" performed by Kanako Hoshino
* Lunatic Tears... (lyrics) — "EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS SPEED ANIME TRANCE BEST ECSTASY" performed by xue
* Next Relation (lyrics) — Xbox 360 game Memories Off 6 Next Relation opening song, performed by Velforest.