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AWAKEN
Country	Belgium and Japan + Vietnam, France, Australia, England
Years active	1988-present
Genres	Magnetic, pop, progressive, disco, hard rock, J-pop, punk, disco-punk, synth-pop, electronic
Members	Various
Website(s)	http://www.awaken.be

AWAKEN is an underground music project based in Belgium. It released two albums and numerous demo tapes and web-singles since its start in early 1988.

Contents 1 The name 2 Covers 3 Nekokawa 4 Genre 5 Musicians 6 Collaboration 7 Popularity 8 Discography 8.1 albums 8.2 web-singles (non-exhaustive listing) 8.3 tapes 8.4 vintage songs (non-exhaustive listing) 9 Links

The band's name AWAKEN means "a matter of bubbles." It is also a tribute to a Yes song. The band is also known as:

• 泡件 (awaken) or アワケン in Japanese
• 泡件 (pàojiàn) in Chinese
• "Trường Hợp Bong Bóng" in Vietnamese

AWAKEN is known for mixing original songs and covers, a similar attitude to Manfred Mann and Vanilla Fudge earlier. Artists that have been covered by AWAKEN include: Dick Annegarn, Tony Banks, Bee Gees, David Bowie, Georges Brassens, Captain Beyond, Cerrone, Alain Chamfort, Cold Chisel, Peter Criss, Deep Purple, Depeche Mode, Earth Wind & Fire, Fish, Matthew Fisher, Genesis, Gillan/Glover, Philip Glass, Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Jacksons, Quincy Jones, Patrick Juvet, KISS, Renaud Lhoest, Jon Lord, Paul McCartney, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Metallica, Rufus, Frank Sinatra, Sparks, Al Stewart, Donna Summer, Supremes, Tangerine Dream, Toto, Uriah Heep, Vanilla Fudge, Neil Young.

Still active 19 years after its start, AWAKEN has a side-project named NEKOKAWA since 2002, focussing on instrumental, ambient and hypnotic side of its music. NEKOKAWA is 猫川 in Japanese and Dòng Sông Mèo in Vietnamese.

AWAKEN's style is hard to define, though some influences are obviously close to Rainbow, Genesis, Giorgio Moroder, David Bowie, Joy Division, Philip Glass, The Buggles and Asian pop, to name a few. The roots of AWAKEN are clearly deep inside the eighties and seventies, mixing disco beats and progressive structures, karaoke arrangements and dark heavy sounds, Belgian New Beat rhythms and romantic New Wave. The instumentation is often focussed on keyboards and electronic sounds though guitar and bass guitar are more audible in recent songs. AWAKEN's latest songs have been heavily influenced by various places in Japan and the rest of the world : "The Train Is Leaving Kokura" mentions Kokura (小倉)and Usa (宇佐), "Beppu Nights" happens in Beppu (別府), known for its hot springs, "Wasabi Kiss" describes the peninsula of Shuzenji) and "As A Start : Cà Phê And Pizza" is an imaginary trip from Italy, Vietnam and Japan.

Lots of musicians and guests have played with AWAKEN, including Trịnh Thanh Duyên, Zoé de York, 猪瀬悠理, みゆ, 五味田敬子, 福地麗, 森紀和子, Julie Absil, Fabien Remblier, Gilles Snowcat, and more.

Though independent, AWAKEN is collaborating with Japanese label It's Oh! Music and appears on J-pop idol Koiko's cd "Vitamin!".

AWAKEN is rather ignored in its own country, Belgium, but receives a warmer welcome in underground music of Japan and now Vietnam.

• Tales Of Acid Ice Cream (1996)
• Party In Lyceum's Toilets (2001)

• One Wild War (2002)
• 山葵ＫＩＳＳ (Wasabi Kiss) (2003)
• 五本木の星 (Gohongi No Hoshi) (2003)
• ＤＲＵＮＫＥＮ熊 (Drunken Kuma) (2004)
• When Alena Entered The Quiet Room (2004)
• Chú Mèo Ngủ Quên (2005)
• As A Start : Cà Phê & Pizza (2006)
• 別府NIGHTS (mini-album) (2006)

• Numb (1993)
• Phase 2 : Scrappy (1993)
• Zéro Sur Dix, Encore Raté ! (Gilles Snowcat solo, 1994)
• Awaken 3 : Blurp ! (1995)

• Sandrine (1988)
• Memories Of A Teenage Cat (original version) (1989)

• AWAKEN official site