Free-Will

Free-Will
Free-Will
Founded	1986
Founder	Hiroshi Tomioka
Status	Active
Distributor(s)	In Japan:Avex Group, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, King Records, Tokuma Japan Communications, Pony Canyon; In Europe:Gan-Shin, CLJ Records, Universal Music Group
Genre	Rock, punk, metal
Country of origin	Japan
Location	Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo
Official website	f-w-d.co.jp

Free-Will (フリーウィル) is a Japanese independent record label founded in 1986 by Color vocalist Hiroshi "Dynamite Tommy" Tomioka, with branches predominantly in Japan and the United States, as well as previously in Europe.^[1] It also continues to co-manage many of its artists after they have signed recording contracts with a major record label. Free-Will along with Extasy Records are credited with helping to spread the visual kei movement.^[2] Free-Will also produced the 2001 anime adaptation of the long running manga series Grappler Baki.

Sub-divisions[]

The company operates several sub-divisions, some of them for a single band or purpose only. For example, Firewall Div. solely handles material which is released in collaboration with Sony Music.

Under Sony Music[]

Back Coat – 12012
Firewall Div. – Dir en grey, Merry
Lizard – Kagerou

Under King Records[]

PS Company – Kra
- Indie PSC – Born
S'Cube – Baroque, Eile de Mu, Puppet Mammy, Ruvie, Tokyo Michael, Cooky

Under Tokuma Japan Communications[]

PS Company – D=Out, Screw

Under Avex Group[]

ism – Kannivalism

Bands or solo artists managed directly[]

Past

Alice Nine
Amphibian
BIS
Bellzlleb
Billy & The Sluts
By-Sexual
Color
Decameron
DECAYS
Dir En Grey
Genkaku Allergy
Gilles de Rais
Kagrra,
Kamaitachi
Lovemania
Miyavi
Red Tail Cat
Rentrer en Soi
Sea Monkey
Speed-ID
SuG
sukekiyo
The Gazette
ViViD
Vogue
Youka

Scandal[]

On September 14, 2007, the label's founder Hiroshi "Dynamite Tommy" Tomioka was arrested, along with fellow Free-Will official Kazunori Murasaki and Koichi Kaku, a former employee of the Asatsu-DK advertising agency. The trio is accused of defrauding Asatsu-DK of 324 million yen (approximately US$2.8 million) by placing false orders for materials for Dir en grey. Kaku has since confessed to the charges, while Tomioka denied any involvement.^[3]^[4]^[5]

References[]

^ "Free-Will Europe Home Page". web.archive.org. 2007-04-04. Archived from the original on 2007-04-04. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
^ Dejima, Kouji. "Bounce Di(s)ctionary Number 13 – Visual Kei". bounce.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
^ "3 Arrested for Defrauding Ad Company". japantoday.com. 2007-09-15. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
^ ３億２４００万円詐欺、広告代理店元社員ら逮捕. sankei.co.jp (in Japanese). 2007-09-14. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
^ ＡＤＫから３億円詐取、容疑の元社員ら３人逮捕. nikkei.co.jp (in Japanese). 2007-09-14. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2007-09-24.

External links[]

[webarchive_fwe-1] "Free-Will Europe Home Page". web.archive.org. 2007-04-04. Archived from the original on 2007-04-04. Retrieved 2007-09-23.

[bounce-2] Dejima, Kouji. "Bounce Di(s)ctionary Number 13 – Visual Kei". bounce.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2014-07-27.

[japan_today_arrest-3] "3 Arrested for Defrauding Ad Company". japantoday.com. 2007-09-15. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2007-09-15.

[sankei_arrest-4] ３億２４００万円詐欺、広告代理店元社員ら逮捕. sankei.co.jp (in Japanese). 2007-09-14. Retrieved 2007-09-23.

[nikkei_arrest-5] ＡＤＫから３億円詐取、容疑の元社員ら３人逮捕. nikkei.co.jp (in Japanese). 2007-09-14. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2007-09-24.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]