Posts Tagged “Review: Music”
 AAA
Origin : Japan
Genre(s) : J-Pop
Years active : 2005–present
Label(s) : Avex Trax
Website : www.avexnet.or.jp/aaa
Members :
Takahiro Nishijima
Naoya Urata
Mitsuhiro Hidaka
Shinjiro Atae
Shuta Sueyoshi
Misako Uno
Chiaki Ito
Former members :
Yukari Goto Intro
Quote:
| AAA or Triple A (トリプル・エー), is a Japanese pop band signed to the label Avex Trax which debuted in September 2005. The group originally consisted of five young men and three young women who had all acted in commercials and had been dancers for other Japanese stars, such as Ayumi Hamasaki and Ami Suzuki. According to statements released by avex records, Yukari Goto has officially resigned from being a member of the group due to health reasons, reducing the number of members to seven. |
Early Days
Quote:
| AAA was originally planned to be a 6 member group. At first, members included Takahiro Nishijima, Naoya Urata, Shuta Sueyoshi, Shinjiro Atae, Mitsuhiro Hidaka and Misako Uno as the only girl. Avex later decided to add two more girls; Chiaki Ito and Yukari Goto. As songs like BLOOD on FIRE and Friday Party were previously prepared for 6 members, the two girls are only heard in the refrain. |
Release
Quote:
| In the summer of 2005, avex announced the debut of a new pop/eurobeat group consisting of boys and girls who have undergone training in the avex artist academy, the record label’s training facility for singers, dancers, and other entertainment talents. Because of this, the group’s debut was much anticipated and was received well by many fans. From September to December they released a single each month plus a photobook and their very first album, ATTACK, in January 2006. With all the previous advertisement and releases the group did not have time to perform their songs live. However, as each of their singles has a different genre this did not cause a problem with sales.AAA is also performing the opening for 2007’s Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider Den-O. For this single, Climax Jump, they have temporarily changed their name to AAA Den-O form.
AAA made their US debut at the Otakon 2007 in Baltimore, USA. |
Discography
Albums
Quote:
1st ATTACK* Released: 2006-01-01
* Length: 54.1 minutes
* Oricon top 200 position: #16
* Weeks on Chart: 11
* Sales: 56,693
2nd ALL
* Released: 2007-01-01
* Length: 57.9 minutes
* Oricon top 200 position: #23
* Weeks on Chart: 7
* Sales: 32,825
3rd AROUND
* Released: 2007-09-19
* Length: N/A
* Oricon top 200 position: #8
* Weeks on Chart: 1 (Still Charting)
* Sales: 20,254 (Still Charting)
4th ATTACK ALL AROUND
* Released: 2008-03-05
* Studio Album: N/A
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: N/A
* Weeks on Chart: N/A
* Sales: N/A
* Note: Contains all of the title songs of previous singles |
Remix album
Quote:
1st REMIX ATTACK* Released: 2006-01-01
* Length: 1.2 hours
* Oricon top 200 position: #92
* Weeks on Chart: 2
* Sales: 3,651 |
Cover album
Quote:
1st CCC -Challenge Cover Collection-* Released: 2007-02-07
* Length: N/A
* Oricon top 200 position: #13
* Weeks on Chart: 3
* Sales: 16,578 |
Mini-albums
Quote:
1st ATTACK* Released: 2006-01-01
* Length: N/A
* Oricon top 200 position: #16
* Note: Charting details are the same as the full album, as both were released on the same day and counted as different versions of the same release.
2nd ALL/2 （ニブンノオール）
* Released: 2006-09-13
* Length: N/A
* Oricon top 200 position: #12
* Weeks on Chart: 6
* Sales: 26,217
3rd Alohaaa
* Released: 2007-03-21
* Length: N/A
* Oricon top 200 position: #39
* Weeks on Chart: 2
* Sales: 5,886
4th CHOICE IS YOURS
* Released: 2008-06-18
* Length: N/A
* Oricon top 200 position: N/A
* Weeks on Chart: N/A
* Sales: N/A |
Singles
Quote:
1st Blood on Fire* Released: 2005-09-14
* Studio Album: ATTACK
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #9
* Weeks on Chart: 19
* Sales: 58,052
* End of Year Charts: #191
2nd Friday Party
* Released: 2005-10-05
* Studio Album: ATTACK
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #17
* Weeks on Chart: 10
* Sales: 17,331
* End of Year Charts: #505
3rd きれいな空 (Kirei na Sora) (Beautiful Sky)
* Released: 2005-11-16
* Studio Album: ATTACK
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #17
* Weeks on Chart: 9
* Sales: 12,728
* End of Year Charts: #878
4th Dragon Fire
* Released: 2005-12-05
* Studio Album: ATTACK
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #20
* Weeks on Chart: 8
* Sales: 20,689
* End of Year Charts: #401
5th ハレルヤ (Hallelujah)
* Released: 2006-02-15
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #8
* Weeks on Chart: 8
* Sales: 27,814
* End of Year Charts: #314
6th Shalala キボウの歌 (Kibou no Uta) (Song of Hope)
* Released: 2006-03-23
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #20
* Weeks on Chart: 5
* Sales: 13,484
* End of Year Charts: #589
7th ハリケーン・リリ，ボストン・マリ (Hurricane Riri, Boston Mari)
* Released: 2006-05-31
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #10
* Weeks on Chart: 6
* Sales: 19,832
* End of Year Charts: #432
8th ソウルエッジボーイ／キモノジェットガール (Soul Edge Boy/Kimono Jet Girl)
* Released: 2006-07-12
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #12
* Weeks on Chart: 7
* Sales: 22,706
* End of Year Charts: #369
9th Let it beat!
* Released: 2006-08-30
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #7
* Weeks on Chart: 5
* Sales: 21,302
* End of Year Charts: #391
10th “Q”
* Released: 2006-09-06
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #10
* Weeks on Chart: 4
* Sales: 14,809
* End of Year Charts: #539
11th チューインガム (Chewing Gum)
* Released: 2006-11-15
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #7
* Weeks on Chart: 5
* Sales: 14,571
* End of Year Charts: #551
12th Black & White
* Released: 2006-12-06
* Studio Album: ALL
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #15
* Weeks on Chart: 7
* Sales: 24,883
* End of Year Charts: #470
13th Get チュー! / SHE の 事実 (Get CHUU! / SHE no Jijitsu)
* Released: 2007-04-18
* Studio Album: AROUND
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #5
* Weeks on Chart: 9
* Sales: 41,294
14th 唇からロマンチカ / That’s Right (Kuchibiru Kara Romantica / That’s Right)
* Released: 2007-05-16
* Studio Album: AROUND
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #6
* Weeks on Chart: 7
* Sales: 32,271
15th 夏もの (Natsu Mono) (Summer stuff)
* Released: 2007-07-18
* Studio Album: AROUND
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #5
* Weeks on Chart: 4 (Still Charting)
* Sales: 32,722
16th Red Soul
* Released: 2007-09-19
* Studio Album: AROUND
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #15
* Weeks on Chart: 1 (Still Charting)
* Sales: 7,499
* Note: This single was released the same day as the album, making it a re-cut single.
17th MIRAGE
* Released: 2008-01-09
* Studio Album: Best of Attack All Around
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #1
* Weeks on Chart: 1 (Still Charting)
* Sales: 25,333
* Note: The first AAA single that topped the weekly Oricon Charts.
18th BEYOND～カラダノカナタ
* Released: 2008-05-28
* Studio Album: N/A
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #4
* Weeks on Chart: N/A
* Sales: N/A
19th MUSIC!! / ZERØ
* Released: 2008-08-27
* Studio Album: N/A
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #5
* Weeks on Chart: 3
* Sales: 29,563
* Note: Theme song of anime “World Destruction: Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin” |
Compilation singles
Quote:
1st Climax Jump* Released: 2007-03-21
* Studio Album: N/A
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #1
* Weeks on Chart: 20
* Sales: 105,000+
* Note: AAA’s highest selling single, and first Top 5 Hit.
2nd AAA DEN-O Form
いざゆけ若鷹軍団2007 (Izayuke Wakataka Gundan 2007)
* Released: 2007-03-21
* Studio Album: N/A
* Oricon top 200 weekly position: #33
* Weeks in Chart: 4
* Sales: 6,570
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks with AAA |
More Information
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Zero - AAA Imeem Streaming
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Shoko Nakagawa
 Also known as : Shokotan, Shokotasu
Born : May 5, 1985 (1985-05-05) (age 23)
Origin : Tokyo, Japan
Genre(s) : Japanese Pop
Occupation(s) : idol / model / Comedienne / Singer / TV Personality / Presenter
Years active : 2001-present
Label(s) : Sony Records
Website : http://www.nakagawashoko.com/
Intro
Quote:
| Shoko Nakagawa (中川 翔子, Nakagawa Shōko, born May 5, 1985 in Tokyo as Shiyoko Nakagawa (中川 しようこ, Nakagawa Shiyōko)) is a Japanese idol and tarento (an actress, seiyū (voice actor), illustrator, and singer). She is the daughter of Katsuhiko Nakagawa, a celebrity in Japan in the 1980s.She is represented by the Watanabe Entertainment talent agency. Her nickname is Shokotan. (In the blog by Mika Kaneda, who appeared with her on “Ōsama no Brunch”, she is called Shokotasu). |
Life
Quote:
| In 1994, when Shoko Nakagawa was nine, her father, 1980s celebrity Katsuhiko Nakagawa, died of leukaemia at the age of 32.[citation needed] She was then raised by her mother. She made her entertainment debut in 2001, winning the Grand Prix award at the Popolo Girl Audition and representing the Jackie Chan talent agency. Later, on the “Yume-Ga-Oka Residence” programme on SKY PerfecTV!, she was given a Jackie Chan photobook by Midorikawa Shobō, who were guests on the show. She commented “I thought he was an enemy of Bruce Lee’s”, apparently referring to Enter the Dragon. In 2002, she was chosen as Miss Shōnen Magazine. She appeared in a brief section of “Kangaeru Hito” (”People who think”) on the Fuji TV network in 2004 and showed her ability as an illustrator; this won her a regular place on the later version of the programme which started with minor changes in early 2005, “Kangaeru Hitokoma” (”Thinking about one frame [of a cartoon strip]“). For one year starting in May 2005, she appeared as a regular on the TBS programme “Ōsama no Brunch”, which made her well-known among the general public. In July 2006, she released her debut CD, “Brilliant Dream”. It entered the Oricon chart at number 29, with initial sales of 6313 CDs. Nakagawa performed at Anime Expo 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 3 till July 6. |
Personality
Quote:
| As she is active in a variety of areas, including acting, manga, singing and blogging, she is known as a multi-talented entertainer or “multi-tarento”, as opposed to simply an “idol” or “tarento”.She is highly knowledgeable about otaku culture. She says that this is because of the influence of her father, Katsuhiko Nakagawa.[citation needed] He did things like giving her full sets of comics such as Ge Ge Ge no Kitarō or Akanbō Shōjo, saying “You can’t become an adult unless you read these.” Perhaps because of this education, she knows more about relatively older anime, 80’s idol songs and retrogaming than is common for people of her age. She also loves Dragon Ball. She even sang a remix to the original ending theme, Romantic Ageru Yo.
She likes the tokusatsu Super Sentai series, and in particular looks up to Yūri, “Time Pink” of the Mirai Sentai Timeranger team as a “god”. At the time she stood in line all night to watch the live Timeranger show at Kōrakuen Fairground (now Tokyo Dome City Attractions) in the front row. In 2004, she achieved a longstanding ambition by putting in a guest appearance in the 38th episode of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger. (She also appeared as a child in Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman.) She has always wanted to become the next Pink Ranger, and has gone out for auditions four times, but failed each time because “she doesn’t have good athletic ability.” She has said that she was drawn to the entertainment world out of admiration not for her father but for Mika Katsumura, who played the role of Yūri, and that during gravure work she uses Katsumura’s photobooks and DVDs as a guide. She later appeared together with Katsumura on Men B, and the two are now as friendly as if they were sisters. She is also a fan of the Metal Heroes and Heisei Kamen Rider Series and sees Shigeki Hosokawa who played the titular character of Kamen Rider Hibiki as the ideal man.
She is skilled as a manga cartoonist and illustrator.[citation needed] She worships Kazuo Umezu, and wants to become a mangaka. On the Fuji TV show Kangaeru Hitokoma, on which she is a semi-regular guest, she showed this side of herself by drawing in the style of Kazuo Umezu. Some of her work was shown on the May 11, 2006 edition of Downtown Deluxe on the Nippon TV network, and was much praised. As of 2006, her manga “SHOCOTAN * QUEST” is being serialised on her official website. The fact that even after becoming a celebrity she has not given up on drawing led to her being selected as a member of the judging panel in the “Jump Damashii” section of the Shūeisha publication Weekly Shōnen Jump, starting from Jump number 13 of 2006.
Shoko is also enthusiastic about the Wikipedia Project. In a blog entry dated November 25, 2006 she praised the free online encyclopaedia for its articles, especially those related to the otaku culture. She is especially fond of the collaborative writing aspect the project incorporates and has even jokingly said she wanted to jumble her own article. |
Cosplay
Quote:
| She is also known for loving cosplay, and buys up many clothes at auction, (particularly costumes for Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Final Fantasy series and Sailor Moon). This hobby has helped her in her role as a gravure idol.She often cosplays alone, but it has been confirmed that her friends Ayaka Itō and Chiaki Kyan also join her in cosplay when they visit her home. When they do, Nakagawa usually takes the role of long-haired characters, with Itō or Kyan playing short-haired characters. (For example, if they play characters from Sailor Moon, Nakagawa might play Usagi, with Itō being Ami, for Evangelion, Nakagawa might be Asuka, and Itō Rei, and for Pretty Cure, Nakagawa might be Honoka, and Itō Nagisa.) On days when she cosplays, she always updates her blog more than usual. |
Blog
Quote:
| Her official blog, Shokotan * Blog, opened in 2004, and by April 2006 it had received a total of 100 million hits. On February 2nd, 2008, the daily Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported that her blog had been accessed 1 billion times. As one might expect from her personality, there are very many otaku-style entries, and she updates it extremely regularly, perhaps because of a compulsive streak in her personality, or perhaps, as she admitted in an interview, because she uses it as a kind of notepad. In the month of April 2005, there were 600 updates, and on January 28, 2006, there were 70 updates, a record number for a single day. It is likely that she holds the record for the greatest number of blog updates by an idol. She has become known as the “New Queen of the Blog”, after the original “Queen of the Blog”, Kaori Manabe. Due to her blog’s popularity, in September 2005, Koma Books released a compilation of her blog entries, also entitled Shokotan * Blog. |
TV appearances
Quote:
* Pokémon☆Sunday (ポケモン☆サンデー, Pokemon☆Sandē)
* Waraiga Ichiban (笑いがいちばん, Waraiga Ichiban)
* Weekend’s Cinderella World! Bullet Traveler (週末のシンデレラ 世界!弾丸トラベラー, Shūmatsuno-shinderera Sekai!DanganToraberā) |
Singles
Quote:
1 “Brilliant Dream”
July 5, 2006 Sony Records First single2 “Strawberry Melody” (ストロベリmelody, Sutoroberi Merodi)
February 14, 2007 Sony Records
3 “Sky-Colored Days”
(空色デイズ, Sorairo Deizu)
June 27, 2007 Sony Records Opening theme for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
4 “snow tears”
January 30, 2008 Sony Records Ending theme for Hakaba Kitaro
5 “Shiny Gate”
August 6, 2008 Sony Records Theme song for Tokyo OnlyPic 2008
6 “The World Continues”(続く世界, Tsuzuku Sekai)
September 10, 2008 Sony Records Opening theme for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Movie |
Mini-Albums
Quote:
1 Shoko-tan Cover ~Falling in Love with Anime Songs~(しょこたん☆かばー ～アニソンに恋をして。～, Shokotan Kabā ~Anison ni Koi o shite.~)
May 2, 2007 Sony Records2 Shoko-tan Cover Cover ~Falling in Love with Anime Songs~(しょこたん☆かばー×2 ～アニソンに愛を込めて!!～, Shokotan Kabā Kabā ~Anison ni Ai o komete~)
September 19, 2007 Sony Records |
Albums
Quote:
1 Big☆Bang!!!
March 19, 2008 Sony Records |
More Information
Web page by Watanabe Entertainment (Japanese)
Official web page Shokotime (Japanese)
Shokotan blog (Japanese)
Shokotan blog (English)
Wikipedia
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Tsuzuku Sekai - Shoko Nakagawa IMEEM
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Brief History
The band formed in 2000 after two of the original members met on the internet and discovered that they attended the same university. At their formation with all their current members in 2003, the band’s name was Aqua Times, the correct spelling of their current name. No major releases came from the band during this period. The band renamed themselves to Aqua Timez in 2005. Their first release under this name was Sora Ippai ni Kanaderu Inori, a mini-album which charted well on the Oricon.
In 2006, the group would go on to release Nanairo no Rankugaki, their second mini-album with seven songs. Their first single, Ketsui no Asa Ni, was then used as a song in the movie adaptation of Brave Story. Later in the same year, it was announced that they would provide the theme song to Bleach: Memories of Nobody, the movie version of the anime and manga series Bleach. The song, Sen no Yoru wo Koete (千の夜をこえて; Passing Over a Thousand Nights, Sen no Yoru wo Koete?), entered the Oricon singles chart at number 5 and would go on to sell over 100,000 copies.
Later that year, the full first album for the band was released. Kaze wo Atsumete was their first full length album and reached a peak position of 3rd on the Oricon charts. Since its release, the album has sold over 200,000 copies. Shiori, their third single, was used in commercials for a brand of soft drink known as Mitsuya Cider and was number 5 on the Oricon.
The following year in 2007 the band would return to Bleach. Their fourth single, ALONES, was used as the 6th opening song for the anime and climbed to the #3 spot on the Oricon.
More recently in 2007, the band has produced their 5th single Chiisana Tenohira (#5 on the Oricon), and their second full-length album Dareka no Chijoue was released on November 21.
Members
* Vocal：太志 （ふとし）, aka Futoshi; born May 10, 1980
* Bass：OKP-STAR （おーけーぴーすたー）; born March 25, 1977
* Guitar, Programming：大介 （だいすけ）, aka Daisuke; born April 12, 1977
* Keyboard：mayuko （まゆこ）; born September 18, 1977
* Drums：TASSHI （たっしー）; born August 21, 1978
Discography
Singles
1. Ketsui no Asa Ni (決意の朝に) (Released July 5, 2006)
1. Ketsui no Asa Ni (決意の朝に; In the Morning of Decision)
2. Ayumi (歩み; Walking)
3. Sabishiki Warera (淋しき我ら; Lonely Us)
4. Ketsui no Asa Ni (Instrumental Mix)
2. Sen no Yoru wo Koete (千の夜をこえて) (Released November 22, 2006; Oricon: #5)
1. Sen no Yoru wo Koete (千の夜をこえて; Passing Over a Thousand Nights)
2. Sen no Yoru wo Koete (Instrumental Mix)
3. Shiori (しおり) (Released May 9, 2007; Oricon: #5)
1. Shiori (しおり; Bookmark)
2. Yume Fuusen (夢風船; Dream Balloon)
4. ALONES (Released August 1, 2007; Oricon; #3)
1. ALONES
2. Akatsuki (暁; Daybreak)
3. Mr. Roodorannaa (DJ Mass’Skate Sonic* Remix)(Mr.ロードランナー; Mr. Roadrunner)
4. ALONES (Instrumental Mix)
5. Chiisana Tenohira (小さな掌) (Released October 31, 2007; Oricon: #5)
1. Chiisana Tenohira (小さな掌; Little Palm)
2. Chiisana Tenohira (Instrumental Mix)
Albums
1. Kaze Wo Atsumete (風をあつめて; Gather the Wind) (Released December 6, 2006; Oricon: #3)
1. 1mm
2. Hoshi no Mienai Yoru (星の見えない夜; Starless Night)
3. No rain, No rainbow
4. Ketsui no Asa Ni (決意の朝に; In the Morning of Decision)
5. Hachimitsu ～Daddy,Daddy～ (ハチミツ; Honey ～Daddy,Daddy～)
6. Sen no Yoru Wo Koete (千の夜をこえて; Passing Over a Thousand Nights)
7. green-bird [Interlude]
8. Ayumi (歩み; Walking)
9. Mastermind (マスターマインド/Masutaamaindo)
10. White Hall (ホワイトホール/Howaito Hooru)
11. Present (プレゼント/Purezento)
12. Perfect World
13. Itsumo Issho (いつもいっしょ; Always Together)
14. Shiroi Mori (白い森; White Forest)
2. Dareka no Chijoue (ダレカの地上絵; Somebody’s Geoglyph) (Released November 21, 2007; Oricon: #2)
1. Isshun no Chiri (一瞬の塵; A Moment’s Dust)
2. Sekai de Ichiban Chiisana Umi Yo (世界で一番小さな海よ; The Tiniest Sea in the World!)
3. Shiori (しおり; Bookmark)
4. Chiisana Tenohira (小さな掌; Little Palm)
5. B with U
6. Pivot (ピボット/Pibotto)
7. Hakuchuumu [interlude] (白昼夢; Daydream)
8. Aki no Shita De (秋の下で; Beneath Autumn)
9. ALONES
10. Rankiryuu (乱気流; Turbulent Air)
11. Garnet (ガーネット/Gaanetto)
12. Boku no Basho～evergreen～ (僕の場所; My Place)
13. Yume Fuusen [yurikago version] (夢風船; Dream Balloon -cradle version-)
14. Obaachan (おばあちゃん; Grandmother) (Hidden track)
* Obaachan is actually the 29th track following muted tracks 14 to 28.
Mini-albums
1. Sora Ippai ni Kanaderu Inori (空いっぱいに奏でる祈り; A Prayer Playing All Across the Sky) (Released August 24, 2005)
1. Kibou no Saku Oka Kara (希望の咲く丘から; From the Blooming Hill of Hopes)
2. Himawari (向日葵; Sunflower)
3. Toushindai no Rabusongu (等身大のラブソング; Life-Sized Love Song)
4. Hitorigoto (独り言; Monologue)
5. Joushoukiryuu (上昇気流; Updraft/Rise in Popularity)
6. Isshou Seishun (一生青春; Youth of a Lifetime)
7. Hajimari no Heya (始まりの部屋; Room of Beginnings)
8. blues on the run
9. Aoi Sora (青い空; Blue Sky)
2. Nanairo no Rakugaki (七色の落書き; Seven-Colored Graffiti) (Released April 5, 2006)
1. Shabondama Days (シャボン玉Days; Soap Bubble Days)
2. Jitensha (自転車; Bicycle)
3. Miseinen (未成年; Minor)
4. Hitotsu Dake (ひとつだけ; Just One)
5. Mr. Roodorannaa (Mr.ロードランナー; Mr. Roadrunner)
6. Yoru no Hate (夜の果て; The Night’s Limit)
7. words of silence
8. Shizuka na Koi no Monogatari (静かな恋の物語; Story of Quiet Love)
After listen their songs.
My Conclusion : They’re TALENTED. All genres were played smoothly and nicely done.
Wanna prove it?
Free Complete Album Download Here.
http://musicsharing4all.blogspot.com/2007/11/aqua-timez.html
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