Formed by brothers Takefumi and Tomoharu Tsujimura in 1999, wired folk duo Kicell plays dreamy, sophisticated pop in the vein of Shugo Tokumaru and fellow Kyoto natives Quruli. Older brother Tsujimura Takefumi handles vocals and guitar while Tomoharu plays bass and backup vocals.  Teh band name in Japanese, pronounced "kiseru", is an old-fashioned Japanese pipe for smoking tobacco.  Shortly after releasing a mini album and single on an independent label, Kicell was courted...

Formed by brothers Takefumi and Tomoharu Tsujimura in 1999, wired folk duo Kicell plays dreamy, sophisticated pop in the vein of Shugo Tokumaru and fellow Kyoto natives Quruli. Older brother Tsujimura Takefumi handles vocals and guitar while Tomoharu plays bass and backup vocals.  Teh band name in Japanese, pronounced "kiseru", is an old-fashioned Japanese pipe for smoking tobacco.  Shortly after releasing a mini album and single on an independent label, Kicell was courted by Speedstar Records, at that time home to their friends in Quruli.   In 2001, the band released their first record for Speedstar, entitled Yume, following up with Kinmirai and several singles in 2002.  Two years later in 2004, they released Mado ni Chikyu, a fuller, more varied record that expanded their fan base.  2005 was a big year for the group; they released their fourth record, entitled Tabi, another single, and a best-of collection named Tower.  In April of that year, Kicell crossed the Atlantic to open up an exhibition by pop artist and "superflat" creator Takashi Murakami, who has called Kicell his favorite band.  In 2006, the group moved to the Kakubarhythm label, home to Sakerock, Your Song is Good, Mu-Stars, and Illreme.