In 1997, a company called First Smile released Robonation, a cover album of themes from the popular "Super Robot Wars" series of video games. As the games feature characters from many different robot anime, the album’s track selections – and its array of performing vocalists, JAM members included – were just as varied. Suffice it to say, the album was a success, enough so as to warrant a concert in the same year.
A second Robonation and additional live shows later, more popular singers joined in on the fun. One singer, Isao Sasaki, even went so far as to cover his own song from decades prior, the theme for the anime "Uchû Senkan Yamato." Some of these artists came to be known as “JAM Project” – unofficially, mind you.
The founding members eventually took to creating their own songs, starting with 2000's Kaze ni nare, Danger Zone and Storm. In time, “JAM Project” – the “JAM” standing for "Japan Animationsong Makers," became the official name of the band. A few years later, Sakamoto “graduated” with Kitadani, Okui, and Fukuyama joining the remaining members soon afterwards. From there, their popularity and influence has spread worldwide. As an example, the addition of bilingual Cruz following an audition in 2004 cemented their popularity in Latin America.
Within the past decade, JAM Project has released several dozen singles, averaging one every four months. Memorable tracks range from "Getter Robo's" STORM, 2003's smash hit SKILL, and 2005's GONG, featured in "Super Robot Wars Alpha 3." Their most recent single, released April 2010, will be used for the newest "Transformers" anime.
In addition to their flurry of singles, the band has also kept themselves busy with extensive tours across the globe. Their World Flight 2008 tour took them from Taiwan to the US, South Korea to Spain, and finally to Cruz's homeland of Brazil. Of these stops, the majority were at anime or gaming-themed conventions. Another tour is planned for their upcoming album in June 2010.
To this day, they remain true to their anime/robot roots, focusing almost exclusively on the genres that made them famous as individuals and as a group.
