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Free-Will is a Japanese independent record label founded in 1986. It manages, among others, several visual kei themed bands and also continues to co-manage many of its artists after they have signed recording contracts with one of the major record labels. During the visual kei boom in the 1990s, the phrase "East Extasy and West Free-Will" was coined ("Extasy" referring to Yoshiki Hayashi's Extasy Records). Free-Will currently has branches in Japan, and the United States.

In September 2007, Free Will president and founder, Hiroshi Tomioka (better known as Dynamite Tommy), and former official Kazunori Murasaki, were arrested along with Koichi Kaku, a former employee at advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The three men defrauded the company Asatsu-DK of 324 million yen (approximately US$3 million) in commission fees in 2001. They made it look like the agency received orders for producing promotional videos for bands signed to the record label, outsourcing the projects to subcontract firms.

The money was used to promote bands signed to the label, including the production of music videos, and to pay for concert tours, and other overhead costs. Koichi Kaku, and Kazunori Murasaki have confessed to the charges, while Hiroshi Tomioka currently denies them, and is uncooperative with authorites.

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.

• Firewall Div. – Baroque, Dir en grey
• Ism – Kannivalism
• Lizard – Kagerou
• PS Company – Alice Nine, The Gazette, Miyavi, Kagrra, Kra
  • Indie PSC – Screw, Sug
• S'Cube – Eile de Mu, Puppet Mammy, Ruvie

Bands managed directly

Current

• Rentrer en Soi
• BIS

Past

• Color

References

1. ""Free-Will and Groove Productions Press Release"" (PDF). nanopro.jp. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
2. http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/418315
3. http://www.sankei.co.jp/shakai/jiken/070914/jkn070914011.htm

See also

• List of record labels

External links

• Free-Will Japan
• Free-Will America
• PS Company
• S'Cube

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