LC5 was a side project of Miku, vocalist of the hugely popular oshare-kei band An Cafe, who signed to Sony Music in 2010, but promptly went on indefinite hiatus before recording a note for their new paymasters. The label still wanted new music, so Miku promptly put together the new band with former members of Mello, Guys Family, and Ninjaman Japan. In a dramatic shift from An Cafe's saccharine, garishly colored pop-punk, LC5 sported a toned-down, monochrome look and purveyed a slick, polished style of heavily '80s-influenced, sometimes melancholy pop/rock. Their debut single "Loveless" saw Miku expanding his vocal range considerably, had a gloriously over the top video, and was a huge success. Many put this down to Miku's pretty-boy image and considerable profile as a sex symbol among An Cafe's existing fan base -- but the band's sound, while far from original, was different, proficient and enjoyable enough to attract the attention of many visual fans who would never have listened to An Cafe. During the next year, they produced three further singles, all of which sold respectably, and in March 2012 released their debut album LChronicle. Like An Cafe, they were quickly snapped up by the German label Gan-Shin, who released the singles and album digitally in Europe. In mid-2012, An Cafe announced they were re-forming and would be releasing a new mini-album through Sony. They also undertook a short world tour. With An Cafe's re-formation, LC5's future looked to be in doubt; however, the band did continue to make sporadic live appearances during the remainder of 2012 and into the next year. ~ John D. Buchanan