Shugo Tokumaru (トクマルシューゴ, born May 29 1980 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer and multi‑instrumentalist who began playing piano at age five and later learned electric guitar in junior high. His first significant exposure came after traveling to Los Angeles, where he recorded a home demo that led to a deal with the independent label Music Related; the resulting album Night Piece was released in the United States on May 11 2004 and later in Japan through Compare Notes. Tokumaru followed with L.S.T. on August 2005 and EXIT on October 19 2007, both of which expanded his international presence and earned him tours across Europe, New Zealand, and Japan, including performances at the Fuji Rock Festival and the Nano‑Mugen Festival. In 2010 he released Port Entropy, which entered the Japanese top 40 and launched a nationwide sold‑out tour; after re‑establishing his childhood band Gellers and releasing their debut album. Tokumaru’s track "Rum Hee" was featured in a Sony VAIO commercial in 2009, becoming his first top‑100 single, and later appeared in the 2014 E3 trailer for LittleBigPlanet 3. His subsequent albums In Focus? on November 7, 2012 and TOSS on October 19 2016 continued his tradition of intricate, instrument‑rich arrangements, solidifying his reputation as a meticulous producer.
