When composer/songwriter Ryo was asked to produce the theme for the anime series Guilty Crown, he needed a special female vocalist. Auditioning nearly 2,000 candidates paid off when he unearthed the undisputed talents of teenager Chelly, and EGOIST was born. Their remarkable J-pop songcraft was immediately in high demand. With sweeping, cinematic production—powerful guitars and swelling waves of strings—allied to the seemingly limitless power of Chelly's vocals, they tackle haunting ballads and churning blasts of prog with equal verve.