Beat Crusaders
Encyclopedia
were a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese rock band. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.

History

Beat Crusaders, commonly abbreviated BECR, was instigated at the end of 1997 by Tōru Hidaka as an experimental U.S. Lo-Fi Indie Rock unit. The rest of the band later joined as a result of continual experimental gigs performed around the Shimokitazawa
Shimokitazawa
is a neighborhood in Setagaya, Tokyo. It consists of the neighborhood immediately surrounding Shimo-Kitazawa Station, where the Odakyū and Keiō Inokashira Lines intersect. Also known as "Shimokita", the district is a center for stage theater and live music venues. It is home to the historic Honda...

 (Tokyo) area. Their creative use of analog synthesizers and the old Casitone, incorporated with influences of such bands as Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...

 and The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...

, and at times the dynamism of Snuffesque rock , had transformed them into a powerfully melodic guitar band. By the end of 1998, Beat Crusaders had already started creating songs which emphasized they were a crazy and fun live act that was not to be missed. The momentum carried on with a single "E.C.D.T." released in June of the following year which entered independent charts of CD retail shops all across Japan. A month later their first mini-album, "Howling Symphony Of..." was released; this entered the charts again with various music magazines giving the big thumbs up. Reflecting their chart action and praise from magazines, numerous live offers followed from notable bands in the Japanese alternative/independent scene, from guitar pop and new wave of new wave, to pop punk and ska bands. They continued to be busy, with their second single "Firestarter" released in early 2000 and later the full-length "All You Can Eat". They also were involved in four compilations, their own 'cover' EPs including a split entitled "WXY" with fellow Japanese punk band Captain Hedgehog.

In August 2003, three of the four original members of Beat Crusaders left the band, to eventually go on to form a new band "Anita Chili Peppers". This left behind only Tōru Hidaka who later recruited four new members, which make up the Beat Crusaders today. It is not known why the past members left. However, it doesn't seem like they left on bad terms, considering Hidaka included the masks of his former bandmates and his actions (he was crying) in the PV, "Sensation".

Later on down the road, their song "Hit in the USA
HIT IN THE USA
"Hit in the USA" is a single released by Japanese band Beat Crusaders, and the song "Hit in the USA" was used as the opening for the anime series, Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, and was later added to the P.O.A.: Pop on Arrival full-length album in 2005. "Hit in the USA" was released October 20, 2004....

" was used for the opening of the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
BECK is a manga by Harold Sakuishi published by Kodansha in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. It was adapted as an anime television series with the title BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad...

, which moved the band out of the indie scene hitting Japanese music. Since then they have released several more albums including a cover album of American and British songs entitled "Music Crusaders." Their song "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" was used as the fourth opening of the anime Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...

. In 2006, the band's music made its first American appearance as the opening theme song, "Hey x 2 Look x 2" (Aka "Hey Hey Look Look") to the Nicktoons
Nicktoons
Nicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...

 animated series, Kappa Mikey
Kappa Mikey
Kappa Mikey is an American animated sitcom created by Larry Schwarz, who chose 4Kids Entertainment as the worldwide licensing, marketing and official promotional agent of the series...

. The single Winterlong is used as the opening of the anime Hero Tales.

A full length CD "EPopMaking," was released on May 30, 2007, it contains 19 tracks, this was followed "Popdod" on June 4, 2008. It is rumored they picked said date due to Hidaka turning 40 the day after the release.

In 2010, Toru Hidaka confirmed that Beat Crusaders would break-up, but promised to release a new album before they broke up. Their final album, titled "REST CRUSADERS" was released on October 6, 2010. It consists of 22 tracks of both new songs, old singles like "Windom", and previously released but recent singles like "Let It Go" and "Situation".

Former members

  • umu (Mitsutaka Umuyashiki) - Bass and vocals
  • araki (Takayuki Araki) - Drums and vocals
  • thai (Hiroyuki Tai) - Keyboard, guitar, and vocals

Studio albums

Title Year Label
Howling Symphony Of... 1999 LastRum
All You Can Eat
All You Can Eat (Beat Crusaders album)
All You Can Eat is the second record by the Japanese band, Beat Crusaders. It was also their second album to be released in the United States.- Track listing :# "GTS"# "Joker in the Crotch"# "Windom"# "Firestarter"# "Sad Symphony"# "Delerious"...

2000
Foresights 2001
Sexcite 2002
BEST CRUSADERS 2003
2005 DefSTAR
P.O.A. -POP ON ARRIVAL-
}
|2007
|-
|popdod
|2008
|-
|REST CRUSADERS
|2010
|-
|LOST CRUSADERS
|2010
|}

Singles

Title Year Label Notes
Never Pop Enough EP 1999 Lastrum Corporation
"Firestarter" 2000
"Handsome Academy"
"Capa-City" 2002
"Girl Friday" 2003 Captain Haus "Follow me", as one of the songs for BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad.
"Sensation" 2004
"Hit in the USA
HIT IN THE USA
"Hit in the USA" is a single released by Japanese band Beat Crusaders, and the song "Hit in the USA" was used as the opening for the anime series, Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, and was later added to the P.O.A.: Pop on Arrival full-length album in 2005. "Hit in the USA" was released October 20, 2004....

"
DefStar
DefSTAR Records
, is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-History:*1997 - Takashi Yoshida, the president of Warner Music Japan, founded the label as ....

For BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
BECK is a manga by Harold Sakuishi published by Kodansha in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. It was adapted as an anime television series with the title BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad...

"Feel" 2005
"Love Potion No. 9"
"Day After Day/Solitaire"
"I Can See Clearly Now"
"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" 2006 The fourth opening for the Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...

anime
"Hey Hey Look Look" 2006 The Opening Theme For The TV show Kappa Mikey
Kappa Mikey
Kappa Mikey is an American animated sitcom created by Larry Schwarz, who chose 4Kids Entertainment as the worldwide licensing, marketing and official promotional agent of the series...

"Ghost" 2007
"Winterlong" 2008 The opening of Juushin Enbu (Hero Tales)
2008 Speedstar
Speedstar
Speedstar or Speedstar* were a rock band from Brisbane, Queensland formed in 1995. After a series of EPs in 2002 they released their first album, Bruises You Can Touch, produced by Steve James...

In collaboration with Ayano Tsuji
Ayano Tsuji
is a J-Pop singer famous in her native Japan for her unconventional light singing style and ukulele music. She rose to fame after performing the end-title track for the Studio Ghibli film The Cat Returns in 2002.- Biography :In 1993, Ayano Tsuji attended...

; theme song of third Keroro Gunso
Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...

 movie
"Let It Go" 2009 DefStar
DefSTAR Records
, is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-History:*1997 - Takashi Yoshida, the president of Warner Music Japan, founded the label as ....

"Situation" 2010

EP/Misc

Title Year Type Label
Beat Crusaders 2003 Best Of Album LastRum
Compi Crusaders '68-'77 vol. 37 2005 Compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

DefSTAR
Musicrusaders Cover Album
Cover Album
-Tracklisting:#Misono to Utaou! Animedley I # #...


Compilations

Title Year Type Label
VERY BEST CRUSADERS 2009 Best Of Album DefSTAR

Split albums

Title Year Split With Label
WXY 2001 Captain Hedge Hog LastRum
Diggin' in the Street 2002 Rude Bones
Ozzy!! Sk@ymate's
Booootsy 2006 Your Song Is Good
YOUR SONG IS GOOD
is a Japanese ska band. They are currently signed to Nayutawave Records and Kakubarhythm.-History:...

DefSTAR
Cell No.9 Tropical Gorilla
Night on the Planet 2007 Asapragus
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