Buck-Tick
Encyclopedia
Buck-Tick is a rock band formed in 1983 in Fujioka
, Japan
. The band has consisted of Atsushi Sakurai
(vocals), Hisashi Imai
(guitar), Hidehiko Hoshino (guitar), Yutaka Higuchi (bass) and Toll Yagami (drums) for the majority of its existence. Over the course of their career, the band has experimented with many different genres of music, including punk
, dark wave, electronic, industrial
, gothic
and straight rock
.
Along with X Japan
, D'erlanger
and Color
, Buck-Tick are commonly credited as one of the founders of the visual kei
movement. In addition to their long, productive career as a band, the five members have worked on individual projects and collaborated with many other famous artists, both Japanese and foreign, including Maki Fujii (Soft Ballet
), Issay (Der Zibet), Kiyoshi (Media Youth, Spread Beaver), Masami Tsuchiya
(Ippu-do), Raymond Watts (PIG
), Sascha Konietzko
(KMFDM
), Clan of Xymox
, Robin Guthrie
(Cocteau Twins
) and Kelli Ali (Sneaker Pimps
).
(1985–present), drums
(1983–1985) – guitar
, vocals
, backing vocals, theremin
, noise
(1983–present) – guitar
, keyboard
, backing vocals (1983–present) – bass
(1983–present) – drums
, percussion
(1985–present)
Although they use different surnames, Toll and Yutaka are brothers.
Former member
, in Gunma prefecture
. Hisashi Imai
originally had the idea for the band, and wanted to start despite not knowing how to play any instruments at the time. He recruited his friend, Yutaka Higuchi, and the two of them began to practice — Imai on guitar and Higuchi on bass. Then, Higuchi asked Hidehiko Hoshino, who had been his friend since their first year of high school, if he would like to join, too. Since Hoshino was tall and handsome, Higuchi tried to convince him to become the vocalist, but Hoshino was more interested in playing guitar, and didn’t want to be in the spotlight, so Imai's friend Araki became vocalist instead. Atsushi Sakurai
, a rebellious loner in Imai's class who hung out with the bad-kid "Yankī" crowd, volunteered to be the drummer.
Imai named the band Hinan Go-Go ("Hinan" means "criticism" in Japanese) in Spring 1984. Once they had practiced enough to be able to play, they began to perform live at small, local events. They started out playing covers of songs by the famous Japanese punk band The Stalin
. From the beginning, they were conscious of their image and tried to differentiate themselves from the crowd. They performed in suits with their hair up and soon added white face makeup, as well.
When Imai graduated high school, he moved to Tokyo
with Araki and enrolled in design school. When Higuchi and Hoshino graduated a year later, they also moved to Tokyo — Higuchi for business school and Hoshino for culinary school. However, they returned home on weekends to practice together and play shows. During the summer of 1984, the band changed their name to Buck-Tick, which is a creative spelling of "bakuchiku", the Japanese word for firecracker. They also began to perform original songs, written by Imai and a few by Hoshino.
Sakurai's parents wouldn't let him move to Tokyo, so he was the only one left alone in Gunma, and became very depressed. He spent all his time alone, and to pass the time, he often went to concerts and watched bands live on TV, and he decided that he was sick of being a drummer and wanted to be a vocalist instead. Higuchi's brother Yagami was also in a band, SP, and when SP lost their vocalist, Sakurai asked Yagami if he could be the replacement. Yagami politely refused his request, and SP broke up.
However, at the same time, the rest of Buck-Tick was becoming frustrated with Araki. As Imai's composing skills improved, Araki became unable to carry the melodies to the songs. Though it was painful for them, the band decided to fire Araki, and Sakurai convinced them to let him take Araki's place. Buck-Tick was now missing a drummer, but the hole was soon filled by Yagami, after Higuchi convinced him that the best way for him to get over the loss of his own band was to join theirs instead. This became the final lineup for the band, and has not changed since.
. He had seen the band perform at a live house called Shinjuku Attic, and had been very impressed. He claimed to have clairvoyant powers and told the band they would succeed within a year. The band signed to Taiyou Records immediately and released their first single, "To-Search" on September 21 of the same year.
With Sawaki's help they began promoting themselves very actively. They played the live house circuit in Tokyo and on April 1, 1987 released their first album, Hurry Up Mode
. In conjunction with the release, they played a live called "Buck-Tick Phenomenon" at the 1,200-capacity Toyoto Public Hall in Ikebukuro
. Everyone in the local music scene believed the hall was too large for the band and that the concert would be doomed to failure, but Buck-Tick used a very clever advertising strategy: they pasted thousands of eye-catching, black-and-white sticker advertisements all over Tokyo’s hip youth districts that read simply "Buck-Tick Phenomenon April 1st Toyoto Public Hall". Their staff members were nearly arrested for defacement of public property, but the strategy worked. Buck-Tick sold over half the tickets to the show, which was a huge accomplishment. They were an instant success, and major labels began vying for the chance to sign them.
s; and last, that they would be able to do all their own production work. Most record companies balked at the idea of accepting such high demands from such a young and inexperienced group, but Takagaki Ken, of Victor Invitation Records
, decided he wanted the band so badly he was willing to let them do whatever they wanted. He even offered them Victor's Aoyama
studio as a place to practice.
On June 16, 1987, Buck-Tick played a show called "Buck-Tick Phenomenon II" at the Live Inn in Shibuya
, to bid farewell to their indie days. The small venue was packed with people and the crowd grew so overexcited that the concert had to be interrupted multiple times so that the venue staff could try to get the fans to calm down. Afterward, a video of the concert called Buck-Tick Phenomenon Live at the Live Inn was released, reaching #4 on the Oricon
video charts.
On September 3, Buck-Tick opened their personal administrative office, which they named Shaking Hands, Inc., in honor of all the musical connections they hoped to make in the future. Soon after, they embarked on their first national tour. They released their first major label album, Sexual XXXXX!
on November 21, and it climbed to #33 on the Oricon charts, which was completely unheard of for a debut album. Tickets to their large year-end live in Tokyo at the Japan Youth Hall sold out in two days.
With success came new difficulties, though. The reporters who interviewed the band for magazines seemed to only be interested in the band's appearance, and asked questions like "Why do you put your hair up?", "How long does it take you to put your hair up?" and "Do you put up your hair in order to attract attention so you'll sell records?" The band members only put their hair up because they thought it looked cool. That was the only reason, they always answered, but eventually got so tired of the questions that they refused to answer them anymore. They had become popular enough that they could only play at large halls now. They missed small live houses, so they organized a secret gig under the false name "Bluck-Tlick" at Shinjuku Loft on January 24, 1988, and used it as an opportunity to play their older songs. They released their third album, Seventh Heaven
, on June 21, 1988.
to record their fourth album, Taboo
. They even played a gig there, at the Greyhound music club, and amongst those who attended were members of the band Der Zibet, who were also recording in London at the time. The members of Buck-Tick loved London, especially Sakurai, who felt that the music scene there was more welcoming of dark and serious music. Indeed, with Taboo, the band broke into a darker, more serious sound which took a fair amount of criticism from members of the Japanese music scene who had previously thought of Buck-Tick as little more than idols
.
However, the single "Just One More Kiss", became Buck-Tick's first hit. The band made their first live television appearance performing it on the popular music program Music Station
. The song was also used in a series of television commercials in which the band appeared advertising Victor's CDian Stereo, with the slogan "The super bass will firecracker." (a pun on Buck-Tick's name, which means "firecracker"). At the end of the year, Buck-Tick won "Rookie of the Year" at the Japan Record Awards.
possession. The incident was covered in newspapers and tabloids at the time, but since, the band has kept it very quiet. Information is difficult to find, but it appears that Imai's sentence was suspended and the band was forced to take a 6-month break. However, Imai did have to appear at a court hearing, which was attended by hundreds of concerned fans and was covered on television.
Fans and reporters alike wondered whether Imai's arrest spelled the end for Buck-Tick, but in the fall of 1989, the band went back to the studio and recorded their fifth album, Aku no Hana
("Evil Flowers") which they named after Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal
(a favorite book of Sakurai's), because the album dealt with similar themes. With Aku no Hana, the band went much further into the dark and gothic image they had begun to explore in Taboo and which would later become their trademark. Aku no Hana remains their best-selling record to date.
Before the album was released they played a huge concert at the Tokyo Dome
on December 29 in front of 50,000 people, in order to celebrate their return. It was the largest concert the band had ever played. Since then, the band has held a large concert nearly every year at the end of December, usually at the Nippon Budokan
, to celebrate the anniversary of their reunion after Imai's arrest. Since 2001, they have named the concerts "The Day in Question", and the shows have often been broadcast live on TV.
, featuring orchestral versions of some of their songs performed by the Berlin Chamber Orchestra. In the fall, they went back to the studio to work on their sixth album, Kurutta Taiyou
("Crazy Sun"). They spent much more time on this album than any of their previous ones, and the difference was noticeable. The sound is much deeper and more sophisticated, and used many more studio production effects than they ever had before.
It was at this point that the direction of the band began to change subtly, as Sakurai began to write almost all of the lyrics, and exert his creative influence more. Around this time, he was married to the band’s stylist, Sayuri Watanabe, but they quickly divorced (the band later got a new stylist, Mr. Takayuki Tanizaki, who is still working for them). Sakurai's mother, who he had been very close to, also passed away, and due to the band's busy touring schedule, he was unable to visit her before the end. In interviews, Sakurai said that the pain he felt from these events strongly influenced his lyrics, and that this was when he started writing about real emotions, rather than what he thought was cool. Subsequently, he changed the first kanji in his name from the standard character 「桜」("sakura") to the older version 「櫻」, and since then has brought a continuously evolving sense of melancholy and psychological depth to the band's lyrics.
Kurutta Taiyou was released on February 21, 1991. Four days later, the band performed a unique concert called "Satellite Circuit", which was recorded in a studio with no audience and then broadcast on television and at special concert halls around the country.
In 1992, Buck-Tick released their first compilation album, titled Koroshi no Shirabe This Is Not Greatest Hits
("The Songs of Murder: This is Not Greatest Hits") As the title suggested, it wasn't a typical "best-of" album. Instead, the band had spent many hours in the studio re-recording (and in some cases radically changing) songs they had already released. A tour followed the album, culminating in a two-day live event called "Climax Together", which took place at Yokohama Arena
on September 10 and 11. The event had been put together specifically to be filmed, and great care had been taken with the lighting and design—for greater dramatic effect, the stage was even set up along the long side of the hall and obscured by a gigantic scrim which was dropped partway through the set.
On May 21, 1993, Buck-Tick released the single "Dress", which was later re-released in 2005 and used as the opening theme for the Trinity Blood
anime
. Soon after, on June 23, Buck-Tick released their seventh studio album, Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- a loose concept album focusing on death. The album confused fans because after the last track (track 10), the CD skips and picks up at track 75, which began with strange buzzing noises and slowly evolved into another song. This technique was rare in Japan at that time, and apparently some fans tried to return their CDs to stores, claiming that they were broken. On this album, the band also began to experiment with different instruments — Hoshino played keyboards, and during live shows, Sakurai tried his hand at the saxophone. Both Sakurai and Hoshino played these instruments on the band's next album, Six/Nine
.
Released on May 15, 1995, Six/Nine was an even more psychological, conceptual album than Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- had been. Before the album was released, the band had another set of video concerts, featuring equally conceptual music videos for each song, directed by Hayashi Wataru. One of the songs, "Itoshi no Rock Star", featured Issay (Der Zibet) on backing vocals, he also appeared with the band on the tour.
, which featured a brighter sound than was usual for the band and also electronic, cyberpunk
-influenced music in such songs as "Living on the Net". Unfortunately, the tour for the album had to be canceled halfway through. Sakurai, while in Nepal
doing a photo shoot for the band, fell seriously ill with peritonitis
. When he was told how serious his condition was, he begged to be flown back to Tokyo so that if he died, he could die at home, but once back in Japan "he felt so relieved that he was able to recover".
In 1997, following on the heels of Sakurai's illness was more upheaval for the band as they changed labels from Victor to Mercury Music Entertainment. They played make-up shows for the concerts that had been canceled the previous year. On December 10, they released their tenth studio album, Sexy Stream Liner
, marking the maturation of their new cyberpunk style, which emerged in their visual image as well, with the band sporting tattoos and electronic gadgetry on their costumes. Imai began to incorporate the use of a theremin
into Buck-Tick’s live shows and even into their recordings, beginning with the song "My Fuckin’ Valentine".
On May 13, 1998, they released the single "Gessekai", which was used as the opening theme to the anime series Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective. Shortly after this, on the wave of the anime boom, Japanese music began to gain popularity in the West by the internet, and "Gessekai" became the song that first introduced Buck-Tick to many foreign fans.
Later in 1998, and continuing in 1999, the various Buck-Tick members involved themselves in many collaborations with other artists (more info in the collaborations section). However, they continued to release singles as a band.
In 2000, Buck-Tick changed labels for a second time, leaving Mercury for BMG Funhouse. Their popularity had been growing overseas, especially in South Korea
, and the band went to Korea for the first time. They were greeted enthusiastically by fans at the airport, and they held a formal interview, but did not perform live. Later, in 2001, they returned to Korea and played at the "SoYo Rock Festival" in Seoul
. It poured rain on the day of the festival and the band were drenched during their set, but nonetheless, the crowd was ecstatic.
On September 20, 2000, the band released One Life, One Death
, their first studio album in nearly three years, and played a tour to support the album. In addition to this, Sakurai and Imai became involved in a supergroup
called Schwein
, with Raymond Watts and Sascha Konietzko
, which released two albums and toured Japan in August 2001.
On March 6, 2002, Buck-Tick released their twelfth studio album, Kyokutou I Love You
, which was initially scheduled to be released as a double album with Mona Lisa Overdrive
. Ultimately the two were released separately and Mona Lisa Overdrive came out the following year in February. However musically, the two albums feed into each other in a continuous loop. The last track on Kyokutou I Love You is an instrumental which becomes the bottom musical layer of the first track on Mona Lisa Overdrive. Likewise, the last track on Mona Lisa Overdrive contains samples from the first track on Kyokutou I Love You. The album title Mona Lisa Overdrive is an overt reference to William Gibson
's cyberpunk novel of the same name
.
that were a reprise of their "Climax Together" shows 12 years before. The 2004 shows were appropriately released on DVD as Akuma to Freud -Devil and Freud- Climax Together.
April 6, 2005 saw the release of 13kai wa Gekkou ("13th Floor with Moonshine") which also happened to be the band's fourteenth studio album. It was a concept album inspired by Sakurai's solo project that focused on the idea of "Goth
", and despite the residual gothic image Buck-Tick had been cultivating for years, it was a significant departure from any of their previous work. Special care was taken with the sets and costumes for the tour. The live shows were very dramatic, and the band even hired a clown
(Gaetano Totarou) and a ballerina
(Becky Janik) to perform with them at some of the shows. At this time, visual kei
and Gothic & Lolita had been growing significantly in popularity and with 13kai wa Gekkou, Buck-Tick gained a large number of new fans domestically and overseas who admired the gothic style.
On December 21, the tribute album
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
was released, which contains covers of their own songs performed by 13 different artists, including Kiyoharu
, J, Abingdon Boys School
and Rally (composed of members from Glay
, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
and The Mad Capsule Markets
).
On June 6, 2007, they released the single "Rendezvous", and on the same day embarked on the "Parade Tour", finally celebrating their anniversary and tribute album. The tour had a unique format: at each show, a different artist from the tribute album, performed with Buck-Tick. The tour culminated in a giant festival called "Buck-Tick Fest 2007 on Parade", which was held on September 8 at Minato Mirai in the Yokohama port. It lasted all day and featured all 13 artists off the tribute album. Each of the guest artists and Buck-Tick played a set, and as a grand finale, there was a fireworks show over the bay.
("Angel's Revolver"). Though they continued using a few gothic elements, they discarded the use of synth for this album, the concept for which was a "band sound". The band held a long national tour to support the album, which lasted until December. Also in December, the Japanese cellphone company SoftBank
released special-edition Buck-Tick mobile phones that had been designed by the band members.
At the tail end of 2008, BMG Japan was bought out by Sony Music Entertainment Japan
and operated independently still as BMG until early 2009 where a company reorganization folded BMG completely into Sony. Thus causing the band to officially become a Sony Music Entertainment Japan artist, signed to the Ariola Japan
subsidiary.
The band released their next album, entitled Memento Mori
, on February 18, 2009. According to Sakurai, this album continues to explore the idea of "straight rock". After the release of the album, they then went on to perform an extended concert tour spanning three months. The final concerts were held at Tokyo’s NHK Hall
.
In March 2010, they released their single "Dokudanjou Beauty". Their second single of 2010 was released on September 1 titled "Kuchizuke" ("Kisses"), it was used as the opening theme for Fuji TV's Shiki
anime. On October 13, Buck-Tick released their eighteenth studio album titled Razzle Dazzle. Graphic artist Aquirax Uno
provided the cover illustrations for the album.
Buck-Tick's song "Jupiter" was covered by DuelJewel on the compilation Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-, which was released on January 26, 2011 and features current visual kei
bands covering songs from bands that were important to the '90s visual kei movement. Their song "Speed" was covered by 9Goats Black Out
on its sequel, Crush! 2 -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-, that was released on November 23, 2011.
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Buck-Tick opened a special website where they announced the creation of their own record label Lingua Sounda, and that its first releases will be a new single in spring 2012 and an album in the summer. They will also release two separate boxsets in March 2012, one containing work from 1987 to 1999 and the other from 2000 to 2010.
from the 1970s and 80's, though they cite a few Japanese influences as well. The influences that the band members collectively name the most often are Love & Rockets
, Robert Smith
, and Bauhaus
(the band admitted to going together to see Peter Murphy
live.) They also mention the Sex Pistols
and XTC
. Imai was especially influenced by Love & Rockets, and this is very evident on Buck-Tick’s album Kurutta Taiyou. He was also influenced by Yellow Magic Orchestra
, Kraftwerk
, Ultra Vox
and other new wave
and electronic
acts, and the punk band The Stalin
. Sakurai was hugely influenced by David Bowie
, and he even played a cover of Bowie's song "Space Oddity" at his solo live in 2004. He is also influenced by post-punk/first wave goth acts such as The Sisters of Mercy
, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Clan of Xymox
, and Der Zibet and Masami Tsuchiya. He claims to love "dark" music in general. Hoshino and Yagami love The Beatles
. Yagami is also a fan of Led Zeppelin
and other classic metal/punk acts like Kiss
and The Clash
.
At this point, Buck-Tick have influenced as many bands as they have been influenced by. They are regarded as one of the founders of visual kei
. Kiyoharu
(Kuroyume
, Sads
) interviewed Sakurai twice on his personal radio show in conjunction with Buck-Tick's anniversary festival and declared Sakurai to be "so hot" and "a wonderful person". Takanori Nishikawa
(T.M.Revolution
, Abingdon Boys School
) is another open fan of Buck-Tick, and interviewed the entire band on the TV program Pop Jam. Well-known visual rockers Tatsurou (Mucc
), Yuu (Merry), Aie (Deadman
), Lay (Fatima) and Tsuyoshi (Karimero) even formed a Buck-Tick cover band called Bluck-Tlick. Kyo
, vocalist of Dir en grey
, has also mentioned that he was inspired to become a rock star when he saw a picture of Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.
, they experimented with a darker sound, which grew more mature with Kurutta Taiyou
. With Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- they delved into a harsher electronic rock sound on all their albums up through Mona Lisa Overdrive
. More recently, with 13kai wa Gekkou, they have deliberately adopted a "goth" concept, which they combined with a retro straight rock
sound for their most recent albums, Tenshi no Revolver
and Memento Mori
.
Some elements that persist throughout their music are resounding, jangling guitar chords, throbbing, prominent bass lines, harsh roars of electronically distorted noise, and ambivalent melodies that wander between major and minor keys, as well as Sakurai's distinctive rich baritone
voice. Sakurai is famous for the erotic decadence of his lyrics (which are now predominantly in Japanese), but he also often addresses existential
psychological themes. Imai has written many songs that read like science fiction
stories, involving genetic engineering
and computer hackers
, but more recently has branched out into simple love songs.
is the only Buck-Tick member to have released material as a solo artist under his own name. In 2004, he collaborated with a number of artists to produce a solo album, Ai no Wakusei
("Planet of Love"). He wrote all the lyrics and performed all the vocals, and his collaborators each wrote a song or two for him. Most of the songs express his personal preferences — they are dark, jagged, and atmospheric. Some of the composers on the album include Wayne Hussey
(The Sisters of Mercy
), Robin Guthrie
(Cocteau Twins
), Xymox, J. G. Thirlwell (Foetus), Okamura Yasuyuki, Cube Juice, Raymond Watts (PIG
), Masami Tsuchiya
(Ippu-Do) and Taiji Satou (Theater Brook). In addition to releasing the album, Sakurai released three singles and a DVD of his solo live performance. He also starred in Longinus
, a short vampire film
directed by Ryuuhei Kitamura.
formed a band called Lucy with Kiyoshi (ex:Media Youth, hide with Spread Beaver) and Okazaki Katsuhige (Age of Punk) in 2004. The concept was straight rock-n-roll, and the band was very influenced by hide
. They have released two albums to date, Rockarollica, and Rockarollica II, and they have toured in Japan multiple times. Both Imai and Kiyoshi play guitars and sing, and write music and lyrics for the group.
) on vocals, and Cube Juice on programming and synthesizer
s. Hoshino started the band because he wanted to experiment with electronic music. He wrote all the music in an electro-pop style with a slight trip-hop influence. Kelli Ali wrote the lyrics in English. The group released one album, Sweet Oblivion, but has not yet performed any live shows.
.
. Yagami supported Auto-Mod at their live at Shinjuku Loft in 2006 (the live was part of a set of shows celebrating the venue's 30th anniversary.) Selia, the backup vocalist, was introduced to Buck-Tick through Genet and performed backing vocals on the songs "Mr. Darkness and Mrs. Moonlight" and "Revolver" on Buck-Tick's 2007 album Tenshi no Revolver
.
, formerly of Boøwy
on October 6, 1990, at the Maebashi Green Dome in Gunma prefecture. Other former Boøwy member Hotei Tomoyasu remixed Buck-Tick's song "Muchi no Namida" for their "Sasayaki" single. Both bands hail from the same town in Gunma, Kyosuke Himuro went to high school with the Buck-Tick members.
was made up of Full on vocals and Asaki and Jake on guitar. Full directed the music video for Buck-Tick's single "Candy" (1995). Imai wrote the music to the song "Grazing" on their album Dazzle (1998). After the breakup of Guniw Tools, Asaki went on to form Age of Punk with Okazaki Katsuhige, former support drummer for Guniw Tools and drummer of Lucy. Age of Punk covered the song "Physical Neurose" for Buck-Tick's tribute album, Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-. They also performed with them on the Okinawa stop of their "Parade Tour" in 2008, and at the "On Parade Festival" in 2007. Jake (born Masatomo Kawase) went solo and went under the name CloudChair. He arranged the song "Neko" for Sakurai's solo album Ai no Wakusei
(2004) under this name, and also played guitar in Sakurai's session band during his solo tour.
, and participated in the album's tour. Issay is also a great friend of Sakurai and the two have been interviewed together many times.
and Soft Ballet
on a five-stop tour in 1994 called the "LSB Tour", which also included Schaft
. Luna Sea bassist J covered Buck-Tick's "Iconoclasm" for their 2006 tribute album, he also performed at their "Buck-Tick Fest 2007 on Parade" concert.
when he played at Tokyo Bay NK Hall
and Osaka-jo Hall
in September 2003.
, has collaborated with the members of Buck-Tick on numerous occasions. He participated in the creation of Schaft
's album Switchblade
(1994), and he wrote the music to the song "Yellow Pig" for Sakurai's solo album Ai no Wakusei
(2004). PIG opened for Buck-Tick on their 4-date "Energy Void" tour in 1999. In addition, Raymond Watts was also was a member of Schwein
and participated in the "Schweinfest" tour in 2001.
was an electronic music group consisting of Hisashi Imai
and Maki Fujii (Soft Ballet
). They released songs for the omnibus album Dance 2 Noise 001 (October 21, 1991) as well as their own album, Switchblade
, (September 21, 1994) in which Raymond Watts participated. They also performed with Buck-Tick on the "LSB Tour".
was an industrial rock group formed in 2001, consisting of Atsushi Sakurai
, Hisashi Imai
, Raymond Watts and Sascha Konietzko
(KMFDM
). Lucia Cifarelli
(KMFDM) helped write some of their lyrics. They released one studio album, Schweinstein
, and one remix
album, Son of Schweinstein
, both in 2001. They also performed a short tour in Japan, in which Konietzko did not participate (their support band consisted of Bryan Black, Jules Hodgson
, Andy Selway
and Arianne Schreiber).
's Maki Fujii has collaborated with Buck-Tick on a number of occasions. He appeared in the band Schaft
along with Imai, and also played in the session band that performed with Sakurai at his solo live concert. Ken Morioka played the keyboards on Buck-Tick's album Seventh Heaven
.
. Much later, in 1995, Imai made a guest appearance on The Stalin's live album Shinda Mono Hodo Aishite Yaru Sa ("I'll Love You as Much as a Dead Thing"). Stalin leader, Michiro Endo
, covered Buck-Tick's song "Sasayaki" for their tribute album, Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
, in 2006. He also performed alongside Buck-Tick on the Fukuoka
stop of their "Parade Tour" in 2007, and he appeared at the "On Parade Festival", where he played The Stalin song "Warushawa no Gensou" ("Fantasy in Warsaw
") with Imai as guest guitarist. Buck-Tick covered Endo's song "Omae no Inu Ninaru" ("You're a Dog") for Romantist - The Stalin, Michiro Endo Tribute Album, released on December 1, 2010.
(2004). Sakurai performed "Taiji" live as a guest of Theater Brook at the Niigata
"Live Aid" event on January 23, 2005. Theater Brook also appeared at the "On Parade Festival" in 2007.
Fujioka, Gunma
is a city in Gunma, Japan. The city's name means, "Wisteria Hill" in English, and is composed of the two kanji characters for "wisteria" and "Hill" ....
, 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...
. The band has consisted of Atsushi Sakurai
Atsushi Sakurai
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He has been the vocalist for the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985, previously being their drummer from 1983. He was also a member of Schwein with Hisashi Imai , Sascha Konietzko and Raymond Watts ....
(vocals), Hisashi Imai
Hisashi Imai
is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft , Schwein , and more recently Lucy .- History :...
(guitar), Hidehiko Hoshino (guitar), Yutaka Higuchi (bass) and Toll Yagami (drums) for the majority of its existence. Over the course of their career, the band has experimented with many different genres of music, including punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, dark wave, electronic, industrial
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
, gothic
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
and straight rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.
Along with X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
, D'erlanger
D'erlanger
D'erlanger is a Japanese rock band considered to be important to the formation of visual kei...
and Color
Color (band)
Color was a Japanese punk band formed in 1985 by Dynamite Tommy, who founded the Free-Will record label a year later. They are considered to be important to the formation of visual kei.- History :...
, Buck-Tick are commonly credited as one of the founders of the visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
movement. In addition to their long, productive career as a band, the five members have worked on individual projects and collaborated with many other famous artists, both Japanese and foreign, including Maki Fujii (Soft Ballet
Soft Ballet
Soft Ballet is a Japanese Pop and EBM band. The group had three members: Maki Fujii, Ken Morioka, and Ryoichi Endo. They have been recording since 1989, though they had a long span of inactivity from 1995 to 2002 while the members pursued solo projects....
), Issay (Der Zibet), Kiyoshi (Media Youth, Spread Beaver), Masami Tsuchiya
Masami Tsuchiya
Masami Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and guitarist in the group Ippu-Do. His subsequent output includes solo work and collaborations...
(Ippu-do), Raymond Watts (PIG
PIG (band)
Raymond Watts is the founding and sole member of the post-industrial music project PIG, sometimes written as '....
), Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko , also known as Sascha K and Käpt'n K, is a German musician and producer. He is the founder, frontman, and "anchor" of industrial rock band KMFDM. Konietzko jokingly purports himself to be the father of industrial rock...
(KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
), Clan of Xymox
Clan of Xymox
The band Clan of Xymox, also known as Xymox, formed in the Netherlands in 1981. Clan Of Xymox featured a trio of songwriters - Pieter Nooten, Ronny Moorings and Anke [also Anka] Wolbert - and gained success in the 1980s, releasing their first two albums on a prestigious independent UK label, a...
, Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie is a musician best known as co-founder of the Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing...
(Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
) and Kelli Ali (Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
).
Members
– vocalsSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1985–present), drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1983–1985) – guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, backing vocals, theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, noise
Noise
In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. In both analog and digital electronics, noise is random unwanted perturbation to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the acoustic noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission with significant electrical noise...
(1983–present) – guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals (1983–present) – bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
(1983–present) – drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1985–present)
Although they use different surnames, Toll and Yutaka are brothers.
Former member
- Araki – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1983–1985)
1983–1985: Formation
Buck-Tick was originally formed in 1983. All five of the band members lived in the town of FujiokaFujioka, Gunma
is a city in Gunma, Japan. The city's name means, "Wisteria Hill" in English, and is composed of the two kanji characters for "wisteria" and "Hill" ....
, in Gunma prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
. Hisashi Imai
Hisashi Imai
is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft , Schwein , and more recently Lucy .- History :...
originally had the idea for the band, and wanted to start despite not knowing how to play any instruments at the time. He recruited his friend, Yutaka Higuchi, and the two of them began to practice — Imai on guitar and Higuchi on bass. Then, Higuchi asked Hidehiko Hoshino, who had been his friend since their first year of high school, if he would like to join, too. Since Hoshino was tall and handsome, Higuchi tried to convince him to become the vocalist, but Hoshino was more interested in playing guitar, and didn’t want to be in the spotlight, so Imai's friend Araki became vocalist instead. Atsushi Sakurai
Atsushi Sakurai
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He has been the vocalist for the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985, previously being their drummer from 1983. He was also a member of Schwein with Hisashi Imai , Sascha Konietzko and Raymond Watts ....
, a rebellious loner in Imai's class who hung out with the bad-kid "Yankī" crowd, volunteered to be the drummer.
Imai named the band Hinan Go-Go ("Hinan" means "criticism" in Japanese) in Spring 1984. Once they had practiced enough to be able to play, they began to perform live at small, local events. They started out playing covers of songs by the famous Japanese punk band The Stalin
The Stalin
were an influential Japanese punk rock band formed in June 1980, by leader and vocalist Michiro Endo. After numerous member changes, he disbanded the group in February 1985. In May 1987 Michiro formed a group called Video Stalin, which mostly made videos instead of albums, they disbanded in 1988...
. From the beginning, they were conscious of their image and tried to differentiate themselves from the crowd. They performed in suits with their hair up and soon added white face makeup, as well.
When Imai graduated high school, he moved to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
with Araki and enrolled in design school. When Higuchi and Hoshino graduated a year later, they also moved to Tokyo — Higuchi for business school and Hoshino for culinary school. However, they returned home on weekends to practice together and play shows. During the summer of 1984, the band changed their name to Buck-Tick, which is a creative spelling of "bakuchiku", the Japanese word for firecracker. They also began to perform original songs, written by Imai and a few by Hoshino.
Sakurai's parents wouldn't let him move to Tokyo, so he was the only one left alone in Gunma, and became very depressed. He spent all his time alone, and to pass the time, he often went to concerts and watched bands live on TV, and he decided that he was sick of being a drummer and wanted to be a vocalist instead. Higuchi's brother Yagami was also in a band, SP, and when SP lost their vocalist, Sakurai asked Yagami if he could be the replacement. Yagami politely refused his request, and SP broke up.
However, at the same time, the rest of Buck-Tick was becoming frustrated with Araki. As Imai's composing skills improved, Araki became unable to carry the melodies to the songs. Though it was painful for them, the band decided to fire Araki, and Sakurai convinced them to let him take Araki's place. Buck-Tick was now missing a drummer, but the hole was soon filled by Yagami, after Higuchi convinced him that the best way for him to get over the loss of his own band was to join theirs instead. This became the final lineup for the band, and has not changed since.
1985–1987: Indies Period
After the change in the lineup, Buck-Tick became more and more serious about music. When Sakurai's father died, he too moved to Tokyo. The five members worked during the day and practiced and performed at night. Then, in July 1986, they attracted the attention of Sawaki Kazuo, head of Taiyou Records, an independent labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
. He had seen the band perform at a live house called Shinjuku Attic, and had been very impressed. He claimed to have clairvoyant powers and told the band they would succeed within a year. The band signed to Taiyou Records immediately and released their first single, "To-Search" on September 21 of the same year.
With Sawaki's help they began promoting themselves very actively. They played the live house circuit in Tokyo and on April 1, 1987 released their first album, Hurry Up Mode
Hurry Up Mode
Hurry Up Mode is the debut album by Buck-Tick, released on both LP and CD on April 4, 1987. The CD version had two bonus tracks, "Vacuum Dream" and "No-No-Boy". It was later remixed and re-released in 1990, excluding the two bonus tracks...
. In conjunction with the release, they played a live called "Buck-Tick Phenomenon" at the 1,200-capacity Toyoto Public Hall in Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
. Everyone in the local music scene believed the hall was too large for the band and that the concert would be doomed to failure, but Buck-Tick used a very clever advertising strategy: they pasted thousands of eye-catching, black-and-white sticker advertisements all over Tokyo’s hip youth districts that read simply "Buck-Tick Phenomenon April 1st Toyoto Public Hall". Their staff members were nearly arrested for defacement of public property, but the strategy worked. Buck-Tick sold over half the tickets to the show, which was a huge accomplishment. They were an instant success, and major labels began vying for the chance to sign them.
1987–1988: Major Debut
A number of major labels competed hotly for the honor of signing a contract with Buck-Tick. However, the band was initially unmoved by their offers. They wanted to continue pursuing music on their own terms, and they refused to sign unless the label would agree to their four stipulations: first, that the band would be able to make all their own decisions about their hair, makeup, clothing, and general image; second, that they would never be forced to change the band lineup; third, that they would never be forced to use session musicianSession musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s; and last, that they would be able to do all their own production work. Most record companies balked at the idea of accepting such high demands from such a young and inexperienced group, but Takagaki Ken, of Victor Invitation Records
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
, decided he wanted the band so badly he was willing to let them do whatever they wanted. He even offered them Victor's Aoyama
Aoyama, Tokyo
is a neighborhood of Tokyo, located in the northeastern Minato Ward. During the Edo Period, Aoyama was home to various temples, shrines, and samurai residences. The name Aoyama derived from a samurai named Aoyama Tadanari who served the Tokugawa Shogunate and held his mansion in this area...
studio as a place to practice.
On June 16, 1987, Buck-Tick played a show called "Buck-Tick Phenomenon II" at the Live Inn in Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, to bid farewell to their indie days. The small venue was packed with people and the crowd grew so overexcited that the concert had to be interrupted multiple times so that the venue staff could try to get the fans to calm down. Afterward, a video of the concert called Buck-Tick Phenomenon Live at the Live Inn was released, reaching #4 on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
video charts.
On September 3, Buck-Tick opened their personal administrative office, which they named Shaking Hands, Inc., in honor of all the musical connections they hoped to make in the future. Soon after, they embarked on their first national tour. They released their first major label album, Sexual XXXXX!
Sexual XXXXX!
Sexual XXXXX! is Buck-Tick's major label debut album on Victor, though it is actually their second full-length release. It was originally released on cassette, vinyl and CD on November 21, 1987. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002 with a different cover. It was...
on November 21, and it climbed to #33 on the Oricon charts, which was completely unheard of for a debut album. Tickets to their large year-end live in Tokyo at the Japan Youth Hall sold out in two days.
With success came new difficulties, though. The reporters who interviewed the band for magazines seemed to only be interested in the band's appearance, and asked questions like "Why do you put your hair up?", "How long does it take you to put your hair up?" and "Do you put up your hair in order to attract attention so you'll sell records?" The band members only put their hair up because they thought it looked cool. That was the only reason, they always answered, but eventually got so tired of the questions that they refused to answer them anymore. They had become popular enough that they could only play at large halls now. They missed small live houses, so they organized a secret gig under the false name "Bluck-Tlick" at Shinjuku Loft on January 24, 1988, and used it as an opportunity to play their older songs. They released their third album, Seventh Heaven
Seventh Heaven (Buck-Tick album)
Seventh Heaven is the third album by Buck-Tick released on June 21, 1988, on cassette, vinyl and CD. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007. The lyrics for "Physical Neurose"...
, on June 21, 1988.
1988: Taboo Period
In September 1988, Buck-Tick went to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to record their fourth album, Taboo
Taboo (Buck-Tick album)
Taboo is the fourth album by Buck-Tick, released on January 18, 1989. It was released on cassette, two record vinyl set and CD. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007...
. They even played a gig there, at the Greyhound music club, and amongst those who attended were members of the band Der Zibet, who were also recording in London at the time. The members of Buck-Tick loved London, especially Sakurai, who felt that the music scene there was more welcoming of dark and serious music. Indeed, with Taboo, the band broke into a darker, more serious sound which took a fair amount of criticism from members of the Japanese music scene who had previously thought of Buck-Tick as little more than idols
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
.
However, the single "Just One More Kiss", became Buck-Tick's first hit. The band made their first live television appearance performing it on the popular music program Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...
. The song was also used in a series of television commercials in which the band appeared advertising Victor's CDian Stereo, with the slogan "The super bass will firecracker." (a pun on Buck-Tick's name, which means "firecracker"). At the end of the year, Buck-Tick won "Rookie of the Year" at the Japan Record Awards.
1989: Hiatus and Aku no Hana
In March 1989, the band started their "Taboo" tour. At this point they had stopped putting their hair up so much, and Sakurai had even given up on dyeing his and let it be black. The tour was scheduled to run through May, but it was cut short when Imai was arrested for LSDLSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
possession. The incident was covered in newspapers and tabloids at the time, but since, the band has kept it very quiet. Information is difficult to find, but it appears that Imai's sentence was suspended and the band was forced to take a 6-month break. However, Imai did have to appear at a court hearing, which was attended by hundreds of concerned fans and was covered on television.
Fans and reporters alike wondered whether Imai's arrest spelled the end for Buck-Tick, but in the fall of 1989, the band went back to the studio and recorded their fifth album, Aku no Hana
Aku no Hana
is the fifth album by Buck-Tick, released on cassette and CD on February 1, 1990. It reached number one on the Oricon charts and is their best selling album to date. The title comes from Charles Baudelaire's volume of poetry, Les Fleurs du mal . The album was digitally remastered and re-released on...
("Evil Flowers") which they named after Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal
Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857 , it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements...
(a favorite book of Sakurai's), because the album dealt with similar themes. With Aku no Hana, the band went much further into the dark and gothic image they had begun to explore in Taboo and which would later become their trademark. Aku no Hana remains their best-selling record to date.
Before the album was released they played a huge concert at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
on December 29 in front of 50,000 people, in order to celebrate their return. It was the largest concert the band had ever played. Since then, the band has held a large concert nearly every year at the end of December, usually at the Nippon Budokan
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
, to celebrate the anniversary of their reunion after Imai's arrest. Since 2001, they have named the concerts "The Day in Question", and the shows have often been broadcast live on TV.
1990–1995: Kurutta Taiyou and Continuing Musical Maturity
In 1990, the band threw themselves back into touring, and over the summer, released an album called Symphonic Buck-Tick in BerlinSymphonic Buck-Tick in Berlin
Symphonic Buck-Tick in Berlin is an album by Buck-Tick, released on July 21, 1990. It is composed of rearrangements of Buck-Tick songs by several different composers, all performed by the Berlin Chamber Orchestra.- Track listing :...
, featuring orchestral versions of some of their songs performed by the Berlin Chamber Orchestra. In the fall, they went back to the studio to work on their sixth album, Kurutta Taiyou
Kurutta Taiyou
is the sixth album by Buck-Tick, released on cassette and CD on February 21, 1991. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007. "M・A・D" and "Jupiter" were rerecorded for the 1992...
("Crazy Sun"). They spent much more time on this album than any of their previous ones, and the difference was noticeable. The sound is much deeper and more sophisticated, and used many more studio production effects than they ever had before.
It was at this point that the direction of the band began to change subtly, as Sakurai began to write almost all of the lyrics, and exert his creative influence more. Around this time, he was married to the band’s stylist, Sayuri Watanabe, but they quickly divorced (the band later got a new stylist, Mr. Takayuki Tanizaki, who is still working for them). Sakurai's mother, who he had been very close to, also passed away, and due to the band's busy touring schedule, he was unable to visit her before the end. In interviews, Sakurai said that the pain he felt from these events strongly influenced his lyrics, and that this was when he started writing about real emotions, rather than what he thought was cool. Subsequently, he changed the first kanji in his name from the standard character 「桜」("sakura") to the older version 「櫻」, and since then has brought a continuously evolving sense of melancholy and psychological depth to the band's lyrics.
Kurutta Taiyou was released on February 21, 1991. Four days later, the band performed a unique concert called "Satellite Circuit", which was recorded in a studio with no audience and then broadcast on television and at special concert halls around the country.
In 1992, Buck-Tick released their first compilation album, titled Koroshi no Shirabe This Is Not Greatest Hits
Koroshi no Shirabe This Is NOT Greatest Hits
Koroshi no Shirabe This Is Not Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by Buck-Tick, released on cassette and CD on March 21, 1992...
("The Songs of Murder: This is Not Greatest Hits") As the title suggested, it wasn't a typical "best-of" album. Instead, the band had spent many hours in the studio re-recording (and in some cases radically changing) songs they had already released. A tour followed the album, culminating in a two-day live event called "Climax Together", which took place at Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
on September 10 and 11. The event had been put together specifically to be filmed, and great care had been taken with the lighting and design—for greater dramatic effect, the stage was even set up along the long side of the hall and obscured by a gigantic scrim which was dropped partway through the set.
On May 21, 1993, Buck-Tick released the single "Dress", which was later re-released in 2005 and used as the opening theme for the Trinity Blood
Trinity Blood
is a series of Japanese light novels written by Sunao Yoshida with illustrations by Thores Shibamoto and originally serialized in The Sneaker. Set 900 years after an apocalyptic war between humans and vampires, the series focuses on the on-going cold war between the Vatican, the human government,...
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....
. Soon after, on June 23, Buck-Tick released their seventh studio album, Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- a loose concept album focusing on death. The album confused fans because after the last track (track 10), the CD skips and picks up at track 75, which began with strange buzzing noises and slowly evolved into another song. This technique was rare in Japan at that time, and apparently some fans tried to return their CDs to stores, claiming that they were broken. On this album, the band also began to experiment with different instruments — Hoshino played keyboards, and during live shows, Sakurai tried his hand at the saxophone. Both Sakurai and Hoshino played these instruments on the band's next album, Six/Nine
Six/Nine
Six/Nine is the eighth album by Buck-Tick, released on May 15, 1995 in a clear purple case. It reached number one on the Oricon chart. Issay provides vocals for "Itoshi no Rock Star". "Rakuen" caused controversy because some of the lyrics were lifted from the Qur'an. Later, the album was re-issued...
.
Released on May 15, 1995, Six/Nine was an even more psychological, conceptual album than Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- had been. Before the album was released, the band had another set of video concerts, featuring equally conceptual music videos for each song, directed by Hayashi Wataru. One of the songs, "Itoshi no Rock Star", featured Issay (Der Zibet) on backing vocals, he also appeared with the band on the tour.
1996–2003: Label and Management Changes, "Cyberpunk" Years
In 1996, Buck-Tick broke from Shaking Hands Inc, and started their own management company, Banker Ltd., of which Toll is president, and started their new fan club, Fish Tank. On June 21, they released their ninth album, CosmosCosmos (Buck-Tick album)
Cosmos is the ninth album by Buck-Tick, released on June 21, 1996. It reached number six on the Oricon chart. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007...
, which featured a brighter sound than was usual for the band and also electronic, cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
-influenced music in such songs as "Living on the Net". Unfortunately, the tour for the album had to be canceled halfway through. Sakurai, while in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
doing a photo shoot for the band, fell seriously ill with peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
. When he was told how serious his condition was, he begged to be flown back to Tokyo so that if he died, he could die at home, but once back in Japan "he felt so relieved that he was able to recover".
In 1997, following on the heels of Sakurai's illness was more upheaval for the band as they changed labels from Victor to Mercury Music Entertainment. They played make-up shows for the concerts that had been canceled the previous year. On December 10, they released their tenth studio album, Sexy Stream Liner
Sexy Stream Liner
Sexy Stream Liner is the tenth album by Buck-Tick, their first on Mercury Music Entertainment, released on December 10, 1997. It reached number four on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
, marking the maturation of their new cyberpunk style, which emerged in their visual image as well, with the band sporting tattoos and electronic gadgetry on their costumes. Imai began to incorporate the use of a theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
into Buck-Tick’s live shows and even into their recordings, beginning with the song "My Fuckin’ Valentine".
On May 13, 1998, they released the single "Gessekai", which was used as the opening theme to the anime series Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective. Shortly after this, on the wave of the anime boom, Japanese music began to gain popularity in the West by the internet, and "Gessekai" became the song that first introduced Buck-Tick to many foreign fans.
Later in 1998, and continuing in 1999, the various Buck-Tick members involved themselves in many collaborations with other artists (more info in the collaborations section). However, they continued to release singles as a band.
In 2000, Buck-Tick changed labels for a second time, leaving Mercury for BMG Funhouse. Their popularity had been growing overseas, especially in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and the band went to Korea for the first time. They were greeted enthusiastically by fans at the airport, and they held a formal interview, but did not perform live. Later, in 2001, they returned to Korea and played at the "SoYo Rock Festival" in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. It poured rain on the day of the festival and the band were drenched during their set, but nonetheless, the crowd was ecstatic.
On September 20, 2000, the band released One Life, One Death
One Life, One Death
One Life, One Death is the eleventh album by Buck-Tick, their first on BMG/Funhouse, released on September 20, 2000. The title comes from lyrics to "Cyborg Dolly: Sora-mimi: Phantom", which also mentions cloning sheep and is named after the famous Dolly. It reached number eleven on the Oricon...
, their first studio album in nearly three years, and played a tour to support the album. In addition to this, Sakurai and Imai became involved in a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
called Schwein
Schwein
Schwein is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts and Hisashi Imai , both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai , Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli...
, with Raymond Watts and Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko , also known as Sascha K and Käpt'n K, is a German musician and producer. He is the founder, frontman, and "anchor" of industrial rock band KMFDM. Konietzko jokingly purports himself to be the father of industrial rock...
, which released two albums and toured Japan in August 2001.
On March 6, 2002, Buck-Tick released their twelfth studio album, Kyokutou I Love You
Kyokutou I Love You
is the twelfth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 2, 2002. It reached number twelve on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
, which was initially scheduled to be released as a double album with Mona Lisa Overdrive
Mona Lisa Overdrive (album)
Mona Lisa Overdrive is the thirteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 13, 2003. The album is named after the 1989 novel Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson. It reached number seven on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
. Ultimately the two were released separately and Mona Lisa Overdrive came out the following year in February. However musically, the two albums feed into each other in a continuous loop. The last track on Kyokutou I Love You is an instrumental which becomes the bottom musical layer of the first track on Mona Lisa Overdrive. Likewise, the last track on Mona Lisa Overdrive contains samples from the first track on Kyokutou I Love You. The album title Mona Lisa Overdrive is an overt reference to William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
's cyberpunk novel of the same name
Mona Lisa Overdrive
Mona Lisa Overdrive is a cyberpunk novel by William Gibson published in 1988 and the final novel of the Sprawl trilogy, following Neuromancer and Count Zero. It takes place eight years after the events of Count Zero and is set, as were its predecessors, in The Sprawl...
.
2004–2005: Solo Projects and "Gothic" Years
In 2004, Buck-Tick largely suspended activities in order for the band members to work on their individual musical projects. The only band member who did not release music during this time was Hoshino, who went on to form the band Dropz two years later in 2006. Buck-Tick did play a few shows together, including two huge concerts at Yokohama ArenaYokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
that were a reprise of their "Climax Together" shows 12 years before. The 2004 shows were appropriately released on DVD as Akuma to Freud -Devil and Freud- Climax Together.
April 6, 2005 saw the release of 13kai wa Gekkou ("13th Floor with Moonshine") which also happened to be the band's fourteenth studio album. It was a concept album inspired by Sakurai's solo project that focused on the idea of "Goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
", and despite the residual gothic image Buck-Tick had been cultivating for years, it was a significant departure from any of their previous work. Special care was taken with the sets and costumes for the tour. The live shows were very dramatic, and the band even hired a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
(Gaetano Totarou) and a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
(Becky Janik) to perform with them at some of the shows. At this time, visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
and Gothic & Lolita had been growing significantly in popularity and with 13kai wa Gekkou, Buck-Tick gained a large number of new fans domestically and overseas who admired the gothic style.
On December 21, the tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick- is a Buck-Tick tribute album, released on December 21, 2005. It collects cover versions of their songs by various artists.- Tracklisting :...
was released, which contains covers of their own songs performed by 13 different artists, including Kiyoharu
Kiyoharu
, better known by his given and stage name, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter, known for his work with Kuroyume and Sads. In 2003 he began his solo career, performing as both a singer and guitarist.- Independent career and Kuroyume :...
, J, Abingdon Boys School
Abingdon boys school
Abingdon Boys School, stylized as abingdon boys school and abbreviated as a.b.s, is a Japanese rock band fronted by Takanori Nishikawa....
and Rally (composed of members from Glay
Glay (band)
Glay is a rock/pop band from Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan formed by guitarist Takuro and vocalist Teru in high school in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also composed songs using elements of different styles such as reggae and gospel...
, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant was a Japanese garage rock band formed in 1991.-History:The band was formed in 1991, while the members were students at Tokyo's Meiji Gakuin University. They later drew influence from The Roosters...
and The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets were a Japanese band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006...
).
2006–2007: 20th Anniversary
In 2006, as Buck-Tick prepared to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a major-label band, they released the single "Kagerou", which was used as the ending theme for the XxxHolic anime.On June 6, 2007, they released the single "Rendezvous", and on the same day embarked on the "Parade Tour", finally celebrating their anniversary and tribute album. The tour had a unique format: at each show, a different artist from the tribute album, performed with Buck-Tick. The tour culminated in a giant festival called "Buck-Tick Fest 2007 on Parade", which was held on September 8 at Minato Mirai in the Yokohama port. It lasted all day and featured all 13 artists off the tribute album. Each of the guest artists and Buck-Tick played a set, and as a grand finale, there was a fireworks show over the bay.
2007–present: "Straight Rock" Years
Soon after this, on September 19, 2007 Buck-Tick released their fifteenth studio album, Tenshi no RevolverTenshi no Revolver
Tenshi no Revolver is the fifteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on September 19, 2007. The limited edition came with a DVD of the music videos for the singles, "Rendezvous" and "Alice in Wonder Underground". It reached number five on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
("Angel's Revolver"). Though they continued using a few gothic elements, they discarded the use of synth for this album, the concept for which was a "band sound". The band held a long national tour to support the album, which lasted until December. Also in December, the Japanese cellphone company SoftBank
SoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
released special-edition Buck-Tick mobile phones that had been designed by the band members.
At the tail end of 2008, BMG Japan was bought out by Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
and operated independently still as BMG until early 2009 where a company reorganization folded BMG completely into Sony. Thus causing the band to officially become a Sony Music Entertainment Japan artist, signed to the Ariola Japan
Ariola Japan
, is a Japanese record label precedently part of BMG Japan and now subsidiary of Sony Music Japan. It is home to both former BMG Japan artists and new artists, including Buck-Tick, The Cro-Magnons, Deen, GO!GO!7188, Kenichi Asai, AZU, Takako Matsu, Misia, Kazumasa Oda, Seamo, Shikao Suga, Sukima...
subsidiary.
The band released their next album, entitled Memento Mori
Memento Mori (Buck-Tick album)
Memento Mori is the sixteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 18, 2009. The limited edition came with a DVD of the making of the album. It reached number seven on the Oricon chart. Satoshi Mishiba of Kinniku Shōjo Tai provides piano on "Katte ni Shiyagare" and "Message".- Track listing :...
, on February 18, 2009. According to Sakurai, this album continues to explore the idea of "straight rock". After the release of the album, they then went on to perform an extended concert tour spanning three months. The final concerts were held at Tokyo’s NHK Hall
NHK Hall
NHK Hall is a part of the NHK Broadcasting Center, located in Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Address is 2-2-1, Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-8001. This facility has a 3677-seat capacity.* 1955, NHK Hall opened in Tokyo's Uchisaiwai-cho district...
.
In March 2010, they released their single "Dokudanjou Beauty". Their second single of 2010 was released on September 1 titled "Kuchizuke" ("Kisses"), it was used as the opening theme for Fuji TV's Shiki
Shiki (manga)
is a horror novel by Japanese novelist Fuyumi Ono, originally published in two parts by Shinchosha in 1998, which is later reprinted in five parts in 2002. A manga series adapting the story is drawn by Ryu Fujisaki and currently serialized in Japanese monthly magazine Jump SQ. from December 2007...
anime. On October 13, Buck-Tick released their eighteenth studio album titled Razzle Dazzle. Graphic artist Aquirax Uno
Aquirax Uno
is a Japanese graphic artist, illustrator and painter. His work is characterized by fantastic visuals, capricious and sensuous line flow, flamboyant eroticism, and frequent use of collage and bright colors...
provided the cover illustrations for the album.
Buck-Tick's song "Jupiter" was covered by DuelJewel on the compilation Crush! -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-, which was released on January 26, 2011 and features current visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
bands covering songs from bands that were important to the '90s visual kei movement. Their song "Speed" was covered by 9Goats Black Out
9Goats Black Out
9Goats Black Out is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2007. They are currently signed to the independent label Dalli.- Origin of the name :...
on its sequel, Crush! 2 -90's V-Rock Best Hit Cover Songs-, that was released on November 23, 2011.
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Buck-Tick opened a special website where they announced the creation of their own record label Lingua Sounda, and that its first releases will be a new single in spring 2012 and an album in the summer. They will also release two separate boxsets in March 2012, one containing work from 1987 to 1999 and the other from 2000 to 2010.
Influences
Buck-Tick was most strongly influenced by Western rock, especially British post-punkPost-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
from the 1970s and 80's, though they cite a few Japanese influences as well. The influences that the band members collectively name the most often are Love & Rockets
Love and Rockets (band)
Love and Rockets were an English alternative rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash , David J , and Kevin Haskins . Former Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy had embarked on a solo career after Bauhaus split in 1983...
, Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
, and Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
(the band admitted to going together to see Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (musician)
Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
live.) They also mention the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
. Imai was especially influenced by Love & Rockets, and this is very evident on Buck-Tick’s album Kurutta Taiyou. He was also influenced by Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Ultra Vox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
and other new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and electronic
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
acts, and the punk band The Stalin
The Stalin
were an influential Japanese punk rock band formed in June 1980, by leader and vocalist Michiro Endo. After numerous member changes, he disbanded the group in February 1985. In May 1987 Michiro formed a group called Video Stalin, which mostly made videos instead of albums, they disbanded in 1988...
. Sakurai was hugely influenced by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and he even played a cover of Bowie's song "Space Oddity" at his solo live in 2004. He is also influenced by post-punk/first wave goth acts such as The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Clan of Xymox
Clan of Xymox
The band Clan of Xymox, also known as Xymox, formed in the Netherlands in 1981. Clan Of Xymox featured a trio of songwriters - Pieter Nooten, Ronny Moorings and Anke [also Anka] Wolbert - and gained success in the 1980s, releasing their first two albums on a prestigious independent UK label, a...
, and Der Zibet and Masami Tsuchiya. He claims to love "dark" music in general. Hoshino and Yagami love The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Yagami is also a fan of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and other classic metal/punk acts like Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
.
At this point, Buck-Tick have influenced as many bands as they have been influenced by. They are regarded as one of the founders of visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
. Kiyoharu
Kiyoharu
, better known by his given and stage name, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter, known for his work with Kuroyume and Sads. In 2003 he began his solo career, performing as both a singer and guitarist.- Independent career and Kuroyume :...
(Kuroyume
Kuroyume
Kuroyume is a rock group that formed in Nagoya, Japan during May 1991, currently consisting of vocalist Kiyoharu and bassist Hitoki. They began as a visual kei group and carried similar looks throughout their career...
, Sads
SADS (band)
Sads is a post-punk and glam rock band formed in Japan in 1999. The band made its debut with the single "Tokyo". They released nine singles and four albums before their disbandment in 2003. In 2010, Sads reformed with a more metal sound and signed to the Avex label...
) interviewed Sakurai twice on his personal radio show in conjunction with Buck-Tick's anniversary festival and declared Sakurai to be "so hot" and "a wonderful person". Takanori Nishikawa
Takanori Nishikawa
is a renowned Japanese singer and actor. He performs as T.M.Revolution , which stands for although the name stems from the famous 80s pop electronic band TM Network...
(T.M.Revolution
Takanori Nishikawa
is a renowned Japanese singer and actor. He performs as T.M.Revolution , which stands for although the name stems from the famous 80s pop electronic band TM Network...
, Abingdon Boys School
Abingdon boys school
Abingdon Boys School, stylized as abingdon boys school and abbreviated as a.b.s, is a Japanese rock band fronted by Takanori Nishikawa....
) is another open fan of Buck-Tick, and interviewed the entire band on the TV program Pop Jam. Well-known visual rockers Tatsurou (Mucc
Mucc
is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1997. Named after a character from the Japanese children's TV show Hirake! Ponkikki, the band is also known by the nickname 69 since "six nine" can be pronounced "muku" in Japanese...
), Yuu (Merry), Aie (Deadman
Deadman (band)
Deadman was a Japanese rock band founded in Nagoya in 2000. The group gained notoriety for popularizing the nagoya kei sub-genre of visual kei, which is a lot "darker" than most and focuses more on musical composition. Deadman also quickly became known for Mako's heavily melancholic lyrical...
), Lay (Fatima) and Tsuyoshi (Karimero) even formed a Buck-Tick cover band called Bluck-Tlick. Kyo
Kyo (musician)
is the vocalist of Japanese band Dir En Grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was formerly in La:Sadie's. Kyo was inspired to become a rock star when he saw a picture of Buck-Tick vocalist Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.While he has only...
, vocalist of Dir en grey
Dir en grey
Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...
, has also mentioned that he was inspired to become a rock star when he saw a picture of Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.
Musical style
Buck-Tick's music has changed and evolved hugely over the course of their career. They called their early work "positive punk". It used simple rhythms and chords, with the songs mostly in major keys and the lyrics most of times using some English words. Starting with TabooTaboo (Buck-Tick album)
Taboo is the fourth album by Buck-Tick, released on January 18, 1989. It was released on cassette, two record vinyl set and CD. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007...
, they experimented with a darker sound, which grew more mature with Kurutta Taiyou
Kurutta Taiyou
is the sixth album by Buck-Tick, released on cassette and CD on February 21, 1991. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007. "M・A・D" and "Jupiter" were rerecorded for the 1992...
. With Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- they delved into a harsher electronic rock sound on all their albums up through Mona Lisa Overdrive
Mona Lisa Overdrive (album)
Mona Lisa Overdrive is the thirteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 13, 2003. The album is named after the 1989 novel Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson. It reached number seven on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
. More recently, with 13kai wa Gekkou, they have deliberately adopted a "goth" concept, which they combined with a retro straight rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
sound for their most recent albums, Tenshi no Revolver
Tenshi no Revolver
Tenshi no Revolver is the fifteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on September 19, 2007. The limited edition came with a DVD of the music videos for the singles, "Rendezvous" and "Alice in Wonder Underground". It reached number five on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
and Memento Mori
Memento Mori (Buck-Tick album)
Memento Mori is the sixteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 18, 2009. The limited edition came with a DVD of the making of the album. It reached number seven on the Oricon chart. Satoshi Mishiba of Kinniku Shōjo Tai provides piano on "Katte ni Shiyagare" and "Message".- Track listing :...
.
Some elements that persist throughout their music are resounding, jangling guitar chords, throbbing, prominent bass lines, harsh roars of electronically distorted noise, and ambivalent melodies that wander between major and minor keys, as well as Sakurai's distinctive rich baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
voice. Sakurai is famous for the erotic decadence of his lyrics (which are now predominantly in Japanese), but he also often addresses existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
psychological themes. Imai has written many songs that read like science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
stories, involving genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
and computer hackers
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
, but more recently has branched out into simple love songs.
Atsushi Sakurai
Atsushi SakuraiAtsushi Sakurai
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He has been the vocalist for the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985, previously being their drummer from 1983. He was also a member of Schwein with Hisashi Imai , Sascha Konietzko and Raymond Watts ....
is the only Buck-Tick member to have released material as a solo artist under his own name. In 2004, he collaborated with a number of artists to produce a solo album, Ai no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei is the first solo album by Sakurai Atsushi of Buck-Tick. Released in 2004, the album was packaged in a special long box, packed with a photo book, though it is also now out of print. On the album, Sakurai wrote all lyrics and provided all vocals while the music was composed by a...
("Planet of Love"). He wrote all the lyrics and performed all the vocals, and his collaborators each wrote a song or two for him. Most of the songs express his personal preferences — they are dark, jagged, and atmospheric. Some of the composers on the album include Wayne Hussey
Wayne Hussey
Wayne Hussey is a British musician, best known as lead singer of The Mission and guitarist with The Sisters of Mercy....
(The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
), Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie is a musician best known as co-founder of the Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing...
(Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
), Xymox, J. G. Thirlwell (Foetus), Okamura Yasuyuki, Cube Juice, Raymond Watts (PIG
PIG (band)
Raymond Watts is the founding and sole member of the post-industrial music project PIG, sometimes written as '....
), Masami Tsuchiya
Masami Tsuchiya
Masami Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and guitarist in the group Ippu-Do. His subsequent output includes solo work and collaborations...
(Ippu-Do) and Taiji Satou (Theater Brook). In addition to releasing the album, Sakurai released three singles and a DVD of his solo live performance. He also starred in Longinus
Longinus (film)
-Synopsis:A war rages on, its end unknown, covering the world in despair. At a military field hospital, a group of soldiers bring in one of their own, wounded by a large, vicious, bite-like wound, along with a large box. The soldiers are visibly shaken. Suddenly, an enigmatic man appears...
, a short vampire film
Vampire films
Vampire films have been a staple since the silent days, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker's Dracula, with over 170...
directed by Ryuuhei Kitamura.
Hisashi Imai
Hisashi ImaiHisashi Imai
is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft , Schwein , and more recently Lucy .- History :...
formed a band called Lucy with Kiyoshi (ex:Media Youth, hide with Spread Beaver) and Okazaki Katsuhige (Age of Punk) in 2004. The concept was straight rock-n-roll, and the band was very influenced by hide
Hide (musician)
, better known by his stage name hide , was a popular Japanese musician. He was primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan from 1987 to 1997...
. They have released two albums to date, Rockarollica, and Rockarollica II, and they have toured in Japan multiple times. Both Imai and Kiyoshi play guitars and sing, and write music and lyrics for the group.
Hidehiko Hoshino
Hidehiko Hoshino didn't have his own solo project until 2007, when he started Dropz, a band including Hoshino on guitars, programming and keyboards, Kelli Ali (Sneaker PimpsSneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
) on vocals, and Cube Juice on programming and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s. Hoshino started the band because he wanted to experiment with electronic music. He wrote all the music in an electro-pop style with a slight trip-hop influence. Kelli Ali wrote the lyrics in English. The group released one album, Sweet Oblivion, but has not yet performed any live shows.
Yutaka Higuchi
Yutaka Higuchi's solo project was a band called Wild Wise Apes, and included Higuchi on bass and Okuno Atsushi (Rogue) on vocals. The group released the album 3rd World, and performed two live shows near Buck-Tick's home town in Gunma PrefectureGunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
.
Toll Yagami
Toll Yagami released the solo album 1977/Blue Sky with a band called Yagami Toll and the Blue Sky. The album consists of one long continuous track of largely instrumental electronica, and was a concept album that dealt with the death of Yagami's older brother in 1977. His brother had played the drums, and it was his death that had inspired Yagami to become a drummer.Notable collaborations
Buck-Tick is also famous for their numerous collaborations with other artists, the most notable of which are detailed below.Auto-Mod
Genet, vocalist of Japanese goth band Auto-Mod, is good friends with Yagami and occasionally writes about him on his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. Yagami supported Auto-Mod at their live at Shinjuku Loft in 2006 (the live was part of a set of shows celebrating the venue's 30th anniversary.) Selia, the backup vocalist, was introduced to Buck-Tick through Genet and performed backing vocals on the songs "Mr. Darkness and Mrs. Moonlight" and "Revolver" on Buck-Tick's 2007 album Tenshi no Revolver
Tenshi no Revolver
Tenshi no Revolver is the fifteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on September 19, 2007. The limited edition came with a DVD of the music videos for the singles, "Rendezvous" and "Alice in Wonder Underground". It reached number five on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
.
Boøwy
Buck-Tick played a "double booking" live alongside Kyosuke HimuroKyosuke Himuro
is a popular Japanese singer. He was a member of the rock group Boøwy from 1981 to 1988. After the group disbanded he started a successful solo career. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Himuro at number 76 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts...
, formerly of Boøwy
Boøwy
Boøwy was a Japanese rock group consisting of Kyosuke Himuro , Tomoyasu Hotei , Tsunematsu Matsui and Makoto Takahashi . They were a rock band that reached legendary status in Japan during the 1980s...
on October 6, 1990, at the Maebashi Green Dome in Gunma prefecture. Other former Boøwy member Hotei Tomoyasu remixed Buck-Tick's song "Muchi no Namida" for their "Sasayaki" single. Both bands hail from the same town in Gunma, Kyosuke Himuro went to high school with the Buck-Tick members.
Cube Juice
Cube Juice, a solo electro artist who made his debut in 1999, is still not well known, but has collaborated with Buck-Tick members multiple times. He wrote the music for "Fantasy" and "Tensei", two of Sakurai's solo songs. He also appeared as a guest at his solo live to play synth during "Fantasy". In 2007, he was part of Dropz, along with Hoshino and Kelli Ali.Guniw Tools
Guniw ToolsGuniw Tools
Guniw Tools began in 1989 as Tomo Furukawa's creative outlet called Guniw that incorporated artwork and music, becoming what it’s known as today after Jake joined the band in 1992. Asaki joined the group as a support guitarist several years later, but was made an official member after gaining...
was made up of Full on vocals and Asaki and Jake on guitar. Full directed the music video for Buck-Tick's single "Candy" (1995). Imai wrote the music to the song "Grazing" on their album Dazzle (1998). After the breakup of Guniw Tools, Asaki went on to form Age of Punk with Okazaki Katsuhige, former support drummer for Guniw Tools and drummer of Lucy. Age of Punk covered the song "Physical Neurose" for Buck-Tick's tribute album, Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-. They also performed with them on the Okinawa stop of their "Parade Tour" in 2008, and at the "On Parade Festival" in 2007. Jake (born Masatomo Kawase) went solo and went under the name CloudChair. He arranged the song "Neko" for Sakurai's solo album Ai no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei is the first solo album by Sakurai Atsushi of Buck-Tick. Released in 2004, the album was packaged in a special long box, packed with a photo book, though it is also now out of print. On the album, Sakurai wrote all lyrics and provided all vocals while the music was composed by a...
(2004) under this name, and also played guitar in Sakurai's session band during his solo tour.
Issay
Issay, vocalist of Der Zibet, had Sakurai as a guest in several of his releases, including the song "Masquerade" off Der Zibet's album Shinshunki II –Downer Side– (1991) and the song "Koi no Hallelujah", off his solo album Flowers (1994), on which Hoshino also played guitar. In addition, Issay did guest vocals on the song "Itoshi no Rock Star" on Buck-Tick,s album Six/NineSix/Nine
Six/Nine is the eighth album by Buck-Tick, released on May 15, 1995 in a clear purple case. It reached number one on the Oricon chart. Issay provides vocals for "Itoshi no Rock Star". "Rakuen" caused controversy because some of the lyrics were lifted from the Qur'an. Later, the album was re-issued...
, and participated in the album's tour. Issay is also a great friend of Sakurai and the two have been interviewed together many times.
Luna Sea
Buck-Tick toured with Luna SeaLuna Sea
Luna Sea is a rock band from Kanagawa, Japan, formed in 1989. The band was initially founded by bassist J and rhythm guitarist Inoran, when they were in high school. They soon recruited lead guitarist and violinist Sugizo, drummer Shinya and vocalist Ryuichi, a lineup that has remained the same...
and Soft Ballet
Soft Ballet
Soft Ballet is a Japanese Pop and EBM band. The group had three members: Maki Fujii, Ken Morioka, and Ryoichi Endo. They have been recording since 1989, though they had a long span of inactivity from 1995 to 2002 while the members pursued solo projects....
on a five-stop tour in 1994 called the "LSB Tour", which also included Schaft
Schaft
Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
. Luna Sea bassist J covered Buck-Tick's "Iconoclasm" for their 2006 tribute album, he also performed at their "Buck-Tick Fest 2007 on Parade" concert.
Marilyn Manson
Buck-Tick opened for Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
when he played at Tokyo Bay NK Hall
Tokyo Bay NK Hall
Tokyo Bay NK Hall was an indoor sporting arena located at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba, in Japan. The capacity of the arena is 7,000 people. It hosts local sporting events and concerts that require a smaller facility than Ariake Coliseum....
and Osaka-jo Hall
Osaka-jo Hall
, or Osaka Castle Hall, is a multi-purpose arena, in the Kyōbashi area, of Osaka, Japan. The hall opened in 1983 and can seat up to 16,000 people...
in September 2003.
Raymond Watts
Raymond Watts, of PIGPIG (band)
Raymond Watts is the founding and sole member of the post-industrial music project PIG, sometimes written as '....
, has collaborated with the members of Buck-Tick on numerous occasions. He participated in the creation of Schaft
Schaft
Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
's album Switchblade
Switchblade (album)
Switchblade is a 1994 album by Schaft. A promotional video for the song Arbor Vitate was filmed, and was later re-used by PIG for their version of the song.-Track listing:# "Olive" – 5:04# "The Hero Inside" – 4:01# "Thirsty Fly" – 6:27...
(1994), and he wrote the music to the song "Yellow Pig" for Sakurai's solo album Ai no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei is the first solo album by Sakurai Atsushi of Buck-Tick. Released in 2004, the album was packaged in a special long box, packed with a photo book, though it is also now out of print. On the album, Sakurai wrote all lyrics and provided all vocals while the music was composed by a...
(2004). PIG opened for Buck-Tick on their 4-date "Energy Void" tour in 1999. In addition, Raymond Watts was also was a member of Schwein
Schwein
Schwein is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts and Hisashi Imai , both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai , Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli...
and participated in the "Schweinfest" tour in 2001.
Schaft
SchaftSchaft
Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
was an electronic music group consisting of Hisashi Imai
Hisashi Imai
is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft , Schwein , and more recently Lucy .- History :...
and Maki Fujii (Soft Ballet
Soft Ballet
Soft Ballet is a Japanese Pop and EBM band. The group had three members: Maki Fujii, Ken Morioka, and Ryoichi Endo. They have been recording since 1989, though they had a long span of inactivity from 1995 to 2002 while the members pursued solo projects....
). They released songs for the omnibus album Dance 2 Noise 001 (October 21, 1991) as well as their own album, Switchblade
Switchblade (album)
Switchblade is a 1994 album by Schaft. A promotional video for the song Arbor Vitate was filmed, and was later re-used by PIG for their version of the song.-Track listing:# "Olive" – 5:04# "The Hero Inside" – 4:01# "Thirsty Fly" – 6:27...
, (September 21, 1994) in which Raymond Watts participated. They also performed with Buck-Tick on the "LSB Tour".
Schwein
SchweinSchwein
Schwein is a music group comprising members of Buck-Tick, KMFDM, and PIG. Members Raymond Watts and Hisashi Imai , both having worked together in Schaft, were joined by Atsushi Sakurai , Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli...
was an industrial rock group formed in 2001, consisting of Atsushi Sakurai
Atsushi Sakurai
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He has been the vocalist for the rock band Buck-Tick since 1985, previously being their drummer from 1983. He was also a member of Schwein with Hisashi Imai , Sascha Konietzko and Raymond Watts ....
, Hisashi Imai
Hisashi Imai
is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known as lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. He has also performed in musical side-projects such as Schaft , Schwein , and more recently Lucy .- History :...
, Raymond Watts and Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko , also known as Sascha K and Käpt'n K, is a German musician and producer. He is the founder, frontman, and "anchor" of industrial rock band KMFDM. Konietzko jokingly purports himself to be the father of industrial rock...
(KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
). Lucia Cifarelli
Lucia Cifarelli
Lucia Cifarelli is currently a vocalist and occasional keyboardist for industrial music group KMFDM...
(KMFDM) helped write some of their lyrics. They released one studio album, Schweinstein
Schweinstein
-Personnel:* Sakurai Atsushi – vocals* Imai Hisashi – guitar* Raymond Watts – vocals, programming, guitar* Sascha Konietzko – vocals, programming* Lucia Cifarelli – vocals* Jules Hodgson – guitar* Chris Ignatiou – guitar* Julian Beeston – programming...
, and one remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album, Son of Schweinstein
Son of Schweinstein
Son of Schweinstein is a remix EP by Schwein. Released following Schweinstein, Son of Schweinstein features remixes of tracks found on Schweinstein.-Track listing:...
, both in 2001. They also performed a short tour in Japan, in which Konietzko did not participate (their support band consisted of Bryan Black, Jules Hodgson
Jules Hodgson
Jules Hodgson, also credited as Joolz or J. Hogstorm, is the guitarist for KMFDM, an industrial band, and The Spittin' Cobras . He is a former member of PIG and Lodestar. In 2006, Hodgson married pin-up model Go-go Amy and divorced in 2008. Jules now resides in Seattle, Washington...
, Andy Selway
Andy Selway
KMFDM drummer Andy Selway spent his early years in Luton, England, but moved to Kirton near Felixstowe in Suffolk where he remained until his early 20s...
and Arianne Schreiber).
Soft Ballet
Soft BalletSoft Ballet
Soft Ballet is a Japanese Pop and EBM band. The group had three members: Maki Fujii, Ken Morioka, and Ryoichi Endo. They have been recording since 1989, though they had a long span of inactivity from 1995 to 2002 while the members pursued solo projects....
's Maki Fujii has collaborated with Buck-Tick on a number of occasions. He appeared in the band Schaft
Schaft
Schaft is a Japanese musical side project whose main members are Fujii Maki of Soft Ballet and Hisashi Imai of Buck-Tick. Schaft can be thought of as being a supergroup in that Maki and Imai form the core of the group and a rotating roster of collaborators, who are well-known within their genres,...
along with Imai, and also played in the session band that performed with Sakurai at his solo live concert. Ken Morioka played the keyboards on Buck-Tick's album Seventh Heaven
Seventh Heaven (Buck-Tick album)
Seventh Heaven is the third album by Buck-Tick released on June 21, 1988, on cassette, vinyl and CD. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007. The lyrics for "Physical Neurose"...
.
The Stalin
Back in the days of Hinan Go-Go, Buck-Tick played covers of songs by The StalinThe Stalin
were an influential Japanese punk rock band formed in June 1980, by leader and vocalist Michiro Endo. After numerous member changes, he disbanded the group in February 1985. In May 1987 Michiro formed a group called Video Stalin, which mostly made videos instead of albums, they disbanded in 1988...
. Much later, in 1995, Imai made a guest appearance on The Stalin's live album Shinda Mono Hodo Aishite Yaru Sa ("I'll Love You as Much as a Dead Thing"). Stalin leader, Michiro Endo
Michiro Endo
is a Japanese musician, author and socialist activist. Known as frontman of the influential punk band The Stalin.Endo was born in Nihonmatsu and graduated from Yamagata University. After college he wandered through Vietnam and Southeast Asia...
, covered Buck-Tick's song "Sasayaki" for their tribute album, Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
Parade -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick- is a Buck-Tick tribute album, released on December 21, 2005. It collects cover versions of their songs by various artists.- Tracklisting :...
, in 2006. He also performed alongside Buck-Tick on the Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
stop of their "Parade Tour" in 2007, and he appeared at the "On Parade Festival", where he played The Stalin song "Warushawa no Gensou" ("Fantasy in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
") with Imai as guest guitarist. Buck-Tick covered Endo's song "Omae no Inu Ninaru" ("You're a Dog") for Romantist - The Stalin, Michiro Endo Tribute Album, released on December 1, 2010.
Theater Brook
Taiji Satou, vocalist and guitarist for Theater Brook, wrote the music to the song "Taiji" for Sakurai's solo album Ai no WakuseiAi no Wakusei
Ai no Wakusei is the first solo album by Sakurai Atsushi of Buck-Tick. Released in 2004, the album was packaged in a special long box, packed with a photo book, though it is also now out of print. On the album, Sakurai wrote all lyrics and provided all vocals while the music was composed by a...
(2004). Sakurai performed "Taiji" live as a guest of Theater Brook at the Niigata
Niigata, Niigata
is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....
"Live Aid" event on January 23, 2005. Theater Brook also appeared at the "On Parade Festival" in 2007.
Discography
Studio albums- Hurry Up ModeHurry Up ModeHurry Up Mode is the debut album by Buck-Tick, released on both LP and CD on April 4, 1987. The CD version had two bonus tracks, "Vacuum Dream" and "No-No-Boy". It was later remixed and re-released in 1990, excluding the two bonus tracks...
(April 4, 1987) - Sexual XXXXX!Sexual XXXXX!Sexual XXXXX! is Buck-Tick's major label debut album on Victor, though it is actually their second full-length release. It was originally released on cassette, vinyl and CD on November 21, 1987. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002 with a different cover. It was...
(November 21, 1987) - Seventh HeavenSeventh Heaven (Buck-Tick album)Seventh Heaven is the third album by Buck-Tick released on June 21, 1988, on cassette, vinyl and CD. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007. The lyrics for "Physical Neurose"...
(June 21, 1988) - TabooTaboo (Buck-Tick album)Taboo is the fourth album by Buck-Tick, released on January 18, 1989. It was released on cassette, two record vinyl set and CD. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007...
(January 18, 1989) - Aku no HanaAku no Hanais the fifth album by Buck-Tick, released on cassette and CD on February 1, 1990. It reached number one on the Oricon charts and is their best selling album to date. The title comes from Charles Baudelaire's volume of poetry, Les Fleurs du mal . The album was digitally remastered and re-released on...
(悪の華, February 1, 1990) - Kurutta TaiyouKurutta Taiyouis the sixth album by Buck-Tick, released on cassette and CD on February 21, 1991. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007. "M・A・D" and "Jupiter" were rerecorded for the 1992...
(狂った太陽, February 21, 1991) - Darker Than Darkness -Style 93- (June 23, 1993)
- Six/NineSix/NineSix/Nine is the eighth album by Buck-Tick, released on May 15, 1995 in a clear purple case. It reached number one on the Oricon chart. Issay provides vocals for "Itoshi no Rock Star". "Rakuen" caused controversy because some of the lyrics were lifted from the Qur'an. Later, the album was re-issued...
(May 5, 1995) - CosmosCosmos (Buck-Tick album)Cosmos is the ninth album by Buck-Tick, released on June 21, 1996. It reached number six on the Oricon chart. The album was digitally remastered and re-released on September 19, 2002, with two bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again on September 5, 2007...
(June 21, 1996) - Sexy Stream LinerSexy Stream LinerSexy Stream Liner is the tenth album by Buck-Tick, their first on Mercury Music Entertainment, released on December 10, 1997. It reached number four on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
(December 10, 1997) - One Life, One DeathOne Life, One DeathOne Life, One Death is the eleventh album by Buck-Tick, their first on BMG/Funhouse, released on September 20, 2000. The title comes from lyrics to "Cyborg Dolly: Sora-mimi: Phantom", which also mentions cloning sheep and is named after the famous Dolly. It reached number eleven on the Oricon...
(September 20, 2000) - Kyokutou I Love YouKyokutou I Love Youis the twelfth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 2, 2002. It reached number twelve on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
(極東 I LOVE YOU, February 2, 2002) - Mona Lisa OverdriveMona Lisa Overdrive (album)Mona Lisa Overdrive is the thirteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 13, 2003. The album is named after the 1989 novel Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson. It reached number seven on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
(February 13, 2003) - 13kai wa Gekkou (十三階は月光, April 5, 2005)
- Tenshi no RevolverTenshi no RevolverTenshi no Revolver is the fifteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on September 19, 2007. The limited edition came with a DVD of the music videos for the singles, "Rendezvous" and "Alice in Wonder Underground". It reached number five on the Oricon chart.- Track listing :...
(天使のリボルバー, September 19, 2007) - Memento MoriMemento Mori (Buck-Tick album)Memento Mori is the sixteenth album by Buck-Tick, released on February 18, 2009. The limited edition came with a DVD of the making of the album. It reached number seven on the Oricon chart. Satoshi Mishiba of Kinniku Shōjo Tai provides piano on "Katte ni Shiyagare" and "Message".- Track listing :...
(February 18, 2009) - Razzle Dazzle (October 13, 2010)