The Mad Capsule Markets
Encyclopedia
The Mad Capsule Markets (originally known as The Mad Capsule Market's and Berrie) were a Japanese
band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006. The band became known for their experimental style of music, which focused on the fusion of electronic music
with punk rock
and heavy metal
.
and guitarist Minoru Kojima
formed the punk
band Berrie. One year later, the duo were joined by bassist Takeshi Ueda
and drummer "Seto", at which point the quartet began performing at concerts and entering Battle of the Bands
competitions. The band recorded a three-song demo tape entitled Poison Revolution, which they distributed themselves. (Two of these three songs were later re-released on the Speak!!!
album.) Their popularity in the Japanese underground music
scene steadily grew and in 1990 this success earned them a place as the opening act for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. However, within months of the performance, drummer "Seto" left the band, and was replaced by Tokyo
resident Motokatsu Miyagami
. In April 1990, Berrie changed its name to The Mad Capsule Market's, purportedly a term for distributors of Betaphenethylamine, a fictional drug from the cyberpunk
novel Neuromancer
.
, which also featured a number of Berrie songs and retained their punk sound. After the album's release, original guitarist Minoru Kojima left the band, and was replaced by former roadie Ai Ishigaki
. The following year, The Mad Capsule Markets signed to major record label Victor Entertainment
and recorded their second album, P.O.P
. A faster and harder album than their first, it was heavily censored, provoking outrage from the band members.
From 1992 onwards the band began to experiment with their punk sound, introducing various sampling
machines and swinging from quiet and melodic to hard and aggressive styles. In 1992 they recorded the EP
Capsule Soup
and their third album Speak!!!
. In 1993, their fourth album Mix-ism
leaned more towards ska punk
, and in 1994 their fifth album Park demonstrated a slower and more melodic style. This was also the first album to be released overseas (in the United States
, although almost two years after its Japanese release).
Recorded and produced in the USA, their 1996 album 4 Plugs
saw a musical shift towards heavy metal
. Although the band retained its style of punk with electronic influences, the music was darker and heavier. Vocalist Kyono also altered his singing style and began rapping
in English
occasionally. This marked the beginning of the major stylistic change that would be demonstrated on subsequent recordings.
Later that year, the band released a self-titled greatest hits
compilation, containing re-recorded songs from their career up to that point. Following its release, guitarist Ai Ishigaki left the band and was replaced by "TORUxxx
".
. A strong progression from 4 Plugs, electronica
came to the forefront and the music had a great deal in common with industrial metal
.
In 1999 the band released their most internationally recognized album to date. Osc-Dis
(Oscillator in Distortion) was a more poppy
or melodic take on the sound of Digidogheadlock. It was released worldwide in 2001, driven by the hugely popular single "Pulse", which featured on the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
. The song and the album became the group's most well-known outside of Japan. At this time the band also introduced their robotic "mascot
s" the White Crusher and Black Cyborn.
The Mad Capsule Markets' tenth album, 010, was released in 2001 and demonstrated all the styles that they had explored previously, with a stronger emphasis on electronica. This produced a record which sounded more diverse than those before it. In 2002 the band also released a live album entitled 020120
, after the date of the performance.
In 2004 the band produced their most recent studio album, Cistm Konfliqt... . The album was a return to the heaviness of Digidogheadlock, but this heaviness was filtered through the electronic experimentation of the previous two albums, maintaining a strong link with digital hardcore
. The UK
release of Cistm Konfliqt... in 2005 saw the band's popularity there grow, with rock magazine Kerrang!
inviting them to play numerous concerts. Japan
ese mixed martial arts
fighter Takanori Gomi
uses the track "Scary" for his entrance theme.
In 2005, The Mad Capsule Markets broke from longtime record label Victor/Invitation
and signed to Sony Music Japan. They released two greatest hits compilations of songs spanning their entire career, these were entitled 1990-1996 and 1997-2004.
On 5 April the band announced that they were taking an 'extended break' from making music under the Mad Capsule Markets' name and instead work on separate projects. They posted this on the official Japanese site:
"Thank you so much for big support for us. This time, after our discuss with 3 guys from the band, we decide to take an break as the band. We can't decide when we can re-start again as the band, at this point. Each from the band plans to work as artist/projects, please keep supporting us from now on. thank you."
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006. The band became known for their experimental style of music, which focused on the fusion of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
with punk rock
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...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Berrie (1985-1990)
In 1985, while in high school, vocalist and songwriter Hiroshi KyonoHiroshi Kyono
Hiroshi Kyono is the vocalist for The Mad Capsule Markets.- Early years :Kyono claims that in his earlier years he was an MTV junky, in high school he started listening to Japanese punk like Gauze, The Stalin, Inu, and Aburadako. Then he ventured out into overseas punk like Crass and Pop Group...
and guitarist Minoru Kojima
Minoru Kojima
Minoru Kojima was the original guitarist for Japanese experimental punk band The Mad Capsule Markets. He is also known as Scene or Shin Murohime, which is apparently a conglomeration of characters from the names of different Boøwy members...
formed the 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...
band Berrie. One year later, the duo were joined by bassist Takeshi Ueda
Takeshi Ueda
, is the bassist, programmer, additional vocalist and song writer for The Mad Capsule Markets. He is often known for his unique way of bass guitar playing, and ever changing haircuts.-Musical career:Takeshi was born in Yokohama, Japan...
and drummer "Seto", at which point the quartet began performing at concerts and entering Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
competitions. The band recorded a three-song demo tape entitled Poison Revolution, which they distributed themselves. (Two of these three songs were later re-released on the Speak!!!
SPEAK!!!
Speak!!! is the fourth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. The album was recorded in England. Two songs were featured from the original Berrie recording. The album displayed a more experimental and darker side to their music, evident in the closing song "Kachiku"...
album.) Their popularity in the Japanese underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene steadily grew and in 1990 this success earned them a place as the opening act for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. However, within months of the performance, drummer "Seto" left the band, and was replaced by 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...
resident Motokatsu Miyagami
Motokatsu Miyagami
is the drummer for The Mad Capsule Markets. Motokatsu replaced former Berrie drummer Seto on the band's first release, Government Wall. He also plays in a side-project called Rally, with members of GLAY and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant...
. In April 1990, Berrie changed its name to The Mad Capsule Market's, purportedly a term for distributors of Betaphenethylamine, a fictional drug from the 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...
novel Neuromancer
Neuromancer
Neuromancer is a 1984 novel by William Gibson, a seminal work in the cyberpunk genre and the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy...
.
Early years (1990-1996)
In August 1990, the new band released their first single, "Government Wall", a re-recording of the Berrie song. In October, they released their debut album, HumanityHumanity (The Mad Capsule Markets album)
Humanity is the debut album from Japanese punk group The Mad Capsule Markets. They later re-released the album in 1996, and This was the only full album that guitarist Minoru Kojima played on...
, which also featured a number of Berrie songs and retained their punk sound. After the album's release, original guitarist Minoru Kojima left the band, and was replaced by former roadie Ai Ishigaki
Ai Ishigaki
Ishigaki Ai was the support guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets from 1990 to 1996. He got the job as support guitarist after being a roadie for MCM in the Berrie days...
. The following year, The Mad Capsule Markets signed to major record label Victor Entertainment
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...
and recorded their second album, P.O.P
P.O.P
P.O.P is the second album by The Mad Capsule Markets and their major label debut. It was a faster, thrashier effort than their debut album Humanity, and featured new guitarist Ai Ishigaki. Many lyrics were edited out for content...
. A faster and harder album than their first, it was heavily censored, provoking outrage from the band members.
From 1992 onwards the band began to experiment with their punk sound, introducing various sampling
Sampling (signal processing)
In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal. A common example is the conversion of a sound wave to a sequence of samples ....
machines and swinging from quiet and melodic to hard and aggressive styles. In 1992 they recorded the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Capsule Soup
Capsule Soup
Capsule Soup is an EP by The Mad Capsule Markets. On this experimental release, the band started using samplers. "Bach Sleeps" is a cover version of Bach's Fugue for organ in G minor.-Track listing:#"Bach Sleeps." – 1:59# – 3:01...
and their third album Speak!!!
SPEAK!!!
Speak!!! is the fourth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. The album was recorded in England. Two songs were featured from the original Berrie recording. The album displayed a more experimental and darker side to their music, evident in the closing song "Kachiku"...
. In 1993, their fourth album Mix-ism
MIX-ISM
Mix-ism is the fifth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. Mix-ism earned The Mad Capsule Markets their first high rated album on the charts and featured the band taking on a more ska-based sound...
leaned more towards ska punk
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
, and in 1994 their fifth album Park demonstrated a slower and more melodic style. This was also the first album to be released overseas (in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, although almost two years after its Japanese release).
Recorded and produced in the USA, their 1996 album 4 Plugs
4 Plugs
-Charts:...
saw a musical shift towards heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. Although the band retained its style of punk with electronic influences, the music was darker and heavier. Vocalist Kyono also altered his singing style and began rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
occasionally. This marked the beginning of the major stylistic change that would be demonstrated on subsequent recordings.
Later that year, the band released a self-titled greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation, containing re-recorded songs from their career up to that point. Following its release, guitarist Ai Ishigaki left the band and was replaced by "TORUxxx
TORUxxx
TORUxxx was a support guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets. before joining The Mad Capsule Markets, TORUxxx was a member of Japanese punk groups Star-Club and Londs Of Three and later joined mad in 1997 on the Digidogheadlock album after a long line of live backing guitars had come and gone...
".
Stylistic change and international recognition (1997–2005)
Perhaps boosted by the change in guitarist, The Mad Capsule Markets' sound became heavier still. In 1997 they released their second international album and eighth overall, DigidogheadlockDigidogheadlock
Digidogheadlock is the eighth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. The album explored the techno sound that would later be used on Osc-Dis. TORUxxx stepped in on guitar for this album, however Takeshi recorded the guitar on the track "Asphalt Beach"...
. A strong progression from 4 Plugs, electronica
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...
came to the forefront and the music had a great deal in common with industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
.
In 1999 the band released their most internationally recognized album to date. Osc-Dis
Osc-Dis
Other versions include a digipak with a bonus DVD including videos for "Tribe", "Pulse", "All the Time in Sunny Beach", "Good Girl", "Midi Surf", and "Systematic"...
(Oscillator in Distortion) was a more poppy
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
or melodic take on the sound of Digidogheadlock. It was released worldwide in 2001, driven by the hugely popular single "Pulse", which featured on the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often abbreviated to THPS3, is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation. In 2002, it was published for the...
. The song and the album became the group's most well-known outside of Japan. At this time the band also introduced their robotic "mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s" the White Crusher and Black Cyborn.
The Mad Capsule Markets' tenth album, 010, was released in 2001 and demonstrated all the styles that they had explored previously, with a stronger emphasis on electronica. This produced a record which sounded more diverse than those before it. In 2002 the band also released a live album entitled 020120
020120
020120 is a live album from The Mad Capsule Markets. It was recorded live on January 20, 2002 at Zepp Tokyo. The music is basically material from the Osc-Dis and the 010 albums, but it did include a faster version of Kami-Uta as an encore track and for the intro tape, the show opens with Crass'...
, after the date of the performance.
In 2004 the band produced their most recent studio album, Cistm Konfliqt... . The album was a return to the heaviness of Digidogheadlock, but this heaviness was filtered through the electronic experimentation of the previous two albums, maintaining a strong link with digital hardcore
Digital hardcore
Digital hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk incorporating influences from electronic music. Digital hardcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with various forms of electronic music...
. The UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
release of Cistm Konfliqt... in 2005 saw the band's popularity there grow, with rock magazine Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
inviting them to play numerous concerts. Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter Takanori Gomi
Takanori Gomi
, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and was the last and only Pride Lightweight Champion. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. During his time in Pride he was considered...
uses the track "Scary" for his entrance theme.
In 2005, The Mad Capsule Markets broke from longtime record label Victor/Invitation
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...
and signed to Sony Music Japan. They released two greatest hits compilations of songs spanning their entire career, these were entitled 1990-1996 and 1997-2004.
On 5 April the band announced that they were taking an 'extended break' from making music under the Mad Capsule Markets' name and instead work on separate projects. They posted this on the official Japanese site:
"Thank you so much for big support for us. This time, after our discuss with 3 guys from the band, we decide to take an break as the band. We can't decide when we can re-start again as the band, at this point. Each from the band plans to work as artist/projects, please keep supporting us from now on. thank you."
Current members
- Hiroshi KyonoHiroshi KyonoHiroshi Kyono is the vocalist for The Mad Capsule Markets.- Early years :Kyono claims that in his earlier years he was an MTV junky, in high school he started listening to Japanese punk like Gauze, The Stalin, Inu, and Aburadako. Then he ventured out into overseas punk like Crass and Pop Group...
– 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... - Takeshi UedaTakeshi Ueda, is the bassist, programmer, additional vocalist and song writer for The Mad Capsule Markets. He is often known for his unique way of bass guitar playing, and ever changing haircuts.-Musical career:Takeshi was born in Yokohama, Japan...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, backing vocals - Motokatsu MiyagamiMotokatsu Miyagamiis the drummer for The Mad Capsule Markets. Motokatsu replaced former Berrie drummer Seto on the band's first release, Government Wall. He also plays in a side-project called Rally, with members of GLAY and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant...
– drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
/percussionPercussion instrumentA 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... - TORUxxxTORUxxxTORUxxx was a support guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets. before joining The Mad Capsule Markets, TORUxxx was a member of Japanese punk groups Star-Club and Londs Of Three and later joined mad in 1997 on the Digidogheadlock album after a long line of live backing guitars had come and gone...
– touring guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocals
Former members
- Minoru KojimaMinoru KojimaMinoru Kojima was the original guitarist for Japanese experimental punk band The Mad Capsule Markets. He is also known as Scene or Shin Murohime, which is apparently a conglomeration of characters from the names of different Boøwy members...
aka "Shin" – guitar (1990) - Ai IshigakiAi IshigakiIshigaki Ai was the support guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets from 1990 to 1996. He got the job as support guitarist after being a roadie for MCM in the Berrie days...
– guitar (1990–1996) - Takashi FujitaDoom (Japanese band)Doom was a Japanese thrash metal band by former Zadkiel members Takashi and Koh. Formed in Tokyo in 1985, the first line up included Takashi "Taka" Fujita , Koh "Pirarucu" Morota and Jouichi "Joe" Hirokawa . The group released their first EP Go Mad Yourself! in 1986, and the debut album No More...
– guitar (briefly after Ishigaki left) - Seto - drums (while the band was still known as Berrie)
Discography
- HumanityHumanity (The Mad Capsule Markets album)Humanity is the debut album from Japanese punk group The Mad Capsule Markets. They later re-released the album in 1996, and This was the only full album that guitarist Minoru Kojima played on...
(1990) - P.O.PP.O.PP.O.P is the second album by The Mad Capsule Markets and their major label debut. It was a faster, thrashier effort than their debut album Humanity, and featured new guitarist Ai Ishigaki. Many lyrics were edited out for content...
(1991) - Capsule SoupCapsule SoupCapsule Soup is an EP by The Mad Capsule Markets. On this experimental release, the band started using samplers. "Bach Sleeps" is a cover version of Bach's Fugue for organ in G minor.-Track listing:#"Bach Sleeps." – 1:59# – 3:01...
(1992) - Speak!!!SPEAK!!!Speak!!! is the fourth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. The album was recorded in England. Two songs were featured from the original Berrie recording. The album displayed a more experimental and darker side to their music, evident in the closing song "Kachiku"...
(1992) - Mix-ismMIX-ISMMix-ism is the fifth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. Mix-ism earned The Mad Capsule Markets their first high rated album on the charts and featured the band taking on a more ska-based sound...
(1994) - Park (1994)
- 4 Plugs4 Plugs-Charts:...
(1996) - DigidogheadlockDigidogheadlockDigidogheadlock is the eighth album from The Mad Capsule Markets. The album explored the techno sound that would later be used on Osc-Dis. TORUxxx stepped in on guitar for this album, however Takeshi recorded the guitar on the track "Asphalt Beach"...
(1997) - Osc-DisOsc-DisOther versions include a digipak with a bonus DVD including videos for "Tribe", "Pulse", "All the Time in Sunny Beach", "Good Girl", "Midi Surf", and "Systematic"...
(1999) - 010 (2001)
- Cistm Konfliqt... (2004)
External links
- The Crazy Pill Bazaars fansite
- [ The Mad Capsule Markets] at Allmusic
- The Mad Capsule Markets at ARTISTdirectARTISTdirectFounded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...