Buck-Tick - An Explosion of Music
Here I am with an extra-large week-end special on “Focusing on…”, for opening this February in the best way possible. And I will do that with one of the most relevant Japanese band ever, which inspired many and many artists not only on Japan, but also in the rest of the world. Their name is Buck-Tick, they have formed in 1983 and nowadays they are composed by Atsushi Sakurai (vo.), Hisashi Imai (gt.), Hidehiko Hoshino (gt.), Yutaka Higuchi (ba.) and his brother Toll Yagami (dr.). The name comes from the fake-english word “buck-tick”, which in Japanese is pronounced bakuchiku, meaning firecrackers. Therefore their musical idea suggests an explosion of genres and this explains their variety of musical genres, going from alternative to gothic, from industrial to electronic, with some influences from dark-wave, pop and punk. For explaining their music throughout the time I will divide their career in phases, for making order into the chaos. And before starting I hope that you could enjoy the songs I’ve chosen from their huge discography and since it was really hard choosing them, if you have something to tell, you can freely do that, I’d appreciate it. Their formation phase goes from 1983 to 1985 and this was the time of the brief presence of Araki as vocalist, who was not suitable to Buck-Tick’s music and therefore it was substituted by Atsushi Sakurai. And their real career starts in their indie phase in 1985 and their first release, occurred in 1986, was the single To-Search/Mienaimono wo miyoutosuru gokai subete gokai da (It’s incomprehensible trying to see invisible things), followed by their first full-albums Hurry Up Mode and Sexualxxxxx!, which signed their major debut.
Their second full-album contains among many tracks, the song Illusion, a really evocative and nostalgic song; a video-clip and a look which were behind the times, echoing western new-wave bands; the main theme is the feelings seen as a beautiful illusion, a dear theme for many writers and artists. Their major debut has been followed by the first mini-album Romanesque, the third full-album Seventh Heaven, the single Just one more kiss and the full-album Taboo, which characterized this phase, inspired by contemporary bands, like Der Zibet. Then they went on hiatus, because of the legal problems occurred to Hisashi Imai and in 1990 they returned to musical scenes, releasing their fifth full-album Aku no Hana (The flowers of evil), like Sakurai’s favorite book Le fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire, and this album dealt with Baudelaire’s main themes.
This album contains the most famous ballad ever made by Buck-Tick, i.e Kiss me Goodbye. This song is a suggestive melodic track, where the dark components are united to rock sound and the lyrics deal with another dear poetic theme, which is the transience of human life. Then their mature phase, from 1990 to 1995, was characterized by the release of the orchestral album Symphonic Buck-Tick in Berlin, the sixth full-album Kurutta Taiyou (Lunatic Sun), where there is Speed, another hit from them (check out the analysis of another song of this release, Jupiter).
This song has a peculiar and seducent rock sound, which makes it really unique in their discography; the main theme of this song is the epicurean motto of living every single day as the last one; in short a rebel and sensual track. This album has been followed after two years by the seventh one Darker than Darkness -Style 93-, the compilation albums Shapeless, Six/Nine and Catalogue 1987-1995. Then in 1996 starts their cyberpunk phase, which will end in 2003 and characterized by the release of their tenth full-album Cosmos, the eleventh one Sexy Stream Liner, their second mini-album LTD and the singles Gessekai (Moon World), Bran-New Lover and Glamorous, the twelfth full-album One Life, One Death, the single 21st Cherry Boy, the thirteenth album Kyokutou I Love You (Far East I love you), the singles Kyokuto yori ai wo komete (From the Far East with love), Zangai (Ruins), the fourteenth album Mona Lisa Overdrive, the single Gensou no hana (Fantasy flower) and the compilation At the night side.
Then in 2005, when started the solo project phase, characterized by the start of their solo projects, especially Sakurai’s one, they released the single Romance, another “unicum” in their discography. Now the sound is nearer to gothic music and as said before, it features only natural sounds; this song is about a destroying love story, well shown by the atmosphere of the track (analyzed here). It has been followed by the remix-single Dress, by the fifteenth album 13kai wa Gekko (13th floor with moonlight), reviewed here, and the single Kagerou (Mayfly), released on the 20th anniversary phase.
The dark atmosphere is still present, but this time the setting is nearer to angura kei, with the video-clip which presents typical Japanese aspects, like kimonos and pale girls. The song is about a love seen by the eyes of a drunken man, which, as the title suggests, could disappear in an instant. It has been followed by the singles Rendezvous and Alice in Wonder Underground, the sixteenth album Tenshi no Revolver (Angel’s Revolver), which started the straight rock phase (straight rock is defined as band sound, i.e a rock sound more pure, without any electronic influences), the singles Heaven and Galaxy, the seventeenth album Memento Mori, the singles Dokudanjou Beauty (Beauty the stage is yours) and Kuchitsuke (Kiss), the eighteenth album Razzle Dazzle.
Then in 2012 started the 25th anniversary phase, with the single Elise no tame ni (For Elise). The title is a clear reference to the composition of Beethoven, and the track features a really rhythmical rock, nearer to songs like Speed, in a song where the main theme is the love story of two innocent lovers. It has been followed by the single Miss Take -Boku wa miss take- (Miss Take -My miss take-), the nineteenth album Yume miru uchuu (The dream of universe), the singles Love Parade/Steppers -Parade- and Keijijou Ryuusei (Criminal Meteor) and the twentieth album Arui wa Anarchy (Or the Anarchy).
In conclusion Buck-Tick represents a great part of the Japanese musical universe, thanks to their unique vibes and looks. Their music is always growing, creating release after release songs for every taste and mood, going from a genre to another without errors. And for celebrate their fabulous career today they released a new press of Aku no Hana, with all the songs of that album completely re-mastered, for giving older songs a modern sensation. And an advice for who doesn’t know them, go quickly to know them!
Who might enjoy: who loves the roots of visual kei or who needs to know them for understanding more.
Recommended songs: Illusion, Kiss me Good-bye, Speed, Jupiter, Dress, Romance, Kagerou, Mr Darkness & Miss Moonlight, Elise no tame ni and Keijijou Ryuusei.
That’s all folks! See you on Wednesday for the first review of February in “Let’s Listen to…”!
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