↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓ was a Japanese punk rock band formed in 1995. The band was … Read Full Bio ↴↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓ was a Japanese punk rock band formed in 1995. The band was popular since the very beginning, as vocalist Koumoto Hiroto and guitarist Mashima Masatoshi were both central members in THE BLUE HEARTS, which had recently broken up. Keyboardist Shirai Mikio was also related to THE BLUE HEARTS, for which he had been a support member. Musically, ↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓ carried on the upbeat punk rock-style from the founding members' previous band, but has also been described as emotional, crazier and heavier.

Members:

Koumoto Hiroto (甲本ヒロト) – Vocal
Mashima Masatoshi (真島昌利) – Guitar
Shirabe Sakito (調先人) – Bass
Oshima Kenji (大島賢治) – Drums
Shirai Mikio (白井幹夫) – Keyboard

This lineup remained intact until 2003, when keyboardist Shirai Mikio left the band. The following year ↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓ cut their ties to Universal Music, and Koumoto and Mashima formed HAPPYSONG RECORDS, their very own record label with ties to BMG Japan, which has since distributed their releases. After announcing their disbandment in late 2005, Koumoto and Mashima decided to form another punk rock band together, and ended up naming it ザ・クロマニヨンズ (The Cro-Magnons).

Official Webpage:
http://sonymusic.co.jp/bv/high-lows/