BUCK-TICK is a Japanese rock band, originally formed by Imai Hisashi in 198… Read Full Bio ↴BUCK-TICK is a Japanese rock band, originally formed by Imai Hisashi in 1983 in Gunma, Japan, with its current line-up lasting since 1985. They are commonly credited as one of the founders of the visual kei movement. As of yet, they have released twenty-three original studio albums and one of self-covers, nearly all reaching the top ten on the charts. Their most recent album, "異空 -IZORA-", was released on 12th April 2023.

The band members are 櫻井敦司 (Sakurai Atsushi) (vocals), 今井寿 (Imai Hisashi) (guitars, noises, electronics, vocals), 星野英彦 (Hoshino Hidehiko) (guitars, chorus), 桶口豊 (Higuchi Yutaka) (bass) and ヤガミ・トール (Yagami Toll) (drums).

BUCK-TICK's music has changed and evolved hugely over the course of their career. Their early work is what the Japanese call "positive punk". It used simple rhythms and chords, with the songs mostly in major keys and using some English words in the lyrics. Starting with 1989's TABOO, they experimented with a darker sound, which grew more mature with 狂った太陽 in 1991. darker than darkness style 93 delved into a harsher industrial rock sound which continued all the way up through Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE in 2003. With 2005's 十三階は月光, they deliberately adopted a "goth" concept, which they combined with a retro straight rock sound for the albums 天使のリボルバー (2007) and Memento Mori (2009). Their next album, 2010's RAZZLE DAZZLE, then incorporated many instances of dance-rock.

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. Jrockrevolution described the band's style as having gone "from the bubbly sounds of pop to the buzz of electronic cyberpunk to lustful velvety goth to the smooth style of hard rock and back again". Sakurai, who is the main lyricist of the band, is famous for the erotic decadence of his lyrics, but he also often addresses existential psychological themes. His lyrics is also described as "dance in a daydream about reality". Imai, the main composer, has written many songs that read like science fiction stories, involving genetic engineering and computer hackers, but more recently has branched out into love songs.

As Josephine Yun describes them, in 'A Concise Report on 40 of the Biggest Rock Acts in Japan', "BUCK-TICK's music is smashed-together nuances of everything from Depeche Mode and New Order to U2 and The Knack. While wry, it can float and be nebulously melodic. [...] Masked in eye makeup, Atsushi looks and sounds possessed. BUCK-TICK was (and continues to be) and anomaly in the Japanese music scene, a tangle of goth rock diluted with synth and electronica. It's unhappy, dirty music, the musical equivalent of exploded soot and smoke."

BUCK-TICK and their members have performed with, for example, KMFDM, Soft Ballet, Luna Sea, Sheena Ringo, and The Yellow Monkey. The band members have also participated in different side-projects, such as Schaft, Schwein (Sakurai and Imai with Raymond Watts (PIG) and Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM)), and The Mortal.

愛ノ歌
BUCK-TICK Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

お前の目が夜を映す切実な目オレを突き刺す
時よ止まれこの瞬間に生きている事刹那感じている

ああ愛する人よ

オレの上で君が揺れるお前の中オレは終わる
時よ止まれずっとこのまま甘く切ない余韻のままで

ああ愛する人よさあこの夜の果てで

歌おう愛の歌を愛の歌を狂った世界で
お前に愛の歌を愛の歌をあなたに捧げよう

ああ愛する人よさあこの夜の果てて

歌おう愛の歌を愛の歌を狂った世界で
お前に愛の歌を愛の歌をあなたに捧げる

歌おう愛の歌を愛の歌を狂った世界で
お前に愛の歌を愛の歌をあなたに捧げよう

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's song "Ai no Uta" (Love Song) express deep and meaningful emotions towards a beloved person. The first verse paints a picture of the beloved person's eyes reflecting the darkness of the night, which pierces the singer's heart with intense feelings. The lyrics then convey the desire to freeze time and live in the moment, recognizing the fleeting nature of life.

The second verse directly addresses the beloved person, stating that they consume the singer and make them whole, while time continues to move forward, leaving behind a bittersweet resonance. The chorus then proclaims the intention to sing a love song, dedicating it to the beloved person. The lyrics express the sentiment that in this crazy world, the act of singing a love song is a powerful way to convey the depth of their feelings.

Overall, the song is a beautiful and emotional expression of love, capturing the intense and overwhelming feelings that come with deep connections with others.

Line by Line Meaning

お前の目が夜を映す切実な目オレを突き刺す
Your eyes reflect the night, a solemn gaze piercing through me

時よ止まれこの瞬間に生きている事刹那感じている
Oh time, please stop in this moment, so I can feel the fleeting nature of being alive

ああ愛する人よ
Oh my beloved

オレの上で君が揺れるお前の中オレは終わる
You sway above me, and within you, I come to an end

時よ止まれずっとこのまま甘く切ない余韻のままで
Oh time, please stay like this forever, with the sweet and painful aftertaste lingering

歌おう愛の歌を愛の歌を狂った世界で
Let's sing the song of love, the song of love, in this crazy world

お前に愛の歌を愛の歌をあなたに捧げよう
I dedicate the song of love, the song of love, to you

ああ愛する人よさあこの夜の果てで
Oh my beloved, now at the end of this night

Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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