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.
Kagerou
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
飛び立つ蜉蝣 恋焦がれる
眼に映るのが悪い夢なら
目をつぶるのは悪い癖なの
ただ今だけは酔いしれていたい
ラム酒の海に沈む太陽
狂おしい 誰かの名前口ずさむ
なんて素敵な この世は夢だ
薄紅乱れて 真夏の夜の夢々
飛び立つ蜉蝣 恋焦がれる
あなたを想えば 夢に夢に夢見る
溢れる悦び 永久に永久に
燃え尽きてゆく夢のかがり火
波に煌めく命の残滓
狂おしい 誰かの面影揺れている
舞い上がる様に 舞い散る様に
あなたと夢で踊る
薄紅乱れて 真夏の夜の夢々
飛び立つ蜉蝣 恋焦がれる
あなたを想えば 夢に夢に夢見る
溢れる悦び 永久に永久に
愛おしい あなたを想い闇駆ける
扉が開く 世界が開く
この世に生きた証
薄紅乱れて 真夏の夜の夢々
飛び立つ蜉蝣 恋焦がれる
あなたを想えば 夢に夢に夢見る
溢れる悦び 永久に永久に
薄紅乱れて 真夏の夜の夢々
飛び立つ蜉蝣 恋焦がれる
あなたを想えば 夢に夢に夢見る
溢れる悦び 永久に永久に
薄紅乱れて 真夏の夜の夢々
The lyrics of BUCK-TICK's "Kagerou" describe a romantic dream-like state that the persona is experiencing. The opening lines set the tone for the dream sequence with "Haku kurenai midarete manatsu no yoru no yumeyume," which translates to "In disorder of pale crimson, I dream of midsummer nights." The persona is transfixed by a flying mayfly, which represents a fleeting love that they desire. They acknowledge that closing their eyes when seeing terrible dreams is a bad habit and instead choose to indulge in the intoxication of the moment. The persona mentions the name of someone they love passionately while intoxicated with rum.
The second verse is a continuation of the dream sequence, with the persona's thoughts consumed by their love, and the emotions overflow with joy. They express a desire to dance with their love, with the imagery of sparks flying from their bodies as they twirl. The third verse brings a sense of hope, with the idea that loving someone means that even in the darkest of times, the world opens up, and new possibilities arise. The song ends with a repetition of the opening lines, mirroring the cyclical nature of the dream state.
Overall, "Kagerou" portrays a dream-like state of mind where the persona is consumed with thoughts of their beloved, and their emotions overflow with joy.
Line by Line Meaning
薄紅乱れて 真夏の夜の夢々
In a dream on a hot summer night, with a muddled, pink hue.
飛び立つ蜉蝣 恋焦がれる
Longing for a dragonfly taking flight.
眼に映るのが悪い夢なら
If what is reflected in your eyes are bad dreams,
目をつぶるのは悪い癖なの
Closing your eyes is a bad habit.
ただ今だけは酔いしれていたい
Just for now, I want to be intoxicated.
ラム酒の海に沈む太陽
The sun sets into a sea of rum.
狂おしい 誰かの名前口ずさむ
Madly, I mutter someone's name.
なんて素敵な この世は夢だ
How wonderful this world is as a dream.
あなたと夢で会える
I can meet you in my dreams.
あなたを想えば 夢に夢に夢見る
When I think of you, I dream and dream again.
溢れる悦び 永久に永久に
Overflowing joy, forever and ever.
燃え尽きてゆく夢のかがり火
The bonfire of the burning dream dies out.
波に煌めく命の残滓
Residue of life that sparkles in the waves.
狂おしい 誰かの面影揺れている
Madly, someone's image is swaying.
舞い上がる様に 舞い散る様に
Dancing and scattering like floating up.
あなたと夢で踊る
I dance with you in my dreams.
愛おしい あなたを想い闇駆ける
Beloved, I race through the darkness thinking of you.
扉が開く 世界が開く
A door opens, the world opens.
この世に生きた証
Proof that I have lived in this world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: 櫻井敦司
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind