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.
Living on the Net
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fuck your way. Fuck not my way.
Kyouryuu to ka CT sukyanaa to ka ai to ka ano ko no hagata to ka
Kurain no tsubo to ka sou iwayuru subete ni kyoutsuu suru zukei
Reigai mo aru toiu koto wo oboeteoita hou ga ii
Ano ko ni ai ni ikanakucha
Fuck your way. Fuck not my way.
Taikutsu to risuku to souzou to riaru to jiyuu to puresshaa to
Joushiki to mujun no jouhou wo dokuga no hane de makichirasu
Reigai mo aru toiu koto wo oboeteoita hou ga ii
Ano ko wo mukae ni ikanakucha
Kaze ga fuiteiru kubikazari wo shite odorou
Kaze ga fuiteiru kanki no keshou de odorou
Living on the net. Living on the net.
Fuck your way. Fuck not my way.
Kyouryuu to ka CT sukyanaa to ka ai to ka ano ko no hagata to ka
Kurain no tsubo to ka sou iwayuru subete ni kyoutsuu suru zukei
Reigai mo aru toiu koto wo oboeteoita hou ga ii
Ano ko ni ai ni ikanakucha
Kaze ga fuiteiru kubikazari wo shite odorou
Kaze ga fuiteiru kanki no keshou de odorou
Kaze ga fuiteiru fukanshou ni natte nemurou
Kaze ga fuiteiru fukanshou ni natte nemurou
Living on the Dead. Living on the Dead.
Fuck your way. Fuck not my way.
The lyrics to BUCK-TICK’s song “Living on the Net” explore themes of the internet, boredom, risks, and freedom. The first verse references various things that one could come across on the internet, such as dinosaurs or CT scans. The second verse mentions concepts such as boredom, risk, and imagination, and how they can all be found online. The lyrics discuss how one should be aware of the dangers and limitations of the online world, but also how it can be a source of fun and connection. The repeated phrase “Living on the net” can be interpreted as a mantra or a call to action. The last lines of the song suddenly switch to “Living on the Dead” which could be interpreted as a reference to the dangers of the online world, or perhaps a commentary on the state of society as a whole.
Interestingly, the song was released in 1991, before the internet was widely accessible in Japan. The lyrics and the sound of the song have been described as a harbinger of the upcoming digital age. The themes of the song continue to resonate with people today, as the internet has become an even more integral part of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Living on the net. Living on the net.
Existing solely in a digital world, often isolated and devoid of physical interaction or relationships.
Fuck your way. Fuck not my way.
Rejecting societal norms or expectations, and insisting on one's own personal path or perspective.
Kyouryuu to ka CT sukyanaa to ka ai to ka ano ko no hagata to ka
Things such as dinosaurs or CT scanners, love or the appearance of a particular person,
Kurain no tsubo to ka sou iwayuru subete ni kyoutsuu suru zukei
Assembling and sharing information and knowledge about everything from dark secrets to everyday events, generating complex disorientating structures.
Reigai mo aru toiu koto wo oboeteoita hou ga ii
It is better to remember and acknowledge the existence of things that are strange or unusual.
Ano ko ni ai ni ikanakucha
One should visit the person they care about in the analog world.
Taikutsu to risuku to souzou to riaru to jiyuu to puresshaa to
The experience of boredom and the possibility of danger, creativity and imagination, reality and freedom, pressure to succeed and achieve.
Joushiki to mujun no jouhou wo dokuga no hane de makichirasu
The dissemination of information that is sometimes contradictory or confusing, spread through the lens of subjective perspectives.
Ano ko wo mukae ni ikanakucha
One should go to meet that person (in the real world).
Kaze ga fuiteiru kubikazari wo shite odorou
Dancing with a necklace swinging in the wind.
Kaze ga fuiteiru kanki no keshou de odorou
Dancing with makeup that disappears in the wind of excitement.
Kaze ga fuiteiru fukanshou ni natte nemurou
Becoming insomnia due to the blowing wind, and going to sleep.
Living on the Dead. Living on the Dead.
Existing within a digital realm that acts as a tomb for human interaction, relationships and empathy.
Fuck your way. Fuck not my way.
Rejecting societal norms or expectations, and insisting on one's own personal path or perspective.
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.