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.
Mad
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ひざをかかえながら
傷をなめていた 汁を垂らしながら
逃げ出すサイレンの渦
こうして生きてゆくのか
僕は狂っている 舌を溶かしながら
赤い海の底で溺れる夢をみる
想い出す優しさだけを
アスファルトを抱いて
熱にうなされている
僕を破裂させてくれ
僕は狂っていた
もう二度と会えない
全て狂っていたどうって事ないサ
逃げ出すサイレンの渦
想い出す優しさだけを
子守唄の中で聞いた あなたの鼓動
僕を狂わせてくれ
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね
僕はお前にはなれない
ああ 輝きが消えてゆく
もうすぐ太陽の破片
アスファルトを抱いて
熱にうなされてる
僕を破裂させてくれ
子守り唄の中で聞いた
あなたの鼓動
僕を狂わせてくれ
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね
僕はお前にはなれない
ああ 輝きが消えてゆく
もうすぐ太陽の破片
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね
僕はお前にはなれない
ああ 輝きが消えてゆく
もうすぐ太陽の破片
僕は狂っていた
もう二度と会えない
全て狂っていた
どうって事ないサ
The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's song MAD describe the singer's state of mind as they indulge in self-destructive behavior. The opening lines, "I was crazy, holding my knees / Licking my wounds, dripping juice," depict a scene of physical pain and despair. The singer feels trapped in the cycle of their own madness, as they listen to the sound of sirens and contemplate what it means to live in such a state. They dream of drowning in a red sea, a metaphor for the overwhelming emotions they experience. Despite this darkness, they cling to memories of kindness, seeking comfort in them as they drift off to sleep.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more frantic. They demand to be torn apart and admit that everything is already crazy, so it doesn't matter. The repetition of the sirens creates a sense of urgency and chaos, mirroring the singer's internal turmoil. They recall the sound of a heartbeat they once heard in a lullaby, and how it drove them mad. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that they cannot be with the person they desire, and that the brightness of their world is fading away.
Overall, MAD explores the theme of madness, particularly how it can consume and isolate someone. The singer is self-destructive and struggles to control their thoughts and emotions, leading them down a path of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
僕は狂っていた
I was going crazy
ひざをかかえながら
While clutching my knees
傷をなめていた 汁を垂らしながら
Licking my wounds, drooling
逃げ出すサイレンの渦
In the vortex of sirens escaping
こうして生きてゆくのか
Is this how we go on living?
僕は狂っている 舌を溶かしながら
I am going mad, my tongue melting
赤い海の底で溺れる夢をみる
I dream of drowning at the bottom of a red sea
想い出す優しさだけを
Only remembering kindness
そうして眠りにつくよ
And falling asleep like that
アスファルトを抱いて
Embracing the asphalt
熱にうなされている
Suffering from fever
僕を破裂させてくれ
Make me explode
もう二度と会えない
Never meeting again
全て狂っていたどうって事ないサ
Everything was crazy, but who cares
子守唄の中で聞いた あなたの鼓動
I heard your heartbeat in a lullaby
僕を狂わせてくれ
Drive me mad
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね
Oh, the stars are just beautiful
僕はお前にはなれない
I cannot be with you
輝きが消えてゆく
The shine is fading away
もうすぐ太陽の破片
Soon to be fragments of the sun
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Imai Hisashi, Sakurai Atsushi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
丸山康平
やばい休日まるごと
B-Tをようつべで漁って終わった
2000年以降だとハズレが
無さ過ぎていくらでも見てられる
このMADも演奏がかっこ良すぎ
バンドとして素晴らしいし
リズム兄弟が完璧
これなら今井氏のクールな
テケテケが映えるよな
寝る前にもう一度聴こ
山本ジョニー
僕は狂っていた ひざをかかえながら
傷をなめていた 汁を垂らしながら
逃げ出すサイレンの渦 こうして生きてゆくのか
僕は狂っている 舌を溶かしながら
赤い海の底で溺れる夢をみる
想い出す優しさだけを そうして眠りにつくよ
アスファルトを抱いて 熱にうなされている
僕を破裂させてくれ
僕は狂っていた もう二度と会えない
全て狂っていたどうって事ないサ
逃げ出すサイレンの渦 想い出す優しさだけを
子守唄の中で聞いた あなたの鼓動
僕を狂わせてくれ
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね 僕はお前にはなれない
ああ 輝きが消えてゆく もうすぐ太陽の破片
アスファルトを抱いて 熱にうなされてる
僕を破裂させてくれ
子守り唄の中で聞いた あなたの鼓動
僕を狂わせてくれ
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね 僕はお前にはなれない
ああ 輝きが消えてゆく もうすぐ太陽の破片
ああ ただ星が綺麗だね 僕はお前にはなれない
ああ 輝きが消えてゆく もうすぐ太陽の破片
僕は狂っていた もう二度と会えない
全て狂っていた どうって事ないサ
MARlKO
まさに私はリアルタイムで
BUCK-TICK見てました
曲も良いけど
今井さんオーラ凄すぎ！💕
狂っちまえ！
BUCK-TICKにしか演奏出来ない
ですね💝
アニーとユータさん
ずっと一緒なのにケンカなんか
しなそう🤗
Nidhi Dave
if i saw atsushi perform this live i would pass away no cap.
Molisa
SAME
XIA
the perfectly planned and executed hair flips. This man knows how to steal hearts.
Arcanua the Red Mage
I mean...that CAN be part of choreography which is a thing you do when preforming live so ;3
Peace
I just adore this band! And the singer. What a great front man!
Peace
You know they are great when you can't understand most of what he's singing and still find their music fantastic and want to hear more. I could listen to a Japanese man talk with a voice like that - forever!
Linda Melody
Absolut favorite version. Listening so many years and never gets boring. Jeez I just love it
丸山康平
やばい休日まるごと
B-Tをようつべで漁って終わった
2000年以降だとハズレが
無さ過ぎていくらでも見てられる
このMADも演奏がかっこ良すぎ
バンドとして素晴らしいし
リズム兄弟が完璧
これなら今井氏のクールな
テケテケが映えるよな
寝る前にもう一度聴こ
スマートえすと
まあ、確かにテケテケですな。
poti -
1990年代で、もしハズレが有ったのならご教授ください。