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.

Mr.Darkness & Mrs.Moonlight
BUCK-TICK Lyrics

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天使のように完全天国より禁断
uh...bravo uh...bravo
宇宙世界中体中
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
地獄のように熱いんだ
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
死ぬほど愛してる Baby
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight

クロスで契約交わしたんだ
魔王の角で貫いてよ
愛してる My sweet sweet Baby
死ぬほど愛してるBaby
魔王の角で貫いてよ
愛してる My sweet sweet Baby
ルシファーに売るBlues
十字路で落とす
oh...my god oh...my god
宇宙世界中体中
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
地獄のように熱いんだ
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
死ぬほど愛してる Baby
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
クロスで契約交わしたんだ
魔王の角で貫いてよ
愛してる My sweet sweet Baby
死ぬほど愛してるBaby
魔王の角で貫いてよ
愛してる My sweet sweet Baby
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
死ぬほど愛してる Baby
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
死ぬほど愛してる Baby
Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
死ぬほど愛してる Baby

Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
魔王の角で貫いてよ

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's song "Mr.Darkness & Mrs.Moonlight" present a dark and seductive love story between two supernatural beings. The lyrics suggest that they made a pact with a cross and exchanged their love with a devil's horn. The song title is a metaphor for the duality of human nature - light and darkness. The lyrics illustrate their love as hotter than hell and more forbidden than heaven. The singer's love for their partner is so intense that they are willing to die for them, in return for the diabolical love.

Throughout the song, there is a reference to the crossroads which is a metaphor for the place where decisions have to be made between good and evil. The lyrics suggest the singer has chosen to offer their love to a devilish force, hinted at in the line "Lucifer ni uru Blues," which means "selling your soul to the devil blues." The song's ending reinforces the theme of fate and temptation with the repeated line "魔王の角で貫いてよ" or "Magou no tsuno de tsuranuite yo" ("Pierce me with the devil's horn").

Overall, "Mr. Darkness & Mrs. Moonlight" portrays love as a dangerous entity entwined with forbidden eroticism and hints at the concept of the human psyche's dark corners.

Line by Line Meaning

天使のように完全天国より禁断
We are as pure and perfect as angels, but our love is forbidden by heaven.

uh...bravo uh...bravo
An expression of applause or encouragement.

宇宙世界中体中
Our love exists throughout the universe, every corner of the world, and in every inch of our bodies.

Mr.Darkness and Mrs.Moonlight
We are a couple, and our names represent our dark and mysterious nature.

地獄のように熱いんだ
Our love burns like hellfire, intense and passionate.

死ぬほど愛してる Baby
We love each other to the point of death, baby.

クロスで契約交わしたんだ
We made a contract, sealed with a cross.

魔王の角で貫いてよ
Pierce us with the horns of the devil.

愛してる My sweet sweet Baby
We love you, our sweet baby.

ルシファーに売るBlues
We sing the blues that we sold to Lucifer.

十字路で落とす
We dropped it at the crossroads.