They first debuted in Europe in 1997 with their first single, "4 A Moment of Silence" which received rave reviews from such definitive European music magazines as Melody Maker, which compared their debut impact to those of The Chemical Brothers' and The Prodigy's. The band blends the energy of rock with the meticulousness of electronic music.
In 1998 the band traveled across Europe performing at six major rock festivals and opening for legendary electronic group Underworld. Right after their return to Japan, the band released their debut album OUT LOUD, which was later released in Europe and the USA as well. In 1998 the band embarked on a 3 month American tour with Moby. Their success was followed by releases of the albums UMBRA and PHOTON, released in 2001 and 2002 respectively.
In 2005 and 2006 their fourth album FULL OF ELEVATING PLEASURES was released in Japan and the US. They performed at the M3 Music Convention (Miami Music Multimedia) to further promote the album. In 2006, they released ON which featured the hit singles "KICK IT OUT" and "PILL" featured in Japanese television commercials. Their subsequent performances at the Rock In Japan Festival and SUMMER SONIC '06 attracted such a huge crowd of people that it went over capacity and venue staff were forced to bar the entrance halfway through the performance for safety reasons.
Boom Boom Satellites have had numerous songs featured in soundtracks for films, anime series, and television series. They collaborated with Tahj Mowry and Flo Rida on a new version of "Kick It Out"; the song features the lyrics of Tahj Mowry and Flo Rida while the chorus remains the same as the original, and BBS added a verse of their own different from the original version. A music video was also created for the song's release.
In January 2010, Boom Boom Satellites released their first best album, 19972007. The band released a new full-length album in Japan, To the Loveless, on May 26. In October 2010, the band toured North America beginning with a performance at New York Comic Con (FAR EAST TO EAST SHOWCASE 2010) and including a concert opening for Gary Numan at Nokia Theater (now Best Buy Theater) in Times Square, New York City. They also played at the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival in New York. A version of 19972007, titled Over and Over, was released in US to coincide with the tour.
Boom Boom Satellites released a live CD/DVD set titled Experienced on February 23, 2011, consisting of their performance at Chiba's Makuhari Messe, the last stop of their Japan Tour 2010 2nd Stage.
In 2016, Boom Boom Satellites were announced to be performing the theme song for Kiznaiver titled "Lay Your Hands on Me". The version used for the anime was released as a single on April 17. A short music video was released on May 23, and it was announced that the full size version of the song would be released digitally on June 1 followed by a physical/digital EP on June 22 featuring 3 other tracks. On the day of the release, Nakano posted on the official website and on social media that the EP for "Lay Your Hands on Me" would be Boom Boom Satellites' final release, as Kawashima's tumors had relapsed for a fourth time and was then partially paralyzed. Despite this, Nakano believes that the "Lay Your Hands on Me" EP should end their career correctly.
A few months after their disbandment, unfortunately, BOOM BOOM SATELLITES's vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima has passed away and Masayuki Nakano left behind a comment in his friend's stead that read as below.
"At 5:12am on October 9th, BOOM BOOM SATELLITES's vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima set off on the next stage of his journey. I imagine he is soaring around the world, finally freed from the restrictions of his body. His passing is not a tragedy, but the achievement of a lifetime goal and a happy ending. The love of our many fans supported Michiyuki Kawashima and BOOM BOOM SATELLITES on their journey, and we are truly happy and lucky because of you. On behalf of Michiyuki Kawashima, I would like to thank all our fans and colleagues again.
"Thank you for supporting us up until now. Live your lives with passion and energy and keep the music we made, the time we spent together, and the memories we shared close to you."
“One more thing, we are BOOM BOOM SATELLITES!!”
Drifter
Boom Boom Satellites Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sign off and open your eyes
Do you wanna set everything alright?
Do you wanna see through my sights?
Do you wanna get physical?
I've been waiting for your promises here
I just wanna do it all again
Do you really wanna throw it all away?
Do you really wanna step into the fire?
Do you wanna know your enemies?
So you're turning to dust in my hands
Disorder
Pretender
You drifter
out in space
It's so real
It's so clear
For all of us
We're born to serve
I'm never gonna stay just a slave
I'm never gonna think about the past
Do you really wanna fade out to gray?
Do you wanna know if it's gonna last?
Stop looking at the world through glass
I take it back and you turn around now
Decoder
Decipher
No wonder
No answer
Reorder
Reminder
And all we have to do is try
Erasure
Surrender
I'm always
behind you
Informer
Defender
You're spinning in your pain and your guilt
How will the story end? What do we aim for?
Cries overflow so your tears staining my floor
Nothing is forever
Mercy for you and me
just how the story goes
It will be over
So starting over
You're taking over
We all return to
forever never
Over and over
you're never ever
Disorder
Pretender
You drifter
out in space
It's so real
It's so clear
For all of us
We're born to serve
Destroyer
Generate it
Generate it
Generate it
Generate it
Generate it
The lyrics of Boom Boom Satellites' song "Drifter" are a mix of introspective contemplation and a call to action. This song seems to be about the struggles of finding oneself and the inner turmoil that comes with it. Right from the start of the song, we get the sense of yearning for more, asking if we want to "shine brighter than moonlight" and "set everything right". It's a call to action to take control of our lives and become the best versions of ourselves.
The song also discusses the struggle of breaking free from the past and looking towards the future. The lyrics "I'm never gonna think about the past" and "Do you wanna know if it's gonna last?" shows the strain of leaving behind old habits and relationships that might prove to be unhelpful while moving forward.
Towards the end, the lyrics become more chaotic, talking about destruction, generation, and the never-ending cycle of life. It seems to suggest that even though life might be challenging, we have to keep moving forward, generating and regenerating ourselves in order to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you gonna shine brighter than moonlight?
Will you be more brilliant than the moonlight?
I sign off and open your eyes
I approve and encourage you to see the truth.
Do you wanna set everything alright?
Do you want to make everything okay?
Do you wanna see through my sights?
Do you want to see things from my perspective?
Do you wanna get physical?
Do you want to get intimate?
I've been waiting for your promises here
I've been patiently waiting for your commitments.
I wanna let you find your own way
I want to give you the freedom to discover your own path.
I just wanna do it all again
I would like to repeat the experience.
Do you really wanna throw it all away?
Do you truly want to abandon everything?
Do you really wanna step into the fire?
Do you genuinely want to take on a dangerous challenge?
Do you wanna know your enemies?
Do you wish to identify your adversaries?
So you're turning to dust in my hands
You're disintegrating in my grip.
Disorder
Chaos.
Pretender
Someone who is insincere.
You drifter
You are aimlessly floating.
Out in space
In the vast universe.
It's so real
It feels very genuine.
It's so clear
It's apparent and defined.
For all of us
For everyone.
We're born to serve
We exist to serve something greater than ourselves.
I'm never gonna stay just a slave
I won't remain as someone who is subservient.
I'm never gonna think about the past
I won't dwell on what has already happened.
Do you really wanna fade out to gray?
Do you truly want to lose your vibrancy?
Do you wanna know if it's gonna last?
Do you want to find out if it will endure?
Stop looking at the world through glass
Stop observing the world through a barrier.
I take it back and you turn around now
I retract what I said and you change your course.
Decoder
A device or person that converts information into a decipherable format.
Decipher
To interpret or decode a secret message.
No wonder
It's no surprise.
No answer
No response or solution.
Reorder
To rearrange or reorganize.
Reminder
A prompt or warning for something important.
And all we have to do is try
The only thing we need to do is attempt our best.
Erasure
The removal or destruction of something written or recorded.
Surrender
To give up or relinquish control.
I'm always behind you
I'm constantly supporting you.
Informer
Someone who provides information to others, often for their own benefit.
Defender
Someone or something that protects or defends.
You're spinning in your pain and your guilt
You're entangled in your own suffering and regret.
How will the story end? What do we aim for?
What will be the conclusion of our journey? What is our goal?
Cries overflow so your tears staining my floor
Your weeping is so intense that it's wetting the ground beneath you.
Nothing is forever
Everything comes to an end eventually.
Mercy for you and me
Compassion for both of us.
Just how the story goes
Exactly how the events will unfold.
It will be over
It will come to a conclusion.
So starting over
We must begin again.
You're taking over
You are assuming control.
We all return to forever never
We all eventually return to nothingness.
Over and over you're never ever
Repeatedly you are never.
Destroyer
Something or someone that causes destruction.
Generate it
To create or produce something.
Contributed by Thomas W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.