Boom Boom Satellites are an electronic duo formed in Japan in 1990, and had… Read Full Bio ↴Boom Boom Satellites are an electronic duo formed in Japan in 1990, and had disbanded in 2016. The band is made up of bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima. They also have a support member, Yoko Fukuda, who plays drums at live performances.

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!!”

Overcome
Boom Boom Satellites Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't know how
Don't know how to fly
Every tear
Every tear you've cried

I can't breathe
Underneath the sky
I can't hide

I can't hide a lie

Take a walk
All I want to do
Overcome
'Cos I don't need you
'Cos I don't need you
It would be untrue
Nothing left to lose

Time goes by so fast
And now be in the moment
Life goes on
Time rolls on
Life goes on
And I'm on
And I'm on
And I fly on

And I'm on
And I fly on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Boom Boom Satellites' song Overcome express feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability, with the desire to move forward and overcome those emotions. The singer opens by admitting that they don't know how to fly, using the metaphor of flight to represent the ability to move forward with confidence. They also acknowledge the pain and sadness that they or someone else has experienced, with the image of tears representing emotional vulnerability.

The next two lines express a sense of suffocation and the inability to hide dishonesty. It seems that the singer is feeling trapped and unable to move on from whatever is holding them back. However, the chorus reveals their desire to overcome these feelings and be free. They suggest taking a walk, which can be a powerful metaphorical tool for gaining clarity and finding a way forward. The repetition of "I don't need you" suggests that the singer may be trying to distance themselves from someone or something that has been holding them back.

The final lines of the chorus reveal the truth that there is nothing left to lose, suggesting that the only way forward is to take a leap of faith and overcome their fears. The final verse recognizes that time moves quickly and that life goes on, with the repetition of "life goes on" emphasizing the idea that it is necessary to keep moving forward. The overall message is one of quiet determination, even in the face of uncertainty and vulnerability.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't know how
I lack the knowledge or ability to do something.

Don't know how to fly
I do not know how to take off and soar through the sky.

Every tear
Each drop of the salty liquid that falls from your eyes.

Every tear you've cried
Referring to the sadness or pain experienced by someone close to me.

I can't breathe
I am unable to inhale enough air to properly sustain myself.

Underneath the sky
Beneath the expanse of the earth's atmosphere and celestial bodies.

I can't hide
I am incapable of concealing or disguising something.

I can't hide a lie
I cannot keep a falsehood hidden or suppressed.

Take a walk
Engaging in the motion of stepping with one foot in front of the other.

All I want to do
The only thing that I desire or crave.

Overcome
To triumph over challenges or obstacles.