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!!”

Ride On
Boom Boom Satellites Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Che che che check the beat

Lying on the edge of the road
Fiending for the soothing dive
One's all that'll do it for you
To get you all up for that
C'mon, you gotta do it

Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
You gotta do it
Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Che che che check it
C'mon

Hu hu

Lying at the base of the boat
Pretending it's a smoother place
To stuck all the bitter feelings
But sooner or later
Come on, you gotta do it

Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
You gotta do it
Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Ride on
Che che che check it
Come on

Hu hu

Overall Meaning

The first line of the chorus, "Ride on," establishes the core message of the song, which is to keep moving forward even when times get tough. The song's opening lyrics describe someone in a difficult place, lying on the edge of the road and craving something to lift them out of their current state. The second verse paints a similar picture of someone trying to escape their problems by pretending to be somewhere else.

However, the chorus urges listeners to "ride on," to keep pushing forward even when it feels impossible. The repeated "che che che check it" emphasizes the need to check in with oneself and stay focused on the beat of life. The song's composition, with its racing tempo and pounding beat, echoes the urgency of the lyrics.

Overall, "Ride On" is about persevering through hard times and refusing to give up. It's a call to action, encouraging listeners to keep moving and pushing themselves, no matter how difficult the road ahead may seem.

Line by Line Meaning

Che che che check the beat
Let's make sure the rhythm is ready

Lying on the edge of the road
Feeling lost and unsure

Fiending for the soothing dive
Craving a release from this feeling

One's all that'll do it for you
Just one moment is all it takes

To get you all up for that
To give you the energy to keep going

C'mon, you gotta do it
Don't give up, keep pushing through

Ride on
Just keep moving forward

Ride on
Don't stop now

Ride on
Keep pushing forward

Ride on
You can do it

You gotta do it
You have the strength to keep going