Boom Boom Satellites

Boom Boom Satellites
Boom Boom Satellites playing at Irving Plaza on their 2010 US tour.
Background information
Origin	Japan
Genres	Experimental rock, electronic rock, electronica
Years active	1990–present
Labels	R&S (1997-1999) gr8! (1998-present)
Members
Michiyuki Kawashima Masayuki Nakano

Boom Boom Satellites (ブンブンサテライツ, Bun Bun Sateraitsu) is a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. While their music can be mostly classified as big beat or nu skool breaks with heavy jazz influences, they are famous for the heavy usage of electric guitars in their music, and the final product often has a strong rock or punk flavor. They are currently signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they have released all of their albums in Japan.

Members

• Michiyuki Kawashima (川島 道行, Kawashima Michiyuki) - guitar, vocals
  • Born August 24, 1969 (1969-08-24) , Iwate Prefecture
• Masayuki Nakano (中野 雅之, Nakano Masayuki) - bass, programming
  • Born December 27, 1971 (1971-12-27) , Kanagawa Prefecture

Support members

• Yoko Fukuda (福田 洋子, Fukuda Yōko) - drums (2009–present)
  • Born July 29, 1977 (1977-07-29) , Kanagawa Prefecture
• Naoki Hirai (平井 直樹, Hirai Naoki) - drums (1995–2009)

History

Michiyuki Kawashima performing at Irving Plaza.

Kawashima and Nakano formed the band in 1990, having met at university and debuted in Europe as a rock unit in 1997. According to an interview, the name originated from a song by Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

In 1995, the group's music debuted in Japan on a compilation album released by Torema Records, also affiliated with Untitled Records. Belgian record company R&S Records released their first single in Europe later that year. Kawashima and Nakano also appeared in the European magazine Melody Maker, where they were lauded as the combination of The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy. R&S Records released their first album, 7 Ignitions/Auto Re-Birth, on April 1, 1998, and the group performed at a large music festival the following June. The group then returned to Japan. Boom Boom Satellites toured with Moby for three months in the United States some time afterwards, and artists such as Garbage also requested remixes from the group.

Masayuki Nakano performing at Irving Plaza.

The group has contributed numerous songs to various films, commercials, and television programs: In 2004, a number of tracks from the group's album, Full of Elevating Pleasures, contributed to the soundtrack of the CGI anime film Appleseed. In 2005, the song "What Goes Around Comes Around" from the album Exposed, was featured in a commercial for Dodge, and "Easy Action" was included on the soundtrack of the 2007 anime film Vexille. The same year, they played in the UK at the prestigious In The City music industry showcase festival. In 2008, the track "Scatterin' Monkey" from their 1998 album Out Loud, was featured in the film The Dark Knight and "Shut Up And Explode" became the opening theme song for the PlayStation Store exclusive and later television anime series Xam'd: Lost Memories (亡念のザムド, Bōnen no Zamudo). In 2009, the single "Back On My Feet" is an additional opening theme song for the television broadcast of the series (the TV broadcast switches between "Shut Up And Explode" and "Back On My Feet").

In 2009, the band collaborated with Tahj Mowry and Flo Rida on a new envisioning of their track "Kick It Out". The track predominantly features the lyrics of Tahj Mowry and Flo Rida in the verses, while the chorus remains the same as in the original release. Boom Boom Satellites likewise has an added verse of their own not present in the original release. A music video has since been created for the song's release.

Yoko Fukuda performing with Boom Boom Satellites at Irving Plaza.

In January 2010, Boom Boom Satellites released their first compilation album 19972007. The band released a new studio album in Japan, To the Loveless, on May 26, 2010 which features many tracks from the Back On My Feet EP. A limited edition version with bonus DVD was also released. In late 2010, the Boom Boom Satellites kicked off a North American tour, beginning with a performance at New York Comic Con. They also released Over and Over (an abbreviated version of 19972007) to the United States to coincide with the tour.

Discography

Studio albums

• Out Loud (1998)
• Umbra (2001)
• Photon (2002)
• Full of Elevating Pleasures (2005)
• On (2006)
• Exposed (2007)
• To the Loveless (2010)

EP's

• Boom Boom Satellites (1997) (Demo album)
• Joyride (1997)
• 7 Ignitions/Auto Re-Birth (1998)

Live albums

• Experienced (2011)

Compilation albums

• 19972007 (2010)
• Over and Over (2010)

Singles

• "4 A Moment of Silence" (1997)
• "Dub Me Crazy (Ver. 02)" (1997)
• "Push Eject" (1998)
• "On The Painted Desert - Rampant Colors" (1999)
• "Fogbound" (2000)
• "Sloughin' Blue" (2000)
• "Soliloquy" (2001)
• "Blink" (2002)
• "Light My Fire/Soliloquy" (2003)
• "Spine/Dive for You" (2004)
• "Easy Action" (2005)
• "Back On My Feet" (2009)
• "Kick It Out (feat. Tahj Mowry and Flo Rida)" (2009)

DVDs

• Fuji Rock Festival '05 Live Cuts (2006)
• Boom Boom Satellites Japan Tour '06 at Studio Coast (2007)
• Boom Boom Satellites Japan Tour 2008 (2009)
• Metamorphose 08 Live Cuts (2009)

External links

• Boom Boom Satellites official website
• Boom Boom Satellites profile on keikaku.net
• Boom Boom Satellites discography on Discogs.com