is a Japanese rock band formed on October 8, 2006. They consist of vocalist and bassist Margaret Hiroi, guitarist Katzuya Shimizu and drummer Kenzo. The name, which means "pilgrimage to eighty-eight places," is reminiscent of the Shikoku pilgrimage. Their music combines elements of

jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational "jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often cr ...

, heavy metal,

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

and

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

styles. All lyrics are written by Hiroi and often contain references to religion, such as

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

, and different yōkai. All albums are released through their own label, PPR. The mascot character, who appears on numerous album covers, was created by Japanese animator and nicknamed . They performed outside of Japan for the first time at Eurockéennes Music Festival in France, on July 7, 2019.

Members

Current

* –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

and

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

(2006–present) : Described on the official site as : A native of

Yoshida Yoshida (written: 吉田 lit. "lucky ricefield") is the 11th most common Japanese surname. A less common variant is 芳田 (lit. "fragrant ricefield"). Notable people with the surname include: *Ai Yoshida, Japanese sailor *, Japanese idol, singer ...

(now Uwajima, Ehime). : Started playing the bass in

junior high school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...

, describing that time as "practicing until midnight and listening to music all night long." : Briefly played in Green Milk from the Planet Orange until their disbandment in 2008. Also provided bass for the track "Alice" on the 2017 album ''

Bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

'' by Kenshi Yonezu. : Has named

Ningen Isu is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in Hirosaki in 1987. The band's current line-up consists of co-founders Shinji Wajima (guitar, vocals) and Ken-ichi Suzuki (bass, vocals) alongside Nobu Nakajima (drums, vocals), who joined in 2004. All thre ...

as one of the artistic influences, the two bands have also performed together once in 2014. Other favorite artists include King Crimson and Eastern Youth. : The notable bass guitar design used in most of the band's first videos is a custom-made "Alien" model, crafted by Japanese guitar maker Nobuaki Hayashi (Atlansia). * Katzuya Shimizu -

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

(2006–present) : Described on the official site as : Learned

classical piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

as a child and started playing the guitar at age 15. Cites Steve Vai and

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

as the main influences on his playing style. : Outside of band activities, he is giving guitar lessons and participating in recordings of other projects. Has provided guitar for the soundtracks of ''

Nights of Azure is a 2015 action role-playing video game developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. The PlayStation 4 version received a North American release on March 29, 2016, w ...

'' and various ''Atelier'' video games by

Gust Gust may refer to: People Given name * Gust Avrakotos (1938–2005), CIA case officer known for the arming of Afghanistan's Mujahideen against the Soviet invasion under Operation Cyclone * Gust Hagberg (19th-century–20th-century) * Gust Kunde ...

. * -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(2006–present) : Described on the official site as : A native of

Ehime prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

, Shikoku island. : Started playing the drums in 5th grade. Named X Japan as having been one of the favorite bands to play to during his high school years. : Since 2019, he has also been playing in a band named .

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Extended plays

Singles

Videos

Video albums

Music videos

Guest appearances

Acting performances

* ' : Appeared as a fictional band , with singer as the vocalist

References

External links

Official site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:88Kasyo Junrei 2006 establishments in Japan Japanese rock music groups Musical groups established in 2006