is a Japanese
visual kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics, similar to Western glam rock.
Som ...
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, formed in
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
in 1997. The classic line up of Tatsuro on vocals,
Miya on guitar, Yukke on bass, and Satochi on drums was solidified in 1999 following the departure of original bassist Hiro. After 24 years, Satochi retired from the music business in October 2021, leaving Mucc a trio. They have released 16 studio albums, with 2020's ''
Aku'' being their highest-charting.
History
Early years and releases (1997–2005)
![Mucc japanese logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Mucc_japanese_logo.svg)
Mucc was formed in 1997 by guitarist
Miya, vocalist Tatsuro (then called "Tattoo"), bassist Hiro, and drummer Satochi. High school students who had been friends since primary school. They had their first concert at the Shimamura Music store in
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 269,330 in 123,282 households and a population density of 1239 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged o ...
on May 4.
Satochi was only a support musician, but decided to officially join after the concert because of how much fun he had.
Mucc was named after a character from the children's TV show ''
Hirake! Ponkikki''. The band is also known by the nickname "
69" since the numbers six and nine can be pronounced "mu" and "ku", respectively, in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
. They have played with this number throughout their career, such as dubbing June 9 "Mucc Day", and providing live broadcasts that last 690 minutes.
Fans of the band are known as .
Originally playing covers of bands such as
The Blue Hearts
was a Japanese punk rock band active from 1985 to 1995. They have been compared to such bands as the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Ramones.[Glay
Glay (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, includi ...](_blan ...<br></span></div> and <div class=)
, Mucc handed out their first demo tape, ''No!?'', in December 1997. After graduating high school, the band moved to Tokyo.
On March 3, 1998, they handed out copies of their second demo tape, ''Aika'', and on December 1, they gave out a limited 100 copies of their third, ''Tsubasa wo Kudasai''. In 1999, Hiro left the band on February 14 and was replaced on bass by Miya's childhood friend Yukke on February 22. In July, Mucc had their first tour, where they handed out demo tapes of ''Aka'' at every venue. On December 25, they had their first official release, the EP ''Antique''. On June 8, 2000, Tattoo changed his stage name to his current name of Tatsuro. They released their first album, ''
Tsūzetsu'', on January 7, 2001. It was followed by the EP ''Aishū'' on December 25. In 2002, the band signed to
Danger Crue
Danger Crue Records is a Japanese visual kei independent record label located in Tokyo, Japan. It was originally the record label of the Danger Crue music office, both founded in 1981. According to D'erlanger drummer Tetsu, Danger Crue was formed ...
, establishing their own
sublabel
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
, and released their second album, ''
Hōmura Uta
is the second studio album by the Japanese rock band Mucc, released on September 6, 2002. It is the first album to be released by their sublabel Shu, under Danger Crue. Its cover was illustrated by manga artist Junji Ito. The first pressing of th ...
''. That year they held a concert titled , which featured acts from different genres. They have continued to hold En events sporadically since.
Mucc signed to
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
in 2003, and released their major label debut single "Waga, Arubeki Basho" on May 3.
Third studio album ''
Zekū
is the third studio album released by Mucc on September 3, 2003. Released by Universal Gear, it is their major label debut. The album reached number 17 on the Oricon chart. '' followed on September 3. Their first live DVD, ''Nihon Rettou Konton Heisei Kokoro no Naka'', was released on December 10. The band held a
guerrilla live at
Shinjuku Station
is a major railway station in the Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, Japan. In Shinjuku, it is part of the Nishi-Shinjuku and Shinjuku districts. In Shibuya, it is located in the Yoyogi and Sendagaya districts. It is the world's busiest rai ...
on June 9, 2004, in front of an estimated 5,000 people. Their fourth studio album ''
Kuchiki no Tō
is the fourth studio album by Japanese rock band Mucc, released on September 1, 2004 by Danger Crue Records. A European version was released on September 12, 2005 by Gan-Shin. The album reached number 19 on the Oricon Albums Chart.
Overview
Gui ...
'' was released on September 1 and supported by the Sōran Shūkyō fall tour, which ended on October 31 at
Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall
The is an outdoor theater in Tokyo, Japan's Hibiya Park. There are actually two concert halls; the smaller was erected during the Meiji era, and the larger was first built in the Taishō era. The larger venue is colloquially abbreviated to .
No ...
.
In January 2005, Mucc held a joint tour with
Balzac.
''Kuchiki no Tō Live at Roppongi'', their first live album, was released on January 26.
International activities (2005–2011)
![Miya en Londres](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Miya_en_Londres.JPG)
Mucc debuted in Europe in August 2005, including a performance at
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...
. They released the album ''
Hōyoku
is the fifth studio album by Japanese band Mucc, released on November 23, 2005. The album shows the band exploring new territory with less heavy material, drawing from folk influences. The lyrical themes of the album are also a sharp turn away f ...
'' on November 23. Mucc released two albums in 2006, ''
6'' and ''
Gokusai
is the seventh album by Mucc, released on December 6, 2006 in Japan and on February 23, 2007 in Europe. The first press edition comes with a second disc, containing two bonus tracks. These were also included on the single disc of the European r ...
'', and performed in the United States at the
Otakon
Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. It stands for Otaku Convention. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to ...
anime convention. They ended a world tour on June 6 with their first concert at the
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
. 2007 marked Mucc's 10th anniversary. They released two compilation albums, ''
Best of Mucc'' and ''Worst of Mucc''; the latter includes rare songs from their indie years. In addition to opening for
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
on the Japanese leg of their
2007 World Tour, Mucc gave performances in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, in Finland at
Provinssirock
Provinssirock is one of the biggest rock festivals in Finland. It takes place in the city of Seinäjoki in Southern Ostrobothnia, Western Finland. The two- or three-day festival, which starts the busy Finnish rock festival season, has been held ...
, and in the US at JRock Revolution Festival. They also performed at the Abstinence's Door #001 event hosted by
D'erlanger
D'erlanger (stylized as D'ERLANGER) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto Prefecture, formed in 1983 by guitarist Cipher and bassist Seela. While they originally played speed and power metal, after recruiting drummer Tetsu and vocalist Kyo they ...
, and their song "Chain Ring" was used as the ending theme to the ''
Zombie-Loan
''Zombie-Loan'' (stylized as ''ZOMBIE-LOAN'') is a Japanese manga series created by Peach-Pit: Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara. It is published by Square Enix and is serialized in the Japanese shōnen manga magazine ''GFantasy''. The series is ...
'' anime adaptation. They held a special 10th anniversary concert at the Ibaraki Prefectural Cultural Center in November.
Throughout 2008, Mucc participated in the
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos (or "TOC") was a live music tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with his friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour catered to fans of ...
2008 tour,
which initially stopped at forty cities across the United States and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
from February to May, along with fellow Japanese bands
D'espairsRay
D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 1999 to 2011. The lineup of Hizumi on vocals, Karyu on guitar, Zero on bass and Tsukasa on drums remained the same, with the group ...
and
the Underneath. In March, they released the album ''
Shion
Shion is a Japanese given name, and may refer to:
Sportspeople
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese figure skater
*, Japanese footballer
Musicians
*, a R&B singer
*, a pop singer
*, a singer-songwriter
*Shion Tsurubo (鶴 ...
''. After returning to Japan, Mucc performed at the
hide memorial summit at
Ajinomoto Stadium
, also known as Tokyo Stadium in AFC Champions League, is a multi-purpose stadium in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The stadium was founded at Kantō Mura, the redevelopment area formerly used by United States Forces Japan, in March 2001. It was the fi ...
alongside groups such as
X Japan
was a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive soun ...
and
Luna Sea
Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most success ...
, and began their own nationwide Rainy Rave tour before performing at the
Sweden Rock Festival
The Sweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal festival held in Sweden since 6 June 1992. While having a clear rock/metal focus, the festival is noted for its diversity across these genres, from southern rock bands such as Molly Hatchet to de ...
in June. The Taste of Chaos tour went to Europe in October, and then to Japan in November, where Mucc was the headliner. Mucc then performed at
The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza (known through sponsorship as Irving Plaza, powered by Klipsch and formerly known as the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza) is a ballroom-style music venue located within the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. ...
on December 7, 2008 and the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
in Los Angeles on December 10.
Following the March 2009 release of their ninth studio album ''
Kyūtai'', Mucc held a sold-out 16-date nationwide tour from May to June. After performing in Sweden at
Metaltown Festival
The Metaltown Festival was a three-day festival featuring heavy metal bands, held in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was arranged annually from 2004 to 2016.
The original Metaltown venue was at Frihamnen, but was moved in 2011 to Göteborg Galopp clos ...
in June, their Solid Sphere Tour began with a live in Russia on October 3, before featuring their first shows in Latin America (Chile and Mexico).
The band completed the tour on November 16 in Japan at the
JCB Hall. Mucc started 2010 with a concert on February 14 at the
NHK Hall
The NHK Hall is a concert hall located at the NHK Broadcasting Center, the main headquarters of Japan's Public broadcasting, public broadcaster NHK. The hall is the main venue for the NHK Symphony Orchestra, but it has also played host to other e ...
, before traveling to Taiwan for the March 14
Megaport Music Festival
The Megaport Music Festival () has been held in Kaohsiung every year since 2006, with five exceptions.
History
The music festival, founded in 2006 by Taiwan Rock Alliance, was co-organized from 2010 to 2012 by The Wall, a live house owned by Fred ...
. The single "Yakusoku" was used as the opening theme to ''
Night Raid 1931
, is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and directed by Atsushi Matsumoto. The 13-episode anime aired in Japan on the TV Tokyo television network starting April 5, 2010. ''Senkō no Night Raid'' is the secon ...
''. The band performed at
Summer Sonic
The , also known as Supersonic, is an annual two- or three-day rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba, Japan. The majority of the bands playing in Osaka the first day go to Chiba the following day and vice versa. The line-up cont ...
on August 8. Returning to being an indie band on Danger Crue Records, Mucc released ''
Karma
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
'' on October 6. Three days later, they performed at a
cultural festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival con ...
at Yukke's
alma mater Ibaraki Prefectural Ogawa High School, which was closing. The Chemical Parade tour took place between October and December.
A European leg of the Chemical Parade tour was held in five countries throughout January 2011, while two Asian shows took place in April.
At their May 21 and 22 Nippon Budokan shows, the band announced they would be signing to major label
Sony Music Associated Records. The single "Akatsuki" was first sold exclusively at those concerts, before later being available as a digital download with all proceeds donated to aid the victims of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
. On July 15, Mucc performed at a concert commemorating the first anniversary of the death of Daisuke, former singer of the band
Kagerou. They also performed at the V-Rock Festival '11 held at
Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...
on October 23, before releasing the single "Arcadia" which featured DJ
Daishi Dance
Daishi Dance (born in 1976) is a male Japanese DJ and record producer.
Summary
Daishi Dance performs in the heart of Sapporo, creating melodious house mixes that feature vocals conveying grief and discontent, and using three turn tables in a hyb ...
in November.
15th Anniversary and Six Nine Wars (2012–2016)
![MUCC live at Malmö Kulturbolaget 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/MUCC_live_at_Malm%C3%B6_Kulturbolaget_2009.jpg)
Mucc's next single, "Nirvana", was released on March 7, 2012 and used as the opening theme song for the ''
Inu x Boku SS
Inu or INU may refer to:
* Krisnan Inu (born 1987), New Zealand professional rugby league
* Irbid National University, Jordan
* Incheon National University, South Korea
* International Network of Universities
* Nauru International Airport
Na ...
'' anime. They performed at all three dates of
Cali Gari's Chikashitsu tour that same month, as well as an April 30
Jealkb
Jealkb (ジュアルケービー ''juarukeebii'') is a Japanese visual kei rock band made up of seven members, all of them comedians including London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go's Atsushi Tamura.
History
Their debut single ''Metronome'' hit number 1 o ...
concert. Mucc covered "
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
" for July's ''
Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-
''Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-'' is the second tribute album to Japanese rock band Buck-Tick, released on July 4, 2012.
The album reached number 14 on Billboard Japan Top Albums and number 16 on the Oricon chart.
Produced in cel ...
''. On May 4 they performed a concert in front of 40 fans at Shimamura Music in Mito, the same location they played their first show 15 years earlier.
Their 15th anniversary live, Mucc vs vs Mucc, took place at
Makuhari Messe
is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba City, in the northwest corner of Chiba Prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuhari'' is the name of ...
's International Exhibition Halls 1–3 on June 9. The estimated four-hour show was separated into three parts; 1997–2002 -Misshitsu-, 2002–2007 -Shisei-, and 2007–2012 -Kodō-. An album titled ''Aishū no Antique'', composed of remastered songs from their early demo tapes and the EPs ''Antique'' and ''Aishū'', was sold at the show, but later received a nationwide release on August 22. Also in August 2012, the video game was released on the
App Store
An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
. The band members took part it its creation, with Tatsuro drawing the characters. A 15th anniversary tour of
live house
A live house (ライブハウス) is a Japanese live music club – a music venue featuring live music. The term is a Japanese coinage ( wasei eigo) and is mainly used in East Asia. It most frequently refers to smaller venues, which may double as ...
s took place throughout September. The single "Mother" was released on October 31, and was an ending theme of ''
Naruto Shippuden
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. Th ...
'', while its B-side "Negative Dancer" features the audience of their September 13 concert singing the chorus.
Mucc's eleventh studio album, ''
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...
'', was released on November 28.
Its song "Kyōran Kyoshō -21st Century Baby-" was remixed and used as the theme of the live-action film adaptation of ''
Fuan no Tane
is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Masaaki Nakayama. It was adapted into a live-action film released in July 2013.
Cast
* Anna Ishibashi
*Kenta Suga
*Kōdai Asaka
*Kanji Tsuda
*Shimako Iwai
is a Japanese writer ...
''. The Shangri-La tour took place between December 2012 and March 2013, with a special concert on June 7 that marked the end of Mucc's 15th anniversary celebrations. Mucc also performed at Makuhari Messe for
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...
on May 12.
In 2013, Mucc began looking for two new members who would participate in recording, photo shoots and interviews. Applicants had to send in five stickers included with CDs, DVDs and other goods, released in commemoration of the band's 15th anniversary along with an application; it was noted that they did not need to know how to play an instrument.
After interviews and reviewing resumes on a live broadcast on
Niconico on July 26, the winners were selected by Mucc's four primary members themselves and given stage names. Hancho, a
Hungarian female
study abroad
International students, or foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their tertiary education in a country other than their own and move to that country for the purpose of studying.
In 2019, there were over 6 million internati ...
student from the band's native Ibaraki, and Dean, a male office worker from
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
officially joined the band on August 17.
However, on September 4, roughly two weeks later, it was announced that both had left the group. Dean left after his parents found out he had joined a rock band by seeing him on TV, and Hancho stated she had achieved her dream of joining Mucc and could now leave to become a fan once more. Mucc performed at
Shibuya-AX for
Angelo
Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger".
People People with the given name
*Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church
*Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298–1357), Italian Rom ...
's Intersection of Dogma event on August 16, and at
World Memorial Hall
or World Hall is a multi-purpose arena located in the Chūō-ku Ward of Kobe, Japan. It has a maximum capacity of 8,000 people and is optimized for large-scale meetings, sport events, trade shows and concerts. It is located on the artificial isl ...
on October 20 for
Vamps' Halloween Party 2013. The band held the 2 Days Circuit Hypnos & Thanatos tour, which featured two consecutive shows at seven venues between October and December. The October 30 single "World's End" was the opening theme song of ''
Meganebu!
is a 2013 anime television series produced by Studio Deen and directed by Soubi Yamamoto, which is based on a series of Drama CDs released by Deen in 2011-2012. The series follows the activities of five male students who belong to their school' ...
''. On December 1, Mucc gave a free performance in
Amerikamura
Amerikamura (also America mura; アメリカ村, ''American Village'') is a sizable retail and entertainment area near Shinsaibashi in the Chūō-ku district of Osaka, Japan. It is usually referred to by locals as "Ame-mura". Amerikamura is a ...
's Triangle Park to an estimated 3,000 fans. Police stopped the show early due to the large number of people that gathered.
On January 26, 2014, Mucc performed at
SiM's Dead Pop Festival. For seven months beginning in March, the band held an installment in their Six Nine Wars -Bokura no Nana-kagetsu Kan Sensō- concert event series each month.
Episode 1 MuP Lives were fan club-only and lives produced by each member.
April's Episode 2 VS consisted of a two-man tour where each of the nine dates included another band; either The Telephones,
The Back Horn
is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1998.
History
The band got started around April in 1998, when the original members all came to Tokyo from the countryside where they all lived, all for different reasons. They met, and de ...
,
Rottengraffty,
Fake?
Fake? is a Japanese rock musical project led by vocalist Ken Lloyd. Originally a duo, guitarist Inoran left in 2005. Lyrics are mainly in English and sometimes in Japanese.
History
In late 2001 Oblivion Dust vocalist Ken Lloyd joined up with Lu ...
, Sebastian X, or
Straightener. Episode 3 Thanatos & Thanatos Shi no Kami Sairin was a one-man tour in May.
June's three-man tour, Episode 4 Triangle, featured three acts at each venue; Mucc and
Merry were at each show, while the third was either
Sug,
LM.C, or
Vistlip
Vistlip (typeset as vistlip) is a five-member Japanese visual kei rock band that formed on July 7, 2007, and is currently signed to Delfi Sound and Marvelous Entertainment.
History
The band was reported to have been driving along Nagae Tunnel d ...
. With the release of Mucc's twelfth studio album, ''
The End of the World'', on June 25, Episode 5 was the album's July tour. Armageddon was Episode 6 and consisted of a two-man tour with a different act at each venue;
Alexandros,
Kishidan
, which means "The Knights", are a Japanese rock band. They have a retro image, wearing Japanese school uniforms in the style of bōsōzoku. The lead singer, Sho Ayanokoji (often styled as "Show Ayanocozey"), was DJ Ozma, until he retired in De ...
,
Granrodeo
Granrodeo (stylized as GRANRODEO) is a Japanese rock band, specializing in creating anime soundtracks.
Career
In 2005 voice actor Kishō Taniyama ("Kishow") and musician Masaaki Iizuka ("E-Zuka"), known for his collaborations in creating anim ...
,
Buck-Tick
Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Hig ...
,
Sid, D'erlanger,
Golden Bomber
is a Japanese visual kei "air" rock band formed in 2004 and signed to the independent label Euclid Agency (sublabel ''Zany Zap''). Despite not actually performing the instruments themselves during concerts, they have gained popularity through ...
, Michael, and Geek Sleep Sheep. The September 10 single "Yueni, Matenrou" was the opening theme song of ''
The Kindaichi Case Files R''. The Six Nine Wars event series finished with The End, a concert at the first gymnasium of
Yoyogi National Gymnasium
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, officially is an indoor arena located at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, which is famous for its suspension roof design.
It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and d ...
on September 23.
Mucc's F#ck the Past F#ck the Future tour took place in April 2015, before its European leg was held in May. On June 9 and 10, Mucc and Rottengraffty held joint lives titled Mucc Day and Rotten Day. The two were joined by Cali Gari the first night and Alexandros the second.
The EP ''
T.R.E.N.D.Y. -Paradise from 1997-'' was released on June 15, and Mucc performed at the second day of
Luna Sea
Luna Sea (stylized as LUNA SEA) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most success ...
's Lunatic Fest. on June 28.
At Studio Coast on July 18, Mucc held a free live during the day, and the final of their F#ck the Past F#ck the Future tour at night. They held the three-date March on the Darkness joint tour with lynch. between August 31 and September 21, and performed at an event hosted by
Plastic Tree
Plastic Tree are a Japanese alternative rock band. Formed in December 1993 in Chiba Prefecture, they released their first mini-album in December 1995, and in 1997, they released their first single on a major label.
History Biography
Plastic Tr ...
on October 12. On December 27, Mucc faced Sid in the main event of Maverick DC's Battle Arena in Budokan, where each band alternated playing songs before joining together for the last two. Mucc made the song "Brilliant World" digitally available on December 24 for a limited time as a Christmas gift to fans.
Between January 23 and April 1, 2016, Mucc and Aki (bassist of Sid) held a joint tour titled M.A.D, which also featured other acts and guests. Mucc performed at Dappe's Rock in
Jōsō on May 1, a concert organized by Toshi-Low of
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
to help revitalize Ibaraki Prefecture after flooding the previous year. On June 25, 2016, Mucc a launched a nationwide tour that ended in September but was an early lead up to their 20th anniversary the following year. After
Ken
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine.
* Ken Masters, a main character in ...
took part in several shows on their M.A.D tour, Tatsuro conceived the Party Zoo ~Ken Entwines Naughty Stars~ tour centered around the guitarist. It took place between September 11 and October 9 and also featured Mucc,
A9,
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and others. Mucc released the single "
Classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
" on September 19, and it was used as the opening theme song of ''
The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War''. They performed at the visual kei rock festival Visual Japan Summit at Makuhari Messe on October 16, and at
Knotfest
Knotfest is a music festival created in 2012 by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The event has been held both as a touring festival and a destination festival in several countries including the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Mexico, C ...
Japan on November 6.
20th Anniversary and Satochi's departure (2017–present)
2017 marked Mucc's 20th anniversary. After the release of their thirteenth studio album ''
Myakuhaku
''Myakuhaku'' (脈拍) is the thirteenth studio album by the Japanese rock band MUCC, released on January 25, 2017 in Japan by Sony Japan and February 10, 2017 in Europe by Gan-Shin. It was produced by Ken from L'Arc-en-Ciel and Miya.
The album ...
'' on January 25, they gave a special free live performance on February 4, where only people who bought the special edition of the album were eligible to attend. On March 29, they released the compilation albums ''Best of Mucc II'' and ''Coupling Best II''. On May 1, Mucc were appointed ambassadors of both
Ishioka, Ibaraki
260px, Ishioka City Hall
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 72,351 in 28,291 households and a population density of 336 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 33. ...
(where Miya and Yukke are from) and
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 269,330 in 123,282 households and a population density of 1239 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged o ...
(where Tatsuro and Satochi are from). They were tasked with promoting Ibaraki Prefecture after it ranked last four years in a row in a survey on the attractiveness of prefectures. Mucc sold the limited single "Ieji" at the concert at Ibarakiken Bunkacenter Large Hall on May 4, and their two 20th anniversary concerts at the Nippon Budokan that were separated by years; 97–06 on June 20, and 06–17 on June 21. They also released three self-cover albums, beginning with ''Shin Tsūzetsu'' and ''Shin Hōmura Uta'' on August 9. The third was September 13's ''Koroshi no Shirabe II: This is Not Greatest Hits'', the title of which was taken from
Buck-Tick
Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese Rock music, rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Hig ...
's similar ''
Koroshi no Shirabe: This Is Not Greatest Hits''. It was supported by a five-date tour that ended on October 10.
Mucc covered "March 5" by
Plastic Tree
Plastic Tree are a Japanese alternative rock band. Formed in December 1993 in Chiba Prefecture, they released their first mini-album in December 1995, and in 1997, they released their first single on a major label.
History Biography
Plastic Tr ...
for the cover album ''Transparent Branches'' released on September 6, and "Crazy4You" by
D'erlanger
D'erlanger (stylized as D'ERLANGER) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto Prefecture, formed in 1983 by guitarist Cipher and bassist Seela. While they originally played speed and power metal, after recruiting drummer Tetsu and vocalist Kyo they ...
for the tribute album ''Stairway to Heaven'' released on September 13. A tribute album to Mucc titled and featuring 22 artists, was released on November 22. It was supported by the En 7 tour, which was held with bands that contributed to the album, such as
Dezert
Dezert (stylized as DEZERT) is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2011. Their current line-up features Chiaki on vocals, Sacchan on bass, Miyako on guitar and Sora on drums and they have released 7 studio albums to date.
''Real Sound'' ind ...
,
Flow, and
Band-Maid
Band-Maid (stylized as BAND-MAID® until 2016) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013, consisting of singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, bassist Misa, and drummer Akane Hirose. The band combines a rock ...
. The tour ended on December 27, where Mucc hosted a special festival at the Nippon Budokan to end their 20th anniversary with eight of the other acts. They also hosted a year-end countdown event in Ibaraki on News Years Eve with many other artists. With the end of 2017, Mucc returned to being an independent band on Danger Crue Records yet again.
They sold the cassette "Jiko Keno Demo ~Dirty Ver.~" at every night of their June 2018 Lock on Snipe Tour #1: Hokkaido-gata Shūkan 6 Days, while "Jiko Keno Demo ~Clean Ver.~" was released digitally on June 11.
They released the single "Jigen Bakudan" on July 25, 2018.
Mucc's Lock on Snipe Tour #2: Shikoku-gata Shūkan 4 Days took place in October, while #3: Hokuriku-gata Shūkan 6 Days took place in December. The members of the band were four of the 76 people to make cameo appearances in the music video for Flow's song "Oneness". Mucc held an eight-date joint tour with Dezert, titled Is This The "Fact"?, throughout January 2019. Under the name "DEZERMUCC", the two bands collaborated on a two-track CD sold on the tour. For February 13's
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
''
Kowareta Piano to Living Dead'', Mucc recruited keyboardist Tooru Yoshida as a limited-time member. The album was based on 140 of the band's early demos. It was supported by a
Zepp
The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in which ...
tour that ended on April 1, and a hall tour that took place between May and June. Throughout the second half of 2019, they held 33 concerts as part of Lock on Snipe Tours #4–8 and released four singles limited to 6,940 copies total.
Each one was written by a different band member and released at a concert held on the 40th birthday of its songwriter.
The three-date Lock on Snipe Tour #9 took the band to Shanghai and Taipei in December.
On December 28, Mucc presented Trigger in the Box at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. It featured other acts such as
Hyde,
44 Magnum,
Ling tosite Sigure
are a Japanese rock trio, formed in 2002 in Saitama Prefecture. The band's style resembles post-hardcore and progressive rock, math-rock, often incorporating rapid changes of tempo and mood framed in complex guitar melodies and technical drummin ...
, and
Oldcodex
Oldcodex (stylized as OLDCODEX) was a Japanese rock band from Tokyo, Japan, formed in 2009. They performed the opening themes for the anime series '' Free!'', ''Servamp'' and '' God Eater'' and the ending themes for ''Kuroko's Basketball'' and ...
.
![Satochi Mucc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Satochi_Mucc.jpg)
From January 10 to February 9, 2020, Mucc performed the Lock on Snipe Tour #10.
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, they had to cancel April's Lock on Snipe Tour #11 in Europe and their June 21 concert at
Pia Arena MM. They contributed a cover of "Mezmerize" to the May 13
Granrodeo
Granrodeo (stylized as GRANRODEO) is a Japanese rock band, specializing in creating anime soundtracks.
Career
In 2005 voice actor Kishō Taniyama ("Kishow") and musician Masaaki Iizuka ("E-Zuka"), known for his collaborations in creating anim ...
tribute album ''Rodeo Freak''. The band released the
made-to-order
Build to Order (BTO: sometimes referred to as Make to Order or Made to Order (MTO)) is a production approach where products are not built until a confirmed order for products is received. Thus, the end consumer determines the time and number of ...
single "Shōfu 2020", which contains four different recordings of their first single "Shōfu" from various points in their career, on June 9 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Mucc's fifteenth studio album ''
Aku'' was released the following day. They held ~Fight Against COVID-19 #2–3~ "Aku - The Broken Resuscitation" no-audience live streams on June 21 and September 20. Their December 27 show at the Nippon Budokan was the band's first concert with an audience in 10 months. On December 2, 2020, Mucc announced that Satochi, who had been their drummer for 23 years, would be leaving the band in spring 2021 and cease activities as a professional musician. His last tour with the band, Mucc Tour 202X Aku - The Brightness World, began in February 2021, but its final four shows were rescheduled to August after Japan declared a state of emergency as a result of the pandemic and Satochi tested positive for COVID-19.
The final two concerts were postponed again due to the pandemic and took place on October 2 and 3 at The Hirosawa City Hall in the band's home prefecture of Ibaraki. The compilation album ''Myōjō'' was released on April 21 during the tour. All of its songs were either composed or co-composed by Satochi, with four of them newly re-recorded, while the lyrics to the new title track are credited to the whole band.
A day after Satochi's departure, Mucc released new artist pictures showing them as a trio. The double A-side single "Goner/World" was released in November 2021. 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Mucc's formation. They began celebrating with an acoustic live on May 4. The band released their sixteenth studio album, ''Shin Sekai'', on June 9.
Its tour, which has the subtitle Beginning of the 25th Anniversary, took place from June 11 to August 28.
For the anniversary installment En event, En 8 on September 6, Mucc decided to choose The Back Horn and Cock Roach as the participates because they also have ties to Ibaraki.
The first leg of Timeless, their 25th anniversary tour, took place from October 9 to December 14. They played a setlist centered on songs from their ''Zekū'' (2003) and ''Kuchiki no Tō'' (2004) albums. On December 21, Mucc released the mini-album ''Shin Sekai Bekkan'', which is composed of outtakes from ''Shin Sekai'' and songs written during its tour. They will hold two special 25th anniversary lives on February 6 and 14, 2023, which will also mark the first time in about three years that the audience can cheer aloud, as it was previously not allowed due to COVID-19 guidelines. Three more legs of the Timeless tour will also take place throughout 2023. From March 4 to May 6, Mucc will play songs from their ''Hōyoku'' (2005) and ''Gokusai'' (2006) albums. Songs from ''Shion'' (2008) and ''Kyūtai'' (2009) will be played from June 9 to August 21. From October 1 to November 11, they will play a setlist centered on songs from ''Karma'' (2010) and ''Shangri-La'' (2012).
Members
;Current members
* – lead vocals, harmonica (1997–present)
:Also in the
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
with Hiroto (
Alice Nine
is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in Tokyo in 2004. They were a part of PS Company until 2014. The band had King Records as its record label until 2010, when they joined Tokuma Japan. Then, in 2013, the band joined Universal Music Grou ...
), Mizuki (
Sadie), Dunch (
Jealkb
Jealkb (ジュアルケービー ''juarukeebii'') is a Japanese visual kei rock band made up of seven members, all of them comedians including London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go's Atsushi Tamura.
History
Their debut single ''Metronome'' hit number 1 o ...
) and Kenzo (
Ayabie
is a Japanese visual kei rock band signed to the label Tokuma Japan Communications. Their music consisted of a wide variety of sounds and moods, ranging from catchy and upbeat to heavy and hard-edged punk songs. Many of the band's costumes were ...
).
* – guitars, backing vocals (1997–present)
* Yukke – bass,
contrabass
Contrabass (from it, contrabbasso) refers to several musical instruments of very low pitch—generally one octave below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to the double bass (which is the bass instrument in the orchest ...
,
electric upright bass
The electric upright bass (EUB) is an instrument that can perform the musical function of a double bass.
It requires only a minimal or 'skeleton' body to produce sound because it uses a pickup and electronic amplifier and loudspeaker. Therefore, ...
, backing vocals (1999–present)
;Former members
* Hiro – bass, backing vocals (1997–1999)
* – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1997–2021)
;Support members
* – piano, keyboards (2017, 2019–present)
* Allen – drums (2021–present)
Discography
;Studio albums
*
*
*
*
*
*''
6'' (2006)
*
*
*
*
*
*''
The End of the World'' (2014)
*
*
*
*
References
External links
*
* by
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
, often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Group Corporation and is opera ...
{{Authority control
Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists
Gan-Shin artists
Visual kei musical groups
Japanese hard rock musical groups
Japanese alternative rock groups
Japanese heavy metal musical groups
Japanese alternative metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1997
Musical groups from Ibaraki Prefecture