Boom Boom Satellites
We were going to quit Boom Boom Satellites after our third year, but inside we knew that giving up our dream was not the answer.
Anime, manga, J-Horror, and video games are all examples of the J-pop craze that now dominates America’s subculture. J-music is the only part of J-pop not making headway in the U.S., but that’s about to change. Already enjoying stardom in Japan Michiyuki Kawashima (singer/guitarist) and Masayuki Nakano (Bassist/DJ), a.k.a. Boom Boom Satellites (BBS), are now making a landfall in America with the digital release of their most recent album, Exposed, and Chopsticks NY caught up with BBS to discuss crossing cultural boundaries in pursuit of that revolutionary sound and the importance of living your dreams.
Before we begin I wanted to congratulate you on winning Japanese Magazine’s best album of 2006 award for ON. Coming off the success of ON was there any particular sound you were striving for while recording your most recent album, Exposed?
Masayuki Nakano (MN): We were trying to go for a more metal sound. Something heavier. We used a lot more guitars and drums on Exposed than on any of our prior records.
Who were some of the artists that originally got you into electronic music?
MN: I was very influenced by the Detroit techno sound of the early 90s. One group I remember listening to a lot early on was 808 State. While club-hopping around Tokyo in the early 90s, I would see these revolutionary DJs perform and talk to them after their sets. It was an exciting time.
Although Exposed is being released “digitally” in America it actually hit stores in Japan a year ago, do you think it’s being embraced more by Japanese or international fans?
MN: I’m not sure if fans outside Japan are receiving it well because the album has only been released in Japan, and we haven’t toured outside Japan.
Michiyuki Kawashima (MK): We have opened up for many artists like The Chemical Brothers, Moby, and Fatboy Slim, but have yet to headline anything major outside the country. That’s about to change as we prepare for our first Australian tour. We digitally released Exposed in Australia a short time ago and since then we’ve been receiving positive feedback.
Would you like to tour America sometime in the future?
MK: Of course, the American audience is great. They really understand our style of music and are extremely enthusiastic about it. I remember opening a show for Moby in Minneapolis a few years ago and the crowd was really into it. Everyone was dancing and having a great time. We can’t wait to perform in America again.
At what age did you start getting serious about becoming a musician?
MK: While I was in middle school. We [Nakano & I] originally met in college while I was in another band, but it was during those middle school days that I got serious about music.
What sparked your interest to work together?
MK: Well, I wanted to create a rock band that incorporated aspects of the nightlife scene in its music, something similar to what was going on in the U.K. Unfortunately, though, we were short a drummer so I asked Nakano to lend a hand. From that point we started recording demos and performing at small, local venues.
What did your parents think when you told them your dreams?
MK: There were times when we had support from our parents, and others when we didn’t.
The times without that support must have been difficult.
MK: We were going to quit Boom Boom Satellites after our third year, but inside we knew that giving up our dream was not the answer. Soon after the decision to continue songwriting our music began generating buzz. It wasn’t until we started doing remixes and movie soundtracks that our sound got a major push.
The movie soundtracks your music is featured on appears to be mostly animations. Are you into Anime?
MK: I grew up on anime, and still watch it today. Two songs from Exposed have already been used on various soundtracks. “Shut Up And Explode,” is the opening theme to Xam’d: Lost Memories and “Easy Action” is featured in the film Vexille. It was truly a wonderful experience to be involved so early into production. We plan on writing more music for soundtracks in the future because we know how much audio manipulation impacts the visuals.
Just watching the video for “Moment I Can” off 2005’s Full Of Elevating Pleasures I can tell you guys take visuals very seriously.
MK: Music videos are part of the creation process so its important to work closely with the video director. After a few meetings we decide on the concept, and move forward with production.
Are your live gigs just as intense as the videos?
MK: More. With the inclusion of drummer Naoki Hirai we become a three piece ensemble that drops you somewhere between a heavy metal concert and a warehouse rave party. The combination of audio and visual stimulation magnifies the live show’s potency.
It appears that 2008 has been a pivotal year for the Boom Boom Satellites. So what’s next for you guys?
MK: We just released a new Live DVD set that was recorded in 2008 while touring, and are already in the studio recording a follow-up to Exposed. After that we’d like to focus on getting our music to more people around the world.
Has the past success changed the way Boom Boom Satellites music is created?
MK: Not really. For this new album we basically locked ourselves in the studio and began writing, which is what we’ve done in the past, but this time the only pressure we have comes from our own desire for perfection.
Is there anything you would like to say to the Americans who are reading this article?
MK: Yes, please come out and see us. We have a really great show planned for you. For every album written, we record two different mixes. The first mix is the one everybody hears on the album, but the second mix can only be heard during the live show because we synchronize the music with a series of complex visuals that are also mixed live. Another reason for the two recordings is to make everything more exciting for the crowd, and they get to hear something new.
———– Interviewed by Sam Frank
<Biography>
Boom Boom Satellites are bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima, two friends who met in the early 90s while attending college in Tokyo. Since then BBS have released six studio albums; remixed music for artists including Garbage, Josh Wink, and Ken Ishii; toured globally with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld; and have had their music featured in anime and commercials. While the group’s studio albums have garnered critical acclaim it’s their dynamic live shows that transformed BBS into bona fide superstars. BBS’ seventh album, the metal-oriented Exposed, has just been digitally released in North America. EXPOSED is now available on iTunes Music Store.
www.myspace.com/bbsamerica www.bbs-net.com
What will come next?
—The future of J-music
Over the last decade America has been binging on Japanese pop culture. Judging by the Pokemon craze of the late 90s to the more recent video game wars between the Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, it appears that pop culture is evenly exchanged between both countries. Unfortunately it has yet to properly acknowledge Japan’s bustling music industry. There are a few reasons for America’s lackluster response to Japanese artists. One significant detractor is the language barrier. American audiences place just as much importance on the lyrics as they do to the music, which is why Japan’s most successful artists are unable to make a breakthrough.
Although language and concept have blocked most J-artists from conquering America’s music market there are some recent additions who have slipped through the cracks. Thanks to movies, anime, and commercials groups like the Teriyaki Boys (Tokyo Drift), Puffy-AmiYumi (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi), and The Yoshida Brothers (Nintendo Wii) have all found their way into American homes.
So, what’s next? With Japanamania still rampant, America is ready for a J-music hero to emerge. A band with enough talent to show the international community that Japan not only imports music from around the world, but is a country that cultivates and exports its own, unique sound; and no group is more ready to carry that torch than Boom Boom Satellites.
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