Welcome to Buck-Tick Zone

Releases: Solo: Atsushi Sakurai

Compilation

artist: Atsushi Sakurai + Xymox
album: Dance 2 Noise 002 (booklet image)
song: Yokan (lyrics by Sakurai; song and arrangement by Ronny Moorings & Anka Wolbert)
release date: March 21, 1992

Credits
Atsushi: vocals
Ronny: all instruments
Anka: all instruments
recorded at: Marcus Studio (UK)
directed by: Junichi Tanaka
coordinated by: Junko Yamazaki

* this is Atsushi's first work outside of Buck-Tick.

Singles

Sacrifice

release date: May 26, 2004
company: Victor
formats: cd (VICL-35659)
initial price: ¥1260
goodies: liner notes fold out to reveal an image of Atsushi

Tracklisting

Sacrifice (Sakurai/Wayne Hussey/arranged by Wayne Hussey)
Love (Dakishimetai) (Yuu Aku/Katsuo Ono/arranged by Shigekazu Aida)
Wonderful World (Injection to NY Mix) (Sakurai/Hisashi Suto/arranged by Hige)

All songs produced by Atsushi Sakurai.

Taiji / Smell

release date: July 21, 2004
company: Victor
formats: cd (VICL-35691)
initial price: ¥1260
goodies: liner notes fold out to reveal an image of Atsushi

Tracklisting

Smell (Sakurai/Yasuyuki Okamura/arranged by Yasuyuki Okamura)
Taiji (Embryo's Theatre Version) (Sakurai/Taiji Sato/arranged by Taiji Sato)
Fantasy (Cubic Orange Mix) (Sakurai/Cube Juice/arranged by Cube Juice)
Amaon Wa Chopin No Shirabe -I Like Chopin- (original song by Gazebo & Pierluigi Giombini; Japanese lyrics by Yumi Matsutoya; arranged by Maki Fujii)

*this was a joint single of both "Taiji" and "Smell"

All songs produced by Atsushi Sakurai.

Wakusei Rebirth

release date: February 23, 2005
company: Victor
formats: cd (VICL-35723)
initial price: ¥1260
goodies: ?

Tracklisting

Wakusei Rebirth (Sakurai/Kenji Kishida/arranged by Shigekazu Aida & Masatomo Kawase & Cube Juice)
Tensei (Sakurai/Cube Juice/arranged by Cube Juice)
Ai No Sanka (original song by Edith Piaf & Chante Marguerite Monnot; Japanese lyrics by Tokiko Iwatani; arranged by Gari)
Wakusei (Live at NHK Hall 21st July, 2004) (Sakurai/Kenji Kishida/arranged by Wakusei group)
Wakusei Rebirth (Last Supper Mix) (Sakurai/Kenji Kishida/arranged by Shigekazu Aida & Masatomo Kawase & Cube Juice)

(lyrics/music/arrangement)

Album

Ai No Wakusei

release date: June 23, 2004
company: Victor
formats: cd (VICL-61419)
initial price: ¥3045
goodies: a collector's box set version was also released (with photo of Atsushi's right arm)

Tracklisting

Sacrifice (Last Confused Mix) (Sakurai/Wayne Hussey/arranged by Wayne Hussey)
Yellow Pig (Sakurai/Raymond Watts/arranged by Raymond Watts)
X-Lover (Sakurai/Bryan Black/arranged by Xlover)
I Hate You All (Sakurai/J.G. Thirwell AKA Foetus/arranged by J.G. Thirwell AKA Foetus)
Wonderful World (Injection to UK Mix) (Sakurai/Hisashi Suto/arranged by Hige)
Smell (Sakurai/Yasuyuki Okamura/arranged by Yasuyuki Okamura)
Mächen (Sakurai/Robin Guthrie & Sakurai/arranged by Robin Guthrie)
Fantasy (Sakurai/Cube Juice/arranged by Cube Juice)
Taiji (Sakurai/Taiji Sato/arranged by Taiji Sato)
Hallelujah! (Sakurai/Yukio Murata (My Way My Love)/arranged by My Way My Love)
Shingetsu (Sakurai/Masami Tsuchiya/arranged by Masami Tsuchiya)
Yokan (2004 re-construct) (Sakurai/Ronny Moorings & Anke Wolbert/arranged by Xymox)
Wakusei (Sakurai/Kenji Kishida/arranged by Shigekazu Aida)
Neko (Sakurai/Masatomo Kawase/arranged by Cloud Chair)

Credits
all songs produced by Atsushi Sakurai
(each track was recorded with various musicians)
mastering engineer: Kotaro Kojima (Flair)
co-produced & directed by: Junichi Tanaka (Happy House)
artist management: Taeko Nomura (Banker), Takahiro Chiba (Banker)
artist promoter: (Victor Entertainment, Inc.)
music video coordinator Tomoko? (Victor Entertainment, Inc.)
web coordinator: Mai Sato (Victor Entertainment, Inc.)
sales promoter: ? "3go" Suzuki (Victor Entertainment, Inc.)
art direction, artwork & design: ?
photography: ?
styling: ? Nomura (Stuttgart)
hair & make-up: Takayuki Tanizaki (Fats Berry)
creative direction: ? (VDC)

Videos

Longinus

release date: August 25, 2004
company: Victor
formats: DVD (VIBF-192)
initial price: ¥6090
goodies: first copies sold were in a limited edition packaging (back cover, inside image, booklet); some may have received these postcards

Contents:

"Longinus" short film by Ryuhei Kitamura

*this is Atsushi's acting debut

Bonus materials:

making of "Longinus" documentary
music videos for "Sacrifice" and "Taiji"
making of Atsushi's solo album Ai No Wakusei documentary

-Explosion- Ai No Wakusei Live 2004

release date: December 16, 2004
company: Victor
formats: DVD (VIBL-235)
initial price: ¥6090
goodies: first copies sold were in a limited edition packaging (booklet1, booklet2, booklet3, booklet4)

Tracklisting

X-Lover
Wonderful World
Yellow Pig
I Hate You All
Hallelujah!
Yokan
Fantasy
Smell
Marchen
Shingatsu
Taiji
Neko
Explosion
Wakusei
Amaon Wa Chopin No Shirabe -I Like Chopin-
Love (Dakishimetai)
Sacrifice
Space Oddity (cover of David Bowie)

Books

Yasou

release date: July 14, 2004
initial price: ¥5250
goodies: includes a 15 minute DVD; some may have received these postcards

his book of poetry

Sacrifice

release date: July 20, 2004
company: Pia Kabushiki Gaisha (Pia Co., Ltd.) (ISBN 4-8356-0948-4)
author: ?
size: A4 wide
pages: 160
initial price: ¥4200
goodies: a photo and frame were sold separately

photo book

[this page was last updated on 2011.11.14 @ 00:04:08 PST]

Notes

Atsushi's first solo release was a collaboration with Xymox for a compilation album in 1992. Atsushi wrot ethe lyrics and Xymox wrote the music. Atsushi apparently went to England for the recording. That song was later re-worked for his solo album in 2004.

Listen to that first solo release, Yokan.

For his debut album, Atsushi asked artists he liked to write a song for him. Atsushi wrote the lyrics. An interviewer asked him why he didn't let the artists who wrote the songs also write the lyrics, as some of them were quite famous for their lyrics as well, and Atsushi replied that he wrote the lyrics in order to make them his songs. Otherwise, it would just be karaoke.

"I was asked to write a tune for Sakurai's solo album, which I did, and Sakurai wrote the lyrics. Never having heard of Sakurai before, I did some research and found out he is the singer in a Japanese band called 'Buck Tick' who are, by all accounts, fairly successfull in Japan...... Sakurai is, apparently, a fan of the earlier Mission albums and wanted me to write a tune for him in the style of.......
I did, indeed, play all the instruments on the original version of the song but I have just recorded a new version of this song with The Mission that we will probably use as a 'b' side or an extra track sometime.....
And if this track is instrumental in helping us get to Japan again for some shows then it's been a success.....It's been 16 years since we last played in Japan and I feel it's time to return......
250505
Wayne
[from Mission World Information Service bbs]

There was a contest where you had to send in the proofs of purchase from the first two singles, the album, and the movie. 2000 would win a CD entitled "Explosion", containing the songs "Explosion" (music by Yukio Murata) and "Amaon Wa Chopin No Shirabe -I Like Chopin- (Mix Mitsuai)".

Song Composers

Wayne Hussey is from The Mission (UK).

Raymond Watts is from Pig (UK). (He has worked with Atsushi previously.)

Bryan Black is from Xlover and haloblack (USA/UK).

J.G. Thirwell is from Foetus (Australia/UK/USA).

Hisashi Suto is from Hige (Japan).

Yasuyuki Okamura is a solo musician (Japan).

Robin Guthrie is from Cocteau Twins (UK).

Cube Juice is a solo artist (Japan).

Taiji Sato is from Theatre Brook (Japan).

Yukio Murata is from My Way My Love (Japan).

Masami Tsuchiya is a solo artist (Japan). (He has worked with Atsushi previously.)

Ronny Moorings and Anke Wolbert are from Xymox (UK). (They have worked with Atsushi previously.)

Kenji Kishida is from Wakusei (Japan).

Masatomo Kawase is also known as Cloud Chair (Japan).

Concert Chronology

The backing band comprised of: Masatomo Kawase (Cloud Chair) on guitars, Ken Miyo on guitars, Tomohiro Matsuda (Wrench) on bass, Kosaku Abe (The Collectors) on drums, and Maki Fujii handling synthesizer, backtrack compile, & rebuild.

Merchandise sold: pamphlet, vinyl bag, cell phone strap, memorial cards, hand towel, sports towel, t-shirt1, t-shirt2, t-shirt3, t-shirt4, t-shirt5, t-shirt6, wristband, zippo.

July

21: NHK Hall, Tokyo
22: NHK Hall, Tokyo

setlist:
X-Lover
Wonderful World
Yellow Pig
I Hate You All
Hallelujah!
Yokan
Fantasy (guest: Cube Juice)
Smell
Marchen
Shingetsu
Taiji (guest: Taiji Sato)
Neko
Explosion (tape?)

encore:
Wakusei
Amaon Wa Chopin No Shirabe -I Like Chopin-
Love (Dakishimetai)

encore 2:
Sacrifice
Space Oddity (cover of David Bowie)

Buck-Tick Zone

Releases: Solo: Atsushi Sakurai

Compilation

Singles

Sacrifice

Taiji / Smell

Wakusei Rebirth

Album

Ai No Wakusei

Videos

Longinus

-Explosion- Ai No Wakusei Live 2004

Books

Yasou

Sacrifice

[this page was last updated on 2011.11.14 @ 00:04:08 PST]

Notes

Song Composers

Covers

Concert Chronology

July

Images from "Sacrifice" video

Images from "Taiji" video

Images from Longinus

Images from Explosion