Deadman (band)
Encyclopedia
Deadman was a Japanese rock band founded in Nagoya in 2000. The group gained notoriety for popularizing the nagoya kei
sub-genre of visual kei
, which is a lot "darker" than most and focuses more on musical composition. Deadman also quickly became known for Mako's heavily melancholic
lyrical themes, with the music itself touching on alternative rock
in sound. The group disbanded in 2006 for unknown reasons.
In April 2005, Takamasa left and it wasn't until July when Kazuya replaced him. At the end of the year they released their second full length album, In The Direction of Sunrise and Night Light. At the beginning of 2006, Deadman played a couple of shows in Europe. But in March they announced they would be disbanding and on May 23, 2006 performed their last concert.
Aie went on to form the band The Studs in 2007 with ex-bassist Yukino, they went on hiatus in 2009. He then formed both HighFashionParalyze and The God and Death Stars in 2010, all the while performing occasional solo shows. On May 29, 2008, Mako released a photo book called Buried Alive by Words, which came with a CD of a song called "Buried with the Light" that features Közi
on guitar and bass. Kazuya released a solo album, under the name Gift, called A Man's Walking is Succession of Falls on June 20, 2008. Yukino is currently singer and guitarist for the band Dim My Division.
, Chage and Aska
and Kurt Cobain
as inspiring them. Their music incorporates several different genres of rock
, drawing heavily from alternative rock
and indie rock
. A style reminiscent of hardcore
and post-punk
can also be seen, in what is much of Deadman's musical sporadic-ism. Often incorporated into individual songs are several "movements
" that seem to drift back and forth, with erratic vocals and sounds.
and Shintoism
references are made often.
The band has recorded concept albums based on several notable works of literary fiction, such as Jekyll and Hyde and Les Fleurs Du Mal
. The title of their album 701125 is a reference to the date author Yukio Mishima
died, November 25, 1970.
Nagoya Kei
Nagoya kei is a subgenre of visual kei, with its roots in the early-1990s music scene of Nagoya, Japan. Often considered darker and gloomier than normal visual kei, nagoya kei takes its musical influences more so from western punk rock bands...
sub-genre of visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
, which is a lot "darker" than most and focuses more on musical composition. Deadman also quickly became known for Mako's heavily melancholic
Melancholia
Melancholia , also lugubriousness, from the Latin lugere, to mourn; moroseness, from the Latin morosus, self-willed, fastidious habit; wistfulness, from old English wist: intent, or saturnine, , in contemporary usage, is a mood disorder of non-specific depression,...
lyrical themes, with the music itself touching on alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
in sound. The group disbanded in 2006 for unknown reasons.
History
Guitarist and leader Aie, vocalist Mako (眞呼) and bassist Yukino were all previously in the band Kein. In 2000 they formed Deadman with drummer Toki, whom Aie previously played with in Lamiel. They played their first concert on January 6, 2001. Shortly after the release of their first single, "Subliminal Effect", Yukino left the group and was replaced by Takamasa previously of Lady. Yukino went on to the bands Gullet and lynch..In April 2005, Takamasa left and it wasn't until July when Kazuya replaced him. At the end of the year they released their second full length album, In The Direction of Sunrise and Night Light. At the beginning of 2006, Deadman played a couple of shows in Europe. But in March they announced they would be disbanding and on May 23, 2006 performed their last concert.
Aie went on to form the band The Studs in 2007 with ex-bassist Yukino, they went on hiatus in 2009. He then formed both HighFashionParalyze and The God and Death Stars in 2010, all the while performing occasional solo shows. On May 29, 2008, Mako released a photo book called Buried Alive by Words, which came with a CD of a song called "Buried with the Light" that features Közi
Közi
Közi is a Japanese musician who plays guitar, piano, keyboard and synthesizer. Közi is best known as guitarist for the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, he joined the industrial rock act Eve of Destiny and also started a solo career...
on guitar and bass. Kazuya released a solo album, under the name Gift, called A Man's Walking is Succession of Falls on June 20, 2008. Yukino is currently singer and guitarist for the band Dim My Division.
Musical style
Deadman cites Buck-TickBuck-Tick
Buck-Tick is a rock band formed in 1983 in Fujioka, Japan. The band has consisted of Atsushi Sakurai , Hisashi Imai , Hidehiko Hoshino , Yutaka Higuchi and Toll Yagami for the majority of its existence...
, Chage and Aska
Chage and Aska
or Chage and Asuka are a Japanese popular music duo composed of two singer-songwriters from Fukuoka Prefecture, and . To date they have sold over 31 million albums and singles in Japan....
and Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
as inspiring them. Their music incorporates several different genres of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, drawing heavily from alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. A style reminiscent of hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
can also be seen, in what is much of Deadman's musical sporadic-ism. Often incorporated into individual songs are several "movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
" that seem to drift back and forth, with erratic vocals and sounds.
Lyrical themes
Mako's lyrics usually touch on the "psychological instability of mankind, the mortality of humans, and religion", particularly ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Shintoism
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
references are made often.
The band has recorded concept albums based on several notable works of literary fiction, such as Jekyll and Hyde and Les Fleurs Du Mal
Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857 , it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements...
. The title of their album 701125 is a reference to the date author Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima
was the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...
died, November 25, 1970.
Albums/Mini albums
- Site of Scaffold (November 21, 2001)
- Jekyll and Hyde of Early Afternoon (April 11, 2002; split mini album with Blast, includes both single versions)
- No Alternative (March 8, 2003), OriconOricon, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Albums Chart Peak Position: #160 - 701125 (April 2004; sold only on tour)
- 701125+2 (June 8, 2005)
- In the Direction of Sunrise and Night Light (December 14, 2005) #189
- No Alternative 2.0 (November 30, 2009; remix album)
Singles
- "Subliminal Effect" (April 25, 2001)
- "In Media" (August 20, 2001)
- "Jekyll and Hyde of Early Afternoon" (White Version, new songs July 27, 2002; split single with Blast)
- "Jekyll and Hyde of Early Afternoon" (Black Version, cover songs July 27, 2002; split single with Blast)
- "The Intolerable Existence In Suffering" (demo sold only on June 21, 2002)
- "Family" (Osaka Edition, sold only on April 13, 2003)
- "Family" (Nagoya Edition, sold only on April 23, 2003)
- "Family" (Tokyo Edition, sold only on April 26, 2003)
- "Rainy Sunflower" (October 11, 2003), Oricon Singles Chart Peak Position: #102
- "Kafka" (sold only on tour from January 13 – February 3, 2004)
- "℃+1" (sold only on March 10, 2004)
- "℃" (October 6, 2004) #85
- "When the Saints Go Marching In" (March 9, 2005) #117
DVD
- 2 Clips (April 2004; sold only on tour)
- 0605231830 (December 27, 2006)
- Endroll (December 27, 2006)