Polysics
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese new wave
and rock band from Tokyo
, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer
, the Korg Polysix
. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo
. They create high energy music, fusing conventional guitar
music, with synthesized and computer generated sound to create a unique mixture of punk
and synthpop
, heavily inspired by the American bands Devo
and The Tubes
, and Japanese bands such as P-Model
and Yellow Magic Orchestra
. Their song lyrics often consist of Japanese, English, or just plain gibberish
. The band has been noted for their extremely energetic live performances and their wild gimmicky outfits, notably their trademark orange boiler suits, with a simple "P" stamped on them, and their straight-bar sunglasses.
Polysics was formed in 1997 by Japanese high-school student Hiroyuki Hayashi. After watching some live footage of Devo and becoming heavily inspired by new wave music of the West, the student quit his soccer team and formed a band that would expand on the cartoonish image and musical ideas of the zany art-punk icons he had seen on TV. He was joined by drummer Junichi Sugai and Sako (aka Poly 2). Another member named Kaneko joined within the early years of the band. He then left and he was then replaced by Kayo and with her mechanical stage presence, it provided an asymmetrical dynamic to the frenetic antics of the other three. The name of the band derives from the first synthesizer
owned by Hayashi, the Korg Polysix
. This synth appears in two of their early music video
s.
In 1999, Polysics released their first albums 1st P and A.D.S.R.M! on the independent label DECKREC Records. Just after the release of 1st P their bassist, known only as "POLY-2", left. The band dropped the "POLY-X" names, and reduced to a trio, with new member Fumi on Bass Support on some of the tracks from Neu. In 1999, Asian Man Records
released their US debut album, Hey! Bob! My Friend!
to rave reviews, but weak sales. The album was a compilation of tracks from their first two Japanese releases. In 2000, Polysics signed to Ki/oon Records
(a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan Inc.) and released their first major album Neu. The album carried with it the same manic energy as their independent releases but more refined. On the 2001 album Eno, Synthesizers became more prevalent in the mix, but the songs still had an intense punk
-like energy. For this album, Fumi applied as a full member, returning Polysics to a quartet
. 2002 saw the release of the album For Young Electric Pop, Polysics' attempt at a pop
album. The manic punk energy was minimized, but the band showed it had an amazing sense of harmony and style.
In 2003, Neu was released in the United States on Asian Man Records to rave reviews and great sales. However, shortly after recording the Kaja Kaja Goo EP drummer Junichi Sugai left the band. Ishimaru (drummer for the punk group Snail Ramp) temporarily joined as a replacement. For the 2003 album National P, Polysics went to the US to tour, which was then captured on the PippikkippippiP In USA DVD
.
Also during 2003, Polysics appeared on UK television for the programme Adam & Joe Go Tokyo performing "Kaja Kaja Goo".
In 2004, Polysics released a greatest hits compilation titled Polysics or Die!!!!
in Europe
and the USA. Yano had also replaced Sugai as the new drummer for the band in this year. Polysics toured Europe and the US for the 2005 US Release of Polysics or Die!!!!. With the early 2006 release of Now Is the Time!
, they toured the US and the UK, supporting high profile UK artists such as Graham Coxon
and Kaiser Chiefs
.
On February 28, 2007 Polysics released their album Karate House
in Japan.
Following this Polysics signed for MySpace Records
making plans to re-release Polysics or Die!!!! in the US, with the inclusion of the latest singles from Karate House and a bonus DVD of videos and live cuts. Polysics or Die!!!! Vista was released on October 9, 2007 for Myspace Records exclusively for the United States, to mark the band's ten-year anniversary. Hayashi did a remix of the "Teen Titans Theme
" by JPop group Puffy AmiYumi
. The song "Teen Titans Theme ~POLYSICS' CR-06 MIX~" appears on their US album Splurge
.
On April 23, 2008, We Ate the Machine
was released in Japan. It was released on September 30, 2008 in North America.
In their newsletter it was announced that Kayo's last day with Polysics would be March 14, 2010, the day of their huge Nippon Budokan
concert. She says that she has spent happy and quality time with the band, but she wants live on as a woman and not a musician.
Their Budokan concert, BUDOKAN OR DIE!!!! 2010.3.14, was released on July 7, 2010 on both DVD and BluRay.
On August 8, 2010 they came back from their hiatus during the Rock in Japan Festival
as a trio in brand new outfits and visors.
." Obvious references to Devo have been made in Polysics videos, and songs. The band has also covered "Jerking Back And Forth", "Social Fools", and "Secret Agent Man
". Polysics have also creatively repurposed Devo and other New Wave/Punk material in their own original songs; for instance, in the song "Each Life Each End" from the album "Neu" they borrow the opening riff from the Devo song "Girl U Want" (along with a sample from "Love Missile F1-11" by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
), and the lyrics are playfully paraphrased Engrish
-style from Devo's "The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise" and "Red Eye Express." The tributes even extend to the album art; in a miniposter
included with the album "National P", the members of Polysics are shown seated around a picnic blanket, about to eat cakes shaped like Devo's famous red Energy Dome
headgear. In addition, the giant robot mascot from the cover of their "Lo-Bits" EP sports a battle helmet that resembles the same iconic dome.
While Polysics claim Devo as their most prevalent influence, other bands and artists that have influenced their music include Talking Heads
, P-Model
(who they have opened for), Sparks
, The B-52's
, XTC
, King Crimson
, Kraftwerk
, Denki Groove
, Neu!
, Brian Eno
, Nirvana
, Man or Astroman, Spoozys, and David Bowie
, Hikashu
and Plastics
. Polysics have covered songs by Devo
, Styx
, Suzi Quatro
, Plastics
, The Ramones, The Knack
, Soft Cell
, Hikashu
, Thin Lizzy
, P-Model
and Frank Sinatra
and have been known to play Yes
during their sound checks.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and rock band from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, the Korg Polysix
Korg Polysix
The Korg Polysix is a six voice programmable polyphonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1981.- Features :The synthesizer's main features are six-voice polyphony , 32 memory slots for patches and cassette port for backing up patches, and an arpeggiator.On its release it was, along with the Roland...
. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. They create high energy music, fusing conventional guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
music, with synthesized and computer generated sound to create a unique mixture of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, heavily inspired by the American bands Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and The Tubes
The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
, and Japanese bands such as P-Model
P-Model
P-Model was a Japanese New Wave synth-rock & techno-pop band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. The band has included many lineup revisions over the years but Hirasawa was always at the helm of operations...
and Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
. Their song lyrics often consist of Japanese, English, or just plain gibberish
Gibberish
Gibberish is a generic term in English for talking that sounds like speech, but carries no actual meaning. This meaning has also been extended to meaningless text or gobbledygook. The common theme in gibberish statements is a lack of literal sense, which can be described as a presence of nonsense...
. The band has been noted for their extremely energetic live performances and their wild gimmicky outfits, notably their trademark orange boiler suits, with a simple "P" stamped on them, and their straight-bar sunglasses.
History
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
owned by Hayashi, the Korg Polysix
Korg Polysix
The Korg Polysix is a six voice programmable polyphonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1981.- Features :The synthesizer's main features are six-voice polyphony , 32 memory slots for patches and cassette port for backing up patches, and an arpeggiator.On its release it was, along with the Roland...
. This synth appears in two of their early music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s.
In 1999, Polysics released their first albums 1st P and A.D.S.R.M! on the independent label DECKREC Records. Just after the release of 1st P their bassist, known only as "POLY-2", left. The band dropped the "POLY-X" names, and reduced to a trio, with new member Fumi on Bass Support on some of the tracks from Neu. In 1999, Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
released their US debut album, Hey! Bob! My Friend!
Hey! Bob! My Friend!
Hey! Bob! My Friend! is the debut US release for the Japanese synth-rock band Polysics.The album consists of various tracks from the band's earlier Japanese-only releases 1st P and A.D.S.R.M!.-Track listing:# "Sunnymaster"# "Buggie Technica"...
to rave reviews, but weak sales. The album was a compilation of tracks from their first two Japanese releases. In 2000, Polysics signed to Ki/oon Records
Ki/oon Records
is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-Artists:Their artists include L'Arc-en-Ciel, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, FLOW, Home Made Kazoku, Puffy AmiYumi, Polysics, Pushim, chatmonchy, Denki Groove, The Babystars, DOES, Guitar Wolf, Miki Furukawa, Nico Touches the Walls, plingmin,...
(a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan Inc.) and released their first major album Neu. The album carried with it the same manic energy as their independent releases but more refined. On the 2001 album Eno, Synthesizers became more prevalent in the mix, but the songs still had an intense punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
-like energy. For this album, Fumi applied as a full member, returning Polysics to a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
. 2002 saw the release of the album For Young Electric Pop, Polysics' attempt at a pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
album. The manic punk energy was minimized, but the band showed it had an amazing sense of harmony and style.
In 2003, Neu was released in the United States on Asian Man Records to rave reviews and great sales. However, shortly after recording the Kaja Kaja Goo EP drummer Junichi Sugai left the band. Ishimaru (drummer for the punk group Snail Ramp) temporarily joined as a replacement. For the 2003 album National P, Polysics went to the US to tour, which was then captured on the PippikkippippiP In USA DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Also during 2003, Polysics appeared on UK television for the programme Adam & Joe Go Tokyo performing "Kaja Kaja Goo".
In 2004, Polysics released a greatest hits compilation titled Polysics or Die!!!!
Polysics or Die!!!!
Polysics Or Die!!!! is the first greatest hits album by Japanese band Polysics. It is their first release in the United Kingdom, it was laterreleased in the U.S and Japan.-Track listing:# Buggie Technica...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the USA. Yano had also replaced Sugai as the new drummer for the band in this year. Polysics toured Europe and the US for the 2005 US Release of Polysics or Die!!!!. With the early 2006 release of Now Is the Time!
Now Is The Time!
Now is the Time is the sixth album by Japanese band Polysics. It is the first album of new material to be released in Japan, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. Several tracks on the album were produced by Andy Gill of the band Gang of Four...
, they toured the US and the UK, supporting high profile UK artists such as Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
and Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
.
On February 28, 2007 Polysics released their album Karate House
Karate House
Karate House is the seventh full-length album by Japanese band Polysics. Electric Surfin' Go Go, You-You-You and Catch On Everywhere were released as singles in Japan. The song POLYSICS OR DIE!!!! is structured very similarly to Jocko Homo by Devo, who are Polysics' major influence...
in Japan.
Following this Polysics signed for MySpace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
making plans to re-release Polysics or Die!!!! in the US, with the inclusion of the latest singles from Karate House and a bonus DVD of videos and live cuts. Polysics or Die!!!! Vista was released on October 9, 2007 for Myspace Records exclusively for the United States, to mark the band's ten-year anniversary. Hayashi did a remix of the "Teen Titans Theme
Teen Titans (TV series)
Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
" by JPop group Puffy AmiYumi
Puffy AmiYumi
or Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese rock duo that is currently signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, it has adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi outside of Japan...
. The song "Teen Titans Theme ~POLYSICS' CR-06 MIX~" appears on their US album Splurge
Splurge (Puffy album)
Splurge is an album by PUFFY that was released on June 28, 2006 in Japan. It was released in the US on July 25, 2006, after their East Coast Tour. The album is no longer available on the iTunes Store. The album peaked at #19 in Japan. The CD went discontinued in the U.S...
.
On April 23, 2008, We Ate the Machine
We Ate the Machine
-External links:***...
was released in Japan. It was released on September 30, 2008 in North America.
In their newsletter it was announced that Kayo's last day with Polysics would be March 14, 2010, the day of their huge Nippon Budokan
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
concert. She says that she has spent happy and quality time with the band, but she wants live on as a woman and not a musician.
Their Budokan concert, BUDOKAN OR DIE!!!! 2010.3.14, was released on July 7, 2010 on both DVD and BluRay.
On August 8, 2010 they came back from their hiatus during the Rock in Japan Festival
Rock in Japan Festival
The Rock in Japan Festival is an annual three-day rock festival held during early August in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, organized by Rockin'on. At this festival appear many J-pop artists. Rock in Japan Festival is the biggest rock festival in Japan....
as a trio in brand new outfits and visors.
Influences
In Hiroyuki's words, Polysics is inspired by "the spirit of DevoDevo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
." Obvious references to Devo have been made in Polysics videos, and songs. The band has also covered "Jerking Back And Forth", "Social Fools", and "Secret Agent Man
Secret Agent Man (song)
"Secret Agent Man" is a song written by Steve Barri and P. F. Sloan. The most famous recording of the song was made by Johnny Rivers for the opening titles of the American broadcast of the British spy series Danger Man, which aired in the U.S. as "Secret Agent" from 1964 to 1966...
". Polysics have also creatively repurposed Devo and other New Wave/Punk material in their own original songs; for instance, in the song "Each Life Each End" from the album "Neu" they borrow the opening riff from the Devo song "Girl U Want" (along with a sample from "Love Missile F1-11" by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...
), and the lyrics are playfully paraphrased Engrish
Engrish
refers to unusual forms of English language usage by native speakers of some East Asian languages. The term itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to inadvertently substitute the English phonemes "R" and "L" for one another, because the Japanese language has one alveolar consonant in place...
-style from Devo's "The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise" and "Red Eye Express." The tributes even extend to the album art; in a miniposter
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
included with the album "National P", the members of Polysics are shown seated around a picnic blanket, about to eat cakes shaped like Devo's famous red Energy Dome
Energy dome
Energy dome refers to the red terraced headgear first worn by Devo during their Freedom of Choice years. Other incorrect names include "power dome" and "flowerpot" . Energy Domes have been a regular part of Devo's stage costumes since 1980, worn in their 1982, 1988, and 1990 tours, as well as most...
headgear. In addition, the giant robot mascot from the cover of their "Lo-Bits" EP sports a battle helmet that resembles the same iconic dome.
While Polysics claim Devo as their most prevalent influence, other bands and artists that have influenced their music include Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, P-Model
P-Model
P-Model was a Japanese New Wave synth-rock & techno-pop band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. The band has included many lineup revisions over the years but Hirasawa was always at the helm of operations...
(who they have opened for), Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
, The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Denki Groove
Denki Groove
is a Japanese technopop group influenced by YMO and Kraftwerk, founded in 1989. It is a part of Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records sublabel. Current members are Fumitoshi Ishino and Masanori Taki...
, Neu!
Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
, Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Man or Astroman, Spoozys, and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Hikashu
Hikashu
Hikashu are a renowned Japanese underground "avant-pop" collective led by pseudo-Kabuki vocalist, Makigami Koichi, known for their highly experimental music...
and Plastics
Plastics (group)
Plastics—or, alternately, The Plastics—were a short-lived Japanese new wave music group prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their music was a major influence on Japanese pop music and their songs have been covered by many bands, most notably Polysics and Pizzicato Five.Perhaps their...
. Polysics have covered songs by Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
, Plastics
Plastics (group)
Plastics—or, alternately, The Plastics—were a short-lived Japanese new wave music group prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their music was a major influence on Japanese pop music and their songs have been covered by many bands, most notably Polysics and Pizzicato Five.Perhaps their...
, The Ramones, The Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
, Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
, Hikashu
Hikashu
Hikashu are a renowned Japanese underground "avant-pop" collective led by pseudo-Kabuki vocalist, Makigami Koichi, known for their highly experimental music...
, Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
, P-Model
P-Model
P-Model was a Japanese New Wave synth-rock & techno-pop band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. The band has included many lineup revisions over the years but Hirasawa was always at the helm of operations...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and have been known to play Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
during their sound checks.
Current members
- Hiroyuki Hayashi – Guitars, Vocals, Vocoder, Programming
- Fumi – Bass Guitar, Vocals, Synthesizers
- Masashi Yano – Drums, Vocals
Past members
- Kayo – Synthesizer, Vocals, Vocoder, Guitar, Bass Guitar
- Junichi Sugai – Drums
- Ishimaru – Drum Support
- Sako Eisuke (AKA Poly-2) – Bass synthesizer, Vocoder, also credited with throwing toast during concerts
- Kaneko Shingo – Synthesizer
- Kawabe Makoto
Albums
- 1st P - 1999
- A.D.S.R.M! - 1999
- Hey! Bob! My Friend!Hey! Bob! My Friend!Hey! Bob! My Friend! is the debut US release for the Japanese synth-rock band Polysics.The album consists of various tracks from the band's earlier Japanese-only releases 1st P and A.D.S.R.M!.-Track listing:# "Sunnymaster"# "Buggie Technica"...
- 2000 (USA and Korea) - Neu - 2000 (USA, 2003)
- Live in Japan / 6-D (Live & Remix album) - 2000
- Eno - 2001
- For Young Electric Pop - 2002
- National P - 2003
- Polysics or Die!!!!Polysics or Die!!!!Polysics Or Die!!!! is the first greatest hits album by Japanese band Polysics. It is their first release in the United Kingdom, it was laterreleased in the U.S and Japan.-Track listing:# Buggie Technica...
- 2004 (USA & UK, 2005) - Now Is the Time!Now Is The Time!Now is the Time is the sixth album by Japanese band Polysics. It is the first album of new material to be released in Japan, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. Several tracks on the album were produced by Andy Gill of the band Gang of Four...
- 2005 (USA & UK, 2006) - Karate HouseKarate HouseKarate House is the seventh full-length album by Japanese band Polysics. Electric Surfin' Go Go, You-You-You and Catch On Everywhere were released as singles in Japan. The song POLYSICS OR DIE!!!! is structured very similarly to Jocko Homo by Devo, who are Polysics' major influence...
- 2007 (USA, 2008) - Polysics or Die!!!! Vista - 2007 (USA)
- We Ate the MachineWe Ate the Machine-External links:***...
- 2008 (USA & Europe, 2008) - Absolute PolysicsAbsolute PolysicsAbsolute Polysics is the ninth full-length studio album from Japanese new-wave act Polysics. The album was released in September 2009 in Japan and in January 2010 in the U.S.The album includes the singles "Young OH! OH!" and "Beat Flash".-Track listing:...
- 2009 (USA, 2010) - Bestoisu!!!! - 2010
- Oh! No! It's Heavy Polysick!!! - 2011 (USA, TBA)
Video releases
- Live At Newwave - 1999 (VHS)
- B.G.V. - 2000 (VHS)
- DVDVPVDVLIVE!! - 2003 (DVD)
- PippikkippippiP In USA - 2004 (DVD)
- Now is the live! - 2006 (DVD)
- Clips or Die!!!! - 2007 (DVD)
- We ate the show!! - 2008 (CD+DVD)
- Budokan Or Die!!!! 2010.3.14 - 2010 (DVD, Blu-ray)
Singles
- Plus Chicker - 1999
- Modern - 1999
- XCT - 2000
- Each Life Each End - 2000
- New Wave Jacket - 2001
- Baby Bias - 2005
- Coelacanth Is Android - 2005 (USA, 2006)
- Electric Surfin' Go Go - 2006
- You-You-You - 2006
- Catch On Everywhere - 2007
- Rocket - 2007
- Pretty Good - 2008
- Shout Aloud! / Beat Flash - 2009
- Young Oh Oh! - 2009
EP
- Lo-Bits - 2002
- Kaja Kaja Goo - 2003 (UK, 2004)
- New Wave Jacket / My SharonaMy Sharona"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
- 2004 (UK) - I My Me Mine / Jhout - 2006 (UK)
- eee-P!!! - 2010
Soundtracks
- Polysics performed the theme song for the American JetixJetixJetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
television show Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, commonly known by its initialism, SRMTHFG, is an American/Japanese anime television series, and was created by Ciro Nieli, one of the directors of Teen Titans, with animation being done by a Japanese studio known as The Answer Studio...
. - Polysics' song "You-You-You" is used as one of the opening themes for the anime Keroro Gunso.
- A track from their album Now is the Time!, "Tei! Tei! Tei!", was included in the FIFA 07FIFA 07FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....
soundtrack. - The Anime Network uses Polysics' track "each life each end" for the Girl Power programming block.
- The ending theme to the MoyashimonMoyashimonMoyasimon: Tales of Agriculture, known in Japan as , is a manga series created by Masayuki Ishikawa. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen magazine Evening since August 2004. It won the 2008 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Grand Prize and the 2008 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga...
anime is Polysics' "Rocket".