Buck-Tick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Buck-Tick
Background information
Also known as	B-T, Hinan Go-Go (非難GO-GO)
Origin	Fujioka, Gunma, Japan
Genres	Gothic rock alternative rock industrial rock post-punk punk rock
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Taiyo Victor Mercury BMG Ariola Japan Lingua Sounda/Tokuma Japan Lingua Sounda/JVC Kenwood Victor
Members	Hisashi Imai Hidehiko Hoshino Yutaka Higuchi Toll Yagami
Past members	Araki Atsushi Sakurai

Buck-Tick (pronounced 'Buck-Tick') is a famous Japanese rock band. They started in Fujioka, Gunma, Japan, in 1983. For a long time, the band had five members: Atsushi Sakurai (singer), Hisashi Imai (lead guitar), Hidehiko Hoshino (rhythm guitar), Yutaka Higuchi (bass), and Toll Yagami (drums). This lineup stayed the same from 1985 until Atsushi Sakurai passed away in 2023.

Buck-Tick has tried many different music styles over their 40-year career. These include punk rock, gothic rock, and industrial rock. They are often seen as one of the main bands that started the visual kei movement. Visual kei is a Japanese music style where bands use unique and creative outfits, makeup, and hairstyles.

The band has released 23 studio albums and 43 singles. Most of these have been very popular, reaching the top 10 or 20 on the Japanese Oricon music charts. Their first big hits were the album Seventh Heaven and the song "Just One More Kiss" in 1988. In 1989, their album Taboo was their first to reach number one. Many of their albums after that also topped the charts, like Aku no Hana (1990) and Kurutta Taiyou (1991).

Buck-Tick was very popular in the mid-1990s. Billboard magazine even called them a "top rock act." Unlike some other visual kei bands, Buck-Tick never stopped playing or became forgotten. They have continued to tour and record music regularly for decades. Their most recent albums, like Arui wa Anarchy (2014) and Izora (2023), all reached the top six on the Japanese charts. This long success is rare in Japanese music. They even won a special "Inspiration Award Japan" at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.

History

How the Band Started (1983–1985)

Buck-Tick began in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, in 1983. Hisashi Imai first thought of starting a band, even though he couldn't play an instrument yet. He asked his friend, Yutaka Higuchi, to join. Imai started playing guitar, and Higuchi played bass.

Higuchi then asked Hidehiko Hoshino, a high school friend, to join. Higuchi wanted Hoshino to be the singer because he looked good. But Hoshino preferred playing guitar and didn't want to be the main focus. So, Imai's friend Araki became the singer. Atsushi Sakurai, who was in Imai's class, volunteered to be the drummer. All the members went to the same high school.

In 1984, Imai named their band Hinan Go-Go (非難GO-GO, "Criticism Go-Go"). Once they practiced enough, they started playing live at small local events. They began by playing songs from a famous Japanese punk band called The Stalin. From the start, they cared about their image. They wore suits with their hair styled up and soon added white face makeup.

When Imai finished high school, he moved to Tokyo with Araki. Sakurai's parents did not let him move to Tokyo. But Imai and Araki came home on weekends for band practice. In the summer of 1984, Hinan Go-Go changed their name to Buck-Tick. This is a creative way to spell "bakuchiku" (爆竹), which means "firecracker" in Japanese. They also started writing their own songs. Imai wrote most of them, and Hoshino wrote a few.

When Higuchi and Hoshino graduated in 1985, they also moved to Tokyo. The band's first concert as Buck-Tick was on August 4, 1985, in Tokyo.

But drummer Sakurai really wanted to be a singer. Higuchi's brother, Toll Yagami, was in a band called SP. When SP lost their singer, Sakurai asked Yagami if he could join. Yagami said no, and SP broke up. At the same time, the rest of Buck-Tick were not happy with Araki. As Imai got better at writing songs, Araki found it hard to sing the melodies.

The band decided to let Araki go. His last concert was in November 1985. Sakurai then convinced the band to let him be their new singer. Higuchi convinced his brother Yagami to join Buck-Tick as the drummer. This completed Buck-Tick's well-known lineup. The new group played their first concert together in December 1985.

Early Success and Major Debut (1985–1988)

When Sakurai's father passed away, Sakurai also moved to Tokyo. Buck-Tick then became more serious about music. The five members worked during the day and practiced and performed at night. In July 1986, they caught the eye of Sawaki Kazuo, who ran Taiyou Records, an independent music company. He saw them play and was very impressed. The band quickly signed with Taiyou Records. They released their first single, "To-Search", on October 21, 1986.

With Sawaki's help, they started promoting themselves a lot. They played many shows in Tokyo. On April 1, 1987, the band released their first album, Hurry Up Mode. To celebrate, they played a concert called Buck-Tick Phenomenon (バクチク現象, Bakuchiku Genshō) at Toshima Public Hall. Many people thought the hall was too big for them and that the concert would fail. But Buck-Tick used a clever advertising plan. They put thousands of black-and-white stickers all over Tokyo's popular areas. The stickers simply said "Buck-Tick Phenomenon April 1st Toshima Public Hall." Their staff almost got arrested for putting up posters illegally!

But the plan worked. Buck-Tick sold 400 tickets in advance and 400 more on the day of the show. After this success, bigger music companies became interested in the band.

Toshima Public Hall (pictured in 2008) where Buck-Tick played a successful concert in 1987.

Major record labels wanted to sign them. But Buck-Tick wanted to make music their own way. They refused to sign unless the label agreed to four rules. First, they wanted to decide their own hair, makeup, and clothes. Second, they would never be forced to change band members. Third, they would never be forced to use other musicians. Last, they wanted to do all their own music production. Most companies said no to these demands from a new band.

But Junichi Tanaka from Victor Invitation Records agreed to their terms. He even offered them Victor's studio in Aoyama for practice. He did this after seeing their concert. Tanaka later said that when he first saw them in 1986, he was very drawn to Buck-Tick, even though he thought they were the "worst" band he saw that day.

On June 16, 1987, the band held another concert, Buck-Tick Phenomenon II. This was to say goodbye to their independent days. A video of this concert was released later and became popular. On September 3, they opened their own management company, Shaking Hands, Inc. They named it to honor the musical connections they hoped to make. Soon after, they went on their first national tour. They released their first major label album on November 21. It reached number 33 on the Oricon charts, which was good for a new band.

Buck-Tick became so popular that they could only play in large halls. They missed playing in small venues. So, they held a secret show as "Bluck-Tlick" in January 1988. This name came from a comic book about them. They used this chance to play their older songs. They released an EP called Romanesque on March 21. Making their third album was harder because they had used up all their old songs. But Seventh Heaven reached number three on the charts when it came out on June 21, 1988.

Taboo, Break, and Aku no Hana (1988–1990)

Buck-Tick's first major single, "Just One More Kiss", became their first big hit in October 1988. The band appeared on the popular TV show Music Station to perform it. The song was also used in TV ads for Victor's CDian Stereo. The ads had a slogan that was a play on Buck-Tick's name, meaning "The super bass will firecracker." Their long Seventh Heaven tour also started in October and ended in December. On this tour, the band started paying more attention to their stage shows. They used stage risers so everyone could see each member. At the end of the year, Buck-Tick won a Newcomer Award.

Taboo, their fourth album, was recorded in London in September 1988. They worked with producer Owen Paul. The band also played a show in London. Buck-Tick loved London, especially Sakurai. He felt the music scene there was more open to dark and serious music. With Taboo, the band moved to a darker, more serious sound. Some Japanese music critics didn't like this, as they thought Buck-Tick were just pop idols. However, Taboo became their first album to reach number one on the charts when it was released on January 18, 1989.

The Taboo tour started on March 22, 1989. At this time, they had stopped styling their hair so much, and Sakurai had even stopped dyeing his. The tour was supposed to last until May. But it was suddenly canceled when Imai was arrested in April. This event was in newspapers, but the band has kept it private since then. Buck-Tick went on a break. Imai had to go to court, and hundreds of fans were there. The guitarist received a suspended sentence. The band's office received many letters from fans asking them not to break up.

The band held a press conference in July. They announced that Buck-Tick was all five members, and no one could be replaced.

With their schedule now open, Buck-Tick went back to the studio in late 1989. They recorded their next album. They played their first concert since Imai's arrest in their home area on December 20. Nine days later, they played a Buck-Tick Phenomenon concert at the Tokyo Dome. About 43,000 people were there, making it their biggest concert ever. Since then, almost every year, Buck-Tick has held a big concert in late December. These are usually at the Nippon Budokan. They celebrate their reunion after Imai's arrest. Since 2001, these concerts have been called The Day in Question. They are often shown live on TV.

On January 24, 1990, the band released "Aku no Hana". This became their first single to reach number one. The album Aku no Hana came out on February 1. It went even deeper into the dark and gothic style they started on Taboo. This style later became their signature look. The album was named after French poet Charles Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal because it had similar themes. It was their second number one album in a row and is still their best-selling album.

One week later, a new version of Hurry Up Mode was released and also topped the charts. The Aku no Hana tour began in March and lasted about four months. It had 51 concerts, focusing on places that were canceled during the Taboo tour. In the summer, the album Symphonic Buck-Tick in Berlin was released. It had orchestral versions of some of their songs played by the Berlin Chamber Orchestra. Buck-Tick's first outdoor concerts, called A Midsummer Night's Dream, happened on August 2 and 5. A tour with eight arena shows, called 5 for Japanese Babies, was held in December.

Kurutta Taiyou and Changing Sound (1990–1995)

In late 1990, Buck-Tick went back to the studio to work on their sixth album, Kurutta Taiyou. They spent 800 hours making it, much more than any album before. The sound was much deeper and more complex, using many studio effects. At this point, the band's direction started to change. Sakurai began writing almost all the lyrics. Sakurai's mother, whom he was very close to, passed away. Because of the band's busy touring, he couldn't visit her before she died. In interviews, Sakurai said the pain he felt from these events strongly influenced his lyrics. He said this was when he started writing about real emotions, not just what he thought was cool.

Kurutta Taiyou was released on February 21, 1991. Three singles were released: "Speed", "M・A・D", and "Jupiter". Four days after the album, the band played a special concert called Satellite Circuit. It was recorded in a studio without an audience and shown on TV and in special concert halls. The album's long tour ended in June 1991. At the end of the year, Kurutta Taiyou was nominated for Best Album at the 33rd Japan Record Awards.

1992 was Buck-Tick's fifth anniversary since their major debut. They thought about releasing a "best-of" album. But some band members wanted to make a new album. Instead, they released Koroshi no Shirabe: This Is Not Greatest Hits in March. The band spent many hours re-recording and sometimes completely changing their old songs. After the album's three-month tour, the band took a break. They planned their next steps. A two-day live event called Climax Together was held in September at Yokohama Arena. This event was made specifically to be filmed with new camera angles. The lighting and design were carefully planned for a dramatic effect.

On May 21, 1993, Buck-Tick released the single "Dress". A new version of this song was released in 2005 and used as the opening song for the Trinity Blood anime. Soon after, on June 23, they released their seventh album, Darker Than Darkness: Style 93. This album was a loose concept album about death. The album confused fans because after the last song, the CD skipped to strange buzzing noises before a hidden song. This was rare in Japan then, and some fans tried to return their CDs, thinking they were broken. On this album, the band also started trying different instruments. Hoshino played keyboards, and Sakurai tried the saxophone during live shows. Both played these instruments on the band's next album. The Darker Than Darkness: Style 93 tour was the longest of their career, with 59 shows from May to November.

Buck-Tick was mostly quiet in 1994. The members worked on other projects. Imai's side-project Schaft released their first album. Buck-Tick played two outdoor shows in July and August. The album Shapeless was released in August. It had ambient remixes of Buck-Tick songs by international artists. Buck-Tick went on a sold-out tour with Luna Sea and Soft Ballet in August 1994. This tour is now seen as legendary in Japanese rock.

Released on May 15, 1995, Six/Nine was an even more psychological album than Darker Than Darkness: Style 93. Before the album came out, the band performed video concerts. These featured music videos for each song, directed by Wataru Hayashi. One song, "Itoshi no Rock Star," had Issay from Der Zibet singing backup. He also joined the band on tour. After the Somewhere Nowhere 1995 Tour, Buck-Tick released Catalogue 1987–1995 on December 1. This was their first collection of greatest hits.

New Labels and "Cyberpunk" Era (1996–2003)

After leaving their old management, Buck-Tick started their own company, Banker Ltd., on January 31, 1996. Toll became its president. They also started a new fan club called Fish Tank. On June 21, they released their ninth album, Cosmos. This album had a brighter sound than usual for the band. It also had electronic, cyberpunk-influenced music in songs like "Living on the Net." Their Tour 1996 Chaos started in July. But Sakurai became very ill with acute peritonitis during a photo shoot in Nepal. He was hospitalized for about a month but recovered.

In 1997, Buck-Tick changed record labels to Mercury Music Entertainment. Imai started using a theremin in Buck-Tick's live shows and recordings. Two concerts were performed at the Nippon Budokan in December. The band released the single "Sasayaki" and the EP LTD in March. On May 13, they released the single "Gessekai". This song was used as the opening theme for the anime Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective. "Gessekai" was the song that first introduced Buck-Tick to many fans outside Japan. Sweet Strange Live Disc, the band's first live album, came out on August 12, 1998.

In 1999, Buck-Tick was less active. They covered the song "Doubt" for a tribute album to hide in May. They released the single "Bran-New Lover" on July 14. They also performed at Marilyn Manson's Rock Is Dead Tour on August 8. Their only other concerts that year were in August. "Miu," another single, was released on October 20. In 2000, Buck-Tick changed record labels again, moving to BMG Funhouse. Their popularity was growing overseas, especially in South Korea. The band went to Korea for the first time. Fans greeted them with excitement at the airport. In September, Buck-Tick released the single "Glamorous." This was followed by One Life, One Death, their first album in almost three years.

2001 was also quiet for Buck-Tick, with only two concerts. They returned to Korea for the Soyo Rock Festival in July. They also held their first Day in Question concert at the Nippon Budokan in December. Instead, Sakurai and Imai formed a supergroup called Schwein with other industrial musicians. Buck-Tick did record their next album in 2001 and released the single "21st Cherry Boy" in November.

2002 marked the band's 15th anniversary. In March, they released a five-disc video set called Picture Product. It included interviews, music videos, and a documentary. In September, all their Victor albums were re-released with improved sound. On March 6, 2002, Buck-Tick released their twelfth album, Kyokutou I Love You. It was planned to be a double album with Mona Lisa Overdrive, which came out the next year. Musically, the two albums connect to each other. The last song on Kyokutou I Love You becomes the start of the first song on Mona Lisa Overdrive.

The Warp Days tour began in April 2002. It ended with a show in June that was recorded for a concert video. The band ended the year with a Day in Question concert in December.

The single "Zangai" was released on January 8, 2003. People who bought it could apply for tickets to a secret show Buck-Tick held in January. The album Mona Lisa Overdrive came out in February 2003. Its name was inspired by Robert Longo's work Samurai Overdrive. The album's tour had 17 shows from March to April. They then played the Summer Sonic Festival in August. They also opened for Marilyn Manson again in September. The single "Gensou no Hana" was released in December. It was the theme song for a TV show. The year ended with two Day in Question concerts.

"Gothic" and "Straight Rock" Years (2004–2011)

In 2004, Buck-Tick mostly took a break. The band members worked on their own music projects. Sakurai started a solo career and released an album. Imai also released an album with his band Lucy. Toll and Higuchi also released albums with their bands. Hoshino was the only member who didn't release music then. Buck-Tick did release their third live album, At the Night Side, in April. They played four concerts that year. One was a repeat of their Climax Together shows from 12 years before.

The single "Romance" was released on March 2, 2005. This was followed by Juusankai wa Gekkou, their fourteenth album, on April 6. This was a concept album inspired by Sakurai's solo work. It focused on the idea of "Goth" style. Even though Buck-Tick had a gothic image for years, this album was very different from their past work. They paid special attention to the sets and costumes for the 33-show tour. The live shows were very dramatic. The band even hired a clown and a ballerina to perform with them at some shows. A journalist called the show a "gothic theatre."

At this time, visual kei and Gothic Lolita styles were becoming very popular. With Juusankai wa Gekkou, the band gained many new fans who liked their gothic style. Buck-Tick also started celebrating their 20th anniversary. A concert film was shown in theaters in November. December saw the release of a collection album Catalogue 2005 and a tribute album Parade: Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick. The tribute album had 13 different artists covering Buck-Tick songs.

Buck-Tick CDs at a Tower Records store in Tokyo (2007).

2006 was a quiet year for Buck-Tick. In August, they released the single "Kagerou". This song was written to be the ending theme for the xxxHolic anime. They also played two shows at the Summer Sonic Festival. For their 20th anniversary, Buck-Tick held the Tour Parade in June and July 2007. Each show featured a different opening band from the artists who contributed to their tribute album. The single "Rendezvous" was released in June. The single "Alice in Wonder Underground", a gothic version of Alice in Wonderland, came out in August. Buck-Tick also performed at the Rising Sun Rock Festival.

The Parade tour and the band's anniversary ended with a big festival called Buck-Tick Fest 2007 On Parade. It was held on September 8 in Yokohama. It lasted all day and featured all 13 artists from the tribute album. Each guest artist and Buck-Tick played a set. The festival ended with a fireworks show over the bay.

Soon after, on September 19, 2007, Buck-Tick released their fifteenth album, Tenshi no Revolver. They still used some gothic elements. But they stopped using synth and digital sounds for this album. The idea for this album was a "straight band sound." The band went on a long 34-show tour to support the album. It lasted until December. The stage setup for the tour was much simpler than usual. Also in December, the phone company SoftBank released special Buck-Tick mobile phones designed by the band members.

After a makeup show in Okinawa in January, the band was less active in 2008. They released videos of their past concerts. At the end of the year, BMG Japan was bought by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. So, the band officially became a Sony Music artist. Buck-Tick played fan club-only concerts in November and December. They released the single "Heaven" in December. They also performed three Day in Question concerts at the end of the month.

January 2009 saw the release of the single "Galaxy". Their sixteenth album, Memento Mori, followed on February 18. This album continued the "straight rock" sound. Sakurai said that while his past lyrics were about death, for Memento Mori he focused on both life and death. However, the tour brought back more detailed stage shows. Sakurai appeared from a large white balloon. The tour lasted three months, with 25 shows. Buck-Tick also performed at two music festivals. They held another tour from September to October.

On March 24, 2010, the group released the single "Dokudanjou Beauty". Buck-Tick performed at a special event in August. They released their second single of the year, "Kuchizuke", on September 1. This song was used as the opening theme for the Shiki anime. On October 13, the band released their seventeenth album, Razzle Dazzle. It mostly continued the straightforward rock sound. But it also had many dance-rock or dance music elements. The Go On the "Razzle Dazzle" tour began on October 15 and ran until December. Buck-Tick also performed at the Countdown Japan 10/11 event.

The Utakata no Razzle Dazzle tour began in January 2011. The band performed at another event in February. However, due to the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, the rest of the tour dates were postponed. Buck-Tick ended the year with four Day in Question concerts. These shows were a preview of their 25th anniversary.

25th Anniversary and Lingua Sounda (2012–2019)

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Buck-Tick launched a special website. They announced their own record label, Lingua Sounda. Its first releases would be a single in spring 2012 and an album in the summer. The Lingua Sounda logo was designed by manga artist Tsutomu Nihei. The band released two box sets in March. One had work from 1987 to 1999, and the other from 2000 to 2010.

The single "Elise no Tame ni" was released on May 23. In June, Buck-Tick held two concerts called At the Night Side 2012. They then started the Tour Parade 2012. For this tour, they were joined by artists who contributed to their second tribute album, Parade II: Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick. This album was released on July 4 and featured 13 artists. Their next single, "Miss Take ~Boku wa Miss Take~", was also released on July 4.

The band released their eighteenth album, Yume Miru Uchuu, on September 19. They then held Buck-Tick Fest 2012 On Parade on September 22 and 23. The festival attracted about 14,000 fans. It included bands from the tribute album. The Yume Miru Uchuu tour lasted for 27 concerts from October to December.

2013 started with the Tour 2013 Cosmic Dreamer. It had a large stage set that made fake rain for Sakurai to sing in. Buck-Tick held their first charity concert on March 11. This was to support rebuilding after the Great East Japan Earthquake. A film about the band, Buck-Tick the Movie ~Buck-Tick Phenomenon~ (劇場版BUCK-TICK ～バクチク現象～, Gekijō-ban Bakuchiku ~Bakuchiku Genshō~), was shown in theaters in two parts in June 2013. It was made from over 2,500 hours of footage about their 25th anniversary. The band wrote two new songs just for the film. In September, they performed at two music festivals. Buck-Tick then ended the year with four The Day in Question concerts.

"Love Parade" and "Steppers -Parade-" were released as a double single on January 22, 2014. Buck-Tick's thirty-fourth single "Keijijou Ryuusei" was released on May 14. This was followed by their nineteenth album, Arui wa Anarchy, on June 4. The album's tour had 28 shows.

Buck-Tick took a short break in 2015. Imai restarted his side-project Schaft. Sakurai formed a solo project called The Mortal. The band did perform at the Lunatic Fest in June. They were joined on stage by J for one song. They also played five The Day in Question concerts in December. At the last one, Buck-Tick announced they were returning to Victor Entertainment. Lingua Sounda would become its sub-label. 2016 was quiet for the band until September. They played the Climax Together 3rd concert at Yokohama Arena for 13,000 people. They released the single "New World" and their twentieth album Atom Miraiha No.9 in September. The album reached number nine on the Oricon Albums Chart. It was supported by a 28-show tour.

Buck-Tick won the special "Inspiration Award Japan" at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Their single "Babel" was released in November 2017. After the single "Moon Sayonara wo Oshiete" in February 2018, Buck-Tick's twenty-first album No.0 was released on March 14. This was their first album in almost 25 years to reach the top three on the Oricon Albums Chart. They performed at a memorial event for X Japan guitarist hide in April.

On December 9, 2018, Sakurai was visibly unwell during a concert. But he insisted on finishing the show. After the concert, he was diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding. Later shows had to be postponed for his treatment. On May 22, 2019, the single "Kemonotachi no Yoru/Rondo" was released. It reached the top five on the charts.

35th Anniversary and Sakurai's Passing (2020–Present)

On January 29, 2020, Buck-Tick released the single "Datenshi" and their third tribute album Parade III -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-. A fan club tour was announced but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Another single, "Moonlight Escape," was released on August 26. Abracadabra, their twenty-second album, was released on September 21. It reached number three on the Oricon chart. The band members appeared in and provided the theme song for Peach Booty G, an anime shown at a virtual reality event. In September 2021, they released their forty-first single, "Go-Go BT Train", which reached number five. A long tour was planned for October. However, it was canceled because doctors recommended Imai get more treatment for a leg injury he had in August.

In June 2022, the band announced plans for their 35th anniversary. On September 21, they released a special 5-disc album called Catalogue The Best 35th Anniv.. It had 80 songs. It included a new song, "Sayonara Shelter," inspired by a Ukrainian girl singing "Let It Go" during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They also played several large concerts during a tour to celebrate the anniversary. The tour ended in December.

Lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai passed away on October 19, 2023, after a concert.

In March 2023, they released two singles, "Taiyou to Ikaros" and "Mugen Loop." These reached the top 10 on the charts. On April 12, they released their twenty-third album, Izora. It reached number 2 on the Oricon chart. It was also their first top three album on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums charts. The album was supported by a tour with over 20 concerts. The tour ended in September in the band's hometown. That same month, several movie theaters showed The Parade –35th Anniversary– Fly Side & High Side live video recording. A tour of smaller venues was planned for October to December.

On October 19, 2023, during a concert for fan club members, Sakurai was rushed to a hospital. He showed sudden signs of illness. The concert ended abruptly after only three songs. He passed away from a brainstem hemorrhage later that night, at age 57. His passing was announced by the band on October 24. Buck-Tick also canceled all future shows. They held a two-day memorial event for Sakurai in December. The band then held a special performance called Buck-Tick Phenomenon -2023- in December. They had planned a different concert, but after discussions, they decided to rebook it under the new title. The concert used live recordings of Sakurai's vocals. The remaining members announced that they will continue as Buck-Tick. They also said they would start recording a new album in 2024.

Music Style

Buck-Tick's music has changed a lot over their career. Their early songs were influenced by Japanese "positive punk." Like their friends Boøwy, they used simple rhythms and chords. Their songs were mostly in major keys and used some English words. Starting with Taboo in 1989, they tried a darker, gothic sound. This sound became more mature with Kurutta Taiyou in 1991.

Darker Than Darkness: Style 93 explored a harsher industrial rock sound. This continued through Mona Lisa Overdrive in 2003. With Juusankai wa Gekkou in 2005, they fully embraced a "goth" style. They combined this with a retro rock sound for the albums Tenshi no Revolver (2007) and Memento Mori (2009). Their next album, Razzle Dazzle (2010), then added many dance-rock elements.

A music magazine described the band's style as going "from the bubbly sounds of pop to the buzz of electronic cyberpunk to lustful velvety goth to the smooth style of hard rock and back again." Because they try so many different styles, the band is seen as unique. They "manage to keep things interesting despite—or because of—their longevity." They are "among the most prolific and popular groups in the country's music history." Some things that stay in their music are ringing guitar chords, two guitars playing together, strong bass lines, harsh electronic noises, and melodies that move between happy and sad sounds.

Their visual look has been called "dark enough to attract fringe subcultures, but not too dark to scare off mainstreamers." Early in their career, they were known for their "gravity-defying" hairstyles. Only drummer Yagami has kept this style in recent years. Their attractive, bishounen–androgynous look, related to visual kei, was best shown by their "handsome" singer Sakurai. With his deep voice, music critics included Sakurai in their list of 13 Japanese Rock Gods in 2011.

Imai and Hoshino are the main music composers in the band. Sakurai was the main lyricist. He was famous for his lyrics, which are mostly in Japanese since 1990's Aku no Hana. They were influenced by Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal. He also often wrote about deep psychological themes. Critics said his lyrics were like a "dance in a daydream about reality."

Japanese music critics have praised their live music and singing, even during their 30th and 35th anniversaries. They wrote that there are no other rock bands playing with such style and skill. They are not only ahead of their time but "in a different dimension."

Influences

Buck-Tick was most influenced by Western rock, especially British post-punk and new romantic music from the 1970s and 1980s. They also mention a few Japanese influences. The band members often name Love & Rockets, Robert Smith, and Bauhaus as influences. They also mention David Bowie, Sex Pistols, and Culture Club. Imai was especially influenced by Love & Rockets. He was also influenced by Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kraftwerk, Ultravox, and other new wave and electronica acts. Sakurai was influenced by post-punk and early goth bands like The Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees. He says he loves "dark" music in general. Hoshino and Yagami both love The Beatles. Yagami is also a fan of Led Zeppelin and other classic rock/punk bands like Kiss and The Clash.

Legacy

Buck-Tick is seen as one of the main founders of visual kei. They are legends in the Japanese rock scene. They have influenced many bands and musicians. Kiyoharu (from Kuroyume and Sads) is an open fan. He interviewed Sakurai twice and called him "so hot" and "a wonderful person." Takanori Nishikawa is another open fan.

Dir En Grey singer Kyo was inspired to become a rock star after seeing a picture of Sakurai. His bandmate Die became interested in rock music after hearing Aku no Hana. Mucc frontman Tatsuro said Sakurai influenced him the most, including his lyrics and stage presence. D singer Asagi listed Buck-Tick as one of their biggest influences. His bandmate Tsunehito named Buck-Tick as one of his two favorite Japanese bands. The band Deadman also said Buck-Tick was an inspiration.

Darker Than Darkness: Style 93 was named one of the top albums from 1989−1998 by Band Yarouze magazine in 2004. Kurutta Taiyou was named number 40 on Bounce's 2009 list of 54 important Japanese Rock Albums. Buck-Tick albums were also included in a 2023 guidebook. This book lists the 100 albums that best represent Japanese music from the 1990s.

Band members

Current members

• Hisashi Imai (今井 寿, Imai Hisashi) – lead guitar, backing vocals, theremin, occasional lead vocals (1983–present)
• Hidehiko "Hide" Hoshino (星野 英彦, Hoshino Hidehiko) – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (1983–present)
• Yutaka "U-ta" Higuchi (桶口 豊, Higuchi Yutaka) – bass guitar (1983–present)
• Toll Yagami (ヤガミ トール, Yagami Tōru) – drums, percussion (1985–present)

Former members

• Araki (アラキ) – lead vocals (1983–1985)
• Atsushi Sakurai (櫻井 敦司, Sakurai Atsushi) – lead vocals, saxophone, tambourine (1985–2023; his death), drums (1983–1985)

Timeline

Discography