John’s Favorite Japanese Bands: Boom Boom Satellites

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Along with Polysics, Boom Boom Satellites are one of the very first Japanese bands that I instantly fell in love with. They provide a great mix of synths, guitars, and drums for an unforgettable music experience.

This month, I’m going to be bringing you a new favorite band of mine every week. If you’ve not already heard the band, you’re in luck, it’ll be great. And if you have already heard the band, I’m sorry. Last week I shared The Pillows with you so this week you’ll be getting something a bit more electronic. This is the last week of the “John’s Favorite Japanese Bands” mini-series, so I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

Boom Boom Satellites

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIdWwakxkVk']

Boom Boom Satellites pretty much always sings in near unintelligible English but they’re so awesome that nobody really cares. This is one of my favorite songs from them. I really like the trippy parts of the music video too. I think it’s pretty cool.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw40FmB3gGU']

They’re an electronic music duo consisting of guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano. While their music can be mostly classified as big beat or nu skool breaks with heavy jazz influences, they are famous for their heavy use of electric guitars, and the final product often has a strong (punk) rock feel to it.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDBSlQthHkM']

Not all of their songs are as upbeat and “cool” as the handful I’ve collected here. They have a lot of purely instrumental/experimental/chill songs that are still okay, they’re just not my favorites. The kind shown here in this post are my favorite kind from the band.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9FpItx4Gsg']

Since the band’s tracks are so fantastic, they often get featured in media. Everything from movies to anime feature their stuff. One of their songs was even in The Dark Night. I’m always really happy when I hear their music in unexpected places.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKAVLYuAopw']

Apparently the band did a collaboration with Tahj Mowry and Flo Rida back in 2009. I didn’t know about this until just a few days ago. While I don’t really like this version of the song, I think it’s worth sharing because a joint effort between Boom Boom Satellites and Flo Rida is like the last thing I would ever expect.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi2X2v4SAKo']

The band has been making music since 1990 and they’re still going strong. The above track is from their latest album released earlier this year. Yup, Boom Boom Satellites has still got it. They rock.

So tell me, what do you think of Boom Boom Satellites? Since this is the last music post from me this month, which band did you enjoy most? D’espairsRay, Perfume, The Pillows, or BBS? Let me know in the comments!

  • http://twitter.com/KillingJar_89 Gianmarco Russo

    Among these one my fav ones are Perfume, although I listen to their songs just for entertainment, they’re not really my cup of tea…my top-favourite Japanese bands are actually Boris, Polysics and Tokyo Jihen (although the last one is not active anymore).

  • http://twitter.com/eennnnuuhh innadee

    you sir, have an awesome taste in music. also very similar to mine. haha! cheers! :D

  • http://twitter.com/rapchee rapchee

    ooh one of my favourite bands! and i must say, i’m most disappointed that my most favourite track from the bestest album evah is not mentioned (it has a real trippy pv too, which features an alpine A310 no less[it's the car, for the non-petrolheads :D]) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEPC_I08k3c push eject
    did you mention the band “fact” here? they’re a fairly new metal band. bbs made a remix for fact’s “a fact of life”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHFPnprp7Wg
    also, here’s a remix that ruined the original “easy action” for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97vJpEGmBoI
    they also remixed “push it” for garbage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg_ZdMaaea8
    i was frankly surprised that they were so well know in the u.k.

  • http://twitter.com/rapchee rapchee

    “although I listen to their songs just for entertainment” what else for would you listen to music?
    although if you mention boris … i mean i guess i can’t really appreciate drone metal
    i love tokyo jihen though – i also hope shiina ringo will keep making music

  • John

    Cheers!

  • http://twitter.com/rapchee rapchee

    talk about biased, eh :)

  • Pepper_the_Sgt

    The light show in that last video is awesome!

    I picked up their Out Loud album for a dollar in the bargain section of a music shop. I was only vaguely aware of their existence and could only remember that they were some Japanese band. For a dollar, I thought why not? I was pleasantly surprised that the CD was so awesome. I don’t like their poppier stuff so much (in the loosest sense of the word “pop”), but their crazier stuff can be awesome. This is my favorite from that CD and it’s the song that made it into The Dark Knight as music for a club (it’s more of an electronica vibe: lots of hard edits and drum samples and stuff):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLjY05JGVec

  • Drew Parlow

    Fast little recommendation for all you guys:

    Furukawa honpo　（古川本舗） is amazing and you should listen to him.

  • Charle

    First heard of these guys when a friend linked me to the opening for Xam’d, which I never even bothered to watch because the opening was all I needed. SO GOOD. And it’s awesome to know that Boom Boom Satellites’ other songs are similarly amazing!

  • John

    Xam’d was actually really good, I liked it a lot.

  • Mescale

    As far as pseudo English lyrics go these are pretty understandable, I think Guitar Vader has more pseudo-ish english lyrics.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPMpq1Pob-M

  • http://twitter.com/rapchee rapchee

    that’s a lucky pick :)
    i agree, their recent output is a bit boring, compared to these older songs
    it was pretty cool when i heard scattering monkey in batman, never expected that :) i could adjust my thick-rimmed glasses and say “i knew them from before” lol

  • Admiral Awesome

    This is the first band I’m really enjoying which is such a relief to me. I really haven’t been into the other bands. The Pillows played on my pandora channel and songs were repeated several times before I noticed they were playing, it was pretty bland music that wasn’t even enough to have me look up from my studies. I thought the same with perfume and pig squealing(screamo) in any language doesn’t meet my ears very well.

    but these guys sound so awesome that it makes up for any disagreements that I had with his taste in the past. I love you John.

  • David Andrade

    Maybe he listens to other music for educational purposes.

  • John

    Haha, glad I finally provided you with something enjoyable! You’re welcome!

  • mediaplay2000

    One of my favorite live videos is BBS doing “Back on my Feet” at Sweet Love Shower 2010. Amazing performance. But both of those Xam’d OPs turned me on to them, though SHUT UP AND EXPLODE came first and still has the place on my ringtone list.

  • Woodsy

    Good stuff! May purchase some soon. I’ve been listening to Shintaro Sakamoto’s 2012 solo album lately, love it!

  • Cassandra Hora

    Although i have enjoyed all the bands you’ve shared with us my first Japanese band that i enjoyed was the Yoshida Brothers. I still blare their music even today. Although they aren’t j-pop music i feel they are still a wonderful band worth mentioning. http://youtu.be/x_CzD0GBD-4

  • Tyler Dewald

    Really enjoy these music picks :) I’ve been into Polysics and The Pillows for a while. Two Japanese bands I think you might like are Capsule (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nUbhbEp65s), produced by Yatsutaka Nakata the same producer of Perfume, and Avengers in Sci-Fi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbIiSJ6mkgc) a stylized “spaceship rock” group somewhere between the ultra-quirky Polysics and the alt-rock sounds of The Pillows.

    Thanks and keep the band picks coming.

  • Heather

    I’m liking these guys so far. I really like The Pillows & I also like Perfume. I hadn’t listened to Boom Boom Satellites before this, so thanks! I have tons of fun with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu & Perfume for cleaning & getting through my work day, but most times I prefer Rock music. I think my favs so far in J-rock have been Radwimps, Bump Of Chicken, One Ok Rock, Blankey Jet City & 9mm Parabellum Bullet. I think I’ll happily add BBS to my J-rock playlist though!

  • Sky Walker

    I was looking around for some new Japanese bands when I found The Pillows~ Next thing you know I’m listening to 200 songs from the Pillows on Youtube~