BOO BEE BENZ

BOO BEE BENZ (ブービーベンツ) is a Japanese indie band formed in 2002. The 4 members, all the same age, are Takeuchi Katsuhiko (竹内雄彦, vocals & guitar), Nitta Masanobu (新田正伸, bass), Hiraoka Masaya (平岡正也, drums), and Yamashita Ryo (山下亮, guitar). BOO BEE BENZ features really recognizable vocals and some amazing arrangements.

In 2004, they went on tour in 35 locations around Japan in two months, and released their independently produced CD, wich only sold 1200 copies.

Many people discover them through the drama Tokyo Friends, which starred Ai Otsuka as a country girl who moved to Tokyo and joined a band. This band that she joins isn’t BOO BEE BENZ, but they play some of their music. It may be their most well known (and best selling) single because of the popular drama tie-in (and movie tie-in to a degree). Tokyo no sora was released under tearbridge records on June 8, 2005, ranking first in the Oricon charts. The songs on this single were covered by Survival Company (a fictional band in Tokyo Friends fronted by Otsuka) and released on the Tokyo Friends Movie Music Collection.

Takeuchi's voice is delicate and fragile sometimes, and outpouring some other, which makes a duality of overwhelming power and strike that blends perfectly with the band's expressive and persuasive sound.

Their songs reflect the fundamental human weakness, troubles, as well as the strength, hope and peace of the small but important things lived everyday. The power of their music reaches the hearts of the audience every live performance, as their fans continue to increase. · close