This time, a day dreaming… and Kodou were the top favourites of our voters, and as usual, we have also put up two extra downloads for just one week only, including the much-requested Hikari Sasuhou (Survive ver.) as well as the runner up from the previous polls, forward.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the latest polls, and if possible, it would be great if you could vote again in the next one, where:

• Butterfly (Butterfly single)
• DRIVE (New World album)
• Believer (Chain single)
• Grab (Survive compliation album)
• Gaku-Ten (Baby Rock album)
• RAIN (New World album)

are all up for selection. It might be a bit more difficult to choose this time! :)

More updates will be forthcoming throughout the site, as well as more content from various contributors! And before I forget, we have updated the affiliate link with Sound EX from their Myspace to their official new website! The people behind the website are Nao and Sesshy, and I would encourage everyone to pay a visit, particularly as the graphics used for the site design really are fantastic! I’ve included a screenshot of the new site design below as a taster, but look out for the flash movie on the splash page – it’s worth the wait – and this is coming from someone who doesn’t usually take a second glance at splash pages.

This is particularly in response to the original blog post by Back-on‘s staff asking for feedback and comments, where I believe Back-on staff promised that comments would receive replies if they posted within a certain timeframe, and Teeda for instance, has made an amazing effort to say hi to everyone!

You might be interested in knowing that both Teeda and Kenji03 have stopped writing in their own blogs, and that Back-on’s Official Blog is now their main blogging platform, so it’s a fantastic resource for interesting pictures and videos from the band!

We’ll try and give you more information about these posts in the future, but Back-on did include some photos of the singles in the shops (HMV for instance) that you can see below:

They also took pictures with some lucky CD staff member(s)!

Last but not least, if you’re wondering what the songs sound like, we’ve been able to listen to samples of each track on both CDs (courtesy of Hmv.co.jp) which we are now making available below as a mix-zip file below! So included 45 second samples are:

• flower (Myspace preview) – as it’s better quality
• ZERO
• Colors
• Butterfly (Myspace preview)
• Spark
• DRIVE (Shutokou Remix)

Please bear in mind that these are song samples so the quality is unfortunately not very good (aside from flower and Butterfly previews from Back-on’s Myspace, which were both made available in a previous post) but hopefully it is enough to give everyone a quick preview! Personally, aside from the title tracks, I’m loving the sample of ZERO and Colors! Which songs do you like?

Mixed Samples

In this particular update, the featured radio playlist is BLAZE LINE/a day dreaming…, Back-on‘s latest single release. This means you can listen to the two title tracks, their TV-size versions as well as EYES!

With regards to the featured downloads, nearly 45% of the 270 voters wanted BLAZE LINE (Eyeshield 21 OP), whilst 30% voted for the all-time favourite, Chain (Air Gear OP!) We’ve also had a special request for Hikari Sasuhou (Survive ver.) and Drive, so to show our appreciation to the kind supporters of Back-on Online, both these songs are now available for download for one week!

Please do continue to vote for your favourite songs, but please remember, if you LIKE the songs, try and support Back-on by buying their CDs/attending their concerts!

Even if you can’t do so at the moment, seriously don’t worry, you can also help the band by spreading the word about their music! So please try and name-drop Back-on to your friends, family and the internet! :D

This is a rare glimpse (and good quality :D) into Back-on‘s amazing live-performance standards. Apparently their repetoire/set-list included (with thanks to Miyu-chan and xiijelly)

1. NEW WORLD
2. EYES
3. BLAZE LINES
4. Believer
5. Drive
6. a day dreaming…
7. so many tears
8. FLYDOM
9. Hikari Sasuhou
10. Chain

Encore:

1. Colors
2. Kodou

We have now been able to confirm the full list thanks to Miyu-chan and xiijelly (earlier, happysky says there were about 10!) , but let us return out focus to the (all important) videos!

Please click on read on…

In the first video, Back-on performs Chain, and, apart from focusing on the band, it is patently obvious that the crowd are going wild! cstarresurrection does a great pan-shot of the surrounding people as well as the screen behind Back-on playing the opening credits for Air Gear. So a big kudos to happysky for some great (and steady-handed) filming!

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

On to the second and very intriguing video, which I believe follows on after the Chain recording – it’s a song I’m fairly certain I haven’t heard (but it’s abit hard to hear the song itself) which leads me to believe that it could be the third song from their soon-to-be-release (June 6th 2007) single BLAZE LINE/a day dreaming… – also known as EYES. Do watch the video and let me know what you think?

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

A big thanks again to cstarresurrection for sharing the videos on Youtube with everyone!

The next lyrics release (which I finally finished typing up and checking yesterday) is DRIVE, which is another track found in the New World album. Its a very different style to the more well-known Hikari Sasuhou, New World and Chain. Its very chilled out – think road trip – and contains such great words such as accell (or accelerator) and clutch, which is perfect for its title. Hopefully I’ll be able to get hold (or attempt a) of a translation of this song soon as I think this song has a great message, even if I haven’t fully grasped it yet.

Finally, with regards to the debate of Colors vs Colours. In case you weren’t aware of the news, this new release by Back-on features as the new theme for the TV Tokyo show Tokyo Mayokara. We haven’t had a chance to listen to the new song yet, but it seems it should be spelt Colors despite the blog referring to the song as Colours. This means any previous articles will have this small typo which I hope no one minds too much!

p/s: Thank you for continuing to support Back-on Online – there are only 19 more days till Back-on‘s performance at Anime Matsuri. You can find a more detailed info about their schedule here.  Also, if you noticed a little downtime earlier – this was because our database needed a little repair work but once this was completed the website was back online within the hour.

JAPANESE (Kanji)

[Verse 1/Rap 1]
Low down な style 妖艶な my lady. Color は bloody な紅
So check it!
Many x3 I did pay the money 君はまさに音速の女神
ネオンのlight sparkling the midnight can’t stop 止まらない
It’s like 暴れ馬に乘った knight 月を雲が blind! It’s time to ride on the high!!

[Chorus 1]
どこまでも続く道を
ずっとー緒に居たいって想った
キミの横顔のぞきむたびに
照れた仕草が愛しくて

[Verse 2/Rap 2]
When I play you drive this way HEY!! I grab the handle so tight 滲む汗
ケラツチでつなげ 1st to the top! The needle pass the red zone 押し上げ!
Like the carchase 攻防戦 I’m gonna make your bet 全てを一瞬に賭け
Pedal to the metal kickin’ the accell! It’s time to ride on the high!!

[Chorus 2]
どんな時もキミのそばで
守り続けるんだって心から想った
ふざけ合って笑い合って
いつまでも ずっと 2人で

[Interlude]
その小さな手を 離さないように

Repeat [Chorus 1]
Repeat [Chorus 2]

This means all 6 tracks from the album are available on the radio for you to enjoy and, to make up for the downtime earlier this week, we’re featuring two tracks for download (high quality 320kbps, CD-rip by Back-on Online using EAC)  instead of the usual one: Chain and Hikari Sasuhou ヒカリサスホウ.

Don’t forget to vote in our newest poll for your next most-wanted download track!  Chain and Hikari Sasuhou both won the highest votes in our previous poll, but Flydom came in at a very close third.

You can listen to Chain, Drive, Hikari Sasuhou and New World on their profile page, which also lists general information about the band…

TEEDA(MC)
KENJI03(Vo/G)
SHU(G)
GORI(B)

BACK-ON is… Back-On=In Japanese kanji “Sound Explosion” 2002 Teeda, Kenji03, Shu, Gori. The four misfits all from Adachi Tokyo. Plus Kenji03′s big brother’s friend Macchin joins.

Teeda & Kenji03, the 2top brings a strong message and the street flavor of Adachi. With trust and respect twards each other, Back-On will always bring “Sound Explosion” for the people.

2006-Opening Song of Animation “Air Gear” First single “Chain” makes a smash hit. The mini album “New World” Not only gets big in Japan, even the world starts wanting Back-On.

… as well their musical influences…

TEEDA: Kotton Mouth Kings,CRAZY TOWN, Mr Cartoon, Zodak, INSOLENCE, P.O.D, SHAKA ZOMBIE, tsunomaru, Yoshihiko Inoue(SLUM DUNK), Akira Toriyama(DRAGON BALL), Kousuke Masuda
KENJI03: SMASHING PUMPKINS, AIR, OASIS, hide(X JAPAN)
SHU: GUNS N ‘ROSES, ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION
GORI: Hoobastank, Chara, aiko, JIN, J(LUNA SEA)

…ending with their record label name…

cutting edge

Cutting Edge is actually a sub-label of Avex Trax, a famous Japanese music record company. According to Wikipedia, the Cutting Edge sub-label is known for its rock artists.
Their profile has received over 24000 page views – a seriously good sign as according to Volcomtoast/Finger Are I?‘s blog (http://blog.myspace.com/volcomtoast), back in June 2006, they only had just under 400 views! This means an average of 3300 visitors each month since then!

The band hasn’t uploaded any videos, but you can still watch the Youtube.com versions of New World (PV), New World (CM), Baby Rock (CM), Chain (PV), Gaku-Ten (PV) and Flydom (PV) – the latter two are both singles from Baby Rock, Back-on’s third album, released in 2005.

They have, however, uploaded some photos which you can see below:

The Myspace page also links to the band profile on Purevolume.com, which says that it is “the place for rising artists to host their mp3s and get exposure“. You can, again, listen to Chain, Drive and New World, but in addition, you can also listen to/preview Kodou or 鼓動, a track featured on their single release ‘Chain‘ in 2006 (Track #3) – a great tune starting off with some fast guitar strumming and drums (ala. the chorus) interspersed with with more chilled-out reggae for the main verse.

Back-on have classified themselves under “Rock/Rap/Pop Punk” on Purevolume, but add that they are also “Loud” and are a “J-Rock Band“. Aside from the usual blurb about the ‘New World’ album, they have also posted their support for street-wear brand names found in Japan, such as Tribal, Independent Truck Co. and Globe.

And last but not least… Back-on‘s Purevolume profile picture…

Update [May 18th 2007] : Updated link to new Backonjapan Myspace profile.