Beat Crusaders

, typeset as BEAT CRUSADERS and also known as BECR, are a Japanese rock/punk-pop band. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.

Band members include , , , , and .

History

Heavily taken from http://www.typhoon-ent.com.au/band_profile.php?id=2

BEAT CRUSADERS, commonly abbreviated BECR, was instigated at the end of 1997 by Tōru Hidaka as an experimental U.S. Lo-Fi Indie Pop unit. The rest of the band later joined as a result of continual experimental gigs performed around the Shimokitazawa (Tokyo) area. Their creative use of analogue, synthesizers and the old Casitone, incorporated with influences of such bands as Weezer and The Rentals, and at times the dynamism of Snuffesque rock , had transformed them into a powerfully melodic guitar band. By the end of 1998, BEAT CRUSADERS had already started creating songs which emphasized they were a crazy and fun live act that was not to be missed. The momentum carried on with a single "E.C.D.T." released in June of the following year which entered independent charts of CD retail shops all across Japan. A month later their first mini-album, "HOWLING SYMPHONY OF..." was released; this entered the charts again with various music magazines giving the big thumbs up. Reflecting their chart action and praise from magazines, numerous live offers followed from notable bands in the Japanese alternative/independent scene, from guitar pop and new wave of new wave, to pop punk and ska bands. They continued to be busy, with their second single "FIRESTARTER" released in early 2000 and later the full-length "ALL YOU CAN EAT". They also were involved in four compilations, their own 'cover' EPs including a split entitled "WXY" with fellow Japanese punk band Captain Hedgehog.

In August 2003, three of the four original members of BEAT CRUSADERS left the band, to eventually go on to form a new band "ANITA CHILI PEPPERS". This left behind only Tōru Hidaka who later recruited four new members, which make up the BEAT CRUSADERS today. It is not known why the past members left. However, it doesn't seem like they left on bad terms, considering Hidaka included the masks of his former bandmates and his actions (he was crying) in the PV, "Sensation".

Later on down the road, their song "HIT IN THE USA" was used for the opening of the anime Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, which moved the band out of the indie scene hitting Japanese music. Since then they have released several more albums including a cover album of American and British songs entitled "MUSICRUSADERS." More recently their song "TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT" was used as the fourth opening of the anime Bleach. In 2006, the band's music made its first American appearance as the opening theme song, "Hey x 2 Look x 2" (Aka "Hey Hey Look Look") to the Nicktoons animated series, Kappa Mikey.And now the single winterlong for the opening of the anime Juushin Enbu (Hero Tales).

A full length CD "EPopMAKING," was released on May 30, 2007, it contains 19 tracks, this was followed "Popdod" on June 4, 2008. It is rumored they picked said date due to Hidaka turning 40 the day after the release.

Discography

Studio Albums

Title	Year	Label
HOWLING SYMPHONY OF...	1999	LastRum
ALL YOU CAN EAT	2000	LastRum
FORESIGHTS	2001	LastRum
SEXCITE	2002	LastRum
P.O.A.~POP ON ARRIVAL~	2005	DefSTAR
EPopMAKING	2007	DefSTAR
popdod	2008	DefSTAR

Singles

Title	Year	Label	Notes
NEVER POP ENOUGH E.P.	1999	Lastrum Corporation
FIRESTARTER	2000	Lastrum Corporation
HANDSOME ACADEMY	2000	Lastrum Corporation
CAPA-CITY	2002	Lastrum Corporation
EYES IN THE SKY	2002	Lastrum Corporation
GIRL FRIDAY	2003	Captain Haus
SENSATION	2004	Captain Haus
HIT IN THE USA	2004	DefSTAR	for BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
FEEL	2005	DefSTAR
LOVE POTION #9	2005	DefSTAR
DAY AFTER DAY/SOLITARE	2005	DefSTAR
TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT	2006	DefSTAR	the fourth opening for the Bleach anime
HEY(X2) LOOK(X2)	2006	DefSTAR	The Opening Theme For The TV show Kappa Mikey
GHOST	2007	DefSTAR
WINTERLONG	2008	DefSTAR	the opening of Juushin Enbu (Hero Tales)
	2008	DefSTAR	In collaboration with Ayano Tsuji; theme song of third Keroro Gunso movie
Time Flies, Everything Goes	2008	DefSTAR
Chinese Jet Set	2008	DefSTAR

EP/Misc

Title	Year	Type	Label
BEST CRUSADERS	2003	Best Of Album	LastRum
A PopCALYPSE NOW	2004	EP	DefSTAR
COMPI CRUSADERS '68-'77 vol. 37	2005	Compilation	DefSTAR
MUSICRUSADERS	2005	Cover Album	DefSTAR

Split Albums

Title	Year	Split With	Label
WXY	2001	CAPTAIN HEDGE HOG	LastRum
Diggin' in the street	2002	Rude Bones	LastRum
OZZY		2002	SK@YMATE'S	LastRum
BOOOOTSY	2006	YOUR SONG IS GOOD	DefSTAR
CELL NO.9	2006	TROPICAL GORILLA	DefSTAR
NIGHT ON THE PLANET	2007	ASPARAGUS	DefSTAR

Current members

• Toru Hidaka - Guitar and vocals
• Masahiko Kubota - Bass
• Taro Kato - Guitar
• Mashita (Hirofumi Yamashita) - Drums
• Keitaimo (Keita Tanabe) - Keyboard

Former members

• umu (Mitsutaka Umuyashiki) - Bass and vocals
• araki (Takayuki Araki) - Drums and vocals
• thai (Hiroyuki Tai) - Keyboard, guitar, and vocals

References

• Official site : BEAT CRUSADERS. Retrieved on May 6., 2008.

External links

• Official site