Black×berry – Biography

V-Rock

by Leela McMullen, Taryn, posted January 22, 2012

Black×berry may seem like a new band at first, but in fact, they’re not very new at all. The band was formally named Black Berry in 2009, when they began. For a while, they remained under the radar, but soon surfaced a year later. In mid-2011 the band was reborn under the name Black×berry.

Black×berry’s first live was held in 2011 on June 30 at Ikebukuro BlackHole. Shortly after the live, they released their first single entitled “ano…hajimemashite” on June 27. After a warm reception from fans, they were able to host their first oneman live on October 15 at Ruido K4 in Shibuya. They have definitely come full circle since their inception, and are definitely a promising band to look out for. Incidentally, Their oneman only alter ego cover band Kuro Ichigo first appeared at Ruido followed by a talk show and item give-away lottery.

Style

Like their name, the band is definitely not afraid of experimenting with their music. They’ve already infused two different genres with their predominant rock sound. You can hear little tastes of punk and jazz in some of their songs. It’s easy for just about everyone to enjoy a band like this, no matter what your preferences are.

They provided a little insight on what Black×berry truly means to them. “When you look at it, black is an unrivaled color. It’s able to absorb any form of light into itself without changing.” Black×berry’s goal is to become that ideal.

Visually, their style seems simple, but noticing the details one can see their individual personalities shine. Each members outfits are customized with personal touches, while also keeping their black berry theme. The most noticeable points for the band members, like a lot of vk bands, is the hair and while the other members seem to stand out with their accessories, Lyo is adorned with a bright blue tear drop. It will be interesting to see where they take their theme in the future.

Members

Vocalist: Ryuta
Guitarist: Daiki
Bassist: Lyo
Drummer: KA-ZU

Leela McMullen is a strong believer in the philosophy "no music, no life." Having traversed the range of Japanese fandoms, she found her home at last in visual kei and has made it her mission to share what she loves most with the world. Leela completed her B.A. in Japanese language from Griffith University in Gold Coast Australia. She now lives and works in Japan, striving to bring you the goods, hot from the scene. Follow her on twitter for juicy hints of upcoming articles if you've got a bit of Japanese language under your belt! http://twitter.com/#!/LeelaInTokyo

Taryn Copeland, at 13, stumbled upon MALICE MIZER and was quickly entranced. She became interested bands like DIR EN GREY, Laputa, and X Japan’s hide and fascinated by Japanese culture. She decided to learn Japanese. Twelve years later, she’s become a freelance writer so that she may aid the promotion of Japanese music in America.