Beat Crusaders

Beat Crusaders
File:Becr.png
Background information
Also known as	BECR
Origin	Japan
Genres	Rock, Pop punk, Power pop
Years active	1997–2010
Labels	DefSTAR Records, Lastrum, Captain Haus Recordings
Members	Tōru Hidaka Masahiko Kubota Tarō Katō Hirofumi Yamashita Keita Tanabe
Past members	Mitsutaka Umuyashiki Takayuki Araki Hiroyuki Tai
Website	Official website

Beat Crusaders (ビート・クルセイダース, Bīto Kuruseidāsu, typeset as BEAT CRUSADERS) were a Japanese rock band. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.

History

Beat Crusaders, commonly abbreviated BECR, was instigated at the end of 1997 by Tōru Hidaka as an experimental U.S. Lo-Fi Indie Rock 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 analog 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 "Music Crusaders." 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. The single Winterlong is used as the opening of the anime 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.

In 2010, Toru Hidaka confirmed that Beat Crusaders would break-up, but promised to release a new album before they broke up. Their final album, titled "REST CRUSADERS" was released on October 6, 2010. It consists of 22 tracks of both new songs, old singles like "Windom", and previously released but recent singles like "Let It Go" and "Situation".

Members

Current members

• Tōru Hidaka (ヒダカトオル/日高 央, Hidaka Tōru) - vocals, guitar
• Masahiko Kubota (クボタマサヒコ/久保田 匡彦, Kubota Masahiko) - bass
• Tarō Katō (カトウタロウ/加藤 太朗, Katō Tarō) - guitar
• Mashīta (マシータ, real name Hirofumi Yamashita (山下 博史, Yamashita Hirofumi)) - drums
• Keitaimo (ケイタイモ, real name Keita Tanabe (田辺 啓太, Tanabe Keita)) - keyboard

Former members

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

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Year	Label
Howling Symphony Of...	1999	Lastrum
All You Can Eat	2000
Foresights	2001
Sexcite	2002
BEST CRUSADERS	2003
A PopCalypse Now: Jigoku no Pop Shiroku (A PopCALYPSE NOW ～地獄のPOP示録～, A Poppukaripusu Nau ~Jigoku no Poppu Shiroku~)	2005	DefSTAR
P.O.A. -POP ON ARRIVAL-
EpopMaking: Pop to no Sōgū (EpopMaking ～Popとの遭遇～)	2007
popdod	2008
REST CRUSADERS	2010
LOST CRUSADERS	2010

Singles

Title	Year	Label	Notes
Never Pop Enough EP	1999	Lastrum
"Firestarter"	2000
"Handsome Academy"
"Capa-City"	2002
"Girl Friday"	2003	Captain Haus	"Follow me", as one of the songs for BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad.
"Sensation"	2004
"Hit in the USA"		DefStar	For BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
"Feel"	2005
"Love Potion No. 9"
"Day After Day/Solitaire"
"I Can See Clearly Now"
"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight"	2006		The fourth opening for the Bleach anime
"Hey Hey Look Look"	2006		The Opening Theme For The TV show Kappa Mikey
"Ghost"	2007
"Chinese Jet Set"	2008
"Winterlong"	2008	The opening of Juushin Enbu (Hero Tales)
"Arienai Kurai Kiseki" (ありえないくらい奇跡) "Much Impossible Miracle"	2008	Speedstar	In collaboration with Ayano Tsuji; theme song of third Keroro Gunso movie
"Let It Go"	2009	DefStar
"Situation"	2010

EP/Misc

Title	Year	Type	Label
Best Crusaders	2003	Best Of Album	Lastrum
Compi Crusaders '68-'77 vol. 37	2005	Compilation	DefSTAR
Musicrusaders		Cover Album

Compilations

Title	Year	Type	Label
VERY BEST CRUSADERS	2009	Best Of Album	DefSTAR

Split albums

Title	Year	Split With	Label
WXY	2001	Captain Hedge Hog	Lastrum
Diggin' in the Street	2002	Rude Bones
Ozzy!!		Sk@ymate's
Booootsy	2006	Your Song Is Good	DefSTAR
Cell No.9		Tropical Gorilla
Night on the Planet	2007	Asapragus

References

• "Official site : Beat Crusaders". Archived from the original on 4 May 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
• http://www.tokyohive.com/2010/09/beat-crusaders-release-last-albums-information

External links

• Official site
• Beat Crusaders at AllMusic