Penicillin (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Penicillin


Img_capt = From left to right: O-Jiro, Hakuei, Chisato
Img_size =
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|Japan Tokyo, Japan
Genre = Rock, Hard Rock, Visual Kei
Years_active = 1992- Present
Label = Pioneer LDC, East West Japan, Omega A.T. Music, HiBOOM, Avex Trax, Crown Records (Current)
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.penicillin.jp Penicillin.jp]
Current_members = Hakuei
Chisato
O-Jiro
Past_members = Gisho

Penicillin is a Japanese rock band formed in 1992.

History

Formed by friends at Tokai University in Kanagawa, Japan on February 14, 1992 Penicillin went on to become one of the largest acts in the Japanese Visual Kei scene and is still thriving today, sixteen years later. The band formed with Chisato on Vocals, Gisho on Bass, O-Jiro on drums and both Yuuji and Shaisuke on guitar. [Quarterdoll: The Report Magazine of Penicillin QD No. 005, Published February 2003 ] Before anything was recorded however the bands line up changed to Hakuei on vocals, Gisho on Bass, O-jiro on drums and both Shaisuke and Chisato on guitar. This line up stayed for the first single of PENICILLIN SHOCK which was produced by Kiyoshi of then Media Youth. [Penicillin Shock: Tears Music: TEC-0013] After PENICILLIN SHOCK however, Shaisuke left the band to join Deshabillz.

The band made their major debut in 1996 with Blue Moon on PIONEER LDC. They stayed on Pioneer until 1998 when they changed to east west japan. Their sixth single released, “Romance,” released January 15th, 1998 ranked within the top 10 on the Oricon charts for six consecutive weeks, selling over 900,000 copies. [Musicjapanplus [http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/artistdb/?action=biography&artist_id=23 bio] ] After the were dropped by east west japan they changed to omega A.T.music (an indies label) in 2001. Omega happens to be under Omega Project Holdings which Yoshiaki Kondou (Gisho) is the CEO of. [Omega [http://www.omega.co.jp/english/profile.html OHP] .] However they were only on Omega for a year before being picked up by HiBOOM, which was an indies subsidiary of Avex trax. In 2005 when HiBOOM was closed, they were picked up by Avex TRAX and once again on a major label for the first time since they were dropped from east west.

On February 12, 2007 Penicillin celebrated its 15th Anniversary as a band. On March 9, 2007 Gisho announced that he would leave the band. [Penicillin's [http://penicillin.269g.net/article/3908977.html Blog Post] ] His last live was his birthday on May 20, 2007 at Shibuya O-East. Since then the band has continued on as a three piece unit. During the February 11, 2008 live, it was announced the Penicillin would once again change labels, this time to Nippon Crown. [ [http://www.penicillin.jp/media/special/special_01.html Media news ] ]

Member info

Information from the Japanese Wikipedia page. [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/PENICILLIN]

Hakuei: (Vocals) Born December 16, 1970 in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kushima City. However his parents were divorced and he moved with his mother to Aomori prefecture Hirosaki City. At Tokai University he got his degree from the general education department. In 1996 he made his solo debut with the single Zeus. In 1997 he worked as an actor in the movie -Thirty 30- and in 1998 he played Hamlet in Penicillin's Rock Opera Hamlet (written by Kiyoshi). 1999 he joined up with Kiyoshi once more for the band Machine which is currently active. [Machine's [http://machineproject.jp OHP] ] Hakuei currently is a model for Black Peace Now and draws a comic strip featured monthly in Fool's Mate called Susume! Tonosama. He's a member of a secret band called Kaizoku which only does secret lives. He's also currently producing a young Mexican man named IVAN. When Penicillin performs live on his birthday it's known as 'Super Heart Core'

Chisato: (千聖, Guitar) Born October 4, 1971 in Tokyo, Japan. He attended Tokai University and received a degree in per-law. In September 1996 he made his solo debut with "Dance with the wild things". During his solo career he's played notable places such as Nippon Budokan. In the late 1990s he wrote music for and produced the band /ucifer. In the past he's worked on "R" with the likes of Kiyoshi & O-jiro, Crack-Z with friend Satoro from ZZ, and nano with Hakuei. Currently he's doing solo project work under the alias MSTR with the band Crack6, as well as under Chisato doing live guitar support for Acid Black Cherry. When Penicillin performs for his birthday it's known as "Rock x Rock"

O-Jiro: (Drums) Born September 14, 1972 in Chiba, Japan. He attended Tokai University as well, but did not graduate from it. He has done side projects of "R"- with Chisato and Kiyoshi. 808 with Yasumichan of Sleep My Dear, and Starman, with Gisho, as well as Yasumichan and Ken from Sleep my dear. When Penicillin performs on his birthday it's known as "Tono!Gig"

Gisho: (ex-Bass) Born May 20, 1971 in Hyogo Prefecture. Gisho attended Tokai University and got a degree in Economics. He used the name Ootaki Jun for his solo career. He stared in the movie Shonan Bakuzo Zuku Arakure Knight [Movie [http://no-damage.net/img042.bmp Jacket] ] . In 2001 he joined Omega Project Holdings and later became their CEO. He's a fan of Keanu Reeves and the Matrix and because of that his birthday lives were titled "Gishorix Revolution" his last live with the band was on May 20, 2007 at Shibuya O-East and it was known was "Gishorix Revolution -Never ending story-"

Discography

Singles [ From Penicillin's [http://www.penicillin.jp/discography/single.html Official Website] ]

*"In the Kingdom of the Moonlight" September 30 1995
*"Melody/マザー・グース" January 25 1996
*"Blue Moon/天使を目攻めて" (Major Debut Single)- March 15 1996
*"Imitation Love / Never Ending Story" - May 15 1996
*"99 番目の夜" (99 banme no yoru) - March 19 1997
*"DEAD or ALIVE / ナルシスの花" - May 28 1997
*"夜をぶっとばせ" - June 25 1997
*"ロマンス" - January 15 1998
*"make love" - May 30 1998
*"CRASH" - September 9 1998
*"Butterfly" - November 26 1998
*"NICE IN LIP+L" (maxi single) - September 1 1999
*"理想の舌" (maxi single) - February 23 2000
*"ウルトライダー" (maxi single) - May 17 2000
*"Japanese Industrial Students" (maxi single) - May 17 2000
*"イナズマ" (multimedia single) - January 24 2000
*"リミットコンプレックス" (multimedia single) - May 30 2000
*"腐海の砂 / 聖・MARIAN HURRICANE" - November 28 2001
*"NEW FUTURE" (maxi single) - June 26 2002
*"花園キネマ" (maxi single) - September 19 2002
*"四次元ダイバー・少年ダイバー" (maxi single) - May 28 2003
*"白髏の舞(ビャクロノマイ)" (maxi single) - November 27 2003
*"SAMURAI BOY / LOVE DRAGOON (初回盤)" (maxi single) - May 26 2004
*"フリージア (A version)" (maxi single) - February 2 2005
*"フリージア (B version)" (maxi single) - February 2 2005
*"JUMP#1/ハカナ (A version)" (maxi single) - June 28 2005
*"JUMP#1/ハカナ (B version)" (maxi single) - June 28 2005
*"月千古輝/零 (通常盤" - March 15 2006
*"月千古輝/零 (通常初回出荷分" - March 15 2006
*"月千古輝/零 (CD + DVD 初回限定盤 B" - March 15 2006
*"月千古輝/零 (CD + DVD 初回限定盤 A" - March 15 2006
*"hyper chord/hyper kids 初回限定生産盤 A（CD+DVD）" - September 27 2006
*"hyper chord/hyper kids 初回限定生産盤 B（CD+DVD)" - September 27 2006
*"hyper chord/hyper kids 通常盤（CD)" - September 27 2006
*"Grind Candy/エデン 初回限定生産盤 A（CD+DVD）" - January 31 2007
*"Grind Candy/エデン 初回限定生産盤 B（CD+DVD)" - January 31 2007
*"Grind Candy/エデン 通常盤（CD)" - January 31 2007
*"太陽/Orb 初回限定生産盤 A（CD+DVD）" - April 23 2008
*"太陽/Orb 初回限定生産盤 B（CD+DVD）" - April 23 2008
*"太陽/Orb 通常盤（CD）" - April 23 2008
*"Rainbow/Scream - August 20 2008Albums [Penicillin's [http://www.penicillin.jp/discography/album.html OHP] ]
*"Penicillin Shock" May 30 1994 [Released on Tears Music, catalogue number: TEC-0013]
*"Missing Link" - December 24 1994 [ Note: Missing Link was released three times the catalogue numbers for them respectively are: (TEC-0019A) , (TEC-0019B) , and (TKCF-77006) respectively]
*"Missing Link (special version)" - December 24 1994
*"God of Grind- Real Penicillin SHOCK" (remake of Penicillin Shock) - June 20 1995
*"God of Grind- Real Penicillin SHOCK" (remake of Penicillin Shock: Special Box) - June 20 1995
*"Earth" (Mini Album)- September 30 1995
*"Into the valley of the dolls" (Mini Album)- September 30 1995
*"VIBE" - June 26 1996
*"Indwell" - July 24 1996
*"FLY PENICILLIN featuring 千聖" - November 27 1996
*"Missing Link" - December 21 1996
*"Limelight" - July 2 1997
*"Ultimate Velocity" - October 21 1998
*"THIS IS PENICILLIN 1994-1999" - October 6 1999
*"UNION JAP" - May 24 2005
*"SINGLES" - February 21 2001
*"NUCLEAR BANANA" - November 7 2001
*"No.53" - October 30 2002
*"赫赫 (カッカク)" - October 1 2003
*"FLOWER CIRCUS (通常盤)" - October 20 2004
*"FLOWER CIRCUS (限定盤)" - October 20 2004
*"hell bound heart(通常盤)" - November 23 2005
*"hell bound heart DVD付き special edition (CD+DVD)" - November 23 2005
*"BLUE HEAVEN (通常盤)" - February 28 2007
*"BLUE HEAVEN (限定盤)" - February 28 2007
*"Supernova" - November 26 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.penicillin.jp/ Penicillin Official website] ja icon
* [http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/artistdb/?artist_id=23 Penicillin At Musicjapanplus.jp's artist database] en icon