If you haven't heard any music from this band yet, I'm here to introduce you. One Ok Rock (ワンオクロック) is a very famous Japanese rock band worldwide. It draws inspiration from bands like Nirvana, Blink-182, Foo Fighters among others. Various genres have also been experimented with and blended into the essence of the band. Ranging from alternative rock, pop rock to emo and hardcore.
The band's name comes from the English expression "one o clock", which means "at one o'clock". This was the time the group usually set up on weekends to rehearse. But because the pronunciation of the letter L and R are the same, the Japanese pronounced "one o krock". Taking advantage of this, the group separated and changed the expression, making One Ok Rock the name of the band.
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History of the emergence of the band One Ok Rock
The band One ok Rock was formed in Tokyo in 2005. With the dream of becoming famous and having their own band, Toru Yamashita, a high school student, joins his friend Ryota Kohama with this goal. Toru played guitar and insisted that his friend Ryota learn to play bass. Both curiously were part of a hip-hop group called "HEADS".
In this occasion, while attending a show of a cover band, Toru really liked the performance of the lead singer of that band. This was Taka Moriuchi, who, after much insistence from Toru, joined the band. Another guitarist, named Alex Onizawa, born in San Francisco, who previously worked as a fashion model, also joined the initial lineup.
After many successful shows in the Tokyo area, the band One Ok Rock released their first EP in 2006. Soon after, a mini-album called Keep It Real was also released. It was only then that the last member joined, Tomoya Kanki, as the drummer. Tomoya had already been playing with the group in the album recordings. But he only became an official member in 2007. That same year saw the release of the first successful single, "Naihi Shinsho". This song paved the way for radio and secured a deal with the major label Amuse.
Overcoming Problems to Success
In 2007, along with the release of the debut studio album called "Zeitakubyou", came also a tour across the country. Two LPs, "Beam of Light" and "Kanjou Effect" were released in 2008. But in 2009, the guitarist Alex was accused of harassment. He eventually admitted to the charges, thus being judged and imprisoned.
Due to this fact, the release of the song "Around the World Shounen" was postponed. This same song had been selected to be the theme of a drama, but due to the incident, the choice was suspended. A tour scheduled for that year was also canceled. It was soon announced that the band would continue without any connection to the guitarist Alex. The band did not stop, as in 2010 the album "Niche Syndrome" was released, in 2011 "Zankyo Reference," and in 2013 the album "Jinsei×Boku".
In 2014, the band One Ok Rock participated in a major music festival in the United States. Soon came 2015 with the album "35xxxv," which was re-released in a deluxe edition in English after the band's signing with Warner Bros. One Ok Rock quickly gained popularity in the United States, leading to the recording of a second international album in 2016. With a lot of musical experience, the band released the album "Ambitions" in 2017, which became a commercial success.
The band has won several awards throughout its career. Among these, the awards for Best Rock Video in 2012, 2013, and also 2014 stand out. In 2016 at the MTV Europe Music Awards, the band won for Best Japanese Artist. They also had songs chosen as themes for two live-action films of the anime Samurai X. The band continues to be active, achieving great success to this day. I will leave a list below with some of the best songs by the band in my opinion.
- Wherever You Are
- Clock Strikes
- The Beginning
- Dreamer
- Liar
- Chaosmyth
- Cry Out
- Pierce
- Re:make
- We Are
- Be the light
- not scared
- Naihi Shinsho
Did you already know the band? What music do you like the most? Tell us in the comments and share with friends.