BUCK-TICK is a Japanese rock band formed in 1984 and known for one of the most distinctive voices and visual identities in Japanese music. Almost continuously active since its formation, the group has built a long career across multiple eras of Japanese rock while keeping a strong identity and a tightly arranged, atmospheric sound.
The band consists of five members: Atsushi Sakurai on vocals; Hisashi Imai on guitars, backing vocals, noises, and theremin; Hidehiko Hoshino on guitars and backing vocals; Yutaka Higuchi on bass; and Toll Yagami on drums. That lineup helped shape a style that moves across rock, alternative rock, and industrial rock, as well as positive punk, post-punk style, new-wave, goth, electronica, and straight rock-n-roll. BUCK-TICK has also been associated with Victor Entertainment, reinforcing its place in Japan's rock catalog.
Vocalist Atsushi Sakurai died from a brain stem hemorrhage on October 19, 2023, at the age of 57. His death was a major loss for the band and for Japanese rock more broadly, but BUCK-TICK's legacy remains tied to its longevity, genre-crossing approach, and unmistakable presence in the scene.
