Jealkb

For a band comprised entirely of comedians, Tokyo visual kei act Jealkb had a surprisingly dark and serious image and tone, but their classy pop/rock songwriting catapulted them into the charts and landed them a major-label deal. However, they set themselves an impossible task with their attempt to parody the already ridiculously over the top visual kei scene; compared to many other bands, their look and sound were practically sedate.

Jealkb were formed in 2005 by vocalist Haderu and drummer Elsa, who recruited guitarists Ediee and Mofto, violinist Hideki, keyboardist Chaos, and peculiarly monikered bassist Dunch, having known them through the comedy circuit. The band's name is itself a joke — a Romanized approximation of the Japanese pronunciation of the words "visual kei," with the first syllable moved to the end. Haderu, as half of the popular television comedy duo London Boots, was the most well-known member, and his popularity created huge interest in the band, such that their debut single, "Metronome," self-released in May 2006, sold out in one day and went straight to the top of the Japanese indie chart. Three further singles were followed by the release, almost exactly a year later, of their debut album, Roses.

Right from the start the band had a hugely commercial sound that attracted the attention of the major labels, and shortly after the album's release Jealkb were snapped up by the Yoshimoto recording company, which swiftly issued their single "Chikai" (Oath). Three more singles followed, and in November 2008 the band released its second album, Noroshi (Beacon). Featuring on its front cover a photograph of a naked, heavily pregnant Western woman, the album was an immediate success. Combining energetic rock and punk with sweet, catchy pop melodies and a hefty dose of melancholy, it stands as an exemplar of the genre.

Fans waited some nine months after Noroshi's release for any new material, and in 2009 Dunch joined the visual kei supergroup Karasu, which also featured members of Mucc, Ayabie, Sadie, and Alice Nine. Originally formed for a one-off jam session, the band turned into a serious concern, going on to play live and release two singles, "Lastica" and "Free."

Jealkb's next single, "Will," saw little change in their musical style, but the follow-up, "Make Magic," had a radically different sound that, while still nominally rock, incorporated heavy electro and R&B influences, and the band adopted a comical image spoofing the look of U.S. hip-hop, complete with bejeweled sun visors. Concurrently with the release of the single, it was announced that Chaos and Mofto were leaving the band. The official reason given was that they were leaving to form a new comedy duo, but there was some speculation that they were unhappy with the band's new musical direction. With the following two singles, things continued in a similar vein, and it appeared that Jealkb had finally gotten around to making themselves the "joke" band they had always intended to be. In November 2010, they announced the release of their third album, Invade. ~ John D. Buchanan, Rovi