Nicotine

Originally launching in 1994 under their own "indie/alternative" banner, Nicotine encountered punk and ska for the first time while touring the United States that summer. Upon returning to Tokyo, Howie Sato (vocals/guitar), Yasu (guitar), Full (bass) and Naoki (drum) overhauled their approach, shifting toward a harder-edged, rapid style that retained strong melodic hooks. The shift produced their debut mini-album Royal Mellow Day, issued on the band's Sky Records imprint in 1996. After the 1997 release of their full-length Hola Amigo!, the group placed Royal Mellow Day on the ...Will Kill You!!! EP in 1998, both recordings reflecting the high-energy pop-punk and ska elements they absorbed during that initial American trek.