Biography
The breakup of visual kei acts Kagerou and Deadman inside a single year created an unfillable void within the movement. Guitarist Aie relocated from Nagoya to Tokyo once Deadman disbanded and reunited with his old acquaintance, ex-Kagerou singer Daisuke Ochida, to launch a fresh project. In April 2007 they recruited bassist Yukino and drummer Hibiki—both previously Aie’s bandmates in Kein—and christened the quartet the Studs, a nod to the abrasive quality of their sound rather than any erotic connotation.
Because Deadman had belonged to the Nagoya wing of the scene, where groups cultivated a somber, restrained appearance and drew from British punk to produce a tougher, more jagged and metallic sound than the flashy Tokyo style, Aie’s dominant songwriting role ensured the Studs would follow that same path. Barely eight weeks after assembling, they completed the six-track mini-album Studs, which reached European listeners through a Paris date on their inaugural tour and a licensing deal with Germany’s Gan-Shin imprint. Immediately afterward they returned to the studio; early 2008 brought two rapid singles and the full-length And Hate, also issued on the continent.
The group spent the remainder of the year crisscrossing Japan repeatedly while issuing three additional singles that sustained fan interest ahead of another album. Tension surfaced in March 2009 when Hibiki departed over creative disagreements and former Plastic Tree drummer Hiroshi Sasabuchi stepped in as a temporary replacement. Aie’s solo performance the following month fueled speculation, and in May—only days after the second album appeared—the Studs declared an indefinite hiatus once their upcoming tour concluded. That record bore the pointed title Alan Smithee, the alias directors employ when they wish to disown a project. Europe never received the release, and Yukino exited later that year.
As 2010 opened, the two surviving members stayed active: Aie revived his session outfit the God and Death Stars while Daisuke introduced the solo endeavor Daisuke to Kuro no Injatachi (“Daisuke and the Black Hermits”). On 15 July 2010, just days before his second solo single was due, Daisuke was discovered deceased in his apartment at the age of thirty-one. Although the precise cause was never formally disclosed, reports consistently cited an accidental overdose of prescribed medication; a heart ailment present since childhood was thought to have played a role.
Because Deadman had belonged to the Nagoya wing of the scene, where groups cultivated a somber, restrained appearance and drew from British punk to produce a tougher, more jagged and metallic sound than the flashy Tokyo style, Aie’s dominant songwriting role ensured the Studs would follow that same path. Barely eight weeks after assembling, they completed the six-track mini-album Studs, which reached European listeners through a Paris date on their inaugural tour and a licensing deal with Germany’s Gan-Shin imprint. Immediately afterward they returned to the studio; early 2008 brought two rapid singles and the full-length And Hate, also issued on the continent.
The group spent the remainder of the year crisscrossing Japan repeatedly while issuing three additional singles that sustained fan interest ahead of another album. Tension surfaced in March 2009 when Hibiki departed over creative disagreements and former Plastic Tree drummer Hiroshi Sasabuchi stepped in as a temporary replacement. Aie’s solo performance the following month fueled speculation, and in May—only days after the second album appeared—the Studs declared an indefinite hiatus once their upcoming tour concluded. That record bore the pointed title Alan Smithee, the alias directors employ when they wish to disown a project. Europe never received the release, and Yukino exited later that year.
As 2010 opened, the two surviving members stayed active: Aie revived his session outfit the God and Death Stars while Daisuke introduced the solo endeavor Daisuke to Kuro no Injatachi (“Daisuke and the Black Hermits”). On 15 July 2010, just days before his second solo single was due, Daisuke was discovered deceased in his apartment at the age of thirty-one. Although the precise cause was never formally disclosed, reports consistently cited an accidental overdose of prescribed medication; a heart ailment present since childhood was thought to have played a role.
Albums
Singles
