BACK-ON and FLOW release new collab! ‘TV size’ short version of ‘KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD’ opening theme song ‘CHEMY×STORY’ out now!

CHEMY×STORY Jacket Cover

Performed by rock band BACK-ON, ‘CHEMY×STORY’ is the opening theme song to KAMEN RIDER GOTCHAR’. At a press conference held back in August, BACK-ON stated in a video message that they plan to evolve the song through collaboration with other artists, echoing the fusion seen in KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD. And now, in 2024, they have followed up on that promise with the release of a new collaboration version of the theme song!

 For this new version, BACK-ON have joined forces with fellow rock band FLOW, teaming up under the name BACK-ON × FLOW! And from Sunday, January 7, when the first new episode of KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD of 2024 was broadcast, the theme song has been updated to the two bands’ new version of ‘CHEMY×STORY’! The “TV size” short version of the song is also out now on download and streaming services, following its release on January 7.

Look out for this new version of ‘CHEMY×STORY’ arranged by FLOW on your favorite music service or during the TV show’s opening here!

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▼ Comment from BACK-ON

“We can finally announce this! The story in Gotchard is filled with twists and turns, and this seemed like the perfect timing to add a surprise twist to the opening theme song as well. We thought of this band as soon as this project first came along, and we wanted to go further than all the Rider collaborations of the past, so we crashed through the boundaries to bring this track to life!

“I personally have admired FLOW since I was a teenager, and I had always wanted to have the opportunity to perform together with such a great band on a Rider collaboration... Through this song, which has great chemistry with Gotchard, we want to convey each Sunday morning that dreams can come true if you keep pursuing them!

“We hope you enjoy the new ‘CHEMY×STORY’!”

▼ Comment from FLOW

“This collaboration was made possible when we were approached by the two members of BACK-ON. As fans since childhood, it was a pleasure to work on a song for our hero Kamen Rider. This is a song that could only have been made together with BACK-ON, so we hope you enjoy this unique chemical reaction, just like the fusion in Kamen Rider Gotchard.

“Let’s all join together to enjoy Kamen Rider Gotchard!”

Kamen Rider Gotchard opening theme song video released alongside episode 2! Surprise “kick song” by Beverly also out!

Kamen Rider Gotchard has begun broadcasting on TV Asahi, and with the second episode broadcast on September 10, the opening credits with the theme song ‘CHEMY×STORY’ by BACK-ON was unveiled for the first time.

The first episode did not include opening credits, but the song was used within that episode as well, and a “TV size” short version of the song and a lyric video have also been released. This cheery song is like an early-morning alarm call, becoming an instant hit with fans – and now that it has been featured in the opening credits, the song’s momentum has only increased.

The song was composed by KENJI03, who also performs as BACK-ON. KENJI03 wrote the theme song ‘Trust · Last’ for Kamen Rider Geats under the name Hi-yunk, and also composed an additional song, ‘Chair’, for the same series under his BACK-ON moniker – each of which received a great response. This is his third Kamen Rider song, and his second as BACK-ON, establishing him as a top Kamen Rider artist beloved by fans.

Also on September 10, episode 2 featured a surprise insert song that has taken fans by storm. Soundtracking Kamen Rider’s trademark Rider Kick, the new “kick song” was performed by Beverly, who previously performed the theme song for Kamen Rider Build as PANDORA feat. Beverly! It has been quite a while since Beverly performed a song for the series, and also some time since a high-profile insert song was featured so early in the series, so the song was met with surprise and joy by Kamen Rider fans.

The title of this “kick song” is ‘Rising Fighter’. It will be released on download and streaming services from midnight Japan time on September 11 and can be located on all streaming platforms here!

Be sure to check out the lyric video version of ‘CHEMY X STORY’ below!

BACK-ON Trigger Big Reaction with KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD Opening Theme ‘CHEMY×STORY’

‘CHEMY×STORY’ Digial Jacket Cover

Pop-rockers BACK-ON prove once again they are ones to keep an ion as new single ‘CHEMY×STORY’ (pronounced like ‘Chemistry’) causes a big reaction in Japan.

When news broke that ‘CHEMY×STORY’ would feature as the official opening theme to KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD, the latest series of Japan’s pop-culture phenomenon KAMEN RIDER, the hashtag #BACKONtrended across their home country as fans took to social media to share the big announcement. The band also became the number one trending topic on Yahoo! News, and a tweet about the track from KAMEN RIDER’s music manager received almost one million views. The TV cut of the track is available to download and stream this week, as KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD’s first episode airs.

BACK-ON are no strangers to catchy opening theme songs. In a career spanning nearly two decades, they’ve handled songs for some of Japan’s most loved anime franchises, including GUNDAM, Initial D and Fairy Tail. It’s no surprise that music and TV lovers alike are making a big deal about BACK-ON making the leap from the world of anime into the explosive realms of Japanese live-action superhero TV shows (tokusatsu), not least because of the amount of effort and energy they put into each song, making sure the music and lyrics hit the mark with the core audience of each show, while also keeping BACK-ON’s distinctive sound and style.

Previously BACK-ON’s high-energy single ‘Chair’ secured the pair’s debut to the KAMEN RIDER universe when it featured as an insert song in last season’s KAMEN RIDER GEATS. ‘Chair’’s lyrics, composition and cover art all referencing parts of the show. New single ‘CHEMY×STORY’ follows suit by including elements of KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD within the release, from the series protagonist featuring on the single’s cover art, to his catchphrase “Gotcha!” appearing within the lyrics, plus clever wordplay that incorporates themes from the story within the lyrics. The song title ‘CHEMY×STORY’ itself being a play on words, sounding like the English word ‘chemistry’ while referencing the KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD’s plot, a “STORY” which revolves around the “CHEMY”, an artificial lifeform that has been unleashed and must be recaptured. Perhaps this word play goes much deeper than it first seems? Fans will have to watch the series to see if the mystery is revealed.

KENJI03, BACK-ON’s guitarist and writer for the track comments, “We finally got to do a theme song for KAMEN RIDER!”. Bandmate and rapper TEEDA adds, “I’m honoured to sing the theme song of KAMEN RIDER, which I have loved since I was a child. We hope you like it and we’re looking forward to play ‘CHEMY×STORY’ in front of you guys soon!”

‘CHEMY×STORY’ by BACK-ON is available to download and stream now!

BACK-ON Bring Summery Pop-punk Vibes with the New Single ‘NOT ENOUGH’ Featuring Anime Anthem Heroes FLOW!

‘NOT ENOUGH’ Jacket Cover

Rock veterans BACK-ON bring summery pop-punk vibes with the new single ‘NOT ENOUGH’, featuring anime anthem heroes FLOW. The two-track single was released worldwide, and is the first single from BACK-ON during their 20th anniversary year.

Music from BACK-ON and FLOW, who are both no strangers to performing at anime and Japan festivals around the globe, has been streamed upwards of a mind-blowing 500 million times. Their songs have appeared in some of Japan’s most well-known anime franchises, including Naruto, Dragon Ball Z and Gundam, and featured in memes and viral videos around the globe.

Despite sharing a similar history and experiences in Japan and overseas, ‘NOT ENOUGH’ is the first time BACK-ON and FLOW have worked together on a track.  “As we were celebrating our 20th Anniversary, I felt honored to have KOHSHI and KEIGO from FLOW join us on this track,” states TEEDA of BACK-ON.  “We have so much in common as we have both done theme songs for various anime and have both been active overseas, I felt there was a good fusion of FLOW and BACK-ON's unique, refreshing and energetic feeling captured in the production of this track.  We really had a great time talking about the good old days and how we met, too.”

‘NOT ENOUGH’ featuring FLOW follows in the footsteps of BACK-ON’s 2021 single ‘Kill the Beat’ featuring JESSE, a rock icon known for shaping a whole generation of youth culture in Japan and whose band RIZE represented Japan on a global scale with performances at Live 8, Live Earth and the Vans Warped Tour.  The track was featured in numerous playlists across DSPs, including Deezer’s ‘Heavy New Rock’ and Spotify’s ‘J-Rock Now’ and ‘Loud Rock Japan.’  It’s also the follow-up to BACK-ON’s 2021 summer track ‘WAVES’, which was featured in one of Spotify’s ‘Pop Punk’s Note Dead’ playlists, its largest for the genre. 

The single also includes a new version of ‘SKY WALKER’, which originally appeared on BACK-ON’s latest album 'Still B/O'.  This new version, named ‘SKY WALKER (TEEDA’s BEAT JACK)’ takes the original’s high-energy electro-rap rhythm, that featured J-rock riffs, chilled beats and massive pop melodies, and reworks the lyrical content entirely to bring a fresh hip hop and urban flavour to the track.

“It might be a bit surprising, but this was actually my first time doing a solo all-rap tune, and doing it over an existing track,” explains TEEDA.  “I think it's impossible to make something better than the original track, so I tried to keep the concept of rapping in a different style than BACK-ON, and look back over the last 20 years until now.  I actually really enjoyed writing the lyrics and it was interesting how some words in the lyrics ended up being removed from the final version. I personally thought 'this kind of track ain't that bad too'.  Hopefully, you can figure out which part was censored and changed.”

Be sure to check out ‘NOT ENOUGH feat. FLOW” lyric video below, with the streaming link of the track here!

BACK-ON Celebrate 20th Anniversary with TOTALFAT Collab Single ‘1994’!

Popular rock band BACK-ON continues its 20th anniversary celebrations with the release of new single ‘1994 featuring TOTALFAT’. The release is the second within as many months to feature a band of similar age, style and history as BACK-ON. As with last month’s single with FLOW, both bands have experienced millions of streams, had songs featured in well-known anime’s franchises, and have fans all over the globe. The single is available to download and stream now.

TOTALFAT, whose vibe METAL HAMMER describes as containing “the best parts of 90’s skate punk”, are of the same generation as BACK-ON. Members of both bands hold fond memories of 1994 and bonded over the music and street culture of the time. The results found their way into the song’s music and lyrics.

The single is coupled with ‘WAVES (TEEDA’s BEAT JACK)’ and sees BACK-ON’s MC TEEDA rework the entire lyrical structure of the song. The original version of ‘WAVES’, found on latest album Still B/O was picked by official editors at Spotify for the platform’s Pop Punk’s Not Dead playlist, which has over half-a-million likes.

BACK-ON guitarist KENJI03 comments, “1994 was the year of Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’, Oasis’ ‘Supersonic’ and countless other tracks that would shape a generation. Times may have changed, but I’m glad we could share our timeless connection to this era alongside TOTALFAT.”

BACK-ON MC TEEDA comments, “It was a ton of fun to make a song with TOTALFAT, especially in the same year as our 20th anniversary. We could record while reminiscing about all the bands and fashion of when our bands first started. It felt like we were back in those days again! I think the end result is packed with references to our roots, while also full of playfulness.”

On the single’s coupling track ‘WAVES (TEEDA’s BEAT JACK)’, TEEDA also comments, “there was a lot of skate culture mixed with other cultures in the early 2000s, so I thought it would be interesting to mix that sound with contemporary rap. I also played around with the song’s hook, and worked it to have a West Coast vibe. Both tracks on this single are perfect for summer, I hope they’re the soundtrack to yours!”

Shun from TOTALFAT says, “The longer we go on, the more we look back and realise how important our roots are. Creating ‘1994’ helped to remind me that BACK-ON and TOTALFAT have been able to keep going strong because our foundation never fades. Above all, the joy of celebrating the 20th anniversary of BACK-ON by collaborating with our dear friends of the same generation is something special. BO and TF never die! Happy 20th anniversary, from the bottom of my heart!”

Jose from TOTALFAT adds, “I really enjoyed singing with BACK-ON because the sounds and words they create are filled with many elements that resonate with me because of being the same generation and having similar roots. I think this song is truly a song filled with the stuff us 1994 kids can connect with. I hope you enjoy this song this summer!”