Date of Birth (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Fukuoka, Japan |
| Founder | Norico, Isao Shigeto, Susumu Shigeto, Kenichi "Ken-1" Shigeto |
| Headquarters | Fukuoka , Japan |
| Products | Music albums, singles, video game (Planet Dob) |
Date of Birth (デイト・オブ・バース; commonly shortened to DOB) was a Japanese band blending pop rock and indietronica genres, established in Fukuoka in 1985. The lineup consisted of vocalist Norico and the Shigeto brothers: Isao (guitar, keyboards), Susumu (drums, percussion), and Kenichi "Ken-1" Shigeto (responsible for music composition and visual concepts).[1] DOB evolved from the earlier group Mind Control, a Western-inspired new wave ensemble formed in 1982. Their sound incorporated elements from psychedelic pop, Shibuya-kei, and jungle styles. Kenichi designed their 3D character mascot Dob-kun, who later featured in a 1999 video game. Throughout the 1990s, the band enjoyed moderate success in Japan and parts of Europe but has remained inactive since releasing a compilation album in 2006.
History
Mind Control was created in 1982 by Isao, Susumu, and Norico, drawing inspiration from American music of the 1960s and 1970s. Their 1983 songs "Red Enamel" and "Don't Break My Heart" garnered attention from both domestic and international record labels. In 1985, Kenichi—previously a punk vocalist who also managed computer operations in their studio—joined the group, prompting a rebranding to Date of Birth. That same year, their inaugural album Around+Around, issued by Portrait Records, received airplay on clubs and radio stations worldwide. By 1986, they had signed with Kitty Records and released their first single "Omoide no Hitomi".[2]
Their sophomore album Days of Dreams and Tears was released in 1987. The 1989 release Greatest Hits 1989–1999 presented a conceptual take on a future greatest hits compilation. In 1990, they issued Mind Control, featuring previously unreleased tracks from their earlier band phase. By this time, DOB had gained momentum through live performances, including their debut concert at Club Quattro in Shibuya (1991), coinciding with the release of After the Happy. The Shigeto siblings increasingly incorporated computer-generated imagery and CGI into their music videos, prominently showcasing Dob-kun.
Starting in 1992, DOB broadened their activities with concerts, tours, special events, and television appearances throughout Japan. Albums from this era include Date of Birth and Welcome to Date of Birth World (1992), Bless You All the Time (1993), along with the compilation King of Waltz (1994). They also contributed the theme song "Echoes of Love" for Toho’s 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, making cameo appearances.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
After a short break beginning in spring 1995, DOB launched an official website and released La Lu La Roo alongside its remix counterpart Fa La Le Ra. This period marked a transition toward electronic influences while maintaining elements of pop rock. Their 1997 album Folk Songs preceded the development of the video game Planet Dob, which was released together with the self-titled 1999 album introducing an updated indietronica style infused with influences from lounge, drum and bass, and jungle genres.[2]
Following the release of Planet Dob, DOB went on indefinite hiatus. According to their website, Kenichi shifted his focus toward video game development, while Isao took up teaching at the Kyushu Institute of Design.[2] Their sole release after 2000 was the compilation Golden Best, issued by Universal Music Japan in 2006, which included three newly recorded tracks.[1]
Planet Dob
Planet Dob (alternatively Planet DOB) is an adventure game released in 1999, developed by MiCROViSiON Inc., which is now incorporated into Spike Chunsoft, and published by Hudson Soft for the PlayStation platform. The title draws its name from Date of Birth's 1996 single and was launched as a promotional tie-in with the band's August 1999 album sharing the same name. This game was made available exclusively in Japan on November 18, 1999.
Players assume the role of Dob-kun, the band’s mascot portrayed as an interstellar sheriff and enthusiast of "Super Lounging Music," who has been abducted by the eccentric scientist Dr. X. The gameplay involves navigating through Dob-kun’s psyche to restore a defective CPU by gathering all 144 bits. A distinctive aspect of the game is the "Mixing Hour" feature, which enables players to listen to and remix tracks from both the game's soundtrack and the Planet Dob album.
In popular culture
Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Date of Birth's music was widely integrated into various Japanese media productions. Their songs appeared in Toho’s 1986 film Tobira wo Akete ("Omoide no Hitomi"), TV Tokyo’s fashion show Fashion Tsushin, Nippon Television’s drama Akujo (1992), Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting’s program Tenjin Manbou (1992), TV Asahi’s series Otona ni shite (1994), and Toho’s 1994 movie Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. In addition, the band composed original pieces for Fuji Television's 1992 Japanese drama Anata Dake Mienai.
Moreover, Date of Birth was spotlighted in a column titled "Dob's Favorite" within Sega Saturn Magazine, authored by Kenichi Shigeto from October 1995 through September 1996.
Singles and mini-albums
- "Omoide no Hitomi" (思い出の瞳) (1986, 1992) – featured in Akujo and a Clearly Canadian commercial
- "You Are My Secret" (1992)
- Colorful Date of Birth (カラフル・デイト・オブ・バース) (1994)
- The Psychedelic World of Date of Birth 1994 (デイト・オブ・バースのサイケデリックな世界1994) (1994)
- Nagisa no Date of Birth (渚のデイト・オブ・バース) (1994)
- Date of Birth in the Wilderness (荒野のデイト・オブ・バース) (1994)
- "Cookie Girl" (クッキーガール) (1994)
- "Echoes of Love" (1994)
- "Dob Meets Europe" (1996)
- "Crazy Jinx" (クレイジーなジンクス) (1997)
Albums
- Around+Around (1985)
- Days of Dreams and Tears (夢と涙の日々) (1987)
- Greatest Hits 1989–1999 (1989)
- Mind Control (1990) – reissued with altered track list
- After the Happy (アフター・ザ・ハッピー) (1991)
- Date of Birth (1992)
- Welcome to Date of Birth World (1992)
- Bless You All The Time (1993)
- King of Waltz (1994)
- La Lu La Roo (1995)
- Fa La Le Ra (1995)
- Folk Songs (1997)
- Planet Dob (1999)
- Golden Best (ゴールデン☆ベスト) (2006)
Various artists compilations
- Bettenchi (1986): includes "Around+Around", "King of Waltz"
- Les Enfants (1989): includes "Okay!"
- Shuji Terayama Tribute: In Search of the Lost Ball (寺山修司トリビュート 失われたボールを求めて) (1993): includes "Cowboy Pop"
- sushi 3003 and sushi 4004 (1997): include "Aim at El Paso" and "Some Kinds of Love" respectively
Other works
- Only You Can't See Original Soundtrack (あなただけ見えない music from JOCX-TV's mysterious psycho drama) (1992) – soundtrack album
- Planet Dob (プラネット・ドブ) (1999) – PlayStation video game developed for the console