Zyyg
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | Japan |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
| Owner | B-Gram Records (label) |
| Website | https://zyyg.being.co.jp/ |
Zyyg is a rock group from Japan signed to the B-Gram Records label and managed by Seas Music Factory. After a hiatus exceeding twenty years, they announced their return to the music scene on April 1, 2019.
Initial phase (1993–1994)
- Seiki Takayama (高山征輝) – lead vocalist and lyricist
- Seiichirou Kuribayashi (栗林誠一郎) – bass guitarist, composer, and arranger
- Naoki Uzumoto (宇津本直紀) (Deen) – drummer
- Naoki Orii (折居直喜) – guitarist
Later phase (1995–1999, 2019–present)
- Seiki Takayama (高山征輝) – vocalist, lyricist, and composer
- Kouji Gotou (後藤康二) – guitarist and composer
- Naoki Katou (加藤直樹) – bassist
- Kenichi Fujimoto (藤本健一) – drummer
History
The band's origins trace back to 1992 when Seiki and Seiichirou began collaborating. Their debut single, Kimi ga Hoshikute Tamaranai, released in May 1993, was featured in a Suntory beer commercial. It climbed to #3 on the Oricon Weekly Charts, sold more than 700,000 copies, and remained on the charts for sixteen weeks. Following this achievement, Naoki Uzumoto and Naoki Orii joined the lineup.
In June 1993, Seiki contributed to Hateshinai Yume wo, a collaborative track with Zard, Wands, and Rev that served as the theme for an NTV sports broadcast. This song was later included in Zard's 1999 compilation album.
Their second single, Kaze ni Mabushii, released in November 1993, was used in commercials for Victoria sportswear. It entered the top ten on Oricon charts and sold approximately 170,000 copies.
In 1994, singles such as Kowashitai Genjitsu and No Return Love experienced a drop in sales but still managed to surpass 10,000 copies each. The debut album Go Wild reached #13 on Oricon but had modest sales of around 66,000 copies. Due to these underwhelming results, Seiichirou left the band to pursue a solo career; both Naoki Uzumoto and Naoki Orii also exited.
At the start of 1995, Kouji Gotou, Naoki Katou, and Kenichi Fujimoto joined Seiki. Their initial release with this new formation was Zettai ni Dare mo, composed by Tetsuro Oda, which became the second opening theme for the anime Slam Dunk. The single peaked at #3 on Oricon and sold over 28,000 copies during a ten-week chart run—this marked their final entry into the top 30.
The November 1995 single Julie, which served as the ending theme for TV Asahi's Ongaku News HO, failed to make a significant chart impact. Their sophomore album Noizy Beat, released in February 1996, reached #24 on Oricon with sales exceeding 31,000 copies.
From March through November 1996, Zyyg embarked on their maiden live tour titled LIVE ROCKIN' HIGH Vol.Noizy Beat. The seventh single Gypsy Doll was not included in any studio album but appeared on Being Inc.'s compilation Best of Best 1000.
The final single from May 1997, Kono Jounetsu no Soba de, used as a closing theme for a TV Asahi program, did not chart. Between June and December of that year, the band conducted their concluding tour called LIVE BURST CITY “SWEET PUNKS”. Their last album Sweet Punks failed to enter the charts. Following their December concert, Zyyg officially disbanded.
Their official fan club named TROUBLE BEATS ceased operations in 1999.
In February 2006, members from the second lineup reunited for a one-night performance in Osaka titled LIVE ROCKIN' HIGH Final: “ONE AND ONLY MEMORIES”.
A collection of their music videos was later released within the 2012 DVD set Legend of 90's J-Rock Best Live & Clips.
On April 1, 2019, Zyyg recommenced activities under the Being label after more than two decades away. They performed a solo concert in Tokyo on July 14th named Live Rockin' High 2019: Dreamers, marking their first live show in twelve years. Alongside this event, Being Inc.'s official YouTube channel published a medley of their music videos and launched a new website.
In October 2023, Seiki Takayama represented Zyyg with a guest performance at Japan's Anime Song Festival held in Melaka, Malaysia—his first international stage appearance since debut.
Singles
| Release Date | Song Title | Chart Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debut | 1993/5/19 | Kimi ga Hoshikute Tamaranai (君が欲しくてたまらない) | 3 |
| Collaboration | 1993/6/9 | Hateshinai Yume wo (果てしない夢を) | 2 |
| Second | 1993/11/10 | Kaze ni Mabushii (風にまぶしい) | 6 |
| Third | 1994/3/4 | Kowashitai Genjitsu (壊したい現実) | 24 |
| Fourth | 1994/4/23 | NO RETURN LOVE | 20 |
| Fifth | 1995/6/26 | Zettai ni Dareni mo (ぜったいに 誰も) | 3 |
| Sixth | 1995/11/13 | Julia | 35 |
| Seventh | 1996/7/22 | GYPSY DOLL | 90 |
| Eighth | 1996/11/1 | Something | 83 |
| Ninth | 1997/3/5 | LULLABY | 100 |
| Tenth | 1997/5/21 | Kono Jounetsu no Soba de (この情熱のそばで) |
Studio albums
| Release Date | Album Title | Chart Ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1994/7/13 | Go Wild | 13 |
| Second | 1996/2/26 | Noizy Beat | 24 |
| Third | 1997/8/20 | Sweet Punks |
Compilation albums
| Release Date | Album Title | Chart Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 2007/12/12 | BEST OF BEST 1000 ZYYG | 246 |
| 2014/12/29 | THE BEST OF TV ANIMATION SLAM DUNK ～Single Collection～ HIGH SPEC EDITION | 198 |
Magazine appearances
The band has been prominently featured in several editions of Music Freak Magazine spanning from 1995 through 1998, along with a 1996 interview published in J-Rock Magazine, highlighting their significance within major music publications.