BiS (Japanese idol group)

2010-2011: Brand-new idol Society, Formation and debut

The formation of BiS came about in late 2010. Pour Lui, a solo artist known as a "new-age rock icon", announced her intention to retire as a singer and instead form an idol group, for which she would personally audition members. The new four-member group BiS made its debut on the indie record label Tsubasa Records with a free digital single called "Taiyou no Jumon" (太陽のじゅもん). Then, in April 2011, they released the album "Brand-new idol Society", which included "Taiyou no Jumon" and a cover of "One day", a song originally by Pour Lui.

2011: My Ixxx, nerve, primal. and increasing controversy

After the release of Brand-new idol Society, Rina Yokoyama left the group due to a disagreement over the increasingly "un-idol" like direction the group was taking. As a three-member unit, they released the single "My Ixxx", which gained notoriety due to its music video in which the members appear to be completely naked. To date, the video on YouTube has been viewed almost two million times. After this, Yufu Terashima joined the group as a new fourth member. The single "nerve" (a song originally featured on the Brand-new idol Society album) followed in October. The design of the "nerve" packaging is censored due to copyright issues, incorporating what is implied to be a spin on the logo of "NERV" as featured in the anime franchise Evangelion. Their third CD single, "primal.", an emotional rock song, was released on 21 December. That month, at BiS' solo concert "Idol Is Dead", Yukiko Nakayama announced her intention to graduate from the group.

2012: The IDOL stunt

2012 saw BiS, a three-member group for the second time, announce a new single, to be titled "Idol" (アイドル, aidoru) and featuring a change in image. It was advertised with the tagline "Let's buy the same CD over and over again", referring to the marketing technique used by the management of idol groups to encourage fans to purchase several copies of a CD single. Before the single's release, the music video for "Idol" was uploaded to BiS' official YouTube channel and was met with criticism; the once shocking, punk rock BiS were singing a very typical cute idol song, wearing maid outfits and simpering. However, this video (with its deliberate parody of idol groups) was revealed to be a joke at the expense of their fans. It was then made private and a new video for a different song, titled "IDOL", was released. "IDOL"'s metal-inspired sound was strongly different from the exaggerated cuteness of "Idol". Both songs were eventually released on the HMV-exclusive CD single in April, the group's last release on an indie label.

2012: The Avex era begins, IDOL is DEAD

BiS were signed to the major label Avex Trax in mid-2012, and auditioned for new members to join the group. This led to the initiation of Yurika Wakisaka and Rio Michibayashi, giving BiS a total of five members. Their first release with Avex was the July single "PPCC" (an acronym standing for the onomatopoeic phrase "pero-pero chu-cchu", meaning "lick-lick kiss-kiss"), and a horror film about and starring the group, titled "IDOL is DEAD", was released in the same year. The film did not feature Wakisaka or Michibayashi, having been filmed before their debuts. October 2012 saw the release of their first major album, "IDOL is DEAD", which featured seven new songs, "PPCC", a cover of Shinichi Osawa's "Our Song" in a shoegaze style, and re-recordings of several of their tracks as an indie group. It charted at #30 on the Oricon weekly charts, and was their highest-ranking release so far in their career. Around the same time, a short anime series about BiS titled "Backstage idol Story" aired on Space Shower TV.

BiS members Pour Lui and Yurika Wakisaka also announced an intention to run a 100-kilometre supermarathon over the course of 24 hours, before participating in a 24-hour concert after that. Neither member completed the challenge, with Pour Lui dropping out after some 60 kilometres and Wakisaka, who injured her leg during the run, dropping out at 86. This event, documented in the music video for "hitoribochi", led to Yurika Wakisaka participating in less BiS events due to her injury.

2013: Major lineup changes, the intention to disband

2013's first release by BiS was "Get You", a collaborative effort released with the idol group Dorothy Little Happy. In March came "BiSimulation" and the intention of Yurika Wakisaka to depart from the group due to health issues. Yurika was the center for the single, with a limited edition version of its CD including a photobook of her and the music video for its B-side "Hide out cut" devoted to documenting her time in the group. Yufu Terashima departed soon after, although her split from the group was a less amicable one: Pour Lui openly writes in "BiStory: Who Killed Idol?", her autobiographical account of BiS, that she strongly dislikes Terashima.

Pour Lui revealed that her intention is to have BiS perform a sell-out concert at the Budokan, where they will disband. This is for them to "go out as legends".

Three new members entered the group after this: First Summer Uika, Tentenko, and Saki Kamiya. In June, this lineup of BiS released the single "DiE" (featuring a B-side produced by Noriaki Tsuda of Kemuri). It reached number 6 in Oricon's weekly charts, marking BiS' first time in the top ten. As BiS Kaidan, they also released a harsh noise album. The group also appeared in Dempagumi.inc's music video for their song W.W.D II, apart from this, they had joint concerts and a single 'Denden Passion / IDOL', this release was only sold at concerts. On August 15, Rio Michibayashi announced her departure from the group. A double A-side single titled "Fly / Hi" was released to commemorate her departure, on each one of the six editions, one of the members is not the front, though, a solo picture of her is included on the back. [1] it charted at #8 and became BiS' second top-ten release.

2013: A "JK" joins the group, a nationwide tour begins

In October, with the nationwide tour "BiS after all" approaching and faced with the departure of Mitchel, BiS announced that a "JK" would be joining the group as a new member. "JK" is understood in Japanese as a shorthand slang term for "joshi kousei", meaning a female high school student. But instead, the new member turned out to be one Junko Koshino, a famous fashion designer who is 74 years old. She was an active member of the group for just one week, and was appointed an honorary lifelong member on the 5th of November. On the 10th, Megumi Koshouji made her debut as the new 6th member of BiS. The group then set out on the first dates of their tour and worked towards their goal of disbanding at Budokan.

2014: STUPiG, WHO KiLLED IDOL?, The Budokan Disbandment Goal fails

January 2014 saw BiS release the single "STUPiG", a digital hardcore track produced by Takeshi Ueda of AA= and The Mad Capsule Markets. A sequel to their film "IDOL is DEAD", titled "IDOL is DEAD: Non-chan's Great Propaganda War" was released. Pour Lui formed a band called Lui FRONTiC Matsukuma Japan with BiS' main musical producer Kenta Matsukuma, which released its debut mini-album "JAPONiCA!" in February. The release of BiS' album "WHO KiLLED IDOL?", advertised as their last as a group, took place on the 5th of March. The album includes a sequel to their classic song "primal." called "primal.2" and also a cover of "Primal." by The Yellow Monkey. On February 12, it was announced the group gave up on their goal of disbanding at Nippon Budokan, and that instead they would disband on July 8, at Yokohama Arena, with a concert titled 'BiS nari no Budokan.' (Budokan a la BiS). Members have stated that they were left with no choice but to give up the Budokan, due to some "important people" of the venue condemning BiS's wild antics as inappropriate for the venue. They started their last tour from April 13 to June 29, called "THE BiS WHO SOLD THE WORLD TOUR", which was later extended to June 30, due to tickets selling out. On April 30, a Special Edit for the Music Video of FiNAL DANCE, which is an A-side of their last single, was released onto YouTube. Their final best-of album, "Urya-Oi!!!" was released on July 2. Tracks from "Give me your love Zenbu" to "Fly" were re-recorded with the vocals of the current six members, most of them with updated instrumentals. They also conducted a joint gig with experimental visual-kei band Sug on June 24.

2014: Disbandment

BiS concluded their "THE BiS WHO SOLD THE WORLD" tour at the Sapporo Bessie Hall on June 30, and went on to perform their disbandment concert at the Yokohama Arena on July 8. The concert was the longest ever performed by the group, consisting of 48 songs (including guest appearances by ex.members Rio Michibayashi, Rina Yokoyama and Yukiko Nakayama). Nearly every song released by the group was performed, and the setlist was composed so that newer songs were performed first and older songs were performed last. At the end of the concert, the future paths of each of the members were announced: First Summer Uika and Nozomi Hirano would form BILLIE IDLE®; Saki Kamiya would form Pla2me with Mari Mizuta; Megumi Koshouji would form Maison Book Girl; Tentenko would start a solo/DJ career; Pour Lui would continue to perform with LUI FRONTiC Matsukuma JAPAN. In addition, in classic BiS style, a concert by "Ex. BiS" was announced for the next day at the Shimokitazawa Shelter. Tickets were exclusively 30,000 yen, including an "all you can eat buffet" (revealed on the day to be McDonald's). This July 9 show marked the true end of BiS.

Post Disbandment

It was announced in January 2015 that Junnosuke Watanabe, along with members of the team that initially conceived BiS would be putting together a successor group BiSH. Auditions were held and the group made their debut in march.

BILLIE IDLE® held a concert titled "Brand-new Idle Society" on December 12, 2015, which also featured POP, Maison Book Girl, Lui Frontic Akabane Japan and Tentenko. Following this, a joint tour of the ex.BiS members' groups titled the "Anarchy Tour" was announced for February~March 2016, concluding with a show at the Hibiya Yagai Ongakudo on April 29 titled "IDLE is DEAD!?".

Former BiS members Tentenko, Saki Kamiya and Rio Michibayashi collaborated with Nozomi Hirano for the song "Douse Kieteshimau Inochi Nara..." on the ""4 in 1" THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEG" EP by BILLIE IDLE®. The EP contains solo tracks of each of the members of BILLIE IDLE®, the above track being a Nozomi Hirano solo track. First Summer Uika, also a member of BILLIE IDLE®, participated in the track as well.

2016: Reformation

Exactly two years after BiS's disbandment, it was announced by former BiS leader Pour Lui, sound producer Kenta Matsukuma and ex.Manager Junnosuke Watanabe, that BiS would reform under a new lineup, and auditions were going to be held. Pour Lui is the only member from the previous incarnation of BiS to be part of the line up, although ex.members are welcome to take part in the auditions. As a new beginning to BiS, a Pour Lui solo song titled "BiSBiS" was released through OTOTOY as a free download.

On the 30th of August 2016, the BiS YouTube channel uploaded videos of eleven audition finalists: Koshouji Megumu, Maina The End, Tontonko, Bug Me, Nagayama Yukiko, Yokoyama Hina, Michihayashi Rio, Terayama Yufu, Sen to Chihiro Tsuttsu, Second Summer Uika, and Hirano Nozomu.

The finalists participated in a four-day audition which was live-streamed on Niconico, following a similar format to Morning Musume's initial auditions on the TV show ASAYAN.

Image

BiS adopt an image very different from the traditional idol group. Their music videos touch on themes such as point-of-view pornography and sexual violence, attracting both positive and negative attitudes from viewers. Pour Lui notes that many are difficult to watch, and Avex staff member Ryuta Ochi explains "They [BiS] wanted to make a deliberate uglification of idol events." The image of a typical idol is generally accepted as being pure and good-natured, which BiS reject. A recent photoshoot in Weekly Playboy saw them fully nude and covered in fake semen. In December 2013, they posed nude for the magazine Quick Japan.

Their debut was rather down to earth musically, though since their switch to a major label they have explored genres such as digital hardcore, noise music, and ska punk.

Indie Singles

Major Singles

Collaboration Singles

Digital Singles

Studio Albums

Mini Albums / Other Albums