envy is one of the most internationally-recognized hardcore/screamo bands to ever come out of Japan. Not only have they toured extensively overseas, but much of the band’s material has also been released internationally.
envy was formed in Tokyo in 1992. However, prior to the release of their debut album in 1996, the band only released a handful of songs, all of which were featured on compilation albums. Within those four years, however, envy established themselves as a strong live act. After signing with independent label H.G. Fact, envy released their debut album, Breathing and dying in this place, in June 1996.
Despite the album clocking in at a mere fifteen minutes, that was all envy needed to prove themselves as masters of the hardcore genre. Even on this first album, the band’s signature sound of heavy guitar riffs, steady bass lines and frantic drumming, blended with the variety of Fukagawa’s spoken words and powerfully emotive screams, was already well-developed.
Eager to attract a global following, the band toured Asia in 1997. That tour would see them perform in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Korea, winning new fans and laying the foundation for many future tours of the continent.
Before the release of their second album in 1998, envy contributed to several split EPs with hardcore bands Sixpence and Endeavor, spreading their music to an even wider audience. It was perhaps no surprise that, following these releases, envy announced they would be crossing another border to perform in Europe.
After the release of envy’s first mini-album in Japan, the band made their first international release with the mini-album, Burning out memories, in 1999.
Following the success of their first tour of Asia, envy made two trips back to the same locations that they performed at in 1997. Three years later, the band released their first solo EP along with their second mini-album.
Over the next four years, envy concentrated mainly on releasing new material. Their fourth album, however, saw the creation of several exciting opportunities for the band. a dead sinking story signaled envy’s debut on New York label Level Plane Records and Glasgow-based Rock Action Records, a label founded and maintained by Scottish band Mogwai.
Following positive reviews for the album, envy embarked on their second European tour, this time extending to the United Kingdom with their participation in the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival in March 2004.
In January 2005, envy performed in North America for the first time, and July of that same year saw them travel to France to perform at the Fury Fest, which showcased popular bands such as Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir and The Misfits.
In 2006, in addition to working on envy’s original releases, Fukagawa contributed vocals to Mogwai’s album, Mr.Beast. The track, I Chose Horses, was written and sung by the vocalist, who was accompanied on the keyboards by Scottish composer Craig Armstrong.
In July 2007, envy performed in Australia with Furcurve and Art Van Delay. The next year saw them continue to push into international markets when their mini-album, Abyssal, was released in America by the label, Temporary Residence, along with their three previous releases, in both CD and LP format.
envy’s fifth album, Recitation, was released on September 22, 2010. That year, the band returned to the US for a twenty-four date tour. It began in Baltimore, Maryland on September 25th and ended in Texas on October 26th, taking the band through eighteen different states and even for a quick stopover in Toronto, Canada.
On July 20, 2011 envy released a single, called As serenity calls your name, on iTunes, Ototoy and Recochoku. The members hoped that the song would give strength to the citizens of Japan after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and they also donated the profits from its downloads to relief efforts for the areas most affected by the disaster. That summer, they performed at many popular festivals, including the ARABAKI ROCK FEST and the Fuji Rock Fest.
That October, envy embarked on a lengthy European tour, called Recitation Europe tour 2011, that took them to the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the UK and Spain.
With a unique sound and a strong international following, envy remain a force to be reckoned with both in Japan and overseas, and one can only hope that this legacy will continue for years to come.
