Zabadak

Formed in 1985 by Tomohiko Kira, Yôko Ueno, and Katsushi Matsuda, and named after a song by 1960s British freakbeat band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, Japanese outfit ZABADAK were known for their unconventional approach to rock music. In 1986, the group released their first album, ZABADAK-I, on Toshiba-EMI, which was shaped by elements of prog-rock and Celtic music as well as folk and post-punk. The group went on to explore their art-rock sound on a string of albums during the late 1980s and early 1990s, including Sora Tobu Yume in 1989 and a self-titled LP in 1991. Katsushi Matsuda and Yôko Ueno parted ways from the group in 1993, and ZABADAK continued as a solo venture for Tomohiko Kira until 2011, when his partner Koko Komine joined the ranks. Together, they released several albums, including Inochi no Kioku in 2011 and Лето јесен зима пролеће in 2013. Later on, Tomohiko Kira became involved with the video game music scene, collaborating with Yasunori Mitsuda on several projects and becoming his staple guitarist for works such as Chrono Cross, Xenosaga and Sailing to the World. During ZABADAK's 30th anniversary concert in March 2016, he fell ill on stage. He died on 3 July 2016 from an undisclosed cause at the age of 56. In 2025, the posthumous Nine Tales album came out on Gargoyle Records.