MONGOL800

Overview

MONGOL800 (モンゴル はっぴゃく, nicknamed "Monpachi") is a Japanese three-piece rock band formed in 1998 in Okinawa, with its roots in Urasoe. It is signed to High-Wave and is classed as melodic hardcore; signature songs include "Chiisana Koi no Uta" and "Anata ni." Its second album, Message (September 2001), became the first independent album to top the Oricon chart and sold more than two million copies despite minimal media exposure. The band was offered deals by several major labels and an invitation to the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, but declined to remain independent. The name has no deeper meaning: guitarist Takashi Gima coined the phrase on a whim, and it has nothing to do with Mongolia.

Career

• Summer 1998: Formed by high school classmates in Urasoe. Starting as a cover band of THE BLUE HEARTS and Hi-STANDARD, they moved to original songs and self-produced "START" and "Shin Komekamin A."
• 1999: Recorded their first album, Go On as You Are, for 3rd WAVE; it was released in Okinawa in December.
• 2000: The album sold 11,000 copies in Okinawa and went nationwide in April. They played Summer Sonic and Rising Sun Rock Festival in August.
• September 2001: Released Message. The song "Anata ni" was used in a national TV commercial and the album became a major hit.
• 2002: Accompanied Green Day on their Japan tour and played several summer festivals. They turned down the Kōhaku invitation and instead played a New Year's Eve show at a small Okinawan club.
• 2003: First overseas show in Italy in April; first single "Yorokobi no Uta" in December.
• 2004: Released the album 百々 in March, then toured all 47 prefectures from April to September (63 shows).
• 2005: Played Macau and Los Angeles and built their own practice studio in Okinawa.
• 2006: Released Daniel on August 8, followed by a 53-show nationwide tour.
• 2008–2009: Released the collaboration compilation etc works and the single special thanks!! (December 3, 2008), then the album eight-hundreds on July 8, 2009 and played their first Nippon Budokan show on December 7.
• 2011: Released etc works 2 and hosted an outdoor festival in Yomitan.
• 2013: Appeared on Music Station for the first time to mark their 15th anniversary, performing "Chiisana Koi no Uta." 800best - Simple is the BEST - and GOOD MORNING OKINAWA were released.
• 2019: Gima took a hiatus for health reasons in April and left the band on July 3. The band continued with support members.
• Later releases include People People (2015), Pretty good!! (2016), etc.works3 (2021), LAST PARADISE (2023) and singles such as "想うた" and "愛彌々" (2022) and "少年時代," "ラズリ" and "愛彌々2" (2024).

Members

• Kiyosaku Uezu: vocals, bass
• Satoshi Takazato: drums, vocals
• Support: Kuboty (guitar, vocals), Seasir (trumpet), Nari (saxophone, flute)

Musical style

Using only electric guitar, bass and drums, the band keeps its arrangements very simple, yet is praised for never boring listeners. Many songs, such as "Ryūkyū Aika" and "Mujun no Ue ni Saku Hana," celebrate Okinawa, and some touch on the US military bases there. After Message, they softened their lyrical expression from 百々 onward. Preferring releases and live shows to media appearances, they were nicknamed "the most easygoing band in rock."