Soft Ballet (ソフトバレエ)

While very similar in tone to Depeche Mode where vocals and atmosphere are concerned, the music of Soft Ballet is a different story. Formed in the late '80s and most active throughout the '90s, Soft Ballet has an early pop-techno sound, much like Pet Shop Boys or other more danceable electro acts of the early '90s. While they may be mostly a pop band, they also keep things rather dark and almost elegant sounding. This is mostly due to Ryoichi Endo's deep and syrupy vocal style, which is also much like that of Buck-Tick's Atsushi Sukurai.

The band has broken up twice, once in 1995 and again in 2003 after re-forming the year before. All of the members have been active in various solo and side projects. Ken Morioka has his own solo work, Ryoichi Endo has Ends, and Maki Fujii was involved in a side project called Schaft with Imai from Buck-Tick and Raymond Watts of KMFDM and PIG. This latter project makes total sense seeing as how Soft Ballet often sounds a lot like Buck-Tick and KMFDM. Their very early work even sounds like early Underworld at times.

Overall, Soft Ballet was a very diverse dance/techno group. They have a very unique feel, often in stark contrast to the more wimpy and thin white-boy dance bands of the '80s and '90s. While they are certainly campy and tongue-in-cheek at times, they also have an underlying darkness and seriousness most pop bands lack. That depth and diversity easily lifts them far above the pack.


Buy Soft Ballet releases here!

Smashing the Sun




Sony Site
Warner Site

Members
Ryoichi Endo - Vocals
Maki Fujii - Programming, Guitar, Keyboards
Ken Morioka - Programming, Keyboards

Major Albums
Earth Born 1989
3 [drai] + 3 1990
Document 1990
Ai to heiwa 1991
Million Mirrors 1992
Incubate 1993
Form 1995
Symbiont 2002
Menopause 2003

Bright My Way


Merchendiver


White Shaman


Escape-Rebuild