Sea, sex and fun. Those three words perfectly express the essence of DJ OZMA, a unique character and band that only Japan could have produced.
DJ OZMA was born from the vivid imagination of Kishidan leader Show Ayanocozey. He is Show’s alter ego, although officially he states that there is absolutely no link between the two characters. The group also includes MC Pancho, better known as Hikaru from Kishidan, and Yaou “King” Junichi. Fans may be more familiar with King as Teruya, one of the three Binetsu Danji, background dancers for Kishidan who perform in knickers during the band's shows.
March 22, 2006 saw the release of DJ OZMA's breakthrough single, Age Age Every Night, which was a cover of Run To You by DJ DOC, a South Korean rap band. Its effective melody and easy to remember dance moves helped it to climb quickly to the top of the Oricon rankings.
That first hit was followed on July 12th by another cover—this time of Taiwanese band Junjo—which further boosted DJ OZMA's success. The character was then invited onto many major TV shows where his eccentric appearance and personality won the group droves of new fans.
On November 11th the band's first album, I LOVE PARTY PEOPLE, comprised mainly of covers from DJ DOC, was released. The album ranked among the bestsellers of 2006 and the band was invited to "Kouhaku," a famous live television show which celebrates the New Year in the music world. The band had promised a big surprise for that night, and to the amazement of the audience and viewers, during the song Age Age Every Night, all the dancers took their clothes off. Of course it was only a joke, as they were actually wearing skintight suits depicting naked bodies, but the stunt was an assault on Japanese puritanism that left a deep impression on the audience.
2007 was another busy year for the band, who released no fewer than five singles. One of these singles, Spiderman, was a parody of the series’ theme song from the seventies. It was accompanied by a video that saw two opposing teams of male dancers—both clad in nothing but masks and underwear with toy spiders over their genital area—performing suggestive choreography. Another, Lie-Lie-Lie, was an ending theme for the anime "Naruto." DJ OZMA's first live DVD, Luv-xury, was released on April 4th in a double DVD box. They ended the year with their second full-length album release.
2008 started similarly with the releases of a DVD documenting the THANKS-TUARY tour and a single, Ninkimono de Ikou, for the animated movie "Crayon-Shin Chan." The group also gained even greater exposure when they performed at the hide Memorial Summit in May.
In a surprising turn of events, Ayanocozey officially retired his DJ OZMA persona in December 2008. Claiming that DJ OZMA was dead, he turned his attention back to activities with Kishidan.
However, the DJ resurfaced again near the end of 2011, with a new single called Chinkonka in tow. Its video, which opened with a nude OZMA serenading a pair of sparkling boxers, showed that the three years away had not diminished the character’s ridiculous charm.
The purpose of the revival soon became clear, as OZMA faced off against Show Ayanocozey during a special concert in celebration of Kishidan’s tenth anniversary. The live, titled Kishidan presents kyokutou rock’n roll high school ~ore ga aitsu de aitsu ga ore de~ Kishidan vs DJ OZMA, was also released as a DVD.
In summer 2012, DJ OZMA was announced as one of the participants in Kishidan’s Bousou Rock’n Roll Olympics event. Whether the DJ will remain a side attraction for Kishidan in the future or break out on his own again remains to be seen.
