Summary

the pillows, known for their work in FLCL, officially announced their disbandment after a show in Japan.
The band thanked their fans and hinted at a possible future reunion, leaving room for speculation.
Since forming in 1989, the pillows have made numerous contributions to anime soundtracks, gaining popularity worldwide.

After a show at KT Zepp Yokohama on Friday, January 31, the Japanese alternative rock band, the pillows, known for their various contributions to the soundtrack of the classic 2000 mecha anime, FLCL (Fooly Cooly), announced their official disbandment on Saturday. The band had been active since 1989, growing to fame through their work for the FLCL anime.

In the announcement, they thanked their supporters, and expressed a hesitation to describe the separation as a "disbandment", but used the word "rather than leave room for expectations of a future reunion." Beyond their work featured in FLCL, the pillows had also contributed to various other anime soundtracks, including the FLCL sequels.

FLCL, FLCL Progressive, Alternative, Grunge, Shoegaze

What You Need To Know About the FLCL Sequels

Since the release of the classic FLCL in 2000, the Sequels have somehow gone under the radar. Here's what you need to know about the FLCL sequels.

Posts

By Naledi Ramphele

About the pillows

Alternative Rock Band Formed in 1989

the pillows formed in 1989 when Kenji Ueda, the bassist for Kenzi & The Trips, left the band with drummer Shinichiro Sato to form a new band with The Coin Locker Babies vocalist Sawao Yamanaka. The three were joined by Yoshiaki Manabe, guitarist of hair metal band Persia, and the band formed officially on September 16, 1989. The band released two albums in the three years following its formation, but after the release of their sophomore album, White Incantation, in 1992, Ueda left the band due to creative differences, with Yamanaka taking over as the band's leader, recruiting Tatsuya Kashima as a bassist after a year of inactivity, but he was labeled a guest bassist out of respect for Ueda. In 1994, the band released their first album as a trio, and from 1995 to 1998, the pillows enjoyed a period of increasing activity, releasing several singles including Hybrid November in 1995, which went on to be one of their most famous songs.

In 1999, the band was approached by the anime production studio Gainax to license their three previous albums for use in the soundtrack of the FLCL OVA. They also composed two songs for FLCL, "Ride on Shooting Star" and "I Think I Can". The inclusion of their music in FLCL saw the pillows' popularity grow, particularly in the west, and they went on to tour the United States in 2000. In addition to the soundtracks for both FLCL: Grunge and FLCL: Shoegaze, the pillows' music has been featured in anime series like BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004), Moonlight Mile (2007) the basketball anime Ahiru no Sora, Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer (2022). The band's website and social media accounts will continue under the name "the pillows monument" and share updates on the individual members.