If you know The Mad Capsule Markets, you know Takeshi Ueda’s writing, whether or not you know his name. He was that band’s bassist and the source of much of its music. AA= is what he has done since.
The Name
AA= began in 2008 as Ueda’s solo project. The name is an abbreviation. It stands for “All Animals Are Equal,” the commandment from George Orwell’s Animal Farm. In the novel the phrase is later corrupted by the pigs who take power. Choosing the uncorrupted half as a band name is a statement in itself.
How It Works
Ueda sings, plays bass and handles the programming and synthesizers. Around him is a group of regular collaborators: Takayoshi Shirakawa on vocals, Minoru Kojima on guitar, and a line of drummers that has included Nobuaki Kaneko, ZAX and, since 2016, YOUTH-K!!!.
It is a project with one author and a stable cast, which is a practical way to keep a sound consistent for a long time.
The Albums
The titles make the catalogue easy to follow, because most of them are numbers. #1 came out on 25 February 2009, #2 on 9 June 2010, #3 on 14 December 2011, #4 on 24 September 2014, #5 on 18 May 2016 and #6 on 21 August 2019.
The one exception is story of Suite #19, released on 20 July 2022. The count resumed with #7 on 23 April 2025.
In between, on 23 May 2024, AA= released the single “FIGHT & PRIDE,” written for a Netflix anime.
Why It Matters
The Mad Capsule Markets joined punk, metal and electronics in a way that a great many later Japanese bands learned from. When that band stopped, its main writer could have retired on the reputation. He has made seven numbered albums over sixteen years under a new name.
There is a line from his old band to the electronic-heavy groups of the generation after, such as Crossfaith. AA= is the part of that line that is still being written by the man who started it.
Start with #1, then #7.
