Formed in 1996, Japanese alternative rockers Oblivion Dust first gained attention in their home country opening for U.K. electronica act the Prodigy. Fronted by English-born half-Japanese vocalist Ken Lloyd, the three-piece band released its debut album, Looking for Elvis, in 1997. The album saw Lloyd and co-members K.A.Z. (guitar, programming) and Derek Forbes, a former member of Simple Minds who played on the U.S. chart-topper "Don't You Forget About Me," decamp to Los Angeles for its recording and a series of West Coast shows. Forbes soon left the group, to be replaced by Matt Garrett, a former member of Ian Astbury's post-Cult band Holy Barbarians. Garrett himself wasn't to last long, being replaced by Japanese bassist Rijiki. In 1998, this new lineup played Oblivion Dust's biggest show to date, supporting the Prodigy in Tokyo, where they played to a crowd of 10,000. After the release of second album Misery Days, guitarist K.A.Z. hooked up with Hide, formerly of the hugely popular visual kei band X-Japan, for Hide's solo project Spread Beaver, while still remaining a member of Oblivion Dust. K.A.Z. would go on to produce Hyde's third solo album, Faith. Oblivion Dust's third album, Reborn, released in 1999, received a boost when MTV Japan began playing the single "You" in heavy rotation. In addition to their own tours, Oblivion Dust also played the local festival circuit, sharing the bill with the likes of Marilyn Manson, Rage Against the Machine, and Muse. After contributing the track "S.O.S." to the Japanese version of the soundtrack to Mission: Impossible 2, Oblivion Dust released their fourth album, Butterfly Head, in late 2000, only to announce their breakup the following year. Lloyd formed FAKE? with Inoran of Luna Sea, another hugely popular Japanese visual kei band, while K.A.Z. formed the short-lived Spin Aqua with future pop star/actress Anna Tsuchiya. He also hooked up again with L'Arc-en-Ciel's Hyde to form Vamps. Oblivion Dust announced their re-formation in summer 2007, releasing their sixth album in January 2008, the group's first since 2001's Radio Songs. ~ David Hickey
