Debase and Degrade were a short-lived band from Tokyo, most notably known for Hirotatsu (from 3cmtour, Killie) playing drums. Besides their band connections, Debase and Degrade play emotional hardcore with some subtle hints of those Japanese screamo melodies. 5 songs here, and they're all pretty good. And... that's about it. Enjoy!
I can't remember where this came from. Maybe I bought it in Japan? This compilation has a very eclectic mix of bands, from wild thrash to dreamy shoegaze. Some of the "bigger" names on this comp are Deep Slauter, who toured the States in 2007, and Snore, who are similar to Deep Slauter. Crap, there's just a lot of different stuff on here. I don't have much inside knowledge into this comp, so just give it a try.
Here's an odd little compilation that I got from Nitro Mega Prayer when I did a trade with them. It's a weird amalgam of metalcore bands, with Nitro Mega Prayer and Enforce thrown in the mix. At the time, both bands weren't too far from that genre, but still sound different. The Nitro Mega Prayer tracks are sort of between their first split and their first album. The Enforce track is my highlight on here, though. They only released 3 tracks that I know of, on compilations, but they prove themselves as one of the best bands from Japan.
If anybody has any information on Enforce, please let me know!
Nitro Mega Prayer started releasing stuff back in the early 2000's (the earliest thing I have is from 2002) and went through several phases. I saw them play at Whoopee's in Kyoto while I was studying, and they were in their "emotional metalcore" phase. I wasn't overly impressed by the live show. The music wasn't horrible, but I remember being pretty unimpressed. Later, once I'd returned to the States, I started corresponding with the singer, Nakano, and did a trade or something. Somehow, I got copies of their split with Blue Sky Resemble Sorrow (I'll post that on Friday), and possibly this full length (it was 9 years ago. please forgive my memory). Between the split and this album, their sound changed dramatically. Most of the members stayed the same between the two releases, but their sound became far more emotional and "screamo", I guess. What's true is that they came up with their own style, which is a weird amalgam of screamo, a little metal, and some pop-punk (the last track on this album is a cover of a NOFX song, and it still kind of sounds like NMP).
So, this album. It's definitely a classic of Japanese screamo. Nitro Mega Prayer played a huge part in the Kansai scene. Nakano worked at Kobe Club Blue Port for awhile and organized a lot of shows (including one I played with GMN, Dip Leg, Nitro Mega Prayer, Yarmulke, and Gamy). But let me be honest, this album is fricking hard for me to listen to. And there is one simple reason why: the bass is completely out of tune for the entire album. I'm sorry, but as a musician who has recorded a good amount, being out of tune is ABSOLUTELY unforgivable. If you're going to pay a chunk of money to record your music, you want your listeners to be able to hear it and enjoy it. Unless you want to be out of tune, you shouldn't be. NMP doesn't want to be out of tune, they just are. The bassist plays with a fret-less bass, and that's where all the out of tune-ness comes from. It's such a shame, because every time I listen to this album, the music is really great. They do sooooo many interesting, original things on here that no one has done before. But then there is that annoying bass that just ruins my enjoyment. Why, Japanese-God-Of-Screamo, why?
Still, this is a great album and only sets you up for the absolutely amazing things that NMP does after this. I won't be posting their following EP and split with Balboa, because you can buy them right now online (click where I linked you to). But, basically Nakano scrapped the whole band and replaced everyone. No more out of tune bass, no more drummer who wasn't so bad but had a weird style, no more guitarists who had some pretty neat ideas. Instead, he added a bunch of dudes, and most influentially, Ponchi from Gauge Means Nothing on guitar. He became the mastermind for the following songs and created some of the best Japanese screamo ever with the band.
When I was practicing the songs in preparation for playing with Gauge Means Nothing for their Malaysia tour, Ponchi sent me one or two songs that they were in the process of writing. He had recorded them all himself with just a metronome providing the tempo. I was completely floored by these songs. They were nowhere near completed, but the level of quality in the songwriting was amazing. It was different, and in some ways a lot better, than what GMN had done before and I was so excited to hear the finished product. In the end, we didn't play them on the tour, and Ponchi shortly left the band so they were never made into finished songs. But, Ponchi kept creating songs and once he got into NMP, the world got to see how amazing his songwriting was.
Here's the kind of music video for one of their newer songs:
Strange Over The Sun (SOTS) is a weird nut to crack. This album came out in 2003 on Imomushi Records, probably most popular for releasing 1000travels of Jawaharlal but usually follows the more aggressive types of band that might be on Snuffy Smile. SOTS is a little different. Sometimes you can imagine them playing that type of pop-punk, but other times their music is so hectic and wild that they sound closer to Tiala or something from Less Than TV Records. Add to it these insanely desperate vocals, and you've ended up with this weird band thing that won't fit into any genre smoothly.
That's not to say SOTS isn't good. Quite the contrary, they're super unique and have so much energy that its infectious. This album is 13 songs of fun songs to get your blood pumping. The band didn't last past this album, but members are still playing in SNARE KILLS and Shyboy.
After Toe's amazing debut, Songs, Ideas We Forgot, they followed it up with a remix album which, in my opinion, is the best thing they ever did. Something about the clinical precision of their music lends itself so much to electronic remixes. Of course, the EP isn't all remixes. You also get 3 fresh new tracks which continue to amaze as only Toe can.
I can't write anything else about Toe, sorry... So tired. Get this now.
When I was studying in Japan, I would spend hours every night in the computer lab, following link pages, finding new bands. I would usually find 2-3 bands a night, and catalogue them somewhere to remember them. Not many had audio samples, usually just those mobile sites with almost no information other than a band name. One band did have sound samples, and a show coming up soon in Osaka. That band was 24ページ, who we'll just call 24 page hereafter (technically it would be "page 24", cause when they're in a classroom and say "Turn to page 24" they would use the term 24ページ. But, that changes the flow of the name, so 24 page works better for me).
I attended the show at the smallest club I'd ever been to (I can't remember the name, but I have a ticket at home). At the door they asked which band I'd come to see. I said 24 page, and the doorman marked a single tick in the blank area under the band's name. I'd heard of this practice before, but it never happened at any of the other shows I went to. Descending into the basement, I came into a room that was about double my bedroom. Seriously, the place was about 1500 sq. ft. with even a little bar and sound engineer corner. I stood in a corner and tried to make myself inconspicuous, which was hard being the only white guy there.
24 page finally played, 2 guys and a girl on keyboards and guitars with a drum machine providing the rhythm. It was heavenly and amazing, a complete contrast to the grimy neighborhood I'd passed through. For about 20 minutes I experienced their set. In some ways it was raw, but not like I usually use that word. It was raw like early Beatles would be raw, like an unrestrained pop genius. These simple but deep electro-pop songs totally hit the spot with me.
I stayed for the other bands, and then left. On the street outside the club, one of the guitarists from 24 page motioned to me. He asked if I had come to see them (I guess since I was the only one, the doorman told him it was me), and we talked for a bit. I bought their demo (will post that later) and we traded some contact information. They seemed really excited. I wasn't really sure if it was because someone that they didn't know had come to see them, or because I was a foreigner.
We kept in contact and after I returned to the States and started my distro, I carried some copies of this release, which was their first EP. Here are seven tracks of laid back electro-pop with soothing melodies. This is perfect music to chill to, sleep to, drink to, whatever.
Surprisingly (I had a WTF moment), their new album is available on Amazon, and probably iTunes. If you dig these tracks you could do more wrong than to buy their album and support these guys:
First of all, this isn't that other Rise And Fall. This is the Japanese band and they do not play metalcore. Now that that's out of the way, here's the Japanese Rise And Fall releasing their debut album on HG Fact. They haven't done much that I can see after this release, but I think they might still be together.
I picked this up in Japan in 2003. I can't remember if someone recommended it, or if I just got it because it was from HG Fact and wasn't a normal thrash/hardcore release from them. Also, the art is really cool looking, so that might've caught my eye as well.
Rise and Fall's sound is reminiscent of 1000travels of Jawaharlal and Infro. The disparate factor is the vocals, which are ran through some weird delay and honestly sound like garbage. To some, it might completely ruin the music, but I find that it's not that bad once you get used to it. But really, the vocals on this recording were horribly done. I can imagine that live they would be much better.
No videos of the band, because of their insanely generic name...
Rise And Fall - I Dance My Dance
1. boardgame players
2. on the radio
3. standing still
4. Last Promise
5. Leave In pt.2
6. Enough
7. glides down
8. bitter struggle of the atheist
9. common foundation
10. ill dance my dance
Well, I had a little bit of a break last week. Sorry about the weird posting-ness. I'm going to try and get back on schedule this week.
This is the Salvation-released edition of Beirut5's debut album, A Machinic Exodus. And, I don't know what a "Machinic" is either, it's not a typo. Beirut5 are from the Kansai area, and I think they have members in some of the other Kansai bands, but I can't be sure. I'm working on a lengthy interview with Jerome Salvation right now, so that will provide some more insight into this release.
Beirut5 has a sort of raw Japanese screamo sound, ala Carnival of Dark-Split, with lots of swirling electronics and buzzing keyboards. Some really great stuff.
I still have a couple of these in the distro, so you can buy it here if you like it!
First, sorry this is late. It's been a bit of a lazy week for me. Ugh....
Now then, I got this CD one night after a show at EMSeven. I was walking home with the 3cm Tour guys, and one of their friends, who was in this band, handed me the CD telling me it was his band. That is about the entirety of my knowledge of this thing. The band was already broken up, or broke up shortly after I met him. I have a feeling that someone from the band went on to play in a more well-known band, but I can't tell from the members list in the CD.
So, what you have here is some brutal crusty thrash. It's pretty dang good, outside of the extremely fuzzy guitars that sound a little ridiculous. The song-writing and playing is tight and harsh, just like it should be. Overall, pretty damn good shit to go to sleep to.
Not a lot of info exists on Fugüe. Even when this release was announced, I was kind of confused by the pick. You're doing a series, and your first two bands are envy and TIALTNGO. Who should you have on the next one? My picks would be nine days wonder, bluebeard, kulara, maybe black film dance or end all. But Fugüe? Who the fuck are they? I knew Overmars, and dug their debut album, but the Japanese pick on this was confusing.
On getting the release and listening, Fugüe is pretty good. They play a really noisy, stoner metal variant that fits nicely with Overmars' own epic doom. The bands are a surprisingly good match, and if the whole point of the series was to do something like: hardcore, emo, stoner doom, then I guess the whole thing makes sense. Still, I wish the series would've included the 1000travels/Aghast split that came out the next year. It would've been that cherry on top.
No videos I could find of Fugue. Here's one of Overmars. Have a good weekend!
I'm pretty sure I picked up this CD on my trip to Japan in 2003. During that trip, I caught a 3cm tour show at Koiwa EM Seven. It was pretty amazing, and arguably better than any of their recordings. There's just something about their quiet precision in a room with a bunch of other people, like you can hear the collective breath.
I am like so frickin' busy this week, so I don't have much else to write. Sorry! Hope you enjoy.
Do I know a lot about this band? No. Did my scanner do something weird to the colors of this cover because it was printed weird? Yes. Will I continue to write in a question/answer pattern? Maybe.
I really don't know much about Mind Touch. They broke up in 2006. They were around for 6 years, as their blog says, but I think this is there only release. It is pretty well done, a mix of Japanese metalcore with some broader melodies and hardcore influence. They have more variety than the usual Japanese metalcore band and are pretty interesting to listen to. Only two songs here, but they are a good representation of a band that could've done more. Hope you enjoy!
One of my favorite releases out of Japan and a total luck buy. Kana-shibari was a short-lived band, 2/3 non-Japanese. The singer sounds Australian, but no clue on the other guy. Their only other release, to my knowledge, is two songs on the "This is Pop" compilation, which are from this release.
Anyways, if you're familiar with My Disco, especially their earliest stuff, then you'll already love Kana-shibari. They play a jazzy, screamed indie rock, with touches of post-punk and shit. Honestly, it's hard to describe. There's a very heavy groove, and lots of emotion, and guitars with 'tudes. That's a better description.
No videos. Anywhere. That I could find. And I searched pretty hardcore for them.
Just a short one today. Here's a one song promo thingy I picked up from Curve. I'm not sure the year on this, because there's no data on the release. I think it's before Broken Beautiful Product, which would put it around 2003 or something. So yeah, that's what I'm going with.
Curve recently had a release that is available outside of Japan. Bear Records put out a split CD with Curve and some other Japanese & American bands. You can buy it right here for only 6 frickin bucks.
Oh yeah, so to describe Curve I usually go with a more epic and aggressive Clarity-era Jimmy Eat World. He plays with a lot of screamo and hardcore bands, but definitely doesn't play that. Maybe emo that appeals to that crowd, you could say? Either way, his stuff is pretty good. From the video below, it looks like he's added another dude to the band (used to be a two-piece), or maybe that's just for live shows.
A random demo I picked up in 2003. I didn't know what to expect, but Nervous Light of Sunday play some awesome melodic, new school hardcore. They're still around and released an album on Cosmic Note a few years ago. Pretty good stuff on here. Enjoy!
I don't have much information around this demo. I picked it up somewhere while in Japan in 2003. Neoteny (or is it Neoteny64. I don't know) run with the Tokyo screamo crowd and did a split with Egoist for Men. I found the video below, and I totally dig the song. They play that Japanese emotional hardcore sound without being derivative. The demo has keyboards and a slight Gauge Means Nothing feel to it. There's no insert to the demo, so I don't know what the songs are called. But, they are great. Check it out and enjoy!
I don't really remember how I got this demo. The year was 2003, so it could've been when I was touring with Gauge Means Nothing. Either way, here is some nice Japanese emo. Similar bands are Up and Coming, Toe, or No Knife. The band stopped playing in 2003, but started back up in 2009. Or maybe it was just a reunion show. Their myspace hasn't been logged into for a whole year, so.... Here's a vid from 2009:
Here's a little blast from the past. When I first started the I've Come For Your Children distro in 2003, I put together a sampler CD to give out to people (I'm not sure if I even gave them to anyone). It had a track from every release I was carrying at the time, which is on the inside with prices. It also included a track from the demo of my band at the time, The Baldwin Mass Suicide (of which Matt and I went on to form Cease Upon the Capitol, and Roy joined on Bass later).
Gauge Means Nothing (GMN) is a band that is extremely important to me and played a huge part in my life. When I was studying in Japan in the winter of 2002, Yuichi (bass) was one of my first close friends. I met him at the after party for an envy show in Tokyo. A few months after that GMN came down to Kyoto and played a show, and I was totally blown away. When I came back to the States and heard that they planned to release an EP, I asked if I could release it on vinyl. With the help of my friend Roy, we started the label by releasing "The Absent Trail..."
Here are 5 songs (the track listings for the CD and LP were different by one song each, so there were 4 on each release but 5 total) that bottle up more intensity and passion than most bands could ever dream of having. There's no posturing, no disappointingly pointless filler. Each song is crafted as an individual masterpiece. There's post rock, screamo, hardcore, punk, metal, pop, and rock combined into an intoxicating mixture.
The album was extremely polarizing on release. It received both top scores (even ending up on some favorite lists) and dismally low scores (some distributors refused to even carry it). To me, it seemed like some people got it (and what they got was what was truly important about music) and some people didn't (because they were too caught up on music bullshit).
You'll see more about GMN on this blog for sure. There are a few other releases, videos, promo materials, and some inside info on the release to come later. In the meantime, enjoy these songs and welcome to the blog!
Also, I uploaded a PV that was supposed to be included on the CD version, but never was. Here it is:
