is a Japanese
noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
and
free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...
group with a revolving lineup that has ranged from two members to as many as fourteen in its early days. The group is the project of guitarist , its one constant member, who is head and owner of the
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
-based
Alchemy Records. Other regulars include Jojo's wife Junko and Toshiji Mikawa (also of
Incapacitants
are a Japanese noise music group formed in 1981. Initially a solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, Fumio Kosakai joined upon the project's relocation to Tokyo. The duo's stated aim is to produce "pure" noise, uninfluenced by musical ideas or even huma ...
).
The group began at the very end of the 1970s as a
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
-based group whose anarchic shows would often involve destruction of venues and audio equipment, food and garbage being thrown around, and on-stage urination. As the group's lineup changed over time, their focus became less performance-based and more musically based, fine-tuning their sound into a dense wall of noise.
History
Pre-Hijōkaidan
Hijōkaidan originally began in 1979 in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
as a side project of Rasenkaidan members and . They played an improvised session at a studio with fellow Rasenkaidan member (a.k.a. Idiot) in attendance. Afterwards, Takayama said "This is not , it is more like ."
This Hijōkaidan played live twice and recorded a few studio sessions. Recordings of this line-up were later released as Original Hijōkaidan or Pre-Hijōkaidan. At the end of the year, Zushi left, and Jojo decided to quit all of his musical projects (Hijōkaidan, Rasenkaidan, and Ultra Bidet). Idiot and Zushi briefly continued Rasenkaidan, and Idiot later formed
Idiot O'Clock.
Corroded Marie
In the spring of 1980, Jojo formed a new group called to play songs in the style of
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
. Initial members were Jojo, (a.k.a. Oka), Katsuhiro Nakajima (a.k.a. Zuke), Masako Shigesugi (a.k.a. Mako), (a.k.a. Ichie), and . Zushi declined to take part. The practice sessions devolved into improvised noise, and Jojo considered disbanding the group, but was convinced otherwise by Oka, Zuke, and Ichiguchi.
In June 1980, Corroded Marie was invited to play ACB Hall in
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...
at the event , sponsored by the magazine ''Heaven'' and arranged by . By mistake, they were billed as Hijōkaidan, Jojo decided to keep the name. After the show Mako left. Disappointed that they didn't play songs or like Hawkwind, Jojo again thought about disbanding the group. He listened to a cassette of the performance repeatedly, and began to consider the possibility of releasing it. In August he met , who had started an independent label called Unbalance Records, and made a deal to release the show. He contacted Zuke and Oka about releasing the show and asked if they wanted to continue the group. Jojo discovered that they were thinking about continuing as a new group without him.
On November 3, the regrouped Hijōkaidan played at Sōzōdōjō in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. The show started with a cover of "It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl" by
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540).
The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...
, before turning into free-form noise. This show is also the beginning of the performance art aspect of Hijōkaidan's live show, with Zuke throwing around
takoyaki
is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bod ...
.
The ACB show was released as one side of a split LP called in December 1980 by Unbalance, the other side had tracks by NG and Jurajium. The track was called in honor of their original name.
Alchemy Records
Alchemy Records is a
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
based in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, specializing in
noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
/
experimental music
Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...
and
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
. It is run by
Jojo Hiroshige of the
noise group Hijokaidan. Alchemy has released albums by Hijokaidan,
Balzac,
Hanatarash
Hanatarashi (), meaning "sniveler" or "snot-nosed" in Japanese, was a noise band created by later Boredoms frontman Yamantaka Eye and featured Zeni Geva guitarist Mitsuru Tabata. The outfit was formed in Osaka, Japan in 1984 after Eye and Tabata ...
,
Masonna
, better known by his stage name Masonna, is a Japanese noise musician. He was born on November 16, 1966, in Miyazu, Kyoto, Japan.
was started in 1987 in Osaka as Maso Yamazaki's noise project. The name is a combination of the Japanese words ...
,
Incapacitants
are a Japanese noise music group formed in 1981. Initially a solo project of Toshiji Mikawa, Fumio Kosakai joined upon the project's relocation to Tokyo. The duo's stated aim is to produce "pure" noise, uninfluenced by musical ideas or even huma ...
,
Borbetomagus
Borbetomagus are a free jazz/noise rock group. They are cited by critics as pioneers of aggressive improvised noise music.
Biography
Borbetomagus formed in 1979 when saxophone players Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich joined with electric guitari ...
, and
Merzbow
is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by , best known for a style of harsh, confrontational noise. Since 1980, Akita has released over 400 recordings and has collaborated with various artists.
The name Merzbow comes from the German dada ...
, among many others. Until April 2008, Alchemy also had a record store in Osaka's
Amerikamura
Amerikamura (also America mura; アメリカ村, ''American Village'') is a sizable retail and entertainment area near Shinsaibashi in the Chūō-ku district of Osaka, Japan. It is usually referred to by locals as "Ame-mura". Amerikamura is a ...
.
Discography
References
*
*
*
External links
非常階段at
Teichiku Records
is a Japanese record label, run by , that specializes in enka, kayōkyoku, and similar music. Teichiku is an abbreviation for , the former name of the company. Teichiku Entertainment also runs the record labels Imperial Records, Takumi Note, ...
(in Japanese)
*
{{Authority control
Japanese rock music groups
Noise musical groups
Musical groups from Kyoto Prefecture