Daikaiju (stylized "DaiKaiju") is a

kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

-themed surf punk band from

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...

, now based out of Houston, usually consisting of two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer. The band formed in the winter of 1999 and first performed in January 2000. The band has played shows across Europe, eastern Asia, and North America. As of 2023, the band is still actively touring.

History

Daikaiju originally formed in the winter of 1999. In 2005, the band released their first full-length album, ''Daikaiju''. Of the album's ten tracks, five were previously recorded (in an earlier form) on 2001's ''Monster Surf'', and two more were previously heard on 2002's ''The Phasing Spider Menace''. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, with

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

giving the album a 7.8/10, praising the band's "prog muscle" and calling it an "impressive full-length debut". In 2010, the band released their second full-length album, titled ''Phase 2''. In a 2012 interview with Florida Geek Scene, the band was asked about the change in personnel between ''Daikaiju'' and ''Phase 2''. Daikaiju, in response, referred to the departing members as "casualties". In 2013, the band toured the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

visiting China, South Korea, and Japan. Its visit to Japan, in particular, was highly anticipated by fans and the band itself. Daikaiju tied Public Image Ltd. as the 'Best show by a foreign touring act' in Time Out Beijing's "Year's end roundup: the best of Beijing music" for 2013.

Performing style

Daikaiju performs while wearing

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

masks, and using

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

s. They do not speak during performances, instead communicating using

hand signals Hand signals are given by cyclists and some motorists to indicate their intentions to other traffic. Under the Vienna Convention on Traffic, bicycles are considered 'vehicles' and cyclists are considered 'drivers', a naming convention reflec ...

. The band often sets fire to their instruments during live shows.

Interaction with media

Due to how secretive the band is, they rarely grant interviews, and do not mention their real names or private lives (apart from their opinions on monster movies such as Tristar's ''Godzilla'', which they agreed to call

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

in name only ''In Name Only'' is a 1939 romantic film starring Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, and Kay Francis, directed by John Cromwell. It was based on the 1935 novel ''Memory of Love'' by Bessie Breuer. The fictional town where it is set, Bridgefield, Con ...

") in the interviews they do agree to. It is a reflection of how wild Daikaiju's live performances are that, on their own website as well as in interviews, they refer to these performances as "attacks"; or instead, in a 2013 interview with '' Time Out Beijing'', referring to them as "Most exciting shower of golden radiance!!!" This likely refers to the band's tendency to use lighter fluid to spray their instruments while the instruments are on fire.

Similarity to Man or Astro-man

The similarity of the band's sound to

Man or Astro-man? Man or Astro-man? is an American surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade. Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like ...

has fueled some unconfirmed speculation that the band may contain members of that band. The band's only response to this speculation, a denial (though characteristically vague), appeared in an August 2012 interview: ''"Daikaiju have many member of man: secret-man, rock-man, hit-man, and mobile-man!!! Daikaiju also like taste of astro-man but have preference of lizard-man... or aqua-man!!!"''

Discography

The band has released two EPs, three studio albums, and two singles.

References

{{reflist

External links

daikaiju.org
American punk rock groups American surf music groups