Nisennenmondai (にせんねんもんだい) are a Tokyo-based instrumental trio.
They formed in 1999 and took their name from the Japanese translation of the then-current phrase "
Y2K bug
The year 2000 problem, also known as the Y2K problem, Y2K scare, millennium bug, Y2K bug, Y2K glitch, Y2K error, or simply Y2K refers to potential computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after ...
."
Formation
Guitarist Masako Takada, bassist Yuri Zaikawa, and drummer Sayaka Himeno met at a club near their university and formed the band soon after.
The band have mostly released music on their own Bijin label. The compilation album "Neji/Tori" was released by Norway's
Smalltown Supersound
Smalltown Supersound is an independent record label, founded in Flekkefjord in 1993 and now based in Oslo, Norway. It is dedicated to new forms of jazz, rock and electronic music.
Their catalog features albums by Kelly Lee Owens, Deathprod, Nene ...
in 2008. The band are known for their dynamic live show, and despite little mainstream media attention, have built a substantial international following. They have played dates in Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark (including
Roskilde Festival
The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...
), France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway. Switzerland, Sweden, UK and USA. The band toured the US in 2004 and 2005. In April 2011 they performed on the main stage at Sonar Sound Tokyo. In May 2011, Nisennenmondai launched an extensive European tour.
Style
Described by allmusic's Heather Phares as "taking as much inspiration from the cool kids at school as they did from experimentalists like
This Heat
This Heat were an English experimental rock band, formed in early 1976 in Camberwell, London by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen (guitar, clarinet, viola, vocals, tapes), Charles Hayward (drums, keyboards, vocals, tapes) and Gareth Willi ...
,
The Pop Group
The Pop Group are an English rock band formed in Bristol in 1977 by vocalist Mark Stewart, guitarist John Waddington, bassist Simon Underwood, guitarist/saxophonist Gareth Sager, and drummer Bruce Smith. Their work in the late 1970s crossed d ...
,
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
,
DNA and
Neu!
Neu! (; German for "New!"; styled in block capitals) were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Plank, w ...
"
Nisennenmondai compose raw and repetitive (post) punk instrumentals,
which can be groove-oriented
whilst also having a
no wave/disco vibe.
Himeno tirelessly pounds at her snare and bass drum while slashing her cymbals,
while Takada adds layers of delay and clangy sounding distortion.
"With walls of distortion and a pummeling rhythmic backbone that fluctuates between
krautrock
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
`s repetition and free-rock calamity, bassist Zai, guitarist Ma-Chan and drummer Hime have formed an unassuming juggernaut”
(Dazed & Confused).
Prefuse 73
Guillermo Scott Herren is an American producer who has been based in Atlanta, Barcelona and New York City. Herren releases music under the aliases Prefuse 73, Delarosa & Asora, Ahmad Szabo, and Piano Overlord, and is also part of the groups Sa ...
said in an interview with ''Dazed & Confused''; "John Stanier from
Battles
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
had told me that they were sick. They start to play. Next thing you know, these three tiny diminutive women were making us look like idiots because they were so incredible".
The band were chosen by Battles to perform at the
ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival, that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead, England.
Discography
*2004: ''
Sorede Souzousuru Neji
Sorede Souzousuru Neji, generally referred to as simply Neji, is an EP by the band Nisennenmondai. The majority of the tracks on it are named after bands who influenced Nisennenmondai's music.
Track listing
#" Pop Group" - 6:20
#"This Heat" - 8 ...
''
*2005: ''Tori''
*2006: ''Rokuon''
*2007: ''DJ nisennenmondai'' (bijin002)
*2008: ''Neji/Tori''
*2009: ''Destination Tokyo''
*2009: ''Fan''
*2009: ''goA''
*2011: ''nobetsumakunashikodomotachi original soundtrack'' (bijin007)
*2011: ''Live''
*2012: ''sounds before sleeping'' (bijin022)
*2013: ''N''
*2013: ''Nisennenmondai EP'' (Zelone Records)
*2014: ''no title'' (bijin025)
*2015: ''N (Bijin Record)
*2015: ''Live at Clouds Hill''
*2016: ''#N/A'' (On-U Sound; On-U LP131)
*2016: ''#6'' 12" Single (On-U Sound; On-U DP60)
*2016: ''E'' (bijin028)
References
{{Authority control
Japanese post-rock groups
Japanese instrumental musical groups
Japanese indie rock groups
Japanese alternative rock groups
Japanese experimental rock groups
Musical groups from Tokyo
All-female bands
Smalltown Supersound artists