Melt-Banana | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
Genres | |
Years active | 1992–present |
Labels |
|
Members | Yasuko Onuki Ichiro Agata |
Past members | Sudoh Toshiaki Oshima Watchma Rika Hamamoto |
Website | melt-banana |
Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock [1] band that is known for playing extremely fast noise rock and hardcore punk mixed with experimental, electronica and pop-based song structures. Since forming in 1992 the band has released ten albums and toured worldwide extensively.
In 1991, while attending Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Yasuko Onuki started a band called Mizu and, after a short period rehearsing with another guitarist, recruited Ichiro Agata to play guitar in the band. [2] Mizu's original drummer and bass player quit six months after Agata joined, leaving Yasuko to handle the bass and vocal duties until she found bassist Rika. [2] They briefly performed shows around Tokyo without a drummer. Sudoh Toshiaki then joined as the new drummer in November 1992, and they changed their name to Melt-Banana. [3]
In May 1993, Melt-Banana played a show opening for KK Null of Zeni Geva fame, who was impressed enough to immediately offer them a deal with his label, and would later introduce them to Mark Fischer of Skin Graft Records and Steve Albini. [2] [4]
In 1996, sick Zip Everywhere was nominated for MTV UK's best video. [5] In the same year the band completed their first European tour. [3]
In 1997, they created their own recording company, A-Zap (formerly Iguana Coax), and re-issued most of their early albums. Around this time, drummer Sudoh Toshiaki quit. [3] Oshima Watchman became the new official drummer in February 1998.
The band recorded its first Peel Session in September 1999. Onuki thought John Peel looked like Santa Claus and Agata has said that when finishing a new song, he still thinks of Peel and what he would think of it if he listened. [6] Peel described the session as "Simply one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen and ever heard ... just mesmerizing, absolutely astonishing." [7] The broadcast exposed the band to new audiences in the United Kingdom and beyond. [6]
Watchma left the band in 2000, and since then the band has had different drummers on their tours and albums.
In 2007, Melt-Banana recorded the song "Hair-Cat (Cause the Wolf Is a Cat!)" for Perfect Hair Forever on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup. [8]
The studio album Fetch , released September 2013, saw the band transition to a duo. [9] The decision not to use a live drummer led on to the decision not to have a live bass player. Using a computer for the rhythm allowed more freedom in the arrangement. Hamamoto's help was not needed for the new duo format. Additionally, throughout the band's career Agata and Onuki had been the main songwriters. [10] [11]
In late 2019, during an interview conducted on tour, with Louder magazine, the band stated they would record a new album. [6]
Melt-Banana's music is typically described as noise rock, [12] [13] [1] with roots in punk, [14] [15] grindcore, [15] [16] [17] electro-pop [15] and electronic music. [16] The band has shied away from any classification, saying they "don't write music according to genre", and has described their music as "like a chimera". [17] Melt-Banana has cited The Sex Pistols, [18] Einstürzende Neubauten, [19] Masonna, Violent Onsen Geisha, [17] Aphex Twin and Atari Teenage Riot [20] as influences, as well as the compilation album No New York . [21] Agata also gets inspiration from the feelings of excitement, triumph and peril he experiences when playing video games, and interpreting that musically. [22] He believes that influences from outside music, including video games, help them see from fresh angles and keep them from writing "the same kind of music again and again". [23] Games he has cited as an inspiration include Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 , Ecco the Dolphin , [22] Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus . [16]
Onuki's distinctive vocal style has been described as "loud, piercing and unexpectedly authoritative". [17] Asked about her influences, Onuki explained: "there is no tradition and no influence besides maybe Lydia Lunch and the Teenage Jerks. She opened a new book for me. It was so unique and distinctive, you could tell by listening to the voice who is singing – that what I wanted to achieve with my own voice too." [20]
Although the band is Japanese, their lyrics are written in English. Onuki originally sung in Japanese, but quickly changed to English, believing that it was better suited to her style of singing. Because English is not her native language, Onuki often has to look words up in dictionaries, which also allows her to find words that sound interesting to her. [24] In writing a song, Onuki typically starts with particular words and then works backwards, the content of which comes from what she "see[s] and feel[s] in [her] usual life". [23]
Agata is noted for his distinct style of guitar playing that involves heavy use of effects and pedals. [24]
The band is known for playing an "eclectic" selection of cover songs, both live and on studio recordings. Melt-Banana was inspired to do so after touring with Mr. Bungle and seeing them perform several cover songs, and thinking it would be fun for both the audience and the band themselves. Songs that Melt-Banana has covered include "Surfin' U.S.A." (The Beach Boys), "Neat Neat Neat" (The Damned) and "Paint It Black" (The Rolling Stones). [25] In choosing the songs, Melt-Banana simply "play songs that [they] like." [26]
From 2013 onward the band does not have a bass player. [10]
Melt-Banana does not currently have an official drummer. From 2013 onward the band does not have a drummer when playing live. [10] There have been two drummers who were official members; Sudoh Toshiaki and Oshima Watchma. A number of guest drummers have been used for studio recordings and live performances. [27] [28] [29]
The band have carried out lengthy US and UK tours yearly and smaller Japanese tours (the reason for this, according to them, is that travelling in Japan is quite expensive). [30] [31] Melt-Banana have worked with a diverse range of artists, including Merzbow, John Zorn, Agathe Max, Mike Patton, and Discordance Axis. [5] Melt-Banana has toured as an opening act with high-profile bands such as:
Studio albums
Asia are an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1981. The most commercially successful lineup was its original, which consisted of four members of different progressive rock bands who had enjoyed great success in the 1970s: lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), keyboardist Geoff Downes and drummer Carl Palmer. Their debut album, Asia, released in 1982, remains their best-selling album and went to number one in several countries. Billboard listed it as the top album in the U.S. in 1982. The lead single from the album, "Heat of the Moment", remains their top charting and best-known song, reaching the top 40 in over a dozen markets. It peaked at #4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands in 1981. None of the band's original members have been in the group since 1986, but since Utopia Banished (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris, drummer Danny Herrera and lead vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway has remained consistent through most of the band's career. From 1989 to 2004, Napalm Death were a five-piece band after they added Jesse Pintado as the replacement of one-time guitarist Bill Steer. Following Pintado's departure, the band reverted to a four-piece.
Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in Guildford, Surrey, in 1971. Led by guitarist Andrew Latimer, they have released fourteen studio albums and fourteen singles, plus numerous live albums and DVDs. Without achieving mass popularity, the band gained a cult following in the 1970s with albums such as Mirage (1974) and The Snow Goose (1975). They moved into a jazzier, more commercial direction in the early 1980s, but then went on an extended hiatus. Since 1991 the band has been independent, releasing albums on their own label.
Melvins are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with either two drummers or two bassists. Since 1984, vocalist and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been constant members.
Michael Schenker is a German guitarist. He played in the rock band UFO and leads the Michael Schenker Group (MSG). He was an early member of the hard rock band Scorpions, a band co-founded by his elder brother Rudolf Schenker. In the mid-1970s, Schenker joined UFO, playing lead and rhythm guitar. He left the band in 1978 to briefly rejoin Scorpions for the recording of Lovedrive, and then to form MSG. He has rejoined UFO three times, producing an album each time. Schenker continues to perform and record. He has been called "a legendary figure in the history of metal guitar."
Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California, in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout its career, the band is best known for music created during its most experimental era. During this time, it developed a highly eclectic style, cycling through several musical genres, often within the course of a single song, including heavy metal, avant-garde jazz, ska, disco, and funk, further enhanced by lead vocalist Mike Patton's versatile singing style. This period also saw the band utilizing unconventional song structures and samples; playing a wide array of instruments; dressing up in masks, jumpsuits, and other costumes; and performing a diverse selection of cover songs during live performances.
Kevin Ayers was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely associated with the Canterbury scene. He recorded a series of albums as a solo artist and over the years worked with Brian Eno, Syd Barrett, Bridget St John, John Cale, Elton John, Robert Wyatt, Andy Summers, Mike Oldfield, Nico and Ollie Halsall, among others. After living for many years in Deià, Mallorca, he returned to the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s before moving to the south of France. His last album, The Unfairground, was released in 2007. The British rock journalist Nick Kent wrote: "Kevin Ayers and Syd Barrett were the two most important people in British pop music. Everything that came after came from them."
Fantômas is an American heavy metal supergroup formed in 1998 in California. It features vocalist Mike Patton, drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer), guitarist Buzz Osborne (Melvins) and bassist Trevor Dunn. The band is named after Fantômas, a supervillain featured in a series of crime novels popular in France before World War I and in film, most notably in the '60s French movie series.
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal.
Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011. On June 22, 2012, Youngblood announced on their website that their new vocalist would be the Swedish singer Tommy Karevik, who was first featured on Kamelot's album Silverthorn as the main vocalist, co-songwriter, and lyricist.
High on Fire is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, also plays guitar for Sleep. High on Fire won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance with their song "Electric Messiah".
Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1998 and currently composed of vocalist and guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille, and drummer Mark Laughlin. The band have released seven studio albums, two live albums, and a Peel Session.
Yona-Kit was a math rock quartet active in 1994.
Ichiro Agata is the guitarist for the Japanese noise rock band Melt-Banana. Agata is known particularly for his furious stage antics, jumping and constantly moving around, and exceedingly unique approach to playing the guitar which involves extended technique, heavy use of effects pedals, and guitar slides resulting in sounds not easily attributed to the guitar.
Puffy is a Japanese pop rock duo formed in Tokyo in 1995, consisting of singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. In the United States, they adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, who also performed under the name Puffy. They sing in Japanese and English.
Church of Misery is a Japanese doom metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1995. Church of Misery's musical style melds early Black Sabbath-style doom with psychedelic rock; most of the band's songs are about serial killers and mass murderers.
Umineco Sounds is a Japanese indie rock band headed by Osamu Furusato. His debut EP Yuuyake was released on May 13, 2009.
Yasuko Onuki is the singer from Japanese band Melt-Banana, which she founded in 1991. She has a frantic chirping and yelping vocal style which is an important part of Melt-Banana's unique sound. She writes all of Melt-Banana's lyrics, which she sings in English, stating that:
When I first started singing in a band, I was singing in Japanese, but I changed to English. I thought that English would fit more to my style of singing.
Melt-Banana Lite Live ver 0.0 is a live album by Melt-Banana. It was released on November 3, 2009.
Fetch is the eighth album by the Japanese noise rock band Melt-Banana. It was released on October 1, 2013, on CD, LP and digitally.