Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, they released records for other bands as well. Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray and vocalist Jello Biafra formed Alternative Tentacles, but Biafra became the sole owner in the mid-1980s. Alternative Tentacles no longer owns the rights to Dead Kennedys recordings after a 2000 lawsuit.
Kazuyuki Kishino, known by his stage name KK Null, is a Japanese experimental multi-instrumentalist active since the early 1980s. He began as a guitarist but learned how to compose, sing, play drums, and create electronic music. He also studied Butoh dance at Min Tanaka's workshop.
Shellac is an American noise rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1992 by Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer. Their lineup remained consistent until Albini's death in May 2024.
Boredoms is a rock band from Osaka, Japan formed in 1986. The band's sound is often referred to as noise rock, or sometimes Japanoise, though their more recent records have moved toward repetitive psychedelic rock, ambient soundscapes, and tribal drumming.
Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock 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.
Craw were an American independent band from Cleveland, Ohio. They belonged to the harder-edged branch of the math rock or post hardcore movement, in the same category as bands such as Colossamite, Keelhaul, Zeni Geva, Dazzling Killmen and Ruins.
Pussy Galore was an American garage rock band formed by students at Brown University in 1984. They had a constantly fluid line-up until their demise in 1990, with vocalist-guitarist Jon Spencer as the sole member through the band's history. They took their name from the character in the James Bond film Goldfinger, and their sound was an irreverent experimental blues rock influenced by The Rolling Stones and Einstürzende Neubauten.
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 1983 after Eye and Tabata met as stage hands at an Einstürzende Neubauten show. After the release of the first album, the "I" was dropped and the name became "Hanatarash".
Killdozer was an American rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1983 with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album, Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite, in the same year. The band split in 1990 but reformed in 1993, losing guitarist Bill Hobson and gaining Paul Zagoras, and continued until they split up in 1996. Their farewell tour was officially titled "Fuck You, We Quit!", and included Erik Tunison of Die Kreuzen in place of Dan Hobson on drums and Jeff Ditzenberger on additional guitar. The band released nine albums, including a post-breakup live album, The Last Waltz.
Tatsuya Yoshida is a Japanese musician; drummer and composer who is the only consistent member of the renowned progressive rock duo Ruins, as well as of Koenji Hyakkei. He is also a member of the progressive rock trios Korekyojinn and Daimonji. Outside his own groups, Yoshida is renowned for his tenure as drummer in the indie progressive group YBO2, a band also featuring guitarist KK Null, whom he also joins in the current line-up of Zeni Geva and he has played drums in a late edition of Samla Mammas Manna. He has been cited as "[the] indisputable master drummer of the Japanese underground".
Brise-Glace was a 1990s instrumental avant-rock "supergroup" composed of Jim O'Rourke, Darin Gray, Dylan Posa (guitar), and Thymme Jones (drums).
Neurot Recordings is an American independent record label founded by members of avant-garde metal band Neurosis in 1999. Gradually expanding, it has showcased a variety of artists including a number of sludge metal, post-rock, and noise bands.
Nux Organization is a Japanese record label founded by Zeni Geva frontman KK Null. It has released records by Null and Zeni Geva as well as bands such as Shellac, Melt-Banana, Merzbow and others.
Shorty was an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1991. The band consisted of vocalist Al Johnson, guitarist Mark Shippy, drummer Todd Lamparelli, and bassist Luke Frantom. After the group's breakup, Al Johnson and Mark Shippy would go on to form the underground art rock band U.S. Maple.
Desire for Agony is a 1993 album by Japanese noise rock band Zeni Geva. It was recorded in September 1993 at The Basement in Chicago, Illinois and was produced by Steve Albini.
Freedom Bondage is an album by Zeni Geva released in August 1995 via Alternative Tentacles.
Maximum Money Monster is a 1990 album by Zeni Geva. It is a re-release of their 1989 album Maximum Love and Fuck, with additional songs. The Pathological CD release had the whole album as one track. In 2007, it was reissued by Cold Spring with three bonus previously unreleased recordings from a 1990 show at Antiknock in Tokyo, and all songs as separate tracks.
Ezra Kire is an American musician with the punk band Morning Glory, and is an ex-member of punk bands Leftöver Crack, Choking Victim and InDK. He currently resides in New York City.
Distorted Pony are an American noise rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1986. The band originally consisted of bass player Dora Jahr and guitarist David Uskovich accompanied by a drum machine. Eventually, they were joined by London May and Theodore Jackson on drums and percussion and Robert Hammer on guitar. The group broke up in late 1993, but they reunited in early 2010 and started to perform reunion shows.
