Boris (band)
| Boris | |
|---|---|
 Takeshi with his double neck instrument at a concert in Budapest in 2008 |
|
| General information | |
| origin | Tokyo , Japan |
| Genre (s) | Noise-Rock , Psychedelic Rock , Stoner Rock , Stoner Doom , Drone Doom |
| founding | 1992 |
| Website | www.borisheavyrocks.com |
| Founding members | |
| Atsuo (until 1996) | |
Guitar , vocals |
Wata |
Bass , guitar, vocals |
Takeshi |
| Nagata (until 1996) | |
| Current occupation | |
Guitar, vocals |
Wata |
Bass, guitar, vocals |
Takeshi |
Drums, vocals |
Atsuo |
| Live and session members | |
guitar |
Michio Kurihara (since 2007) |
Boris is an experimental and avant-garde rock and metal band from Tokyo, founded in 1992 .
history
Beginnings
The Japanese band was formed in 1992 by guitarist Wata, bassist Takeshi, singer Atsuo and drummer Nagata. The band named themselves after a track from The Melvins album Bullhead .
The first official publication is considered to be the 1994 participation in the compilation Take Care of Scabbard Fish, which is distributed exclusively in Japan . The album debut Absolutego was released in 1996 on the band's own label Fangs Anal Satan. For the time being, Absolutego remained an album release limited to Japan. Accordingly, the international popularity of the band remained low. The second studio album Amplifier Worship was released in 1998 on the Japanese label Mangrove Records and was also without international distribution. Nationally, however, the band gained increasing popularity. A cooperation with Keiji Haino was released in the form of a live album Black: Implication Flooding , 1998 via Inoxia Records . The following year the band released More Echoes, Touch Air Landscape, a split album with Choukoko No Niwa on Inoxia Records. The third album by the band Flood was released in 2001 on the MIDI Creative label.
Path to international recognition
In the meantime, various international Doom Metal labels became aware of the band. Man's Ruin Records endeavored to release Amplifier Worship , but ended the label activity before it even appeared. Southern Lord published Absolutego in 2001 and Amplifier Worship in 2003, presenting Boris to an international audience. In the meantime, Nagata left the group, whereupon singer Atsuo also took on the role of drummer.
In 2002 Boris Megaton published the first of several collaborations with Merzbow . In 2003, Boris at Last: Feedbacker and Akuma no Uta were released via Diwphalanx Records, two more albums on nationally publishing labels. Both were distributed internationally in 2005 Akuma no Uta via Southern Lord, Boris at Last: Feedbacker via Conspiracy Records . In the same year a large number of different Boris publications appeared. The experimental double LP Dronevil on the noise label Misanthropic Agenda , sound track from the film “Mabuta no Ura” via the Japanese indie label Catune, again via Inoxia and via the Brazilian post-industrial label Essence Music , two Merzbow collaborations , 04092001 through Inoxia and Sun Baked Snow Cave through Aaron Turner 's Hydra Head Records , next to Southern Lord another internationally recognized label for experimental extreme metal , and the album Pink through Diwphalanx Records. Pink was distributed internationally on Southern Lord the following year.
Breakthrough with pink and continued international activity
The re-release of Pink brought Boris a wealth of positive feedback and appeared on several of the year's best lists. Boris did an international tour and kept the volume of publications. In addition to the international distribution of Pink , three studio albums were released in 2006, The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 2 , The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 3 as well as Vein and two collaborations Altar with Sunn O))) and Rainbow with Michio Kurihara . Vein was released in two versions, a hardcore version in the USA and a drone version in Europe.
In 2007 the group limited the number of consecutive releases to two more collaborations with Merzbow Rock Dream and Walrus / Groon, as well as a split LP Long Hair and Tights with Doomriders . The following year, Smile , the band's studio album , was released again, similar to the album Vein , with a varied mix for the Japanese and international mix. Smile tour appearances in California and Prague were released as live albums in 2008 and 2009. Also in 2008 was another collaboration with Michio Kurihara, Cloud Chamber , who now regularly accompanied the band's concerts as an additional guitarist. Boris also released the DVD The Chamomile pool show , which documented a 2007 performance by the band in Tokyo.
In addition to the live album, the band concentrated on appearances in 2009 and limited the releases to smaller formats, collaborations and single releases. In 2009 the single series Japanese Heavy Rock Hits V1 to Japanese Heavy Rock Hits V4 , the remix EP Buzz In , the split EP Golden Dance Classics with 9dw and the split single Chapter Ahead Being Fake with Torche were released . In the same year, Jim Jarmusch used pieces of the group for the soundtrack of his film The Limits of Control . In 2010 the group continued to play international concerts and in the meantime released the DVD Live In Japan , which was also released as the live album Variations + Live In Japan , and the collaboration EP with Ian Astbury BXI . Only in 2011, after the band reduced their tour activity, appeared with Attention Please , New Album and Heavy Rocks , three new albums, Attention Please and Heavy Rocks at the same time, and another collaboration with Merzbow with Klatter . Heavy Rocks , which was released via Quattro / UK Discs to a subcontractor of the Japanese label UK Project , featured a plethora of guest appearances from Merzbow, Aaron Turner from Isis , Faith Coloccia from Mamiffer , Michio Kurihara from White Heaven and Ian Astbury from The Cult .
In 2012 the band released a split LP with Joe Volk , another with Asobi Seksu and a remix EP titled Looprider . Until 2015, the band's releases remained relatively low. In 2013 the album preparation , the download EP Myogo EP and some re-releases of well-known recordings were released. 2014 two split EPs, one with Heap , the other with Goth-Trad . In 2015, Boris simultaneously released the albums Warpath , Asia and Urban Dance on Fang Anal Satan as part of the New Noise Literacy series . The following year the double album Gensho was released , another collaboration with Merzbow via Relapse Records . The first CD of the album contained drums-less and shoegazing- oriented recordings by Boris, which were mainly new recordings of earlier songs. In addition the cover song Sometimes , an original track by My Bloody Valentine . The second CD consisted of Merzbow's new recording, which was intended to be played at the same time as Boris's. The Japanese edition of the album also included Gensho at Fever 11272015 , a double live album of a 2015 gig with Merzbow.
Boris got visibly in a creative crisis and considered the breakup of the band. The group planned to end their career with a farewell album , but decided against it during the Beyond Pink Tour in 2016 and released the album Dear and the live album Live At Third Man Records in 2017 . The following year the group released the album Eternity as a download on the Internet platform ototoy.jp, as well as the EP Phenomenons Drive .
style
The band is characterized by the presentation and blending of different genres . Most of the time Boris' music can be classified between Drone Doom and Stoner Rock . This mixture is accompanied by a clear tendency towards noise music. However, the group also presents pieces and albums that can be assigned to other musical styles. Some phenomena tend towards alternative , gothic rock and psychedelic rock .
Band member Takeshi plays a double neck guitar , each with an electric bass and an electric guitar neck .
Discography (selection)
Albums
- 1996: Absolutego ( Southern Lord )
- 1998: Amplifier Worship (Southern Lord)
- 2000: Flood
- 2002: Heavy Rocks
- 2003: Akuma no Uta (Southern Lord)
- 2003: Boris at Last: -Feedbacker-
- 2004: The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked
- 2005: Dronevil
- 2005: Soundtrack from the film "Mabuta no Ura"
- 2005: Pink (Southern Lord)
- 2006: The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 2
- 2006: The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 3
- 2006: Vein
- 2008: Smile (Southern Lord)
- 2010: BXI (EP; Boris & Ian Astbury )
- 2011: New Album
- 2011: Attention Please
- 2011: Heavy Rocks
- 2013: preparation
- 2014: Noise
- 2014: The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked Extra
- 2015: Urban Dance
- 2015: Warpath
- 2015: Asia
- 2017: Dear
- 2019: LφVE & EVφL
- 2019: 1985
- 2020: NO
Live albums
- 2005: Boris Archive
- 2008: Smile -Live at Wolf Creek-
- 2009: Smile -Live in Prague-
Collaborations with Merzbow
- 2002: Megatone
- 2004: 04092001
- 2005: Sun Baked Snow Cave ( Hydra Head Records )
- 2007: Walrus / Groon ( EP ) (Hydra Head Records)
- 2007: Rock Dream (Southern Lord)
- 2016: Gensho
Further collaborations
- 1998: Black: Implication Flooding (with Keiji Haino )
- 2006: Altar (with Sunn O))) ) (Southern Lord)
- 2006: Rainbow (with Michio Kurihara )
Web links
- Official website
- Boris at Discogs (English)