Yamantaka Eye (山塚アイ, real name Tetsurō Yamatsuka 山塚徹郎) is a Japanese vocalist and visual artist, best known as a member of Boredoms. He has changed his name three times, from Yamatsuka Eye, to Yamantaka Eye, to Yamataka Eye, and sometimes calls himself eYe or EYヨ. He also DJs under the name DJ 光光光 or "DJ pica pica pica" ("pica" means "bright" or "shiny") and has used other pseudonyms on occasion.
KK NULL (real name : KAZUYUKI KISHINO) was born in Tokyo, Japan. Composer, guitarist, singer, mastermind of ZENI GEVA and electronic wizard. One of the top names in Japanese noise music and in a larger context, one of the great cult artists in experimental music since the early 80's. In 1981 KK NULL studied at Butoh dancer, Min Tanaka's "Mai-Juku" workshop and started his career by performing guitar improvisations in the clubs in Tokyo.
Keiji Haino (灰野敬二) born 1952 in Chiba, Japan, and currently residing in Tokyo, is a Japanese musician whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise, singer-songwriter, solo percussion, psychedelic, minimalism and drone styles, and covers. He has been active since the 1970s and continues to record regularly and in new styles. His main instruments of choice have been guitar and vocals, with many other instruments and approaches incorporated into his career’s work.
Merzbow (メルツバウ) is an experimental music project created in Tokyo in 1979 under the direction of musician Masami Akita (秋田昌美). Since 1979, Akita has formed two record labels and has contributed releases to numerous independent record labels. As well as being a prolific artist, he has also written a number of books and has been the editor of several magazines in Japan. He has written about a variety of subjects, mostly about art, avant-garde music and post-modern culture. His more renowned works have been on the topics of BDSM and fetish culture.
Avant-garde rock/psych-tinged punk since 1978.
Based in New York in the late 80s, and signed to Alternative Tentacles, Ultra Bide have been working out of Kyoto since 2003: a power-trio featuring twin basses and no guitar. Ultra Bide are: Hide - Bass, Vocal
Chimaki - Drums
Maki - Bass http://ultrabide.net/
Nisennenmondai (にせんねんもんだい) are three girls from Tokyo, Japan : Himeno Sayaka (drums), Zaikawa Yuri (bass) and Takada Masako (guitar). Formed in 1999, the name refers to the "Year 2000 Computer Bug". The girls compose mostly instrumental tracks. Nisennenmondai has become favorites of the Tokyo noise underground thanks to performing their live shows with a healthy doses of intensity. www.nisennenmondai.com
Hijokaidan (非常階段, lit. "emergency stairway") is a Japanese noise and free improvisation group with a revolving lineup that has ranged from two members to as many as fourteen in its early days. The group is the project of guitarist Yoshiyuki "Jojo" Hiroshige (Japanese; 広重嘉之,JOJO広重) its one constant member, who is head & owner of the Osaka-based Alchemy Records. Other regulars include Jojo's wife Junko and Toshiji Mikawa (also of Incapacitants).
There are at least 7 bands / artists who have released music under the name "K2". 1. A dance-pop group (formed by sisters Kristina and Aleksandra Kovač) who became widely popular in eastern Europe during the 90's. 2. A German eurodance band, who are best known for their 1994 hit song Der Berg Ruft. 3. A Japanese harsh noise artist who has been active since the early 80s. 4. A Poland based rapper. 5. A psychedelic drone artist.
YASUNAO TONE (刀根康尚) was one of the first Japanese artists active in composing "events" and improvisational music. He has been active in the Fluxus movement since 1962 and has also been an organizer and participant in many important music and performance groups such as Group Ongaku, Hi-Red Center, Team Random (the first computer art group organized in Japan). Primarily a composer, Tone has worked in many media, creating pieces for electronics, computer systems, film, radio and television, as well as environmental art.
Pain Jerk (Japanese; ????????) is a noise music unit run by Japanese musician Kohei Gomi. Pain Jerk was one of the more prolific and influential noise artists of the 1990s, and is one of the leading figures in the "dynamic" style of Japanese noise, alongside acts such as Merzbow and Kazumoto Endo. Gomi is also the owner of the noise label AMP, and a member, along with T. Mikawa and F. Kosakai of Incapacitants, of the noise supergroup Gomikawa Fumio.