Noise is particularly popular with Kansai bands.
Definitely - there's all this cacophony and noise in the environment. Kansai is a noisy place, right?
And Kansai people generally appreciate noise.
HijoKaidan formed around 1979. Since then it's been possible to enjoy the sounds of Noise.
Called "King of Noise," this band from Kyoto has become pretty famous overseas.
"Popular" would probably be going too far, though....!
Well then, let's have a listen!
Okay, so this is definitely not music, right? This is Noise!
HijoKaidan has become particularly well known overseas.
And, generally, foreign fans of Hijokaidan and Japanese Noise are also interested widely in other kinds of avant-garde art as well.
Groups like Nirvana are often called "noisy" rock, or said to use noise.
But Hiroshige-san's theory is that if there is music in the noise, it all becomes music, and only music.
If a Noise performer includes a sample of music, the whole thing becomes music.
So Noise is only really Noise when it is pure Noise.
Wow...
Yes, it's a very pure approach.
Well, you know, it's all improvised, like free jazz.
But what free jazz and rock musicians were doing wasn't interesting....so we started to explore very loud sounds.
At this point, you've also played a number of live shows, and even toured overseas, right?
So you are starting to have a fan base. What kind of people like HijoKaidan?
Well, there's definitely a difference between those who've only heard the records and those who've seen us live.
The ones who've come to shows tend to understand better... and their reactions are more interesting.
Those who've only heard recordings imagine us as dark and depressed.
So it's two radically different impressions. Kind of interesting.
Hiroshige-san is also called "company president," right?
Yes, he runs Osaka's Alchemy Records.
It's an indie label, but they've put out more than 60 titles so far. Including, of course, all of the Hijokaidan recordings, but others too.
It's mainly a Kansai label, but it's not just Noise - they document the whole music scene.
Punk, psych, some Noise too... a whole variety.