http://www.sabrina-records.com
LO-FI NEISANS
There's not much preparation to be had for a Lo Fi Neisans performance. As a potential listener, you may be told in advance, "they're crazy! No, really. Crazy." But that's about the extent of lead you're given. Perhaps this is because there are too many elements going on to keep track of at once -- a singer in a sumo-diaper-thong, amplified toys, smeared make up, a chorus of vocalists and percussionists, and your own heightened sense of self-preservation. It's a collision that happens too quickly and leaves witnesses disoriented, disturbed, and somehow elated.
With this shocking introduction, you have wonder where this multi-ethnic group came from. The answer is too cut-and-dried -- Japan. Of course. The nation that produced the Boredoms, Ruins, and Melt-Banana spits out yet another perfect and aberrant noise band that makes our banal indie rock cadre truly seem like ugly Americans.
"Thanks for making us look like jackasses," you mutter, wondering why nothing on our native soil looks so green. But the Lo Fi Neisans story doesn't end in that simple summation -- they are awesome, they come once a year and sell tons of merchandize and then bust home in a puff of smoke, leaving a wake of converts jonesing for more imported noise. No, this is a different story. Lo Fi Neisans gave up Japan for America. Lock up your octopi.
1995. Founding Lo Fi Neisan Kunichiro was playing guitar in Tokyo street festivals when he met Hacha. The core of the group began as Kunichiro, Hacha, Kyocha, and Tantan, though members cycle out frequently. Kunichiro shouts dirty words, Tantan could play the drum, Kyocha could play the bass, but Hacha couldn't play the guitar -- that's why Hacha played the toy-keyboard, then many more toys." Oh, and what lovely toys. One indelible image from a live Neisans show is a petite woman bashing amplified Godzilla figures into each other, or shooting a plastic raygun loudly. It's a sight gag that actually serves a rhythmic function in the band. As Kunichiro is quick to assert, "we don't improvise, we play songs."
In 1997, Kunichiro met someone who would be instrumental in the band's career. He and Mark Seilhamer of the Eerie Materials (which has released records by Evolution Control Committee, Negativland, and Caroliner Rainbow) met in Tokyo, and Seilhamer saw the potential for an export. He said, "Lo-Fi Neisans should give shows in San Francisco." Two years later, the plan came to fruition.
"He booked our shows and in 1999 for the first time we could give 6 shows in SF," says Kunichiro. "Also, thanks to Mark, we met Brendan who is Mark's roommate and has a band, The Get-Go. He helped us a lot too; he booked shows for us in Seattle, Olympia, Oakland, Berkeley and SF We could give many shows."
The group found a receptive West Coast audience and were so enamored of the region that they decided en mass to move to California and study English.
"When we give shows in Tokyo, almost always audience dislikes us, but a few bands who give show with us likes us. In SF," he continues in broken English. "Audience likes us, some bands too -- that is also why we moved here as students."
The band changes members constantly and Kunichiro always tries to bring in friends rather than musicians. The latest version consists of Kunichiro, Hacha, Sergio on drum, Yasu on bass, Hikaru on vocals and toys. Sergio played in a band called Popo in his native Columbia. There are even official dancer/singers adding to the international flavor of this world wrap: Eri from Chile and Magali from Peru. The band is like a Benneton ad gone awry.
Lo Fi Neisans are also a tough act to follow, or proceed. Or be anywhere in the vicinity of. By their nature, there are no bands they really "fit" with, but that diversity in billing is a good thing, keeping them from preaching to the choir.
"The experience we've had so far it's good playing with more conventional bands, they appreciate it," elaborates Sergio. "It's funny how more conventional bands like it and more similar style bands always have something to say; they expect only aggressive noise and Lo-Fi Neisans is not only that. 'Noisicians,' or whatever you want to call them, expect something when they go to see us and they get confused when they see some nervous young Latina girls dancing and smiling. They think we have to follow some rules or something."
Rules are made to be broken, and the playful anarchy of these live shows has won the group surprising fans across generic boundary-lines. Perhaps we can all relate to their cross of prepubescent fascinations with sensory stimulation and a creepy sexual undercurrent. Kunichiro's stripping and Cronenberg-looking flesh-beasts in their banners bring up Freudian free-for-alls that are humorous and troubling. Not to mention the lyrics themselves: "We wanna be an American in SF. But my friends said, 'it's difficult.' Yeah, I had a good idea. We can not be an American. But we can be a Vaginan. Because we come from Vagina. Acme. Acme. Vaginaaaaaaaa!!!!"
Perfectly in tune with their overblown id, Lo Fi Neisans exhibits a freaky brotherhood of noise across nationalities and genders. Kunichiro shares his vision of the Neisan future: "We will release a CD with some old songs from previous tapes and new songs in Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and English -- always dirty words in many languages."
-George Chen (Performer magazine January 2002)
Members:
Kunichiro Ueno
Sachiko Suzuki (Hacha)
Mitsuhiro Yasuda (since 98)
Shingo Nakayama (since 02)
Makoto Nakayama (since 03)
Sergio Acevedo (since 01)
Mark Seilhammer (siince 98)
Tago kun (98-00)
Rumi (97-00)
Tam Tam (97-99)
Kyoko (97-00)
Magali (01)
Eli (01)
Hikatu f* (01-02)
Chiara Giovando (11/02)
Tomoko (03/03)
The list goes on and on......
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