Hijokaidan

[P A N I C]

Noise from Trading Cards

This, by the way, is truly fucking excellent. Recently scored another (sealed!) copy for €12, I just couldn't NOT buy it.

Re: my earlier questions on the reissues, I recently also bought the 2006 reissue of Modern in addition to my 1994 reissue (still need to pick up the original); I've yet to compare them soundwise (if there are any differences - and if so I'll make sure to report on them), but the design is slightly different. The photo on the inside has the upper black edge cut off, and the typesetting on the spine, back and CD has changed. Otherwise it's pretty much identical.

Also, 2012 turned out to be a particularly good Hijokaidan year, what with the releases of Made in Japan and Made in Studio. Anyone else pick these babies up? I've seen surprisingly little mention of them online (or well, should I be surprised?) but they are absolutely amazing both. Made in Japan is a live registration recorded at Shinjuku Pit Inn featuring Akira Sakata and Sabu Toyozumi, and it's basically a 40-minute blast of shrieks, noise and frantic drums. Absolutely great. Made in Studio are studio sessions featuring almost the same players, though in differing line-ups - for instance, there's a recording of Akira Sakata and Junko shrieking at each other like crazy, their respective howls, sax and vox, mixing into a hellish, blissful chaos. And there's the highlight, Auto-Noda-Fe, the half-hour closing track which features everyone going at it full blast, reminiscent of the live recording but even fucking better. Both great discs, great looks too and extensive liner notes. Get them if you don't have them yet. The first 300 orders received a bonus disc with two more sessions; not sure if that is still happening (I seriously hope they moved 300 sets by now, but who knows...). Highly recommended at the least.

And this year, of course, we had Hatsune-kaidan, the odd combination of vocaloid Miku Hatsune (who I can appreciate, too; Yellow is fucking great, for instance) and Hijokaidan. It's a strange disc, very alienating, with a very cold and distant-sounding Miku singing over plain pop songs with some moments of noise cut in here and there, and then taking the back seat to fuller-sounding noise on the third and fourth tracks. Still, an odd thing and a mixed bag. An interesting experiment but not the best thing I've heard.

Finally, there's the current release Live at Akihabara Goodman, Tokyo, February 2nd, 2013, a digital release only (too bad, I don't like these things) which features a great set list, including some work from Made in Studio (I'm curious at how these are performed...) and Hatsune-Kaidan. Compelling, but again, a digital release... too bloody bad.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

from playlist topic:

Jazz Hijokaidan "Made In Japan" CD
I don't know why this would be really called "jazz hijokaidan" as only real difference is the one sax player joining in c. 40 minutes of total live noise havoc. Non-stop total energy chaos with great sound. Very good!

Hijokaidan "made in studio" CD
In other hand, this is more of jazz hijokaidan! 4 tracks, and this follows idea of their previous studio albums. Even if 2 massive tracks include their trademark "everybody make as much noise as you can" approach, in middle, there are thrown two stripped down tracks involving only couple of the members. Clarinet sound is quite piercings as opposed to saxophone. It's surprisingly good choice!

I recall there has been couple other times these two mentioned in playlist? But quick search didn't give much results. I think being japanese label quite far from western "noise scene"... This is it. Very little comments anywhere.
That said, I was highly surprised to find out that for example never heard Masahiko Ohno (solmania) cdr releases on his own label. Japanese band, small label, not a current western "forum scene" band (haha!).. so information is minimal if not even nonexistent..

[P A N I C]

You're quite right! Still, you'd think big names like these would still find their way to broader non-Japanese audiences too. I guess I'm wrong.

Your post does seem to be the only one; at least, searching for Hijokaidan on the forums yields only that result. Elsewhere on the internet discussion has been limited too, though; I've tried to promote the albums a bit here and there and they have gotten good reactions, but still even some of the most obvious places make no mention of them at all. Such a pity.

Right now I'm revisiting The Last Recording Album, which I thought a bit tame upon the first few tries, but now, with a good set of headphones, it's really opening up. The clarity in recording is great; I love how you can discern so many different things in the mix. Great stuff.

[tisbor]

Also this bizarre "collaboration" with computer-generated idol Hatsune Miku went a bit unnoticed:
http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/event/7128/Hijokaidan
It doesn't seem too good, but it's worth a mention anyway just for Japanese bizarreness' sake.

[P A N I C]

Yes, I mentioned it above too:

And this year, of course, we had Hatsune-kaidan, the odd combination of vocaloid Miku Hatsune (who I can appreciate, too; Yellow is fucking great, for instance) and Hijokaidan. It's a strange disc, very alienating, with a very cold and distant-sounding Miku singing over plain pop songs with some moments of noise cut in here and there, and then taking the back seat to fuller-sounding noise on the third and fourth tracks. Still, an odd thing and a mixed bag. An interesting experiment but not the best thing I've heard.

It's not spectacular by any means.

[tisbor]

Oh sorry, I didn't check the previous posts.
Yeah I imagined so, the samples on youtube sounded pretty dull.

[no_progress]

The first 300 orders received a bonus disc with two more sessions; not sure if that is still happening (I seriously hope they moved 300 sets by now, but who knows...). Highly recommended at the least.

ordered it a month or two ago and the bonus disc was still available as of then anyway..I doubt they have shifted that many sets to be honest, they'll probably still be there next year...

[parapluie]

Just noticed a new boxset on the Alchemy Records website : http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~jojo_h/ar/p_top/
Is it Hijokaidan related ? Can't find any information, but it's already available for sale on Amazon.co.jp, HMV japan, etc. Hope it'll be available in Europe.

And I'm looking for The Last Recording CD, I can't find it for less than 40 euros on Discogs. If anyone knows how to get it for a reasonable price...
The latest japanoise arrivals on FA were great, by the way. Is there more coming ?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

The latest japanoise arrivals on FA were great, by the way. Is there more coming ?

Not that much. Most of that stuff is something what I have had in shelves of my record store SARVILEVYT (www.sarvilevyt.fi ) for many many years. If nobody wanted those Cd's in like 5 years of time, perhaps better to put the stuff online... There are still lots of vinyls and CD's what I don't have in mailorder catalogue. Including some sold out FA items etc..

[parapluie]

Thanks for your answer. Hope I'll be able to visit the shop one day !

Got a mail from Alchemy, he didn't answer any of my questions but told me that the boxset is 200$ including postage and will be released on 19/06.

[Zeno Marx]

There's an expatriate living in Japan uploading Hijokaidan, Incapacitants, Grunt, and others live shows on the Dime a Dozen tracker.  Their recordings are generally very good.

here's what they've shared in the last week:
Spring Love Treatment - [Vava Kitora, Guitar Execution by Guilty Connector und Tabata, Magikal Garden, K2, Gomikawa Fumio (Incapacitants + Painjerk)] Tokyo, Koenji, 20000V, April 13, 2003
Destruction Chaos Vol. 6 - Mothra, Gomidama, Jojo Hiroshige, Keiji Haino, Tokyo, Koenji, 20000V, June 20, 2003
Destruction Chaos Vol. 7 - Magmax, Mothra, Maggie Guiaaaa, Hikosoara, Incapacitants, Tokyo, Shinjuku DOM, November 30, 2003
Finland vs Japan - Montage, Aino, Incapacitants, Rulla, Grunt, Tokyo, Koenji, 20000V, April 10, 2005
Hijokaidan + Incapacitants, Tokyo, Akihabara, Club Goodman, March 22, 2006
The Incapacitants, Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Chop, April 22, 2006
MSBR, KK Null, Incapacitants, Anla Courtis, Tokyo, Koenji, 20000V, January 16, 2005

[Otomo_Hava]

Hijokaidan's The Noise ザ・ノイズ - 30th Anniversary - 1979-2009 (30 CD Box-Set) is a must own for anyone who claims himself as a Japanoise fanatic.

[Bloated Slutbag]

The Noise is worth getting for track 1, disc 28 alone... T. Mikawa solo(?) track, "We Buy N?"
Pretty convincingly demonstrates that Hijokaidan is practically holding him back. Earlier in the thread, FreakAnimalFinland tells us disc 7 is the harshest piece of Hijo in the 30disc set.... track 5, the closing track on disc 7, sounds very consistent with early, primitive-sounding Incaps.

[parapluie]

http://avex.jp/biskaidan/index.html
Another weird collaboration, haha!


I'm waiting for the latest 11CD boxset, Bimbo Tower in Paris will have a few copies.

And still looking for The Noise boxset by the way, Amazon.co.jp won't let me order it since I'm ordering from France...

[Cementimental]

!!! that box set looks amazing! Hideshi Hino art work yey ^__^
I remember being traumatized in my youth by that 'Panorama of Hell' cover art in Forbidden Planet back in the day. :)