THE GEROGERIGEGEGE

[tisbor]

I agree that he could release any kind of sound as Gerogerigegege and most of us would love it regardless. I hope he does!

all my best to juntaro, with love, Nicola.

[ddmurph]

Now Juntaro is back.

holy shit!

-- all my best to juntaro, with love, dave.

[AWWFN]

Cannot belive Juntaro is back!  Is it definitely him?  I mean, MB returned some years ago which has done wonders for reissue labels but many questioned whether it was him or just someone with access to is old tapes.  Sincerely hope it results in him unearthing some stuff from the 90s, my favourite "noise" band ever.

[HongKongGoolagong]

MB returned some years ago which has done wonders for reissue labels but many questioned whether it was him or just someone with access to is old tapes

I never heard of that particular body double conspiracy theory. I know at least one person who knew about MB's religious conversion before he returned to music had promised to keep it quiet on MB's request.

Juntaro used to telephone my now deceased friend in the early '00s, outsider punk musician Fes Parker, late at night all the way from Japan to enquire about the availability of CD-Rs and T-shirts. Fes was happy about this but also slightly bemused as he had no idea who Juntaro was (not being a noise fan), or why this person was so fascinated when his work had been ignored by so many in the UK.

[AWWFN]

I tried to track him down for years and got nowhere (maybe disappeared/last heard from him around 2002 after the last EP?), heard lots of similar tales of him annoying people into releasing a Gero 7"/trading with them etc.  I'm glad since the dawn of the net loads more people are into the band, though I think aside from maybe the noisecore stuff most people are more interested than the idea of Gero than the actual "band" itself.  Which, paradoxically, seems to be kind of the intention from the start!

[blackoperations]

al - yep, it's apparently definitely him. you're right, the last time anyone heard from him, that i know of, was about 2002. i exchanged a few emails with him myself around that time too (there was an email address on the 'saturday night...' cd). i didn't get much sense out of him to be honest, his emails mainly consisted of trying to sell me handmade artwork versions (that he'd make especially) of cds i already had for triple the price or whatever.

that MDP 7" apparently WAS pressed - 33 copies or something - and it was going to come in 'very special packaging'. indeed, it was always listed as 'released soon' or whatever on their website, and i must've emailed the label guy about 5 or 6 times asking 'when?' but he always just replied with 'as soon as possible, we are still making the packaging' or whatever, but he definitely said the records had been pressed (i think it even said on the website too). then one day the website suddenly went offline and the label guy's email address didn't work anymore. i heard he owed quite a few people (mainly from other labels) money, so maybe that had something to do with it? who knows what happened to those records though. maybe they are just sitting in a box in his house, or god forbid he just threw them out wanting a clean break from 'the scene'. say he just gave them away to friends or whatever surely word about or a picture or something of at least one copy would've turned up somewhere by now?

remind me what 'ultimate psycho trash' is or was meant to be again. the title rings a bell.

[Duncan]

If this does signal a return and/or a slew of reissues I'd find it very difficult to imagine he would go down the 'crappy cdr' route that some folk here are forecasting.  I'm sure he is very aware of the way his output is looked at today and I doubt very much that he wouldn't use this in some way to his advantage rather than self sabotaging the potential for $$$ and hysteria by working with any old label that asks.

What I like most about this is that there is literally nothing he could hypothetically release that would be bad or disappointing.  Except maybe some super hi-tech cut up, proficient noise?!

[AWWFN]

I'm not sure there's a market out there for more than 500 copies of any noise release is there?

Have to say though doing a real high-quality set of reissues of Gero gear would be the ultimate, I'd prob just give up the label at that...job done.

[blackoperations]

well if this tweet is anything to go by - not a great translation though - this guy was talking to juntaro on the phone and there'll be a new gero album, and wheather that is live album or live performance, i don't know yet - waiting for word of what it says. the beast 666/777was666 guy posted this over at maniacs only forum.

google translate :
"Yes phone from Yamanouchi net Taro of Gerogerigegege. Reported to do this year, the completion of the new album at all, and live. The large cooperation personally, but do not release someone? Do not spear throat big thing?"

[SiClark]

"Do not spear throat big thing?"

I love Google translate.

[blackoperations]

i hoped it said there'd be a live performance too but i didn't want to get ahead of myself hoping. this is crazy great news!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I'm not sure there's a market out there for more than 500 copies of any noise release is there?

Have to say though doing a real high-quality set of reissues of Gero gear would be the ultimate, I'd prob just give up the label at that...job done.

It's hard to say. This has a lot to do with saturation of market and results lack of retailer commitments, etc.
Still, good and exceptional album, what is not part of the monthly routine, often keeps selling for year after year.

As example GRUNT latest album has passed 500+ despite being less than 2 year old album. Is it pure "noise"? Maybe not, but hardly has appeal beyond the noise scene and most definitely doesn't have distribution beyond noise scene (except in Finland).
Gerogerigegege is entirely different thing. It's not just a band, it's cult. Legend acknowledged by old and new noiseheads and way beyond. While vast majority of noise bands have no business outside the core of noise scene, well done Gerogerigegege CD (reissues for example), would have potential to end up in shelves of shops, indie mailorders, punk/grind distros, etc etc.

Therefore I hope if someone has possibility to do reissues, it wouldn't be hundred euro price tag collectors vinyl box-sets, not extortionist priced "japan imports", not inkjet printed CDR's, pixelated bad graphics, etc. But follow the original feel of Vis'aVis. Professional, big editions, available for large audience what is still hungry for Gero. It is not difficult to do. It would be all about just doing normal job. Not fucking up and not overkill with attempts to flirt handful of wealthier collectors.

[blackoperations]

someone else said it seems message says he's looking for label for the album and organiser for the concert.

re. album. hey al - it's your big chance! haha! seriously try emailing him on that vis a vis email address on 'saturday night...', if it doesn't work i'll try to get his new email address.

[tiny_tove]

Cannot belive Juntaro is back!  Is it definitely him?  I mean, MB returned some years ago which has done wonders for reissue labels but many questioned whether it was him or just someone with access to is old tapes. 

why should not be Maurizio?

[AWWFN]

When he came back lots of people questioned whether it was him or not.  Having been in close contact for several years now I'm convinced but definitely loads of people were sceptical at the time.

Re:Gero; completely in agreement with Mikko on quality of reissues etc.  That said, most Gero CDs aren't that hard to get, are they?  A cohesive 7" compilation would be fantastic I think.  In honesty there aren't many occasions when I crack out the "Night" 7 for example but would be nice as part of a bigger collection.