Melt-Banana

WORT 89.9 FM
supports
Melt-Banana
with special guests
United Sons of Toil
and
Dick the Bruiser
Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that is known for playing extremely fast and noisy music mixed with experimental electronica that might be described as new-wave grindcore. They have worked with artists as diverse as Merzbow, John Zorn, Mike Patton, and Discordance Axis. They have released nine albums and toured worldwide extensively.
In 1991, while attending Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Yasuko Onuki started a band with Agata Ichiro on guitar called Mizu, and played shows at the University and recorded a demo tape. After several bass player and drummer changes, Yasuko recruited Rika Chang (aka Rika mm') on bass. They briefly performed shows around Tokyo without a drummer, then Toshiaki Sudoh joined on the drums in November 1992, and they changed their name to Melt-Banana.
In May 1993, Melt-Banana played a show opening for K.K.NULL of Zeni Geva fame, who was impressed enough to immediately offer them a recording on his label, and later introduce them to Mark Fischer of Skin Graft Records and Steve Albini.
Melt-Banana have released eight full-length albums and 23 EPs (primarily split releases with other bands, most of which were compiled onto one disc in 2005). In 1997, they created their own recording company, A-Zap (formerly Iguana Coax), and re-issued most of all their early albums. During this time, drummer Toshiaki Sudoh quit. Since then, the band has had different drummers helping for tours and recordings. They do massive U.S. and U.K. tours yearly and do smaller Japanese tours (the reason for this, according to them, is that travelling in Japan is quite expensive). Most recently, Melt-Banana recorded the song "Hair-Cat (Cause the Wolf Is a Cat!)" for Perfect Hair Forever on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup. The latest album, Bambi's Dilemma, was released on April 24, 2007.
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