From traditional enka and miny songs to contemporary J-pop and rock, Osaka’s rich cultural history offers an evocative spectrum of styles that transcend genre boundaries. This third volume in our Japan series celebrates the city’s unique culture and effervescent personality. From its neon-soaked downtown pulsing with sci-fi intensity to its unfussy sauce-soaked dishes, Osaka’s kaleidoscope of sounds and styles is sure to thrill!
In the early 1980s, Osaka was home to a short-lived but influential Japanese record label called BGM. Its grainy records brim with post-punk oddities, gritty new-wave, minimal synth and ambient radio noise experiments. While the identities of its musicians remain obscure, BGM’s adventurous ethos rings alluringly to international diggers today.
A key figure behind the idiosyncratic 大阪 歌 レコーディング music and evocative visual art of Osaka Popstar is director, singer and producer John Cafiero, a long-time Misfits and Ramones collaborator and platinum-selling film and video director. He assembled a revolving cast of punk-rock legends to join him on his debut mission, Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk, including Jerry Only (THE MISFITS), Dez Cadena (BLACK FLAG), Ivan Julian (RICHARD HELL & THE VOIDOIDS) and Marky Ramone (THE RAMONES).
The band’s debut LP 'Pure' showcased the dazzling visuals of colossal visual artist John Pound (Wacky Packs creator and Garbage Pail Kids guru). For the follow-up, Rock 'Em O-Sock 'Em Live!, Pound returned and was joined by a team of equally impressive designers. In addition to the album’s striking cover art, each limited edition LP includes an exclusive Topps Bubble Gum Kid trading card featuring the band in action.
For the recording sessions, the band sought out a raw and energetic environment to capture its infectious energy. At a club called Hard Rain, they recorded songs stripped down to their essentials. The resulting sound is raw and alive, with an emphasis on energetic drums, fuzzy guitars and hypnotic track loops.
The band strove to maintain the evocative and mysterious aura of its early work, even though they were now based in Osaka. To this end, they opted to use aliases rather than surnames for their members’ names. For example, guitarist Mitsunobu Kawaminami was credited as “Dada” on the original compilation and as “Kawaminami” on The Crow. Bassist Taku Ito and drummer Masa Sato were credited as “Luchi” on the first two albums, but as “Dada” and “Kawaminami” on the later releases. This way, the listener could more easily imagine the elusive group as it was performing onstage in Osaka.
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