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bloodthirsty butchers |
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Yoshimura Hideki
Imoriya Takeshi
Komatsu Masahiro
Tabuchi Hisako |
vocals/guitar
bass
drums
guitar |
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Profile |
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bloodthirsty butchers are not a perfect band. They will not wow you with their musicianship or vocals. There isn't even a guarantee that they will play their songs live the same way that you hear them on their albums. To many they seem sloppy and overly noisy, with songs that run too long and a singer that will never be able to hit those high notes. However, a wise man once said that beauty can be found even in the most apparent of imperfections. Like a well made quilt formed from thrown together scraps, beauty in imperfection is what bloodthirsty butchers is all about.
Originating from Sapporo, the band formed in 1987 with high school classmates Yoshimura Hideki on vocals and guitar, Imoriya Takeshi on bass, and Yotomo Sanoki on drums. They went through several different names, one of them being "butchers," and started off mainly playing punk rock. Eventually the adjective "bloodthirsty" gets added to the name and Komatsu Masahiro replaces Yotomo, who quits somewhere around 1989.
It's around this time sound that the band begins to find their voice: a more freeform rock style with longer songs, multi-layered guitarwork, and meandering passages. Much like a quilt, bloodthirsty butchers' songs seem mostly made from scraps of musical phrases that are thrown together and somehow work. Tracks running around 5-7 minutes seem expected, with 10-15 minute songs not being unheard of. Verses and choruses are sometimes hard to distinguish, especially in early songs like "CLASH! SKY!" and "i'm on fire." Around the yamane era things begin to change a little, with slightly more focus on melody and shorter songs, but the overall sound still retains that quilt-like quality.
Throughout their career, the butchers have gained much critical acclaim for their albums. kocorono, a concept album where each song has a monthly theme, is often highly revered. More importantly, they're regarded with high esteem by their peers. They've played shows with Number Girl, cowpers, Hi-STANDARD, eastern youth, Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her, and several other Japanese favorites, plus they've toured with American groups like Fugazi, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, the Flaming Lips, and Rocket from the Crypt. They even cut a double 7" with the Crypt and have more recently released a split EP with +/- (plus/minus). Asano Tadanobou, one of Japan's premiere actors and a fellow musician, has even collaborated on songs with the group and sang a cover of "12gatsu" ("December") with his wife, singer/actress Chara.
Yoshimura, Imoriya, and Komatsu have formed a strong bond throughout the band's lifespan; the song "Sankaku" ("Triangle") was named after the balance between the three. For a band long known as a three piece, it was pleasant surprise when Tabuchi Hisako joined the butchers on guitar almost 14 years later, turning the triangle into more of a square. The former Number Girl guitarist and Shiina Ringo support player joined the band in 2003, and has since been present in two albums, plus a live album and the +/- collaboration. Even though the band has reached its 20 year mark, it doesn't look like they will stop being bloodthirsty any time soon. 2005 saw the release of banging the drum and the Japanese release of bloodthirsty butchers VS +/-{PLUS/MINUS}. A US version of the split is slated for 2006.
- Chris McDougall (published 2006.07.26, updated 2006.08.22) |
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Links |
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Artist homepage
Columbia
Samples |
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Keikaku Content |
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Review - banging the drum
Review - kocorono
Review - Guitarist wo Korosanaide
Review - Guitarist wo Korosanaide |
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Discography list |
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| Albums |
| BSP-005 |
BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS |
| ZIKS-094 |
i'm standing nowhere |
| TFCC-88138 |
lukewarm wind |
| SOUR7D |
bloodthirsty butchers |
| KICS-587 |
kocorono |
| MVCH-29034 |
Mikansei |
| MVCH-19005 |
「△」SANKAKU+2 |
| TOCT-24634 |
yamane |
| TOCT-24017 |
Kouya ni Okeru bloodthirsty butchers |
| COCP-50748 |
green on red |
| TOCT-25186 |
blue on red |
| COCP-50776 |
birdy |
| COCP-50847 |
banging the drum |
Singles |
| SPEP-04 |
KARASU |
| BOMB-10 |
ROOM |
| Unknown |
Faust |
| Unknown |
DRIWING |
| MVCH9020 |
「△」サンカク (Delta Sankaku) |
| TOCT-4310 |
nagisanite |
| TOCT-22179 |
happy end |
EPs |
| Unknown |
BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS/fOUL |
| COCP-50849 |
bloodthirsty butchers vs +/- |
Compilations |
| AVCD-17953 |
ROCK THE ULTRAMAN |
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kocorono (Album)
Released: 1996.10.23 (KICS-587)
Label: King Records
Tracklist
01. 2月/february 親愛なるアレックスさんへ (Nigatsu/february Shin'ai Naru Alex-san he)
02. 3月/march 青空 (Sangatsu/march Aozora)
03. 4月/april 「大人になんか解ってたまるものか!」 (Shigatsu/april 「Otona ni nanka Wakatte Tamaru Mono ka!」)
04. 5月/may インスト (Gogatsu/may Inst)
05. 6月/june あめ, アメ, 雨 (Rokugatsu/june Ame, Ame, Ame)
06. 7月/july 心 (Shichigatsu/july Kokoro)
07. august/8月 (august/Hachigatsu)
08. 9月/september ぼく (Kugatsu/september Boku)
10. 10月/october 黄昏 (Juugatsu/october Tasogare)
11. 11月/november インスト (Juuichigatsu/novmber Inst)
12. 12月/december トウキョウ (Juunigatsu/december Tokyo)
13. 1月/january (Ichigatsu) |
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bloodthirsty butchers (Album)
Released: 1996.01.29 (SOUR7D)
Label: Bacteria Sour
Tracklist
1. room
2. firebird
3. omae ga dai-kirai da
4. thursday afternoon
5. korekara doshiyo
6. i'm on fire
7. she's sreak
8. modulator
9. Water
10. motherfucker
11. raven
12. alligator |
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lukewarm wind (Album)
Released: 1994.11.02 (TFCC-88138)
Label: Toys Factory
Tracklist
1. なんだかかなしい (Nandaka Kanashii)
2. ドント・ブレイク・ミー (Don't Break Me)
3. 402
4. イン・ア・カー (In a Car)
5. トゥディ (Today)
6. 7
7. イフ (If)
8. ロスト・イン・タイム (Lost in Time)
9. プールサイド (Poolside)
10. プレッシャー (Pressure) |
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i'm standing nowhere (Album)
Released: 1993 (ZIKS-094)
Label: ZK Records
Tracklist
1. omae ga dai-kirai da
2. korekara dohshiyo
3. alligator
4. thursday afternoon
5. room
6. fire bird
7. karasu
8. i'm on fire
9. i'm standing nowhere |
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ROOM (Single)
Released: 1993 (BOMB-10)
Label: TIME BOMB
Tracklist
1. ROOM
2. I HATE YOU |
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KARASU (Single)
Released: 1991 (SPEP-04)
Label: Skinpop Records
Tracklist
1. KARASU
2. Mother Fucker
3. 水 (Mizu) |
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BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS (Album)
Released: 1990 (BSP-005)
Label: B.S.P Project
Tracklist
1. SHE'S BREAK
2. I'm on fire
3. DROP OUT
4. I'm blue
5. SILENCER
6. AM6:00
7. Your sad story
8. CLASH! SKY! |
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