【コラム】 90年代〜2000年代日本アンダーグラウンド・ロックとノイズの軌跡

Column en 00s 90s Experimental Noise

24 Sep 2025

The intersection of Japanese underground rock and noise from the 90s to 2000s

Text: mmr｜Theme: Global attention on the Japanese underground music scene from the 1990s to the 2000s

The 1990s and 2000s were the heyday of noise music and also served as a crossroads with alternative rock and avant-garde punk. In particular, artists such as Keiji Haino, Merzbow, Hijikaido, Melt-Banana, Boredoms, and Violent Onsen Geisha destroyed existing musical genres and opened up new areas of expression.

Japanese underground craze

Fushitsusha led by Keiji Haino, Masami Akita’sMerzbow, Ai Yamazuka and Seiichi Yamamoto’s BOREDOMS, Incapacitors and Violence Onsen Geisha broke the boundaries of conventional rock and punk, creating a sonic world that combined noise and experimental spirit.

This period also saw the rise of indie labels, appearances at international festivals, and accelerated interactions with the American and European underground.Furthermore, cutting-edge activities were developed that influenced film and soundtrack production, as well as later AI music generation.

Scene features

Keiji Haino: “Ritual of sound” through feedback and improvisation.
Merzbau: While moving from analog equipment to laptop noise, it reflects animal rights and vegetarianism.
Firefighter: An existence that blurs the line between “noise band” and “performance art.”
Boredoms: Fusing psychedelic and noise, influencing the American alternative scene.
Melt-Banana: “Nano Core” combines the speed of hardcore and the texture of noise.

Characteristics, changes, and anecdotes of each band

Keiji Haino

Features: A “sound ritual” that makes full use of guitar, vocals, and feedback.A sound world centered on improvisation that can be described as religious or magical.
Change: From solo works in the 1970s to active in bands such as Fushitsusha since the 1990s.Continuing to explore beyond the framework of improvisation.
Anecdote: He is known as the “sound shaman” because he changes all the strings on his guitar before a concert and releases the sound as if in a ritual.

Album	Features	Links
Watashi Dake? (1981/Reissue 1998)	Early masterpiece.Solitary singing voice and guitar noise expression	Amazon
Fushitsusha – A Death Never To Be Complete (1997)	A sea of overwhelming improvisation and feedback	Amazon

Merzbow

Characteristics: Synonymous with “noise music”.From the chaotic roar of analog equipment, he transitioned to laptops in the late 1990s.
Changes: Internationally acclaimed with cassette tape works in the 80’s and CD releases in the 90’s.In the 2000s, he incorporated “environmental protection” and “animal rights” into his music.
Anecdote: The album Pulse Demon'' is calledthe most unlistenable album’’ overseas, and is considered a monumental piece of noise.

Album	Features	Links
Venereology (1994)	Noise + death metal elements.Extreme Extreme	Amazon
Pulse Demon (1996)	A definitive collection of harsh noise.An overwhelming work with a sustained metallic roar	Amazon
Merzbeat (2002)	A fusion of 4/4 beat and noise.A unique work with a club-like feel	Amazon

Emergency stairs

Features: The world’s first “noise band”.In addition to noise performances, they became legendary for their extreme performances (food throwing, sparks, naked dancing).
Changes: Started their activities in the 80’s, and recorded mainly live albums in the 90’s.Since the 2000s, he has developed experimental activities such as co-starring with idols.
Anecdote: The act of ``butchering a chicken’’ during a live performance sparked a huge discussion in overseas media and was treated as a social scandal.

Album	Features	Links
Zoroku’s Strange Disease (1980)	Records of early violent noise	Amazon
Noise Densetsu (2014)	All members of Merzbau and Incapacitors participate, session sound source with Hijikaido	Amazon

Boredoms

Characteristics: A fusion of noise, psychedelic, and hardcore.A band that combines artistry and chaos.
Transition: In the early days, they were noise punk, but in the 90’s they became more polyrhythmic and psychedelic with Super æ'' andVision Creation Newsun’’.
Anecdote: “77 Boadrum” was held in Brooklyn, NY on July 7, 2007.A legendary event that will conduct 77 drummers.

Album	Features	Links
Pop Tatari (1991)	An insane fusion of noise and hardcore	Amazon
Super æ (1998)	A psychedelic polyrhythmic masterpiece	Amazon
Vision Creation Newsun (1999)	Spiritual and psychedelic sound image	Amazon

Melt-Banana

Features: Super fast hardcore + noise.Vocalist Yasuko O. is characterized by her cute and cutting voice.
Changes: Formed in the early 90’s, expanded overseas with support from Steve Albini.In the 2000s, the sound changed to a more electronic and structural sound.
Anecdote: They received rave reviews from John Zorn during their overseas tour, and gained cult popularity as ``Japan’s fastest band’’ in the American alternative scene.

Album	Features	Links
Speak Squeak Creak (1994)	Early masterpiece.Explosive speed nanocore	Amazon
Charlie (1998)	A mid-period masterpiece with a well-structured and improved musicality	Amazon
Cell-Scape (2003)	A new frontier that introduces electro elements	Amazon

Recommended albums by generation

Era	Artist/Album	Features	Links
1991	Boredoms – Pop Tatari	A crazy fusion of avant-garde noise and rock	Amazon
1994	Melt-Banana – Speak Squeak Creak	Early masterpiece.Explosive speed nano core	Amazon
1996	Merzbow – Pulse Demon	The pinnacle of harsh noise.The most important work before laptops	Amazon
1998	Keiji Haino – Watashi Dake? (Reissue)	Recorded in the 70s but re-evaluated since the 90s	Amazon
2017	Emergency Staircase – Destroy Noise Symphony	A collection of performance noise	Amazon

Scene correlation diagram

flowchart TD A["Keiji Haino"] --> B["Improvisation/Feedback"] C["Merzbow"] --> D["Harsh Noise"] E["Emergency Staircase"] --> F["Noise x Performance"] G["Boredoms"] --> H["Psych x Noise"] I["Melt-Banana"] --> J["Hardcore x Noise"] B --> Z["90s-2000s Japanese Underground"] D --> Z F --> Z H --> Z J --> Z

FAQ — About the Japanese underground noise scene

Q1: How did the scene change between the 90s and 2000s?

A1: The 1990s was a time of an explosion of innovative experiments, and the 2000s was a time of reappraisal and reissues from overseas.

Q2: Which works would you recommend for beginners to listen to?

A2: Boredoms’ Super æ and Merzbow’s Merzbeat are relatively easy to get into.

Q3: How did noise and rock come together?

A3: With the influence of psychedelics and punk, a new expression has been born that combines roaring sounds and improvisation.

Q4: How does it relate to soundtrack production and AI music generation?

A4: Experimental sound gives a unique sense of tension to the video work, and presents a structure that can be applied to AI-generated music research.

summary

Japanese underground rock and noise from the 1990s to the 2000s was not just a musical genre, but a cultural testing ground.Keiji Haino’s ceremonial performance, Merzbow’s technological evolution, Hijikadan’s destructive performance, Melt-Banana’s driving sensation, and Boredoms’ psychedelic noise fusion are unique expressions that will remain in the history of world music.

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