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Melt-Banana

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Melt-Banana is a band from Tokyo, Japan. They were formed around 1991/1992 by singer Yasuko Onuki. Yasuko soon met guitar player Ichirou Agata and they also teamed up with bassist Rika. In the early stages they performed under the name Mizu. Famous noise musician KK Null (of Zeni Geva) took notice and arranged for them to fly to Chicago, USA to work with Steve Albini on their first album "Speak Squeak Creak" (1994) which Null released on his own label Nux Organization. Their second album "Scratch or Stitch" was released on cult label Skin Graft and since then they've released all their albums on their own A-Zap Records. They first got big notice on their US tour with Mr. Bungle.
The core sound of Melt-Banana is punk and the distinct "puppy-yelping" vocals shouted by Yasuko coupled with Agata's charcteristic guitar playing using a wide array of special effects pedals which often sound something like hip-hop/scratching has given them a very large cult following over the world. They have collaborated with Merzbow, John Zorn and Otomo Yoshihide among others, all big names in the "noise scene". And with 6 studio albums, 2 live albums, 20+ singles, EPs, splits and collaborations under their belt they continue to pour out their music and tour frequently.
Recently they have played several shows under the name MELT-BANANA Lite. This is when they perform without any guitar or bass and just using drums/vocals and an array of electronics and theremins.
Sites:
melt-banana.net, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook
Members:
Agata (2), Ohshima, Rika Hamamoto, Sudoh Toshiaki, Yasuko Onuki
Variations:
Viewing All | Melt-Banana
[a190371]

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Marketplace 1,070 For Sale

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Albums
IGTD-021 Melt-Banana - Raw Egg Till Morning album art Melt-Banana Raw Egg Till Morning ‎(Cass) Iguana Coax IGTD-021 Japan 1993 Sell This Version
NUX-D 9 Melt-Banana - Speak Squeak Creak album art Melt-Banana Speak Squeak Creak (Album) Nux Organization NUX-D 9 US 1994 Sell This Version
CHOC-030 Melt-Banana - Cactuses Come In The Flocks album art Melt-Banana Cactuses Come In The Flocks (Album) Chocolate Monk CHOC-030 UK 1994 Sell This Version
gmcd*016 Melt-Banana - Chipfarm album art Chipfarm = Optical-8* + Melt Banana* + Elliot Sharp* + Zeena Parkins Chipfarm = Optical-8* + Melt Banana* + Elliot Sharp* + Zeena Parkins - Chipfarm ‎(CD, Album) God Mountain gmcd*016 Japan 1995 Sell This Version
MECI-25041 Melt-Banana - Scratch Or Stitch album art Melt-Banana Scratch Or Stitch (Album) Skin Graft Records, Nux Organization MECI-25041 Japan 1995 Sell This Version
AZLP-0001 Melt-Banana - Charlie album art Melt-Banana Charlie (Album) A-Zap Records AZLP-0001 US 1998 Sell This Version
TZ 7219 Melt-Banana - MxBx 1998/13000 Miles At Light Velocity album art Melt Banana* MxBx 1998/13000 Miles At Light Velocity (Album) Tzadik TZ 7219 US 1999 Sell This Version
AZCD-0003 Melt-Banana - Teeny Shiny album art Melt-Banana Teeny Shiny (Album) A-Zap Records AZCD-0003 US 2000 Sell This Version
AZLP-0005 Melt-Banana - Cell-Scape album art Melt-Banana Cell-Scape (Album) A-Zap Records AZLP-0005 US 2003 Sell This Version
AZCD-0007 Melt-Banana - Bambi's Dilemma album art Melt-Banana Bambi's Dilemma (Album) A-Zap Records AZCD-0007 US 2007 Sell This Version
AZCD-0008 Melt-Banana - Melt-Banana Lite Live: ver.0.0 album art Melt-Banana Melt-Banana Lite Live: ver.0.0 ‎(CD, Album) A-Zap Records AZCD-0008 Japan 2009 Sell This Version
AZLP-0009 Melt-Banana - Fetch album art Melt-Banana Fetch (Album) A-Zap Records AZLP-0009 Japan 2013 Sell This Version

Singles & EPs
CHS-5 Melt-Banana - Hedgehog album art Melt-Banana Hedgehog ‎(7", EP) Charnel Music CHS-5 US 1994 Sell This Version
HG-024 Melt-Banana - Melt-Banana / God Is My Co-Pilot album art Melt-Banana / God Is My Co-Pilot Melt-Banana / God Is My Co-Pilot - Melt-Banana / God Is My Co-Pilot ‎(7", Ltd) HG Fact HG-024 Japan 1994 Sell This Version
GR24, NUX-EP01 Melt-Banana - It's In The Pillcase album art Melt-Banana It's In The Pillcase (EP) Skin Graft Records, Nux Organization GR24, NUX-EP01 US 1995 Sell This Version
HG-042 Melt-Banana - Melt-Banana / Discordance Axis album art Melt-Banana / Discordance Axis Melt-Banana / Discordance Axis - Melt-Banana / Discordance Axis ‎(7", Ltd) HG Fact HG-042 Japan 1995 Sell This Version
AM-16 Melt-Banana - Split album art Melt-Banana / Pencilneck Melt-Banana / Pencilneck - Split ‎(7") Anti-Music Records AM-16 US 1995 Sell This Version
none Melt-Banana - Split E.P. album art Melt-Banana / Target Shoppers Melt-Banana / Target Shoppers - Split E.P. ‎(7", EP, Blu) Destroy All Music, Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers none US 1996 Sell This Version
gg703 Melt-Banana - Melt-Banana album art Melt-Banana Melt-Banana ‎(7", EP, Ltd, Num) Gentle Giant Records gg703 US 1996 Sell This Version
some 03 Melt-Banana - Melt-Banana / Stilluppsteypa album art Melt-Banana / Stilluppsteypa Melt-Banana / Stilluppsteypa - Melt-Banana / Stilluppsteypa ‎(10") Something Weird some 03 Iceland 1996 Sell This Version
#39 Melt-Banana - Eleventh album art Melt-Banana Eleventh Slap A Ham Records #39 US 1997 Sell This Version
CT-008 Melt-Banana - Melt-Banana / Xerobot album art Melt-Banana / Xerobot Melt-Banana / Xerobot - Melt-Banana / Xerobot ‎(5", EP) Coat-Tail Records CT-008 US 1997 Sell This Version
POP 7.001, RR14 Melt-Banana - Most Wanted World Wide sp album art Melt-Banana / Killout Trash Melt-Banana / Killout Trash - Most Wanted World Wide sp ‎(7", Ltd) kool.POP, Rødel Records POP 7.001, RR14 Germany 1997 Sell This Version
none Melt-Banana - Y-Axis/Aquatic Bee / Gargoyles album art Melt Banana* / Plainfield Melt Banana* / Plainfield - Y-Axis/Aquatic Bee / Gargoyles ‎(7", Ltd, Num, Red) Smelly Records none US 1997 Sell This Version
HG-097 Melt-Banana - Dead Spex album art Melt-Banana Dead Spex (EP) HG Fact HG-097 Japan 1998 Sell This Version

Reviews Show All 5 Reviews

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turntable_terrorist

turntable_terrorist

January 5, 2021
edited 1 day ago
Melt-Banana was my final induction to "extremely noisy music most people cannot get into" during my late teens and 20s after going thru the long line of the DHR camp, the whole Breakcore scene and its many sister genres, Merzbow, cyber grind and god knows what else thanks to having the internet at hand. Since turning to them I have seen the band live twice and although the band now function as a duo they are still impressive as they bring the same ferocity that is heard on their albums, perhaps with more oomph as they backed by 3-4 huge amps blasting Agata's mighty guitar effects out (who contrary to belief before the COVID pandemic was often photographed with a face mask, i heard a rumour it was due to him having nose bleeds a lot) with Yako often standing there swinging what looks to be a Wii mote triggering samples with a mic in her hand as she yelps her way through the band's back-catalogue about animals and other nonsensical stuff. It's just a shame their often crunchy basslines sound provided by Rika mm' has sadly been phased out, as they stood on par with the mayhem on board.

But yes, a fantastic band. I'm a bit older in my ear lugs now and find their early work like Scratch Or Stitch an extreme chore to sit through, but there is gold throughout, such as their cover work of songs are always interesting and often they have turned up the speed on most of the original track up by 1000%. for beginners wanting to check Mx Bx out, choose Cell Scape, Teeny Shiny or Fetch as your starter point and see what the band do you, as their work is always guaranteed to wake you up from the word go, and closing with the words "wait, what just happened?"
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glowworm1

glowworm1

October 8, 2019
My review of this incomparable, extraordinary, astonishing band???? Quite simply the Greatest band in this or any other Universe!!!! From the very first time I heard them on where else but John Peel, they blew me away...a blistering, savage, unrelenting aural assault on the senses, that leaves you in billions of fragments, as though you were being flung into a black hole...live they are even more visceral, truly obliterating you with relentless shards of sonic terror. Be it a 10 second blitz, or their longer tracks, the sheer heart attack energy will shatter you into your component parts, before splitting the parts into quarks...all their albums are awesome, with Cell-Scape possibly their masterpiece. Truly unlike any other band out there...
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kamikaze_deadboy

kamikaze_deadboy

April 7, 2014
edited over 7 years ago
no reviews?! I will start off by saying MxBX are a very unique and sometimes uneasy listening band, you can either love or hate MxBx (i personally love them). Once described by Kerrang! magazine as "been trapped in a elevator with slayer and a three ring circus" (in a good way) MxBx's sound is heavily spearheaded by Agata's mighty guitar effects, Yasuko's occasional yelping lyrics, speedy grindcore-esque breakblast drums and (now formely) jazzy rough bass provided by Rika.

the lyrics are often silly and amusing nonsensical about animals and things that all rhyme together, but this is just another facet of the MxBx sound. beginners might instantly turn off if they hear the early melt banana sound from 1994-1995, but after teeny shiny and onwards their music actually became listenable, and enjoyable/sometimes confusing to introduce some of my more "extreme" metal friends.

If you are keen though i suggest picking up Cell Scape as a starter album (as i did, and never looked back) and then work your way backwards to see which era you prefer, as albums like Scratch Or Stitch may test your patience in listening. Also be sure to check some of their cover song work, as they totally ripped songs like the beach boy's surfin' USA into a whole new level of groove.
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