Boris ボリス | |
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.jpg) Boris performing in Australia, 2012 (L-R: Wata, Atsuo, Takeshi) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1992–present |
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| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | borisheavyrocks |
Boris (ボリス,Borisu) is a Japanese band that draws variously from styles such assludge metal,drone,noise,psychedelia, andminimalism.[1] Formed in 1992 inTokyo, the band is composed of drummer Atsuo, guitarist/bassist Takeshi, and guitarist/keyboardist Wata. All three members sing. Boris has released more than 20 studio albums on various labels around the world, as well as a variety of live albums, compilations, EPs, singles, and collaborative albums. They have collaborated with acts such asSunn O))),Merzbow,Keiji Haino, and guitaristMichio Kurihara.
Boris was originally a four-piece band with Atsuo on lead vocals, Wata on guitar, Takeshi on bass, and Nagata on drums. The band is named aftera song of the same name on theMelvins albumBullhead.[1] Boris's debut albumAbsolutego was released in 1996 on their own record label Fangs Anal Satan. Nagata departed in 1996 and Atsuo switched to drums, while Wata expanded her duties to lead guitar and keyboards, and Takeshi took on bass and rhythm guitar duties on a double-necked instrument of his own design.[2] All three adopted lead vocal duties, and the band has remained a three-piece ever since.[3]
In Japan, Boris release most of their music on theindie labelInoxia Records. Though relatively unknown in their home country, a series of reissues of their early albums on the American labelSouthern Lord Records caused a surge of popularity in North America.[4] Boris also collaborates with other artists regularly, first on the 1998 albumBlack: Implication Flooding with experimental musicianKeiji Haino.[5] They have released seven collaborative albums with noise artistMerzbow,[6] and have released collaborative albums with international artists likeSunn O)))[7] andIan Astbury.[8]
Their international popularity was bolstered by their 2005 albumPink, which was met with considerable critical praise and a strong response from music fans when reissued in the US on Southern Lord.Blender magazine andSPIN magazine both named it one of 2006's best albums.[9] The album also topped the metal section of Canadian magazineExclaim!'s 2006 Reader's Poll, and it was named in the top 10 ofPitchfork Media's Top 50 Records of 2006. They also appeared on theavant-garde metal soundtrack toJim Jarmusch's filmThe Limits of Control in 2009. Regarding Boris, Jarmusch said that "what's really remarkable is when they play live they're in the mode, in a way, ofjazz musicians, not structurally or musically, but the way they listen to what the others are doing and build on it. Each time they play something it's obviously different, every time."[10]
Boris focus a lot of their time on touring. In an interview, Atsuo said:
"That we tour so much and release so many albums, I think it is representative of what we're about. Direct communication is something we've lost in this day and age. It's a shame – [even] interviews are over [the] phone. I think it's important to see people face to face – that's why it's so important to go on tour. It's something very basic to humans that we've lost lately."[11]
Boris received additional international exposure when they opened forNine Inch Nails on part of the 2008 segment of theLights in the Sky tour.[12] From 2011 to 2017, they released several albums onSargent House Records,[13] and continue to reissue previous albums in new formats.[14] In 2017, the band's 25th anniversary, they considered retirement after one final album. However, a successful songwriting and recording process for that album,Dear, encouraged the band to continue.[15][16] While self-isolating during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Boris self-released the rock-oriented albumNO[17] and the ambient albumW,[18] with the two constituting a project calledNOW. Their third album titledHeavy Rocks, featuring explorations of hard rock and heavy metal sounds, was released in August 2022.[19] During an American tour to support the album, drummer Atsuo adopted the role of frontman (which he had rarely done since the 1990s), performing most lead vocals, while Mike Engle of the band Crawl performed as guest drummer.[20] In December 2022, Boris released their third studio album of the year,Fade, which focuses ondrone metal and appeared with no prior notice.[21]
Throughout their career, Boris have made deliberate efforts to avoid a strong association with any musical style. In particular, they do not consider themselves aheavy metal band despite frequently being categorized as such.[22][23] In an interview, drummer Atsuo stated: "Having some kind of preconceived message or theme is very boring to me. It becomes a crutch. Just say what you want to say."[24]
The wide variety of genres used by reviewers to describe Boris's music includeexperimental music,[25][26]experimental rock,[27]noise music,[28]noise rock,[29]experimental[30]/avant-garde metal,[29]doom metal,[31][32]post-metal,[33]drone metal,[34]sludge metal,[35]psychedelic music,[36]psychedelic rock,[31][37] psychedelic metal,[32] andstoner rock.[38] While they first emerged as a sludge metal band with stronghardcore punk influences,[31] their subsequent releases have employed elements of a wide variety of genres, includingdrone music,[33] old-schoolindustrial music,[33]ambient music,[28]acid rock,[31]garage rock,[33]shoegaze,[28]dream pop,[33]J-pop,[31] andcrust punk.[31]
For example, the band's debut albumAbsolutego featured a "65-minute track of oozing, slow motion, Melvins-inspired drone rock/metal,"[39] while its follow-upAmplifier Worship incorporated psychedelia andjam band influences.[40] Their third albumFlood incorporated elements from drone.[41]Akuma no Uta andPink engaged in different stylistic experimentation,[42] including shoegazing, stoner rock, andpost-rock.[43]Vein (2007) was released in "Hardcore" and "Noise" versions,[1] whereasNew Album experimented withelectronica and dream pop.[44] The albumNoise featured elements fromgrunge music.[45]
Boris uses many different effects pedals, amplifiers, and other guitar accessories while performing live. Wata uses anE-bow to achieve bow-like sounds or to manipulate feedback; this device is held in the hand, like apick, but relies on a magnetic field vibration to move the guitar's strings.[46] Wata also occasionally plays anaccordion and keyboards in concert.[47] Takeshi typically plays adouble-necked bass/guitar live, which allows him to play both rhythm guitar during the band's lengthier tracks as well as bass guitar during their more traditional tracks, without needing to switch instruments.[2] They also play with extremely low tunings, such as A# standard, to achieve a heavier sound, Takeshi used a three octaves tuning for the music "Loveless", from the albumNo.[48][49]
In the studio, Boris records onanalog equipment. They use minimal overdubs, recording mostly live.[24]
Studio albums
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