LES RALLIZES DENUDES Heavier Than A Death In The Family. 2 x LP

Title: Heavier Than A Death In The Family

Catalogue No: ASH2LP3037

“Has a one way trip to the heart of darkness ever been made in a more handsome jalopy?” Julian Cope. Japrocksampler

Side 1 

1. Strung Out Deeper Than The Night 

Side 2

1. The Night Collectors 

2. Night Of The Assassins 

Side 3

1. Enter The Mirror 

2. People Can Choose 

Side 4

1. Ice Fire

Legendary Japanese rock outfit Les Rallizes Denudes were formed in 1967 and incredibly for a group that had only one official release (Oz Days Live, a double vinyl compilation release in 1973), played their last gig almost 30 years later in October 1996. The band’s name apparently means “f••ked up and naked” which more than adequately describes their music. Formed by band leader Mizutani Takashi, the music remained remarkably familiar over the years, and is best described as high volume, raw lo-fi repetitive feedback-drenched guitar noise fests with nods in the direction of the Velvet Underground and Blues Creation but without the electronics. Radical left wing politics was never far from the band’s agenda, with one original band member (Wakabayashi) being involved in the Japanese Red Army’s highjacking of a flight to North Korea.. Consequently, the group’s live appearances became less frequent and increasingly clandestine. All the band’s albums were released in very small quantities and because of the group’s reputation for secrecy and violence, as well as the difficulty in tracking down their recordings, Les Rallizes Denudes has assumed almost mythical status