Slow and Sad: The Psychedelic Rock of Les Rallizes Denudes

If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you’re probably familiar with the work of Les Rallizes Denudes. This Japanese band is known for their slow, sad, and often minimalist music, which can be both beautiful and haunting.

Introduction

Les Rallizes Denudes is the name given to a Japanese psychedelic rock band, formed in 1967 by Mizutani Fukashi. The band has been described as ” Japan’s answer to the Grateful Dead”. They are best known for their 11-hour improvisational jam, “Fractured Air”, which was recorded live in 1970.

The band’s music is characterized by slow, droning guitars and extended improvisation. They have been cited as an influence by numerous artists, including Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and Nirvana.

Despite their influence, Les Rallizes Denudes never achieved commercial success, and they remain relatively obscure outside of Japan. Nevertheless, they are considered one of the most important bands in the history of Japanese rock music.

The Early Years

Les Rallizes Denudes was a Japanese rock band that was formed in the late 1960s. The band’s music is a mix of psychedelic rock and avant-garde jazz. The band was active until the early 1980s and released several live albums.

Forming the Band

In the spring of 1967, Mizutani and Yoshimi P-We (drums) formed the first incarnation of Les Rallizes Denudes, with Mizutani on guitar and P-We on drums. The band’s early sound was heavily influenced by American Psychedelic Rock bands such as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. They also drew inspiration from Japanese Psychedelic Rock bands such as Ace Frehley. In June 1967, they played their first gig at a club in Osaka.

The band went through several lineup changes in its early years. In 1968, P-We left the band and was replaced by Hiroshi Sugimoto on drums. The following year, keyboardist Ryo Koike joined the band. Around this time, the band’s sound began to change; they began to experiment with feedback and extended jamming, and their live shows became increasingly improvisational.

In 1969, the band released their first single, “Fukusei Nikki”, which was followed by their self-titled debut album later that year. Both the single and album were widely acclaimed by critics and are seen as classics of the Japanese Psychedelic Rock scene.

The First Recordings

In late 1967, Mizutani formed Les Rallizes Denudes with koto player and singer Mizutani, bassist Takashi Naka, and drummer Sakamoto. The group were named after rally driver Raymond Sommer, who was nicknamed “le dernier des fous” (the last of the fools). They made their live debut at a small club in Osaka in December 1967. Their first recordings were made the following year and released on the album Fuse in 1970.

The album was made up of two side-long improvisations, “Fuse” and “Shizuka na Yoru no Owarikata o Wasurete” (Forgetting the Way Things End on a Quiet Night). Both tracks were built around simple riffs played on Mizutani’s feedback-drenched electric guitar and Naka’s distorted bass, over which Sakamoto added sporadic drumming. The tracks were overlaid with Mizutani’s spaced-out vocals and koto playing, and occasional organ and saxophone from guest musicians.

The Middle Years

Between 1968 and 1972, Les Rallizes Denudes released four EPs and two live albums, all of which are now out of print. The band’s sound, a slow, droning, and feedback-laden brand of psychedelic rock, is both hypnotic and transcendental. Les Rallizes Denudes is a band that is both unique and enigmatic; their music is beautiful, but also sad and haunting.

The Double LP

Mizutani, the band’s guitarist and primary songwriter, is the only constant member of Les Rallizes Denudes, and the group’s lineup has shifted considerably over the years. In 1968, Mizutani was studying at Kyoto University when he met future bassist Haroumi Hosono. The two soon began jamming together, and they were soon joined by drummer Hiroshi Oguchi and singer/guitarist Nagoshi. This lineup played their first gig in September 1968, opening for White Heaven at Osaka’s Amana Club. The following year, the quartet relocated to Tokyo and began gigging regularly; they also released their self-titled debut album on the Japanese independent label Phoenix Records in 1969. This record consisted of two live performances: one side contained an extended take on Cream’s “Crossroads,” while the other featured a free-form jam titled “All That I Need Is My Love.”

The Last Recordings

The last recordings of Les Rallizes Denudes were made in 1977, after the group had effectively broken up. These recordings were released in 2002, on the album “Slow and Sad.”

These final recordings are some of the most dark and depressing music ever made. The guitars drone on endlessly, creating a feeling of hopelessness and despair. The vocals are few and far between, and when they do appear, they add to the sense of anguish and despair.

If you’re looking for happy, upbeat music, this is not the album for you. But if you’re in the mood for something slow, sad, and psychedelic, you’ll find a lot to love here.

The Later Years

It’s been seven years since we’ve last heard from Les Rallizes Denudes, and in that time, the world has changed. The band’s sound, once so fresh and vital, now feels slow and sad, a relic of another time. But what hasn’t changed is the band’s ability to create beautiful, emotionally charged music.

The Reunions

In 1977, two years after the break-up of Les Rallizes Denudes, Mizutani and Tabata reformed the band with a new lineup that included Mizutani’s girlfriend Yuko Araki on drums and second guitarist Hiroshi Yamamoto. This lineup would only last for a few months, but during that time they recorded the majority of what would become their posthumous album 777.

The band reunited again in 1982 with yet another new lineup that featured Hideaki Joh on drums and Koji Shimura on keyboards. They recorded two albums with this lineup, 1982’s Eternal Life and 1983’s Deafman Glance. These albums were very different from the band’s earlier work, incorporating more synthesizers and drum machines and moving away from their traditional sound.

The band’s final reunion came in 1996, when Mizutani and Tabata reform the band one last time with a new lineup that included Joh on drums, Shimura on keyboards, and Atsushi Tsuyama on bass. This lineup recorded two albums together, 1996’s The Later Years and 1997’s The Final Years. These albums were a return to the band’s earlier sound, with less emphasis on electronics and more focus on the guitars.

Sadly, Les Rallizes Denudes disbanded for good in 1998 after Mizutani suffered a stroke. He passed away in February of 2009, bring an end to one of Japan’s most influential and enigmatic bands.

The Legacy

Psychedelic rock is often thought of as a product of the 1960s and ‘70s, but the Tokyo-based band Les Rallizes Denudes were making music in that vein well into the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Formed in 1967, the band was originally a vehicle for guitarist Mizutani Kazuo, who was heavily influenced by American acts like the Grateful Dead and Neil Young & Crazy Horse. The rest of the lineup fluctuated over the years, but always revolved around Mizutani; at various times, the band also featured such esteemed Japanese musicians as bassist Nakamura Hiroshi (later of Ghost) and drummer Ogawa “Rubber” Tomoharu (later of Boredoms).

Les Rallizes Denudes’ sound was based around Mizutani’s lengthy, ethereal guitar solos, which were often compared to those of American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler. The rest of the band would provide a hypnotic drone beneath Mizutani’s playing, creating an immersive sound that could sometimes go on for over an hour. The band was notoriously elusive and reclusive, shunning publicity and rarely playing live; their only official release came in 1976, in the form of a live album recorded in 1970. Nevertheless, they became cult legends in Japan’s underground music scene, and their records fetch high prices on the second-hand market.

In recent years, Les Rallizes Denudes have been cited as an influence by an array of contemporary artists, including experimental rock bands such as Deerhoof and Sonic Youth. If you’re looking to get into this unique and fascinating Band, start with their live album from 1970 – it’s a classic of Japanese Psychedelic Rock.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Les Rallizes Denudes may not be the happiest band around, but their music is undeniably beautiful. If you’re in the mood for something slow, sad, and psychedelic, then this is the band for you.