Japan’s underground noise scene—often called Japanoise—has long pushed the boundaries of sound. Emerging in the late ’70s and exploding in the ’80s and ’90s, it’s a genre defined not by harmony or rhythm, but by texture, volume, and raw sonic intensity. Here are three standout releases that capture its diverse spirit:
C.C.C.C. – Phantasmagoria
Led by Hiroshi Hasegawa and featuring the hypnotic performance art of Mayuko Hino, C.C.C.C. created noise with a psychedelic, almost ecstatic edge. Phantasmagoria layers analog synths and feedback into a swirling, euphoric soundscape—less confrontational, more transcendent. It's noise as out-of-body experience.
* Listen / Preorder: C.C.C.C. – Phantasmagoria LP - Shipping July, 2025
Dissecting Table – Ultra Point Of Intersection Exist
Ichiro Tsuji’s project merges harsh noise with industrial precision. This album is clinical and intense, filled with metallic clangs, distorted loops, and mechanical dread. It’s engineered chaos—a cybernetic fever dream that feels both cold and grippingly alive.
* Preorder: Dissecting Table – Ultra Point Of Intersection Exist LP - Shipping July, 2025
Merzbow / Null + Nord – B-Semi Live 24/5/1984
A raw document from a key event in Japanoise history. Merzbow, Null, and Nord deliver a live performance of pure analog destruction. Lo-fi, immediate, and chaotic, this is noise in its most primal, communal form—a snapshot of the genre’s birth throes.
* Preorder: Merzbow / Null + Nord – B-Semi Live 24/5/1984 LP - Shipping July, 2025
Why Japanoise?
Japanoise isn’t about melody—it’s about immersion, sensation, and freedom. Whether through spiritual feedback (C.C.C.C.), cybernetic grind (Dissecting Table), or live chaos (B-Semi), these artists stretch the limits of what sound can be.
Not for the faint of heart—but essential for anyone drawn to the fringes.