The year was 1997, my friends and I had just opened a squat. A new guy was also moving in and with him some cassette tapes. So, I was fixing something in my room when I heard music coming from this guy's room. It was Gauze, and I thought: "wow! I haven't heard that for while" (a few months maybe). Then a new band came up on that tape. It was Japanese like Gauze, tight like Gauze, but faster and shorter -not too short- just like a HC band should be. After 1, 2, 3 songs I had to ask what the name of that "atomic bomb" was, ironically coming from Japan. It was SHIKABANE. Needless to say that became the top band for that year.
I needed the record though, as the tape was missing some tracks. It only had 8, with the last one being incomplete! But at that time it wasn't so easy to hunt records like nowadays.
Although it was quite easy to get their next release, which was a split with AGATHOCLES (what a great record) both bands delivered a wicked
fastloudpogotightcore. I was happy, but was still looking for the first single. Then came the wonderful 12"/ CD
"Living for Someone or Living For Myself" released by
MCR. Next came another single/MCD
"Ego & Desire", where they started to change their style to a more dark direction, combining slow and fast tempos and even gloomy with the
"Why Do You Live? LP".
Now the year was 2003, I'd lived in many squats, got loads of records, but still could't find that 1st Shikabane single, until -thanx to the internet world- I finally found it on the
Circledelic shop in Japan. Of course I ordered it immediately, then I waited, waited, and nothing arrived. I told Shoko (the seller) and fortunately after a few weeks he got me another copy. Again I waited, waited and nothing. I knew Shoko wasn't a rip-off guy, I had bought records from him before and I trusted him. Then it came to me: I asked him to what address he had sent the parcel to and, bingo! He hadn't updated my address and it was sent to an old squat. I had to knock on the new tenants door and ask about the record, luckily they found one of the copies. I believe the first copy was wasted by the kids as I heard the mother asking one of them about it; that she'd seen them playing with a "CD" that had Japanese writing on it. And so I finally put my hands on the first, and very hard to get, Shikabane 7'' EP.
DOWNLOAD HERE:
SHIKABANE - 1st 7" EP 人間に生まるること難し・・'96 ( self release [?] )
While you are reading this, Agathocles is probably releasing a new record and I want more. It's the most profile band putting records out since 1988. Just in the year of 1997 they put out over 15 records between split 7", CD, LP. And I consider this split EP one of their best. For the simple reason that on this record they sound very distinct from other releases, actually they sound in the Shikabane's way, which makes me believe that they got influenced by the Japaneses first 7" EP.
01 - Bio-Industry Fucked Up Humanity - AGATHOCLES
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