Monthly Hikashu: May

Hikashu (ヒカシュー) is a Japanese rock band led by pseudo-Kabuki vocalist, Makigami Koichi, known for their highly experimental music. They are often referred to by their alternative English moniker, Hikasu. The group's most recent album, Ikite Koi Chinmoku, was released in 2015.

A theatrical artist Koichi Makigami met Makoto Inoue in the art club of their junior high school in 1970 ... this could be the start of HIKASHU.

Koichi and Makoto joined a Japanese dramatic troupe Tokyo Kid Brothers and gave public performances in New York or London, but sadly broke up soon after the performance in London. Lumiere and Son, born as a London avant-garde theatrical company in those days and supported by Roger Waters or Henry Cow, appreciated their artistic talent and invited them as guests. Koichi and Makoto say they could get much impact in avantgarde stages of Lumiere and Son. In mid-1970s Koichi as a theatrical producer, and Makoto as a synthesizer musician gained much experience ... especially upon a performance 'Collecting Net', on that stage, Koichi, Makoto, and Yasushi YAMASHΙTA appeared.

HIKASHU were formed by Makoto, Yasushi, and Tadahiro WAKABAYASHI - a sitarist and the owner of Raoya, a live house in Kichijoji (Tokyo) - in 1978, featuring tabla or sitar, much influenced by the music of India. On the other hand, Koichi session with Masamichi MITAMA and Satoshi TOBE and formed a three-piece unit RU-INCHI (even currently sometimes appeared on stage as Koichi's another project). These two outfits met upon a performance named 'Yochu No Kiki' produced by Koichi, and at this moment HIKASHU was formally reborn as a five-piece band - Koichi MAKIGAMI (voices, bass, cornet, theremin etc.), Masamichi MITAMA (now Freeman MITA; guitars, sitar), Makoto INOUE (synthesizer, mellotron, keyboards), Satoshi TOBE (saxophone, guitar), and Yasushi YAMASHITA (Rhythmbox, synthesizer, timpani).

For the first time, HIKASHU appeared on the stage of Raoya on August 29th, 1978. Haruo Chikada, a renowned radio DJ, got much interested in their samples and offered production for their albums. In October 1979 their debut single 'In The End Of 20th Century' was released via East World / Toshiba EMI (Japan). And they released the first album 'Hikashu' and the second 'Natsu (Summer)' successively in 1980. In those days they were considered as a techno-pop band and TV media took up their stuff in some special articles or programs, but since 1981, the third album 'Uwasa No Jinrui' released, they have shown more experimental colors in their music style, attitude, performances.

HIKASHU has been active as a band, performers, a theatrical creator, and a music producer for movies, TV programs or CMs, and a pioneer of Japanese Underground Pop & Rock scene. The frontman Koichi MAKIGAMI plays like a performance producer or a solo artist, parallel to HIKASHU.

Discography

Official releases:

Haru [<span lang="ja">春</span>] (1978) released under the pseudonym "Pre **Hikashu**"<br /> **Hikashu** (1978)<br /> **Hikashu** (1980)<br /> Natsu [<span lang="ja">夏</span>] (1980)<br /> Uwasa No Jinrui [<span lang="ja">うわさの</span><span lang="ja">人類</span>] (1981)<br /> Watashi No Tanoshimi [<span lang="ja">私</span><span lang="ja">の</span><span lang="ja">愉</span><span lang="ja">しみ</span>] (1984)<br /> Mizu Ni Nagashite [<span lang="ja">水</span><span lang="ja">に</span><span lang="ja">流</span><span lang="ja">して</span>] (1984)<br /> Soba De Yokereba [<span lang="ja">そばでよければ</span>] (1985)<br /> Nani Mo Kamo Odore [<span lang="ja">なにもかも</span><span lang="ja">踊</span><span lang="ja">れ</span>] (1987) cassette<br /> Ningen No Kao [<span lang="ja">人間</span><span lang="ja">の</span><span lang="ja">顔</span>] (1988)<br /> Teichou Na Omotenashi [<span lang="ja">丁重</span><span lang="ja">なおもてなし</span>] (1990)<br /> Humming Soon [<span lang="ja">はなうたはじめ</span>](1991)<br /> Atchi No Me Kotchi No Me [<span lang="ja">あっちの</span><span lang="ja">目</span><span lang="ja">こっちの</span><span lang="ja">目</span>] (1993)<br /> Ten Ten [<span lang="ja">転々</span>] (2006)<br /> Nyuunen [<span lang="ja">入念</span>] (2007) maxi single<br /> Ikirukoto [<span lang="ja">生</span><span lang="ja">きること</span>] (2008)<br /> Carps and Gaspacho [<span lang="ja">鯉</span><span lang="ja">と</span><span lang="ja">ガスパチョ</span>] (2009) maxi single<br /> Ten Ten Ten [<span lang="ja">転転々</span>] (2009)<br /> Uragoe [<span lang="ja">うらごえ</span>] (2012)<br /> Bankan [<span lang="ja">万感</span>] (2013)<br /> Ikite Koi Chinmoku [<span lang="ja">生</span><span lang="ja">きてこい</span><span lang="ja">沈黙</span>] (2015)<br /> Anguri [<span lang="ja">あんぐり</span>] (2017) 

Compilations

**Hikashu** Super (1981)<br /> Changing Like Myxomycetes [<span lang="ja">かわってる</span>] (1996) self-covers<br /> Twin Best (1999)<br /> **Hikashu** History (2001)<br /> **Hikashu** Super 2 [<span lang="ja">ヒカシュースーパー</span>2] (2014) 

Other albums

Untitled (1986) an early mini-album<br /> **Hikashu** Live (1989) live<br /> Super Dimension Century Orguss 02 [<span lang="ja">超時空世紀</span><span lang="ja">オーガス</span>02] (1993) soundtrack, reissued in 2012 as Fushigi Wo Mitsumete [<span lang="ja">不思議</span><span lang="ja">をみつめて</span>]<br /> Retro Active Remix (1996) **Hikashu** songs remixed by various artists<br /> Live In Osaka 1-4 (1997) bootleg, four low quality live performances<br /> Musique Non Stop (1998) a tribute to Kraftwerk featuring **Hikashu**, Buffalo Daughter, Denki Groove and others<br /> Radioactive Tribute To Kraftwerk (2002) another tribute, featuring a similar track listing<br /> End Of The 20th Century (2003) a tribute to **Hikashu**, featuring Koichi Makigami and others 

Inoyama Land

Inoyama Land is the synth-based duo of Yasushi Yamashita and Makoto Inoue

Danjindan Posidon (1983)<br /> Pithecanthropus (1999) live<br /> Inoyama Land (1997)<br /> Music For Myxomycetes (1998) accompanying music for the World Of Myxomycetes exposition 

Makigami Koichi

Minzoku No Saiten [<span lang="ja">民族</span><span lang="ja">の</span><span lang="ja">祭典</span>] (1982)<br /> Koroshi No Blues [<span lang="ja">殺</span><span lang="ja">しの</span><span lang="ja">ブルース</span>] (1992)<br /> Kuchinoha [<span lang="ja">口</span><span lang="ja">の</span><span lang="ja">歯</span>] (1995)<br /> Electric Eel (1998) a collaboration with Anton Bruhin<br /> Koedarake [<span lang="ja">声</span><span lang="ja">だらけ</span>] (2005)<br /> Jisatsu Na Disco [<span lang="ja">自殺</span><span lang="ja">な</span><span lang="ja">ディスコ</span>] (2016) Makigami and Mita Freeman 

Makoto Inoue

Godzilla Legend [<span lang="ja">ゴジラ</span><span lang="ja">伝説</span>] (1983)<br /> Godzilla Legend II [<span lang="ja">ゴジラ</span><span lang="ja">伝説</span>2] (1984)<br /> Godzilla Legend III [<span lang="ja">ゴジラ</span><span lang="ja">伝説</span>3] (1984)<br /> Pygmalio [<span lang="ja">ピグマリオ</span>] (1985) image album for the Shinji Wada manga of the same name; collaboration with then-current **Hikashu** lineup, billed as "Makoto Inoue & Hikasu Family" 

Schedule & Ticket

Place information

• Star Pine's Cafe
  Star Pine's Cafe

  Address

  日本、〒180-0004 東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺本町１丁目２０−１６ トクタケパーキングビル  Map

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