“This fuzzed-out live set from 1992 documents High Rise at their noise-soaked best.”
Album Overview: Even though they are one of the most legendary bands of the 90s Japanese psychedelic underground scene, High Rise have a fairly small body of work, and until recently it’s been hard to get a hold of their records. The Black Editions label has rectified that in recent years, reissuing their classic 1986 LP High Rise II, as well as its follow-up Dispersion (1992). Now they’ve unearthed a live set, also from 1992, that captures the band’s sheer sonic overload over the course of ten tracks.
Musical Style: High Rise’s noise-rock meets psychedelic sound virtually defined the underground psych-rock scene of the early 1990s. Using the basic power trio format of guitar (Narita Munehiro), bass (Nanjo Asahito), and drums (Yuro Ujiie, a.k.a. Dr. Euro), they set the controls for the heart of the sun and barrel towards it at a breakneck pace, Asahito and Dr. Euro driving things forward with relentless, pounding rhythms and Munehiro laying down squalls of guitar noise, all while Asahito’s vocals add subtle layers to the mix.
Evolution of Sound: The one letdown on Disturbance Trip is the sound quality of the original recording. While the sets producers have done everything they can to clean up the tape, it’s a pretty crunchy lo-fi recording of a noise-drenched gig where the amps were cranked to 11. That shouldn’t be a problem for most High Rise fans (for whom the noise is part of the attraction), but it probably shouldn’t be anybody’s first High Rise album.
Artists with Similar Fire: Those familiar with other PSF and Japanese underground rock acts like White Heaven, Les Rallizes Dénudés, and Keiji Haino will most likely dig this release, although anyone who can appreciate feedback-drenched acid guitar meltdowns should be able to get on board too.
Pivotal Tracks: Some of the set’s standout tracks are those that appeared on Dispersion, their album released the same year, such as “Deuteronomy” and “Eucharist.” Some of their earlier tracks are real highlights too, though, like “Psychedelic Speed Freaks” from their debut EP, and a killer version of “Pop Sicle” from High Rise II which closes out the set.
Simon Workman from The Fire Note
Simon Workman has loved rock n’ roll ever since his dad made him Beatles and Beach Boys mix tapes as a kid. These days his musical interests have a wide range, though he still has a strong connection to the music of the 60s and 70s. He lives in Dayton and teaches English at Sinclair Community College. You can follow him on Instagram @GemCityRecordCollector.
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