The 1970s produced so many amazing rock bands, as well as new evolutions of rock music in general. Just as well, Japan saw a bit of a musical renaissance during that era. After World War II, big strides were made for the country, and music was a big part of that.
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Plenty of bands in Japan were ahead of their time during the 1970s. One such band was the experimental noise outfit Les Rallizes Dénudés, which formed in 1967. Today, that psychedelic noise rock outfit is considered one of the most pioneering and influential experimental rock bands in Japan’s history, and one that influenced the noise rock scene on a global level.
There was a lot to love about this band. Their popularity stemmed from the music, of course. However, their only recorded release in the 70s was OZ Days Live from 1973. That scarcity outside of live bootlegs made them even more appealing. Moreover, though, they were known for their bizarre and mysterious presence, both on the stage and off.
The band would gain even more infamy when their original bassist, Moriaki Wakabayashi, helped to hijack a plane in the name of communism in 1970.
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It’s worth noting that Les Rallizes Dénudés was not a political band. Different members of the outfit participated in protests and were associated with different political organizations in Japan, but their music wasn’t really political at all. However, they were reported to have performed during the Kyoto University protests in 1969. That concert was known as the Barricades A Go-Go concert.
One member took things to extremes. Wakabayashi, the band’s original bassist, assisted the Communist League’s Red Army Faction in hijacking Japan Airlines Flight 351 in 1970. The group took over the flight using samurai swords and a series of pipe bombs. The group demanded to be flown with the hostages to North Korea. The pilots, attempting to secretly diffuse the situation, flew to South Korea instead.
Upon hearing American jazz being played after landing, the group realized they had been duped. They held the hostages until they could be granted secure passage to North Korea. The group was given what they wanted, nobody was hurt, and Wakabayashi apparently still lives in North Korea today.
The debacle brought a lot of attention to Les Rallizes Dénudés. However, quite a few spectators were surprised to find that the band wasn’t a protest outfit or radical group of music-makers. In fact, they even said that they found protest music boring.
“Sometimes we hold a guitar, sometimes we hold protests, variety is good, but protest songs are a bore,” said the band’s frontman, Takashi Mizutani.
Les Rallizes Dénudés would later disband in 1988. They reunited briefly in the mid-1990s, but have since disappeared into the history textbooks.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
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