Tokyo-based Noise-Rockers, MELT-BANANA have released ‘Flipside,’ the first single from 3 + 5, their long-awaited ninth studio album. The album is being released August 23rd on 12” LP vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming platforms on their own A-Zap label.
The album showcases the duo’s visionary musical approach and extraordinary abilities as performers: Yako’s giddy, hyperactive vocalizing and Agata’s glitchy, cyberpunk guitar, delivered at dizzying speed, bathed in a whirlwind of aggressive electronics. As on previous releases, the music on 3 + 5 is unpredictable, always filled with surprises and excitement.
Their aesthetic approach is exultant and experimental, fusing diverse genres, awash in chaotic energy.
3 + 5 synthesizes elements of a variety of Extreme Musics, Hyper-Pop, classic Punk, vintage Metal, and Noise. It’s informed by Japanese culture in general, and the subcultures of gaming, anime and homegrown underground music in particular. The album’s nine tracks have been crafted to maximize the independent appeal of each song (since so many listeners will be streaming and playlisting these songs). Each selection boasts its own unique charm and ideas that beg for repeated listening.
Besides making their music, MELT-BANANA hope to empower and encourage their fans and fellow musicians by example. They’ve foregone the convention of a full band line-up for over a decade and recorded and toured as a two piece since 2012. Yako’s wildly careening, staccato vocals ignore every convention of Pop and Alternative singing, guided solely by her own unique artistic vision. For 25 years, they’ve been in the vanguard of bedroom players and Egg Punks facing challenge of mixing homespun digital creations with live instrumentation head on with consistently brilliant results.
While Melt-Banana hasn’t explicitly explained the meaning behind the album’s title, 3 + 5, prime numbers symbolize mathematical integrity and independence, which could represent MELT-BANANA’s uniqueness and freedom. Why "3 + 5" and not "1 + 7"? That’s left for you to ponder.
Check ‘Flipside’ here:
AA
Aural Aggravation 