HAPPY FAMILY
Takahiro Izutani • • Kenichi Morimoto • Keiichi Nagase • Hidemi Ichikawa • Shigeru Makino • Tatsuya Miyano

"Monster Japanese Zeuhl; the spirit of Magma, Univers Zero, Weidorje and King Crimson locked together in a furious fusion..." –Audion

"The instrumental inventiveness & aggressiveness of this band are things that must be heard to be believed. Highly recommended." – Expose

"...a fully formed & highly individual voice. Tossco is a real find. (5 stars (highest) rating)" – Alternative Press

"Sounds like Slayer playing Henry Cow charts" - a customer's comment online!

 


MINIMAL GODS



RUNE 393

"Skewered blasts of noisome, Red metal shatters through rough and tumble landscapes of shuddering percussion, ominous, gravelly basslines and wheezing synths. An all-instrumental bulldozer of an album..." – i/e

Happy Family first appeared in the early 1990s as part of the explosion of exciting, underground bands that came roaring out of Japan at that time, such as Ruins, Bondage Fruit, Tipographica and Boredoms.

An instrumental quartet of keyboards, guitar, bass and drums, they released two albums of over-the-top, metal, King Crimson & Magma influenced avant-progressive rock for Cuneiform Records in 1995 (Happy Family) & 1997 (Toscco) and then fell silent...until now!

Reforming with 3 of the 4 members of the group who appeared on Tossco:
Kenichi Morimoto - keyboards
Takahiro Izutani - guitar
Keiichi Nagasse - drums
and with new bassist Hidemi Ichikawa, 15 years later, they are back and just as heavy and intense as they ever were and they still sound like no one else except Happy Family!

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TOSCCO



RUNE 93

This new printing of the band's second album includes the previously Japanese-only bonus track "Dear My Daughter."

Toscco is the much anticipated 2nd release from Japan's premier Zeuhl smokers. Still an instrumental quartet of keyboards, guitar, bass & drums, the years of work & playing since their 1st release have given them even more confidence & a more "gritty" sound. The addition of new guitarist Takahiro Izutani has also notched up the energy level. He's also a fine songwriter, & has contributed a new slant to their sound. This is a big step forward from their much appreciated first.




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HAPPY FAMILY



RUNE 73

Influenced by groups such as Magma, Univers Zero, King Crimson and Area. If you can imagine a full CD's worth of the kind of inspired playing and intensity of "De Futura", you'll have an idea of what this is!


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MEDIA
For press and media: cover art and high resolution images are available below for download (click thumbnail, right-click image and select "Save As.."). Please credit the photographer (when available) and "Courtesy of Cuneiform Records". For more information, click here.

Minimal Gods

PRESS RELEASES
Minimal Gods press release

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