Angel'in Heavy Syrup (don't you love that name?) were formed in Osaka, Japan in 1990, and they are possibly the greatest band in the world. On their psychedelic side they are nfluenced by the likes of Gong, 50 Foot Hose, and Amon Duul, but they are definitely influenced by more recent, noisy contemporaries such as Hijokaidan and Masonna as well. Morita Doji, a Japanese pop-folk singer of the 70s and 80s, has also had a big impact upo n them (see the discography page for Slap Happy Humphrey for more details).
Incidentally, they are....
| Fusao Toda -- guitar |
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Mineko Itakura -- bass, vocals |
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Mine Nakao -- guitar |
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So, you wonder, what do they sound like? Well, that's a good question... describing them is easier said than done. Take the aforementioned psych bands of the flower-power era, mix in a la rge dose of folk juju, sprinkle on a smidge of free jazz, then season liberally with influences like the Butthole Surfers, John Coltrane, and various noise artists. Garnish with unexpected time changes, odd meters, impeccable technical skill (Fusao a nd Mine could play rings around nearly all the "hot" guitarists in American and European circles, and Mineko is not only an amazing bassist but one of finest singers in Japan) and lots of exotic-looking flowers. Bake in the oven for ten-fif teen minutes, the average length of an Angel'in Heavy Syrup composition. The results... delicious! Mmmm mmmm gooooooood!
Call 'em retro, sure -- psychedelic definitely -- but hey, they're better than you. And there's nothing you can do about it. So the only thing you can do is... yes... buy everythin g they've ever recorded and listen to it all obsessively, day in and day out. Am i right or am i right? (As an added footnote, Fusao occasionally records with twitchy noise god Masonna in a side project called Christine 23 Onna. Mineko also appeared in the now-defunct Slap Happy Humphrey. Mine has also released a solo track here and there; see the discography for more.)
And just so you know... uh... Mineko is the greatest singer in the world and i have already formed a cult dedicated to sacrificing small animals (especially those tiny dogs that ar e nothing but little, fuzzy yapping machines) on altars made of rice paper to insure that she never gets laryngitis. We're accepting applications, natch, but the high epopt title is already taken....
i have this and you don't, nyah nyah....
The Latest News: The band is currently down to a trio -- a studio drummer guested on the last studio album -- and it's anybody's guess when/if the band will tour anytime soon, seeing as how Mineko went and got married and is currently living in Belgium. Their most recent release, THE BEST OF ANGEL'IN HEAVY SYRUP, came out three years ago and if anything's happening with the band, I don't know about it....
A few notes on the availability of their earlier albums: The domestic pressing (on Charnel Music) of their third album, III, is tragical ly out of print. Charnel has no plans to repress it, and so far no one has stepped forward to make it available again outside of Japan, although that may change at some point in the future. Additionally, since people continue to ask, here's the scoop on what's available and what isn't: The brilliant and underrated first album (I) is still available from Subterranean for $10 (postpaid, I think; for more info see the Subterranean web site); you would be wise to snag it before it, too, disappears. The second album (II) has never been domestically available, although I think it is still ava ilable through Alchemy in Japan. The third album (III) is obviously out of print in the US but still (barely) in print via Alchemy in Japan. The Slap Happy Humphrey disc is no longer available thanks to the threat of a lawsuit from Morita Doji ; if you see it, pick it up right that instant because you may never get the chance again. For obvious reasons, it won't be repressed when the run is sold out (which may have happened already).
NOTE: Despite what some may tell you on Ebay, there are only four official records by the band. The first was originally issued as a self-titled disc with a different cover, which may be the source of confusion.
