EX-Girl
Encyclopedia
Overview
They claim to hail from the planet Kero Kero. They are described as psychedelic, space rock, jazz fusion, jagged alternating vocal harmonies, sugary synthesiser pop, punk, prog, epic/atmospheric, noise-rock, wavering 3 part a capella, borderline operatic vocals, often in the space of a single song. Live performances are known to include home-made costumes, synchronised robot dancing and frog-related items. Enthusiastic supporters include Mike PattonMike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
and Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
:
History
eX-Girl was founded in the year 1997 whose original members were Chihiro, Kirilo and Fuzuki. Regardless of the members' non-existing musical experience, their career started off quickly as they began touring and released their debut album within a year from creating the band, all safely under the wings of the famous producer/keyboardist Hoppy KamiyamaHoppy Kamiyama
Hoppy Kamiyama is a Japanese keyboardist and music producer who has worked with artists such as eX-Girl, Bradford Reed, Bill Laswell, Jan Linton, Marc Ribot, Hugh Hopper/Elton Dean and Damo Suzuki.- Biography :...
. After this the band played in the US for the first time.
However, the actual conquering of the United States started in 1999, as the band performed in the event called SXSW in Austin, Texas. Around this time Virgin Mega Store and Tower Records noticed eX-Girl and did their part in marketing the new album Kero! Kero! Kero!.
The a capella album Big When Far, Small When Close was released in the year 2000 via Kirilo's own label Kikipoo Records. At the same time eX-Girl released their previous album in Europe, which brought the band to tour the continent for the first time. In July, they toured together with Fantomas
Fantômas
Fantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
, with the help of Mike Patton (Faith No More). The band performed in Finland from October to November.
The group returned to Europe again in 2001, playing at big events such as Denmark's Roskilde Festival. At the end of the year they had their first ever change of line-up as Chihiro quit and Keiko (of Super Junky Monkey
Super Junky Monkey
-Beginning:Super Junky Monkey was a Japanese all-girl rock group who performed and merged various styles and genres of music, including hardcore, heavy metal, rap, jazz, noise, and funk. Influences on the band members include Steve Vai, Jaco Pastorius, Madball, Pink Floyd and Mr...
) picked up the spot of being eX-Girl's guitarist. Before the change though, the original members had a project named PUNK LADY, where they covered Pink Lady
Pink Lady (band)
is a Japanese female pop music duo of the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring Mitsuyo Nemoto and Keiko Masuda...
's biggest hits. eX-Girl, with the new line-up, toured again in Finland in 2002, before having the chance of supporting Siouxsie & The Banshees
Siouxsie & the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. Initially associated with the English punk rock scene, the band rapidly evolved to create "a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation"...
on their tours both in the USA and UK. This naturally made a positive effect on their popularity.
The line-up continued changing. Drummer Fuzuki left eX-Girl in 2003, being replaced by Chapple. Kirilo changed her name to Kirilola and Keiko changed hers to Keikos. The American-based label Alternative Tentacles Records released the next album Endangered Species, during which the band used another guitarist Zorek(Only for tour.The album was completed by Keiko's guitar), until Keiko returned, just before the drummer changed once again.
Despite the changes, the band continued touring in the United States, but time inevitably brought more changes. By the beginning of the year 2006, Kirilola had changed her position from bass to guitar, and the new member Laan Zukioh was the new bassist. Later in the summer, Bonb-Chu was found to fulfill his position as drummer. With this new line-up the group started their new world tour in October 2006.
By the summer of 2007, the girls flew to Northern Europe and held seven performances over the span of two months. Shortly after this final tour, the band announced they would be taking an indefinite hiatus. There has been no updates from eX-Girl since 2009, and they currently have no lives scheduled.
The band's only remaining original member, Kirilola, has several ongoing music-related projects. The artist has, among other things, taken part in Kamiyama's artistic projects with her singing, playing and dancing, and in the year 2004, she released spiritual healing music under the project name Akasau. This album was carried out together with several musicians, the main one being Renge, who plays traditional Japanese bells. In 2009 Kirilola presented her solo "Nuriemaki" performances, with costumes based on kimono and folk outfits and accompanied by traditional Japanese instruments.
Current lineup
Kirilo/Kirilola - Bassist, synth player, vocalist and co-writer of all material with band manager/producer Hoppy Kamiyama. The only remaining original member left, she tends to be the leading figure of the group and comes up with most of their costume designs.Keikos - Guitarist and vocalist. Her entrance into the band brought a meatier guitar and more aggressive guitar sound, most likely due to her time in Super Junky Monkey. Replaced Chihiro, departed, returned to the fold again.
Yoko - Drums and vocals. The latest addition to the eX-Girl lineup, replacing Chapple.
Previous members
Chapple - Former drummer and vocalist, she replaced Fuzuki and departed sometime in 2005. Her difficulty with the English language did not stop her from resonating charisma with her impeccable drumming and tendency to rarely refrain from smiling.Zorek - Former guitarist and vocalist. Replaced Keikos afterward. Departed from the band when Keikos returned. The more intricate guitar player of the band.
Fuzuki - Former drummer and vocalist. The original drummer for eX-Girl, she had a troglodytic sound due playing a stand-up kit setup. When behind a traditional kit, was known to belt the floor tom with her stick.
Chihiro - Former guitarist and vocalist. The original guitarist who was not afraid to experiment despite her limited experience with the instrument.
Albums
- Heppoco PouHeppoco Pou-Track listing:# "Diva"# "Upsy Daisy Ramsy"# "Gyu-Nyu"# "La Perla"# "Sex Machine"# "Ghost"# "Chin Chiku Linn"# "Planet ☆ F"# "Space Prot"# "Deutsche ß"...
(1998) - Kero! Kero! Kero!Kero! Kero! Kero!Kero! Kero! Kero! is the second studio album by Japanese girl group eX-Girl, released on the PARANOIZ label in Japan , and by KIKI Poo Records in the US. "Kero" is the sound a frog makes in Japanese, cf...
(1999) - Big When Far, Small When CloseBig When Far, Small When CloseBig When Far, Small When Close is the third studio album by Japanese band eX-Girl, released on the PARANOIZ label in Japan , and by KIKI Poo Records in the US ....
(2000) - Back to the Mono KeroBack to the Mono KeroBack to the Mono Kero is the fourth studio album by Japanese girl band eX-Girl, released by HIBOOM in Japan, Ipecac Recording in the US , 62 TV Records in Belgium, Valve Records in Australia, and Levy-yhtiö in Finland....
(2001) - Endangered SpeciesEndangered Species (eX-Girl album)Endangered Species is the fifth studio album by Japanese girl band eX-Girl. Unlike previous albums it was first released outside Japan, on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label . The line-up is credited as Kirilola , Chapple and Keikos. Zorek is only on the front cover of the album but played...
(2004)
Singles/EPs
- Disco 3000 (2000), 12-inch vinyl picture disc, released in US only.
- Pop Muzik (2001), a cover version of the 1979 song by MM (band)M was English musician Robin Scott's brief but very successful new wave/synthpop project in the late 1970s and early 1980s. M is most known for the 1979 hit "Pop Muzik", which reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1979, and #1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on 3 November 1979...
. - Luna Rose (2002)
Other works
- The Legend of the Waterbreakers (1999), Kiki Poo Records - a film by Naoko Nozawa, starring eX-Girl, produced by Hoppy Kamiyama