We are Devo, er… POLYSICS

Unbelievably, the raucous American “new wave” sound is alive and well… in Japan. I’m speaking of POLYSICS , a four piece (two boys-two girls) outfit that looks and sounds remarkably like Devo, from the expressionless faces and robotic body language to the matching jumpsuits. The band plays the same type of quirky, halting techno music that made Devo famous (or infamous, depending on your musical tastes). Front man Hayashi says that Devo’s cover version of Satisfaction (the 60’s hit by the Rolling Stones), changed his life. Hearing Devo’s cover led him to found POLYSICS in 1997, and four albums later the group is still going strong and attracting fans outside of Japan. While modeled after Devo, POLYSICS have taken things a step further. Their adrenalin pumping spastic riffs are a bizarre mix of video game music and electrocuted punk frenzy… it’s abrasive Japanese new wave 21st century style and it’s not for the faint hearted.

The electro-punkers from Tokyo just wrapped up a month long US tour, playing Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where they assaulted American audiences with an aggressive and highly energetic dose of techno-pop-punk that left fans screaming for more. The band now finds itself in the UK, where they have entered the recording studio of Andy Gill. For those of you in the don’t know, Gill was a member of Gang of Four, one of the greatest and most influential punk bands from 1980’s England. Gill, who has produced songs for bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Stranglers, Killing Joke, and Bis, will be collaborating on producing a few songs with POLYSICS. The Japanese synth-rockers will play one show in London before going to Spain in May to perform at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona along with Gang of Four, Iggy & the Stooges, New Order, Psychic TV, Human League, and Sonic Youth. Just when you thought the days of the slam pit were over these beautiful mutants come from out of the blue to prove Japan a breeding ground for the new underground sound. For more information, visit the band's official website (posted by M.)