High Rise - Psychedelic Speed Freaks '84-'85 (1997)

| Noise Rock | Psychedelic Rock | Garage Rock |

PSF '84-'85 is, as the name suggests, a collection of early songs (not to be confounded with HR's first album, Psychedelic Speed Freaks). This is also their harshest and fastest album (which, by High Rise's standards, already says a LOT). Sounds like they've recorded this stuff using Merzbow's laptop and then put it twice faster. It must be nearly impossible for psychedelic rock to be louder or quicker than this. PSF '84-'85 makes harsh noise and speedcore bands sound like Jonas Brothers. The recording is visceral and psychotic as hell, and would exhaust even the most hyperactive kid in the block. Needless to say, run far away from this if you can't take massive destruction into your ears.

Catalog: Bomb-48 (Time Bomb Records)
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High Rise - Psychedelic Speed Freaks (1984)

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock | Garage Rock |

This is the first release ever by either High Rise and the P.S.F. label, and it's pretty much exactly what you expect. High Rise's is pretty known for its mindblowing noisy, fast and loud rock - and all these piece are here. But there's something more in the puzzle this time; there's the Lo-Fi recording. The sound is melting everywhere, and the bloody-bass lines are simply burying all the other instruments. The furious, shrieking, motorcycle-ish guitar is notably trying to escape from the dense blackhole that Asahito's bass has become, and from which both the vocals and drums have been caught. The drumming is so buried under the bass that every cymbal crash sounds like it's been distorted by a fuzz pedal. The vocals are very likely to the other records - lots of reverb and all that well known Asahito's singing -, but the lo-fi really gives it a "something more" touch - as on the whole album. I really find this one of the most interesting albums not only from HR's discography, but from the whole underground japanese scene. The highlight is doubtlessly "Take a Trip", one of those 10min long psych-guitar trips that High Rise does so well, and, of course, "Psychedelic Speed Freaks".

Catalog: PSF-1 (P.S.F. Records)
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High Rise - Desperado (1998)

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock | Garage Rock |

Desperado is one of the few studio records by the group headed by Asahito Nanjo. To a group that works basicaly live, this studio album sounds as great as it could - it really captures the 'live-gig' feeling. Besides, Desperado is one of High Rise's most ecletic records. While albums like Durophet were basically noise rock and Dispersion were purely psychedelic, Desperado gathers the best of both styles and mix it into one of their best albums.

The album opens up with a screaming-guitar short track, Git, before entering into a fast-noise-freak song in high Rise's best way, the title track - Desperado. The albums best song follows up - Right On. 12 fucking minutes of pure loud rock and instrumental destruction. After it, the record enters into a psychedelic-garage rock medley. Flam, which starts with a hugely cool guitar solo before being joined by the most amazing percussion work I've ever seen yet on any High Rise track. I said I've ever seen YET because the next one is even more amazing. Effing kicks off with a completely stunning bass+drums psychedelic work before being followed by one of High Rise's characteristic guitar shredding. It's surely the album's peak, aside from Right On. Mind Bending, another fast and electrical song, opens way to the final one, Skive - the perfect blend of everything on the album. Experimental drumming, strong bass riffs and loud guitar improvisation. Deperado is such a great album that it owns nothing to High Rise's classics. The only thing someone might miss are the vocals, which appear only occasionally.

Catalog: PSFD-99 (P.S.F. Records)
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High Rise - Durophet (1999)

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock | Garage Rock |

Durophet is a Live from 1998, Paris. One of High Rise's most explosive performances, they're as noisy and fast here as seen on the Live (1994), or maybe even more. Feedback, loud guitars, strong basses and ballistic drums, the group fronted by Asahito Nanjo blows everything through the air, and that includes your mind.

The openers Ikon and Right On are perhaps the best in this one, and they sound even better than one would expect. It seems that High Rise gained lots of experience through all these years, and they've finally achieved their best, being simply perfect at every point. The whole album stands consistent and pretty much mind-blowing, but Turn You Cry, the most fast and stirring song on the whole album, and Pop Sicle, very well known for its explosive guita solo, are other Highlights. There's a cool version of Psychedelic Speed Freaks, one of their earlier songs, closing this amazing record just after the just-cited.

Durophet stands as one of High Rise's best works, essential for every fan of psychedelic rock, noise rock, or even hardcore and punk rock. And that's one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen in my life (such a shame I couldn't find it in a better resolution...). Wondrous!

Catalog: Fractal005 (Fractal Records)
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High Rise - Dispersion (1992)

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock | Garage Rock |

Dispersion is another live-studio recording from the 'psychedelic speed freaks' High Rise (other albums here). Though it doesn't sound as loud and as fast as their "Live" or "II" stuff, here we have great performances from their most psychedelic songs.

"Outside Gentiles" is my favorite track from all their discography. A stunning fast and loud song, though I like the "Live" version more. "Sanctuary" is a stand-out, a not-so-fast track, with a cool distorted guitar riff, and calm singing. It's a strange song, if you take the fact that we're listening to High Rise, but it's a great song in overall. "Mainliner" is explosive as hell here, with furious solos attacking everywhere. "Nuit" is a very dense, despite being short, song, with a awesome heavy bass line. "Deuteronomy" is another awesome track, starting with a sorrowful and lonely guitar line, followed then by a bass as heavy as fuck and a slow, strong and loud drumming attack. The song grows in a fucking awesome way, that always makes me shiver, into lots of noisy and sharp improvisation.

Catalog: PSFD-26 (P.S.F. Records)
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High Rise - High Rise II (1993) [1986 reissue]

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock | Garage Rock |

Here is another explosive record from the Psycho-Noise Freakout band from Japan, High Rise. (for previous releases, check out here) High Rise II is a reissue from their live studio recording from 1986, with a pair of extra tracks, and maybe it's their best studio album (if we consider the 'Live' not a studio album). The album sound exactly how someone'd expect from a High Rise good album: It's fast, furious, and raw. High Rise II surely is their most influential album, which draws almost perfectly a landscape of the tokyo underground music scene.

"Cotton Top" and "Monster A Go Go" are perhaps the best from here, if you take "Pop Sicle" apart, which sometimes don't sound like a song, but like an angered volcano. Its solo is one of the most noisy and psychedelic from High Rise, and that is a good thing considering that High Rise is a psycho-noise rock band. "Turn You Cry" and "Induced Depression" are also nice tracks. "Last Rites" is a fucking fast and loud destruction, that bursts and burns as breaking everything around.

My favorite from High Rise, besides "Live". And that one is a pretty cool mothafucking cover, isn't it?

Catalog: PSFD-2 (P.S.F. Records)
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High Rise - Live (1994)

| Psychedelic Rock | Noise Rock | Garage Rock |

High Rise is an explosive power trio from the japanese underground, comprised mainly of bassist/vocalist Asahito Nanjo and guitarist Munehiro Narita. Their sound is characteristically (i mean, extremely) fast and loud. Narita's guitar erupts on a powerful and dense wall of fast and dexterous solos, mixing sounds of the most Hard Garage Rock with Noise influences from the Japanese Underground. Nanjo's vocals are always deeply buried on the band loud and furious strikes, being sweetly sung though. Well, it may sound strange... it's not always that you listen to Robert Plant's vocal buried by Page's Guitar... But that works just fine (and how!) with High Rise.

This album is a live recording of their finest songs. It's High Rise at its best. They're furious, fast and loud as never in this one. Tracks like "Outside Gentiles" and "Ikon" show why they're considered one of the most incredible bands on the genre, while others like "Pop Sicle" show their full skills on improvisationing hard-speed noise rock songs, sounding almost like a Speed Metal band.

"[...]just in terms of speed there're a million bands faster than us - hardcore bands and so on. our sound is totally different from theirs, where everything is in balance. high rise feels more like seeing a traffic accident happen right in front of you. (laughs) or someone topping themselves in front of you. that's the kind of feeling we're going for. metal and hardcore bands feel more like riding a rollercoaster at a funfair, that's their world. there's no sense of the now or reality, maybe." - Narita

nice fact: I was just listening to this at max-volume and my headphone broke... /rage
(for High Rise's other albums, check out here)

Catalog: PSFD-48 (P.S.F. Records)
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