HYPER GAL have been described as everything from “minimalist-noise rock” to “post-shoegaze”. When asked about this, vocalist Koharu Ishida said: “It’s very interesting because different people hear and receive our music in very different ways – no wave, noise, punk, pop… We think all of those terms describe the musicality of HYPER GAL, but also that’s not all…”
Drummer Kurumi Kadoya added, “We think it is good that our music is not so easy to define. In Japan our shows are considered very unique. We are a two-piece band, a vocalist and a drummer. I play the drums, but I also play the keyboard. At our live performances, I create loops – live – during the concert. These loops create a foundation and this noise augments the sound of the drums.”
Koharu was asked about the process of writing lyrics. She explained, “After Kurumi has developed a song, I often go out and take photos. I use this experience to help me discover what I will sing about. It is a visual process.”
Kurumi reiterated, “We are very happy to be able to perform in Europe and are excited to share our music with new audiences. We hope to see you soon!”
The WIRE says of HYPER GAL, “There’s something almost vapor-wave-adjacent about the glorious racket riled up by this pair. The effect of repetition throughout, the way the beat slips in and out of time, is hypnotic.” MAXIMUMROCKNROLL continues, “[HYPER GAL] blend elements of noise, no wave, pop and blistering punk to create something remarkable and new… Endlessly inventive and challenging.”
Springing from Osaka, Japan’s cultural center and historical heart, comes HYPER GAL, a two-piece band consisting of visual artist Koharu Ishida on vocals and noise artist Kurumi Kadoya on drums. The minimalist duo make maximum impact – stripping music down beyond the bare essentials, to create shimmering, no wave pop from blast beat drums, glittery keyboard loops and ethereal bubblegum vocals – laced with velvet and firecrackers.
On “After Image” HYPER GAL hold fast to their limited palette, but expand their reach. Working with a canvas larger than ever before, the band fearlessly alternate bold, avant-garde strokes with intimate, deliberate gestures. The result is a new world awash in a sea of endless possibilities – only visible with closed eyes and open ears.
– UNDER DUSKEN
“These royalty of no-wave-pop don’t blink and their delivery is absolute. An exhilarating, total experience.”
– NOISE-FI
“Indescribable, just listen to it for yourself. And don’t take any stimulants beforehand, you could end up in the emergency room.”
– OX FANZINE
“It looks like noise, but there is too much color. Pop, but unsellable. Their music goes beyond barriers, genres and boundaries, as if a virus had been injected into a video game bringing delirious ruin to a perfect world.”
– SODA POP
“Beautifully crafted, deviant and ideal for those who love off-road adventures…”
– MUZZART
“Intensely good. A beautiful challenge, a noise, relentless, not an onslaught, always inviting, like they want to pull you in rather than chase you away. Actually, this is joyous.”
– THE ORGAN
“They know the power of repetition and energy but also how to create a feast for the senses with just a few ingredients.”
– NEW NOISE MAGAZINE
“Tracks that constantly push at the boundaries of what music can be, After Image might not always be easy listening, but it is always rewarding.”
– MIDLANDS ROCKS
“A blistering wall of sound with dissonant distance vocals chanting over an incessant rumble of drums and an organ base, rolling along like an out-of-control freight train.”
– BACK SEAT MAFIA
“With each release they appear as mirage sculptors, using simple tools (drums, keyboards, vocals) in craft of multi-genre spanning work which only becomes more captivating the simpler their execution becomes.”
– MYSTIFICATION
“If I can draw your attention to “After Image” and help you appreciate a new style of music, I would be the happiest person in the world.”
– BONJOUR
No shows booked at the moment.
