Though Les Rallizes Dénudés (裸のラリーズ; hadaka no rallizes; Les Rallizes Denudes) were one of the earliest and most revolutionary [placeforned]Japanese[/placeformed] psychedelic/noise rock bands, and have existed off and on through four decades, they are also one of the most obscure, barely known even in their native country. The band has shrouded itself in mystery, seldom touring and releasing very few records, usually with no discernible label. Their sound presages the later psychedelic experimental noise of Fushitsusha, High Rise and others in the current crop more than any other Japanese psychedelic group from the late ’60s. They were formed in 1967, and the band was known for their ties to avant-garde theater groups (as typified by Shuji Terayama’s troupe) and leftist political groups, as well as for their feedback-drenched live shows and use of strobe lights and mirror balls onstage, which earned them comparisons to The Velvet Underground.
In 1970, Les Rallizes Dénudés member Wakabayashi was one of nine people involved in the hijacking of Japan Airlines Flight 351, a Boeing 727, by Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction, an incident commonly referred to as the “Yodogo (or Yodo-go) Hijacking”. Wakabayashi and other members of the hijackers were given asylum in North Korea after the plane was taken to Mirim Airport.
Singer Takashi Mizutani was allegedly offered a role in the hijacking but turned it down. |
