Sleeve Notes: Bo Ningen x Unknown Japanese Music

Sleeve Notes is a new series where we pick an artist and get them to make a themed mix. This week: Bo Ningen, who have just put out their third album, mix up some Japanese music

YNTHT: So you’ve got a new album coming out. What's changed?

Kohhei: The writing process has been so different. There are two or three songs that we made just to record. We didn’t use to do it, we used to just make songs and when we had enough we’d record them.

Yuki: We’ve written songs with production in mind. We worked with the same guy and in the same studio as the last record but we wanted to make something different. More advanced vocals. It sounds much brighter.

I’ve heard that you guys hate laziness, why is the album called III? It seems like a lazy name for your third album…

Yuki: Haha, well we don’t like lazy performers.

Kohhei: We had to decide the title we were in Japan. Stolen, the label, is based in London and we got an email saying we had to decide the title right now! We also saw it as a new start sort of, so we wanted it to mark the direction.

Yuki: It looks nice on the artwork as well, the three lines, I really like it.

You said you like the unhinged nature of the music you make, but have you reined it in a bit on this album?

Yuki: With the last album and the first record we tried to capture the essence of the live performance. This one is completely different. It’s a different context.

Kohhei: We’ve put all that outward energy into one small disc. We’ve concentrated it.

Yuki: So, in that sense, it’s different.

You’ve dabbled in singing in English on this album, how has that been?

Yuki: It’s been a new challenge. We weren’t really sure how English would fit with the songs but I think it worked nicely. I guess it’s quite nice to work the other way round, then you start catching what we’re singing about.

How did you link up with the featured artists - Jehnny Beth from Savages and Roger Robinson from King Midas Sound?

Kohhei: We asked them! They’re similar to us. I saw King Midas Sound twice and I really like his singing style. It’s sort of spoken word, I thought it might be a really weird combination to have him on our record.

Yuki: It’s such an unusual combination.

You’ve been gigging and living in London for about eight years now, are you big in Japan?

Yuki: We play out there about twice a year. Some people see us as a London band out there which is funny because we’re Japanese.

Is the audience reception different over there?

Yuki: I think people are less open-minded in Japan. Over there, if people like a Japanese psych band then they’ll only listen to that, they won’t listen to The Horrors or alternative stuff. When they get into that particular thing they only listen to that. People aren’t crossing-over over there whereas in the UK, there are some people that might have discovered Bo Ningen through The Horrors because Faris mentioned us in a magazine. There aren’t the types of people [over there] that mix it up.

You’re playing Coachella, have you played the States before? How do you go down with an American crowd?

Yuki: We played South By Southwest which was great. In regards to the audience, we don’t know. We don’t really care, we’re just go over there and smash it!

You’re also playing Sonisphere festival, alongside Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer…

Yuki: I’m really excited to play. Some heavy metal fans might not think we’re heavy enough though. Some people think of us as alternative, metal or punk, but I don’t see us as that.

So you’ve made us a mix, tell me a little bit about it.

Kohhei: They’re all Japanese. The first one (Hisato Higuchi / Fujo – Uncertain) is by a solo player. It’s really sad. The second one (Grimm Grimm - Hazy Eyes Maybe) is a friend of ours, it’s really simple but it’s the most amazing music… Part of the reason that I chose all Japanese bands is that I don’t think they get enough exposure. We always try and bring more Japanese bands over here.

What else have you got planned for 2014?

Yuki: We’ve got the European tour and quite a lot of European festivals over the summer. Also, the album comes out in May.