Les Rallizes Dénudés were an influential, yet reclusive Japanese avant-garde band. They originally began in 1962 as a musical theatre troupe, however the formation of the band was not until 1967. They are known for their ties to avant-garde theater groups (as typified by Shuji Terayama

Shuji Terayama

was an avant-garde Japanese poet, dramatist, writer, film director, and photographer. According to many critics and supporters, he was one of the most productive and provocative creative artists to come out of Japan. He was born December 10, 1935, the only son of Hachiro and Hatsu Terayama in...

's troupe) and leftist political groups, as well as for their feedback-drenched live shows. The band's style is typified by simple, repeated bass lines, shrieking guitar feedback and folk arrangement.

In 1970, the original bass player Moriaki Wakabayashi assisted in the hijacking of Japan Airlines Flight 351

Japan Airlines Flight 351

Japan Airlines Flight 351 was hijacked by nine members of the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction on March 31, 1970 while flying from Tokyo to Fukuoka, in an incident usually referred to in Japanese as the...

 orchestrated by the Japanese Red Army

Japanese Red Army

The was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...

. Singer Takashi Mizutani was allegedly offered a role in the hijacking, but turned it down.

Select Discography

Oz Days Live (2xLP, Oz, 1973)

'67-'69 Studio et Live (CD, Rivista, 1991)

Mizutani/Les Rallizes Dénudés (CD, Rivista, 1991)

'77 Live (2xCD, Rivista, 1991)

Les Rallizes Dénudés (Video, Ethan Mousiké, 1992)

Etcetera vol 2. (7" single + magazine, 1996)

External links

• Unofficial Les Rallizes Denudes site (japanese)
• Discography