Ground Zero (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Otomo Yoshihide |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
| Products | Studio albums, live albums, singles |
Ground Zero was a Japanese noise rock ensemble active throughout the 1990s, spearheaded by guitarist and turntable artist Otomo Yoshihide. The band was characterized by a sizable and ever-changing roster, with two other consistent members.
History
The inception of Ground Zero was driven by the intention to perform John Zorn's game piece Cobra. Their debut appearance took place in August 1990, and the group concluded its activities following their final live project in March 1998. This concluding endeavor revisited material from a 1992 Cassiber performance in Tokyo, which was issued on the second disc of Cassiber's double album Live in Tokyo (1998). The group's last album, Last Concert, was captured live on March 8, 1998, and subsequently released in May 1999.
Musical style
Ground Zero's instrumentation included turntables, samplers, shamisen, saxophone, koto, omnichord, electric guitar, and dual drum sets. They were among the first to integrate turntables within free improvisational music.
Their sonic identity blended elements of free jazz, improvisation, rock, and avant-garde noise. Key releases comprise Revolutionary Pekinese Opera ver. 1.28, a sound collage merging noise with samples from Peking opera by Duo Goebbels/Harth, and Consume Red, which features improvisations built around a sample of Korean hojok music performed by the sacred musician Kim Seok Chul.
Studio albums
- Ground Zero (1992)
- Null & Void (1995)
- Revolutionary Pekinese Opera (1995)
- Revolutionary Pekinese Opera Ver. 1.28 (1996)
- Consume Red (1997)
- Plays Standards (1997)
Compilation albums
- Conflagration (1997)
- Consummation (1998)
Live albums
- Last Concert (1999)
- Live 1992+ (2007)
Singles
- "Live Mao '99" (1995)
- "Revolutionary Pekinese Opera Ver. 1.50" (1996)