Super Junky Monkey
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Albums, EPs, live videos |
Super Junky Monkey was a Japanese all-female band known for their funk metal style.
Origins
Their debut came in 1994 with a live album titled Cabbage. Initially released as an audio recording, it was followed by a video edition within the same year. In 1995, they introduced their studio album Screw Up, which combined selections from Cabbage with newly composed songs.
The group issued two full-length albums that reached audiences beyond Japan. Domestically, they also put out multiple EPs and three live performance videos.
Significantly, their tracks "Skysurfers!!" and "I Call Myself Sliced Ice" served as the opening and closing themes for the second season of the American animated series Skysurfer Strike Force.
Their 1996 album Super Junky Alien features a bonus track covering the MTV Top of the Hour theme.
Passing of Mutsumi
On February 5, 1999, lead singer Mutsumi Fukuhara tragically took her own life in Osaka,[1] leaving behind her spouse and young child. Following this loss, the remaining members decided to disband and focus on separate endeavors.
After her death, the band released the E-KISS-O EP along with a greatest hits collection titled Songs Are Our Universe. The EP includes three songs featuring Mutsumi’s vocals plus two instrumentals, while the compilation contains previously unreleased recordings and video material. On June 20, 2009, the surviving members reunited for a tribute concert at Tokyo’s Liquid Room commemorating ten years since Mutsumi’s passing.
Musical style
Super Junky Monkey’s sound incorporated elements from hardcore, heavy metal, hip hop, jazz, avant-garde, noise rock, and funk. Their inspirations included artists such as Steve Vai, Jaco Pastorius, Madball, Pink Floyd, and Mr. Bungle. AllMusic has characterized them as a "Japanese all-girl Faith No More or Primus."
Members
- Mutsumi "623" Fukuhara, née Takahashi — vocals
- Keiko — guitar
- Shinobu Kawai — bass
- Matsudaaahh!! — drums
Albums
- Cabbage (1994)
- Screw Up (1994)
- Parasitic People (1996)
- Super Junky Alien (1996)
EPs
- A.I.E.T.O.H. (1995)
- E Kiss O (2001)
Collections
- Songs Are Our Universe (2001)
- Is the Best (2015)
Compilation appearances
- Benten Bentoh – featured track: "Po Po Bar"
- Japanese Homegrown Vol. 1 – included song: "Another Mother"
- Japanese Homegrown Vol. 2 – contributed piece: "If (Take 2)"
- Soy Milk Vol. 1 – track: "Towering Man"
Videos
- キャベツ ビデオ (1994)
- Deathi (1995)
- Holy Mother Of Meatloaf (1996)
- Live - We're The Mother Of Meatloaf! Hyper Collection (2010)
- ↑ "Super Junky Monkey". Retrieved 2009-01-21.