B O R I S

Based on the inspiration from the title song of the latest work "DEAR" by film director Kohei Igarashi, a film director who also works on MV such as DAN and [Alexandros], produced the movie "Breathtaking" It was a short film.

A video method in which the current cut always reaches out to other spaces and reaches the space, and the link method is drawn, the unique image expression of director Igarashi constantly something happens always is a video resonating with Boris' thrilling sound image.

Kohei Igarashi who worked for this time's schedule will collaborate with Damien Manifeller "The Night Swimming too much" to be released nationwide from the Theater Image Forum from April.

In addition, Boris announced that it will deliver the live sound source "eternity" which was recorded at the end of last year's Tokyo performance of the Tokyo performance of the 25th anniversary tour at OTOTOY monopoly the other day. As we are accepting reservations now, do not forget to check here as well.

After the doors opened, a short but captivating opening set by cellist Jo Quail started the evening off in a quieter way than what was to follow but one that had a sense of atmosphere nonetheless and it certainly demanded the audiences attention. Quails’ stirring renditions of tracks like White Salt Stag were well received and set the scene for the rest of the night.

After a short while and with the stage bathed in darkness and smoke, Boris appear to a heroes’ welcome from the Bristol audience, with a huge gong behind Atsuo the main focal point, and as the drummer/vocalist takes to his kit with guitarist/vocalist Wata and bassist/vocalist Takeshi either side of the stage, hiding in the shadows, the magnificence of Boris in full effect hits you with force from the very first strains of opening number D.O.W.N – Domination Of Waiting Noise from their latest album Dear and this was certainly an apt number to start the set off with.

The bands set is a cacophony of glorious sound, with Boris on extraordinary form (when they tear through Dystopia – Vanishing Point in particular, the effect is truly devastating) and was a great opportunity to see and hear their latest opus played in full, and with Dear being possibly their heaviest offering yet, it was certainly a treat to witness it in a live setting with the breathtaking Absoluetgo and the closing drone of the albums title track being standout moments from an amazing set. As Atsuo pounds both the drums and the gong throughout, the effect is nothing but mesmerizing and with the other two members nestled in the wings, almost hidden in sight but the noise that they bring is what everyone in attendance here is concentrating on and what a noise it was, and as the band leave the stage to rapturous applause, they know they have conquered Bristol with ease tonight.

It is with great anticipation that Amenra appear onstage (this being the first date of their very first full U.K. tour) but they do so with no fanfare or acknowledgment and as the striking visuals that play behind the band kick in and they launch straight into the impassioned and chilling Boden, the audience is enthralled from the get go at the power the band posses.

It is a power that doesn’t let up for the duration of the set and as Amenra charge through highlights from their deservedly highly regarded latest album Mass VI, like Plus Pres De Toi and the closing Diaken and older material such as the truly formidable Razoreater, it is simply breathtaking. Vocalist Colin H Van Eekhout howls the bands lyrics with so much passion as the rest of the band provide an apt and ominous soundscape while images both harrowing and beautiful play behind them and those visuals add an extra layer to the bands performance (especially as they tear through Razoreater with images of burning flames, the effect is unreal). The audience stands and takes it all in, utterly hypnotized by what they are witnessing and only stopping to roar their approval and pick their jaws up from the floor.

Jan Opdekamp

Amenra in the live environment are untouchable, the whole set is more like a totally immersive experience rather than a mere gig and the cathartic nature of both the bands music and the power of their playing is sublime. At times it is harrowing, but this harrowing nature sits comfortably beside the allure of sublimity resulting in a truly awesome performance and as they depart from the stage, the crowd begins to make sense of what has just taken them over. A truly incredible experience and one that will live on long in the memory of everyone who was there tonight, the true power of music, sound, noise and life is embodied in Amenra and the Church Of Ra and the Bristol crowd was lucky to immerse themselves in it tonight.

A stunning end to a truly memorable evening and one that demonstrated the power of music in its most devastating and sublime form.

The marriage between the two bands may seem all too obvious for heavy music listeners; though the bands are not wholly familiar with each other’s music on a personal level, it was evident that both bands had a mutual respect for one another’s art; “Both bands have a vision that is remarkable.” Colin van Eeckhout of Amenra remarks “Boris’ free will is something intriguing to me. They write the music they want to in total freedom,” a mutual respect shared by Boris too, as Takeshi says “Amenra have their own style and idea, I respect what they are doing and am very looking forward to playing with them. It is exciting to see what chemistry between them and Boris is made during the tour.” Eeckhout added “Both bands have a crossover audience, yet bring two worlds within heavy music together. That’s what it is all about for Amenra, bringing people together.”

Boris' DEAR is their twenty-third album and dropped on July 14, 2017 via Sargent House.

Despite a quarter of a century behind them now, Boris show no signs of stopping for reflection; “We won’t slow down for new sound and music at all, that is our main goal.” From drone metal classics like Absolutego (1996) and Feedbacker (2003), to 2005’s shoegaze and noise rock-influenced Pink, to experiments in new genres with albums like New Album and Attention Please in 2011, Boris’ output has always been as varied as it has been prolific. However, the band themselves have never considered these albums so disparate; “I know lots of people are saying Boris have numerous musical styles, but to us all styles are deeply connected at the bottom end.” Whatever sonic territory Boris tread, they have an ability to remain unmistakably ‘Boris’. With the band now standing at 23 studio albums, as well as numerous EPs and live albums, it can be difficult to know where to start, something which the band themselves are well aware of; “We usually don’t look back at what we have done in the past, but also do understand we should maintain our catalog and archive for our fans in order to show them appropriately.” Even though they are an unwaveringly forward-thinking and experimental band, Boris understand the need to preserve their past works and for accessibility to new listeners.

For many, the quintessential setting for Amenra’s music is live, with their music described as bordering on ‘spiritual’ and their shows as entrancing and communal [1], something Amenra acknowledge themselves; “The religious nature of our music has grown from personal experience” Eeckhout explains. Whether the allusions to religious ceremony are intentional or not, “I believe you cannot ‘construct’ a spiritual aspect for other people, I would not know of a blueprint to that in music making…” Amenra’s ‘masses’ can be seen more as a communion for personal introspection and healing. From the accounts of fans, an Amenra show can be as cathartic for them as it is for the band themselves; “The religious nature of our music has grown from personal experience, and outsiders also talking about its “healing” nature, [this] only confirmed what we suspected, or felt ourselves… A lot of people share their testimonies why Amenra means so much to them. Or they come up to us after shows and sometimes have pretty deep conversations about it.”

The cover art for Amenra's Mass VI. The album dropped on October 20, 2017 via Neurot Recordings.

For Amenra, the experience of a live concert is first and foremost something to experience viscerally; “People can really dive into our music or ‘the moment​'​ live, mostly they look into themselves. and let the sonic wave hit them.” Their live spectacle is aided by the usage of projected visuals on-stage; unlike many frontmen, Eeckhout performs with his back to the audience, a move that ultimately directs the focus to the band as a whole and the accompanying images rather than simply the vocalist. For Amenra, each performance is so much more than a ‘rock show’; the imagery and music, as well as each individual member of the band, are of equal importance; “The images are an aid to lose yourself within the moment. They reinforce the music, and make it easier on each member of the crowd, to forget where they are, the concert venue, the stage, the people around you, etc..”

Now approaching their twentieth year as a band, Eeckhout contemplated on how the group has changed over their time together; “It has evolved like all humans evolve in 20 years. Our friendships and lives have grown stronger. Our lives more difficult, we’ve lived through more adversity.” Indeed, while Amenra’s music and performance can be theatrical and ear-splitting, it has always looked inwards to personal hardships for inspiration; this kind of catharsis is paramount to the band’s creative process “…our direction will always be our own lives, and sentiment; our stance and views in, and on, life… We had never set goals, we just did what we felt we had to do, for ourselves and nobody else.” There’s a kind of palpable urgency and frustration in Amenra’s music, a deep and natural rage, their music a vessel through which to channel it. Even with side-projects like Oathbreaker and Wiegedood within the eponymous ‘Church of Ra’, with Amenra the centrepiece in the collective, Eeckhout believes “I think there is no other band than ​Amenra​ that discusses as much; the what and why of everything.”

Oh, dear. Stream and hear Boris' DEAR right here.

<a href="http://boris.bandcamp.com/album/dear">Dear by Boris</a>

While Amenra draws directly from hardship and adversity to create their art, Boris embrace the spirit of improvisation more so than many metal bands. The band has always maintained a spontaneous approach to music writing, evidenced in early pieces like Flood and Feedbacker which slowly evolve across repeating motifs and riffs; “Basically, we don’t write songs, just go into the studio and jam together, then we have some idea and that will lead us to a specific direction.” Even when preconceived ideas are brought into the mix, the band enjoy leaving the songwriting process open to whatever comes to them; “I wouldn’t rule out any strategy. Whatever the case the song will lead us where we should go.” Understandable, when one considers the many sonic faces Boris have worn over the years.

Boris’ improvisational nature is becoming more and more reflected in their live performances, too; “All songs are living things, they will show us very different mood and sound whenever we play them live. Our songs have undescriptive silence, tempo and mood, so we will add another texture every time.” Between this, their prolific catalog and genre experimentation, Boris continue their tradition unpredictable and free-spirited creation twenty-five years deep into their career, and clearly have no plans to stop working any time soon; “I can’t thank enough to our fans and their endless support is driving force of the band, I really appreciate it. Boris are feeling we have something like responsibility to our fans and that feeling is getting way stronger than before.”

UK FEB 14 Bristol, UK @ Thekla FEB 15 London, UK @ Heaven FEB 16 Norwich, UK @ Arts Centre FEB 17 Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms FEB 18 Manchester, UK @ Gorilla FEB 19 Glasgow, UK @ St. Lukes FEB 20 Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club 

On their 2017 album Dear, heaviness became a conduit for both obliteration and optimism. The album cuts between sludge and sunlight, renewing my appreciation for space by suffocating it. After enduring the weight of “Absolutego”, I’m doubly grateful for the calm, spacious waltz at the opening of “Beyond”, which in turn beckons the hail of gong and distortion that marks the commencement of “Kagero”.

The band will shortly be heading out on a UK/EU tour with Amenra. Check out the dates here. Below, guitarist Takeshi and I discuss shaking the air, ritualistic performances and pushing beyond the negative surface of death.

You’re heading out on tour with Amenra next month. Have you spent much time with Amenra previously? Are there any particular aspects of the tour that you are looking forward to?

Back in 2016, Amenra’s guitar player Mathieu [Vandekerckhove] opened Boris shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg as a solo unit. He was a very good musician and a nice person as well. Then I listened to a couple of Amenra records and definitely had sympathy with them, because their music sounds very deep. I am very much looking forward to sharing the stage with them.

When I first pressed play on Dear, I was struck by the vitality of the record. Even after 25 years, it sounds like you’re still inspired and enthused by eachother. Do you have any thoughts on what has allowed Boris to remain so fresh and urgent after all this time?

Since our earlier days, we haven’t looked back at what we did in the past. We just move forward to look for new sounds and music. It is obvious that circumstances of the entire world or my situation change so quickly, and Boris try to keep updated in what we do. Simply put, Boris would like to deliver new and fresh stuff to fans – nothing has changed for 25 years.

I’ve seen you describe Dear as “heavenly”, and there’s definitely something very positive about the tone of the record. Do you see Dear as an uplifting release? If so, are there any particular reasons that it turned out this way?

As you can see from the song titles and cover art of Dear, it definitely has concept of “death” or “the end of the world” at the very basic and deep level, though I would like to see a bright and beautiful world beyond the negative surface of death or the end. I am so grateful that you can feel something positive and uplifting vibe from Dear. Thank you.

I hear that you deliberately scaled down the instrumentation for Dear. Could you tell me what this reduction process looked like? How did you decide on the essential elements (in terms of instruments and equipment) for Dear?

During recording and jam sessions, we tried numerous methods and various ways of playing. Now we prefer to play less notes at the strongest impact, so that both Wata’s and my playing have greater interaction. I tend to pick up an instrument that has a “thrilling” taste – I mean, I love unexpected and even faulty tones because they carry more information than one that’s more planned.

I understand that the final tracklist of Dear was whittled down from three albums’ worth of material. How did you find the process of reducing this tracklist down to just 10 songs?

Well, it is not special for us to reduce many songs to the final tracklist.  Whenever we work on new record we omit lots of stuff, and thus have a bunch of unreleased songs. After a long tour or a new experience we get inspiration for a new concept, then a certain song will lead us to the final tracklist of the album.

You’ve been playing your instruments for several decades now. Have you noticed any changes in your relationship with your instruments over the years? Do you think differently about playing them, or about their sonic potential?

When I first played guitar, my major focus was “playing” and repeatability more than expression. At some point I realised that nothing is going to happen if I continue to play in that way, then my playing style changed. To us right now, musical instruments are just sonic devices to shake air and to make some atmosphere to share with the audience. The most important aspect of musical instruments is how they can “connect” with others. “Playing music” is way too easy.

How have you found the experience of playing the new material on stage? Given the distilled density of this music, it feels like a record that would really lend itself to being performed live.

Definitely. All songs are living things. They show us very different moods and sounds whenever we play them live. You know, the score has an undescriptive silence, tempo and mood – they lead us to how they would best like to be played, especially at shows. Maybe it seems to be a ritual more than performance – every song on Dear certainly has that vibe.

What albums are you listening to at the moment?

In fact I haven’t listened to new music these days. I am more into movies and books. More than that, I am inspired by them.

I’ve seen you mention that Dear started off as a farewell letter. A lot of writers have noted that it feels like the conclusion to something. What does the future of Boris look like? Is it possible to say whether there will be any more releases from you in the future?

Even if it is 100 in Japan, in the United States it will not work unless it is issued about 150 items

── This time I am going to talk about the North American tour that took place over the seven weeks from October 2017. Boris has done these long tours many times, but ENDON is the first time, is not it? Was it difficult, again after a seven week tour?

Koki (ENDON / G): For the time being, I came back properly, I think that it was fun to look back. I feel I could not afford to think that it was hard to go.

Taichi (ENDON / Vo): I went out without thinking about spicyness before I went there and finished doing what I had to do in front of me everyday. But now it is hot as body blowing effect.

Atsuo (Boris / Vo, Dr): It's tough after the tour has ended. ENDON has a different foundation of activities, they do bands while doing work. So the tour will be affected to the point of life after coming back. It was the first time we started to go abroad. Because I only live a life by doing simple things like doing live while going over there.

Boris 20171108 Nashville, TN - Exit / In

─ ─ I see. In the case of Boris When was the situation that it was painful to go back to when?

Atsuo: It has been around for about 10 years since we are going on tour so it is before that. At first, I did not go with going feeling "intend to earn". When I started abroad, the journey to invest in them continued for a while and I did not know the know-how. But I think ENDON got a great luxury tour this time. It can not be done with the amount of the venue or amp of that scale from the beginning.

Taichi: That's why I came with Boris' PA because it is Sleep or NEUROSIS who also has a dave, but we also do it everyday at an exceptional price. I got accurate advice on how to give out sounds, and even in other scenes, I think that the environment was much better when compared to the bands of about us going to the popping.

Atsuo: In order to establish such a long tour / life, I think that it would normally be better to build a foundation in Europe and then order like America from there.

── Is that as a rule of thumb for Boris?

Atsuo: Yeah. It is delicious in Europe as well, depending on the way of booking it is not as hot as moving in the United States. This time ENDON was suddenly in the United States for seven weeks (laugh). The scenery of each city does not change so much, and the capacity is also in the car. If you are in Europe you can enjoy just looking at the buildings and scenery as they change rapidly.

─ ─ If you do a seven week long tour, the first time that America is hard is that it is hard.

Atsuo: I think it was actually hard. We have done these long tours to disband, because we are watching many people who have gone away. ENDON is good because it keeps coming back. There was no big accident and I came back.

ENDON 20171101 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw

─ ─ On this tour, how did you face these tours of Boris seen from ENDON, and how did Boris see ENDON who experienced these long tours for the first time on the contrary?

Taichi: Boris has a way of doing the tour, and there is no way to show the way of living over there and the contents. That's why I just played at the live house and went home (laugh). Even just controlling the bands themselves was a hard time, so we had no time to observe such things from here. On the contrary, I believe that our change was easy to understand from the Boris side.

Atsuo: We do not talk about members almost while on the move, and it is really really fresh. So, it was fun to be able to go around such a tour with the band from Japan for the first time this time. Personally I saw from the side that the Japanese went to America to do bands, so I thought that they were like this or objectively.

─ ─ From the view of Boris, did you know exactly that ENDON is changing between tours?

Atsuo: Even if I do 100 live performances in Japan, if I go to the U.S , I do not pass unless I put out about 150 points, and if the sound is not on the floor and stung directly on the body I can not enjoy the soil Among them, I feel that ENDON's live has changed more and more. What do you think of Wata? ENDON Look.

Wata (Boris / Vo, G): I'm in charge of laundry, I'm in charge of role sharing like cooking person (laugh). Although it may be rude, I guess it is like a training camp (laugh).

All this: (laugh)

Atsuo: But it's like running such food and laundry, it's a tour. They say that Wata cooks rice every morning and makes rice balls and so on. Because there is such a thing, it becomes completely different from spiritually. In that way I think that tour-life know-how will come up.

Wata: So at the beginning and the end of the tour, playing and so on are totally different. I will gradually make it while trial and error. I think that ENDON was also so.

Boris 20171028 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

- Was there a moment like ENDON himself also seemed to be grasping in the United States during the live show?

Koki: I can not grasp it as a whole band, but I personally had a pretty much different sense. I had a feeling that I would face my own with a stoic of doing live until now, but if you are watching over the band playing over there and watching the performance of the band, you are standing more neutral. Because there is music in life, it feels like you are playing in the same way you eat rice and drink tea, do not you think?

Taichi: There is no feeling that the performance is coming up.

Koki: Oh yeah, there are probably no perceptions that the performance and the stage is normal so I am doing my best for that. It's a live this weekend, so it's not like I'd let out stress over there. Thanks to that I really relaxed my feelings (laugh).

Atsuo: This time it was ENDON on the top, the second local American band, we were in the order of appearance when we finally got out, but the second band and so on did not have a sound check, It seems to start as soon as you arrange the equipment and just kick, snare, and check out the vocals. Even in that kind of environment, I will send out my sounds and tell them, and the basic physical strength of those kinds of bands is different. Band force? So naturally the raw sound will be decked and it will become a direct sound.

Taichi: It does not mean that there is no such attitude band in Japan. But we are particularly upset to serious. I also found beauty there. Many scenes that can not be done without rehearsing with style problems.

Atsuo: But that style is not born unless it is Japan. It is a music style with Japanese originality.

As the environment is constantly changing, what stabilizes is important

── After going on a tour, have you got anything else?

Koki: These tours are live for days, but when you turn it off, you will return to the original.

─ ─ Yes, is that so?

Atsuo: The next day off is very painful. It seems like "It's bad".

Taichi: It does not depend on muscle pain. The one who kept muscle pain everyday will become easier (haha).

ENDON 20171027 Millvale, PA - Mr Small's Theater

─ ─ I thought that the one who turned off turned back. Were there any definitive changes somewhere as you continued the tour?

Taichi: In terms of what the customer is looking at, the setting and standing position changed in the middle. At the beginning I was not in the center as a frontman.

Atsuo: Basically, support bands set up before Boris' back line so it is quite difficult. In America, this kind of way is like normal manners.

Taichi: When I assembled a drum in front of the drum, there was no place I could stand before that. That's why I tried to make the drum a little diagonal from the middle, so I stood at the front. It is a rational man, motivation just goes down because you can not stand in the middle.

─ ─ It was only when I tried that kind of thing I knew it.

Taichi: If I was not in the middle, I became a staging where black and white is not clear. I noticed that it is important to be in the middle and that the rules "are to be watched with attention" are important.

Koki: But I realized that the tour came about half (laugh).

Atsuo: But it takes quite a while to notice such a simple thing. Only the uncomfortable feeling that continues like I always think is going on is what is wrong.

── It's amazingly funny. Did Boris do that too?

Atsuo: At the time of the four people who supported Mr. Kurihara before, the drum was also deviated from the center after all, so how to tell was different from now. I think that Boris also became symmetry and it became easier to understand the structure after returning to three people.

Wata: In our case, the standing position stands in front of the main cabinet if there is a drum and there is an amp, there is a basic structure that it is easy to monitor and it is not so obvious if you take a vocal there. Another thing is to open a gap between the mold and the mold, and to make a smoke there. Since the size of the stage is different at the location location, there are times when you do not overcome all of it, but there you are flexible.

Boris 20171103 Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel

─ ─ surely the size of the stage will change at all as long as this tour.

Koki: It was fascinating like San Diego. Wata's amp was placed outside the stage (laugh).

All this: (laugh)

Wata: Moreover, it seems to be even beyond the aisle next to the stage (laugh).

Koki: It 's a strange place from a customer like there's only one base amp (laugh).

Atsuo: When there is no horizontal width of the stage, the base is not directional, so two bases / amplifiers are lining up in the back and forth (laugh). The power and characteristics of the system are quite different depending on the venue, and the difference is heresy, America is.

Koki: I guess the last loss was the effecter flying (laugh).

Atsuo: Since Ross has a sub-woofer under the stage center, the direction of the row is terrible. Also ENDON did the whole table moving on the table move the whole effector (laugh).

Koki: I guess you keep something at your feet (laugh).

Atsuo: Koki was doing it while he repaired the position of the effecter many times (laugh).

Koki: I did not have experience experiencing the shield shaking with the first track (laugh).

ENDON 20171118 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex

─ ─ If the structure changes according to the box, how is your way of entering different as well?

Atsuo: It will become a story about what can be stabilized in such a tour, do not you think? Is it feeling or is it a body? The environment will always change.

Taichi: There was an interesting thing becoming worker as you repeatedly live. Looking at the scale of the stage width, it seems like this is today (laugh). Is not it interesting for the tour to do the same thing every day? There are also things done on the same set list everyday.

─ ─ You did not change the set list all the time?

Taichi: I do not almost change. Sometimes we are going to do a headline show at the time Boris is on the festival, but at that time I feel like doing it for about ten minutes.

─ ─ Do not Boris change the set list on these overseas long tours?

Atsuo: It 's about changing the content of the encore. Especially this time we are going around tour together so we tried to do together and we were sending ENDON members daily on their songs.

── How was your impression of Boris's stage?

Koki: I wish you all the best (laugh).

All this: (laugh)

Taichi: When a vocal screaming to Boris enters, it is said that the customer is so violent (laugh).

Atsuo: Have Taichi and Koki first come in. On the other day, you only get two people in the noise.

Boris with Taichi 20171108 Nashville, TN - Exit / In

─ ─ Do not decide that part in particular?

Taichi: That's already the top down (laugh).

Koki: When I thought about finishing the live and returning to the hotel, I told you to remember the song by tomorrow (laugh). So when I got back home and got cord little by little in a memo pad it looked like 5 o'clock in the morning. It will be bad if the code is wrong (laugh). I do not usually have string instruments like myself, so my band is different from other bands and Boris (laugh).

── The pressure when Koki alone was told is different (laugh).

Taichi: It 's strange how to take Wata's tempo at Boris's stage. So when I try to rely on Atsuo's drum sounds it changes too. Then, as for where to listen, there was only listening to the whole thing (laugh).

Atsuo: Looking at Wata, you do not understand the rhythm (laugh).

Taichi: I told Mr. Takeshi that he did not look at Wata (laugh).

Atsuo: Actually playing together will make you see something like a secret in that band. With that kind of feeling, try loading on ENDON further (laugh). But I felt strongly that I wanted to show ENDON the sight from that stage. That feeling that is getting excited with swing. In order to have that feeling, I thought it would be nice to show them together.

── Such experience can not be done without this tour. As it is the last time, how did you look back on the tour again?

Taichi: When you look back on it, it's hard to act collectively. I think that there are various forms of talking with Atsuo and continuing the band, but I think when I see Boris as a skill to continue. It is also said that spinning music, making it work, more bluntly making money. Because I'm eating out the amazing place of Boris with music. I think there are various ways of thinking, but I wonder if the balance of whether we are going to aim for it and doing work while doing work in Japan, was able to judge by going around a long tour.

Atsuo: There is only a band "There is Naru or Soruka", and furthermore, there is only "Haru". That's why there was lots of things I could have experienced this time because ENDON got there. ENDON, we and I, I think that it is only a continuation of it from now on.