Afrirampo

The White Stripes weren’t an inspiration, say this Osaka duo

Pika and Oni off stage courtesy of Sony Ki/oon

There’s something about Osaka that throws up eccentric noise bands. The Boredoms emerged from the city a decade ago, shattering the image of Japanese rock as derivative with an atavistic originality that owed more to free jazz than to The Beatles.

More recently, Afrirampo have been electrifying crowds the world over with a blistering live show that leaves listeners gasping. “Osaka sense is weird. It’s different from other cities. There’s a comedic atmosphere there,” offers guitarist/vocalist Oni (“Devil”) in an interview before a recent show at Unit in Daikanyama.

It might be easy to laugh about Afrirampo (a neologism they say means “naked”) if they weren’t so potent live. These are clearly two untrained girls just out of high school having fun bashing away, but there’s a method to the madness.

Oni usually starts with a riff—nothing you’d recognize from rock tradition—on the guitar, and is then joined by Pika’s insistent rhythms. The two begin to trade nonsensical words and phrases in a style they liken to birdsong or a vocal game. There’s certainly nothing in the way of verses or choruses here. (One song, “Do Do Do Do” consists only of that syllable.) But somehow it builds to a climactic frenzy that is something more than mere noise, something that provides a liberating catharsis of sonic delirium.

Since forming in high school in 2002, Afrirampo have toured the US, where they supported Sonic Youth, and Europe, where they played from Croatia to Norway. They’ve released albums on domestic imprint Sony Ki/oon (Urusa In Japan) and noted New York experimentalist John Zorn’s Tzadik label (Kore Ga Mayaku Da).

They say that, so far, Turkey was the most way-out gig they’ve played.

Pika and Oni on stage

“A ‘psycho brother’ emailed us from Istanbul. He has a small ‘maniac’ record shop and loves underground Japanese music,” explains Pika. “He arranged the show. We had about 400 people. He gave out many invitations, so many people came. In Turkey people don’t pay for strange bands because they don’t have much money.”

Inspired by a video about African pygmies they saw at a percussion camp, Afrirampo also spent three months in the summer of 2004 living with a tribe in Cameroon. A CD of material they recorded there is now being edited for release.

Pika and Oni say their music is more influenced by people and animals—dolphins, to be specific—than bands. And despite the White Stripes format, Afrirampo also insist the guitar/drums duo lineup was just something that happened. “It’s cheaper and easier to tour that way,” they say.

Afrirampo perform in garish red tops and hot pants with red war paint—something that apparently enhances their senses. They look to move beyond the ordinary, beyond cliché. At their next gig at Unit, they say customers won’t be allowed in unless they’re dressed up. “It’s a more special day. If you want to come, you have to wear a costume,” says Pika. “You can decide. “Furifuri poo poo poo.” This means yourself. Crazy. Like Rocky Horror Show.”

Unit, Dec 19. See concert listings (popular) for details.

Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp .