Pipyu - S/T Pipyu - S/T LP + 7" (BLR-019)
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Unknown outside the most serious of collector circles, Pipyu's (ピッピュ) 1985 demo is an under-the-radar classic of early Japanese hardcore punk. Taking their name from the debut manga of Keizo Miyanishi, the legendary artist responsible for the cover of The Stalin's seminal Trash LP, Pipyu was formed in 1983 in Shirokanedai, Tokyo by high school friends Tomoo Baku Yamaguchi, Yasuyuki Hiragami, Kazumasa Ebisawa, and Hirohiko Onodera. Initially emulating the more accessible, popular punk of the Mods, Baku soon pushed the band towards the harder sound of The Stalin to match his lyrical themes of anger, frustration, sex, and death.
Eventually, after his three bandmates departed for university, Baku recruited high school friend Eiichi Hiraga and began a creative partnership that bore the distinctive self-titled demo tape featured on this release. Through his love of new wave and The Doors, Eiichi's arrival took the band's sound in new directions. Recorded by Hideo Yamamoto, the demo incorporated synthesizer and drum machine, resulting in a unique punk/wave sound with elements of hardcore that recalls some of the finest of the ADK catalog.
After recording their self-distributed demo cassette, Pipyu appeared on the Love Is Beautiful CS (Yapool Music, 1985), This Is The Life, Vol. 2 LP (MCR Company, 1987), and a split 7" (Bleeding Heart, 1988) with Gakimusha Rousoku (餓鬼武者蝋燭). The latter two releases saw the band rejoined by original drummer Yasuyuki, who had played in the great Shojoningyo (少女人形). Sadly, competing responsibilities led the band to break up amicably after the release of the split 7". Pipyu reunited briefly in 1990 to record two songs written near the end of the band's initial run. These last songs, "死角" and "Duet”, incorporated catchier, more pop-oriented songwriting. This final output bookended the band's history with their finest recordings since the demo.
With great pleasure, we here at Bitter Lake Recordings bestow upon you a much-needed reissue of this unique piece of 1980's cult Japanese punk. In an attempt to achieve aural consistency, we will be presenting this material as an LP+7", with the demo pressed as an LP and the two unreleased songs as a bonus 7" single.
