Listening to 88Kasyo Junrei feels like being swept into a high-speed ritual where the sacred and the profane collide. The music is a dense, colorful thicket of sound, characterized by Katzuya Shimizu's lightning-fast guitar work and Margarette Hiroi's aggressive, melodic bass lines. It is rock music played at the edge of its technical limits, yet it never loses its sense of groove or theatricality.
What truly sets them apart is their 'ringleader' aesthetic. Hiroi's vocals range from a sneering punk delivery to a haunting, melodic chant, often weaving in references to Japanese folklore and spiritual pilgrimages. The interplay between the three members is telepathic, allowing them to pivot from a heavy metal sludge to a shimmering psychedelic clearing in a single measure. It is music that feels both ancient and futuristic.
Start with the album 'Tokyo' (凍狂) or '0088' to hear their signature blend of technicality and atmosphere. These records showcase their ability to make complex math-rock structures feel like a wild, late-night party in a haunted Tokyo district.
88Kasyo Junrei (Japanese: 八十八ヶ所巡礼, Hepburn: Hachi-jū Hachi Kasho Junrei) is a Japanese rock band formed on October 8, 2006. They consist of vocalist and bassist Margarette Hiroi, guitarist Katzuya Shimizu and drummer Kenzo. The name, which means "pilgrimage to eighty-eight places," is reminiscent of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Their music combines elements of jam band, heavy metal, alternative, psychedelic and progressive rock styles. All lyrics are written by Hiroi and often contain references to religion, such as Buddhism or Shinto, and different yōkai. All albums are released through their own label, PPR. The mascot character, who appears on numerous album covers, was created by Japanese animator Takashi Taniguchi and nicknamed "pilgrim" (オヘンロさん, o-henro-san). They performed outside of Japan for the first time at Eurockéennes Music Festival in France, on July 7, 2019.
Shares hi fi, layered dense, studio polished (production style); intense, mysterious, haunting (moods)
Shares alternative metal, progressive rock, art rock (subgenres); hi fi, layered dense, studio polished (production style)
Shares progressive rock, psychedelic rock, math rock (subgenres); electric guitar, bass, drums (instrumentation)
Shares progressive rock, psychedelic rock, math rock (subgenres); electric guitar, bass, drums (instrumentation)
Shares progressive rock, psychedelic rock, math rock (subgenres); urban night, basement show, cathedral (atmosphere)
Shares alternative metal, progressive rock, art rock (subgenres); electric guitar, bass, drums (instrumentation)
Shares progressive rock, math rock, alternative metal (subgenres); electric guitar, bass, drums (instrumentation)
Shares progressive rock, art rock, math rock (subgenres); intense, mysterious, haunting (moods)
Shares progressive rock, math rock, alternative metal (subgenres); electric guitar, bass, drums (instrumentation)
Shares progressive rock, psychedelic rock, art rock (subgenres); intense, mysterious, rebellious (moods)
Shares math rock, bass, progressive rock, psychedelic rock (signature)
Shares math rock, bass, progressive rock, art rock (signature)
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