is a Japanese
rock band formed in 1978. They originally began in 1971 under the name , and are considered to be one of the pioneers of Japan's
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
scene. The group ended activities in 1996, but original member Reck reformed Friction in 2006 as a duo with drummer
Tatsuya Nakamura.
In September 2007, ''
Rolling Stone Japan'' rated their debut album ''Atsureki'' at #21 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time".
History
Originally formed in 1971 as an avant-garde music group by bassist Reck, saxophonist Chico Hige, and drummer Sakuro Watanabe in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan. They changed the band's name to 3/3 in the mid 70s, and Reck and Chico later moved to the United States, where they would form the band
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks with
Lydia Lunch and
James Chance, and later became the original founding members of
James Chance and the Contortions before returning to Japan.
Renaming 3/3 to form Friction, they recruited guitarist Tsunematsu Masatoshi, who had studied art at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music. They released a live album and single in 1979, and their first studio album, ''Atsureki'' (軋轢, meaning 'friction' in Japanese) in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, produced by
Ryuichi Sakamoto
was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
. Tsunematsu left the band in December 1980 to become a solo and visual artist. From then on, Friction has had numerous guest instrumentalists for lives and studio releases, all revolving around frontman Reck. The live video titled ''Dumb Numb'' was directed by
Sogo Ishii. Friction went on hiatus in 1999 when Reck started producing for other musicians. In 2006, the group was reformed as a duo featuring Reck and drummer
Tatsuya Nakamura.
Discography
*''Atsureki'' (1980)
*''Skin Deep'' (1982)
*''Live at "Ex Mattatoio" in Roma'' (1985)
*''Replicant Walk'' (1988)
*''Dumb Numb CD'' (1990)
*''Zone Tripper'' (1995)
*''Remixxx+One'' (1996)
*''Live 1980'' (1996)
*''Best'' (2007)
*''Friction 1978-2008'' (2008)
*''Deepers'' (2009)
*''2013 - Live Friction'' (2010)
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Japanese punk rock groups
Tzadik Records artists
Enemy Records artists