Super Junky Monkey is an all female Japanese

funk metal Funk metal (also known as thrash-funk or punk-funk) is a subgenre of funk rock and alternative metal that infuses heavy metal music (often thrash metal) with elements of funk and punk rock. Funk metal was part of the alternative metal moveme ...

group.

History

Beginning

Their first release was in 1994: a live recording called '' Cabbage'', originally released as an audio recording, but also released as a video recording later that year. This was quickly followed in 1995 by the studio album ''

Screw Up ''Screw Up'' is the 1994 debut studio album by Japanese group Super Junky Monkey Super Junky Monkey is an all female Japanese funk metal group. History Beginning Their first release was in 1994: a live recording called ''Cabbage'', originally ...

'', which features some of the songs from ''Cabbage'' as well as some new tracks. The band released two full-length albums, both of which were released internationally. Additionally, in Japan, they released several EP's and 3 concert videos. The band's performances of "Skysurfers!!" and "I Call Myself Sliced Ice" were used as the opening and end credits music, respectively, for the second season of the American animated series, ''

Skysurfer Strike Force ''Skysurfer Strike Force'' is a science-fiction superhero animated series that was featured on Bohbot Entertainment's Amazin' Adventures cartoon block and was co-produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and Ashi Productions. The show lasted two seaso ...

''. The album ''

Super Junky Alien ''Super Junky Alien'' is a 1996 EP by Japanese group Super Junky Monkey Super Junky Monkey is an all female Japanese funk metal group. History Beginning Their first release was in 1994: a live recording called ''Cabbage'', originally released a ...

'' features a bonus 1996 cover of the MTV Top of the Hour tune.

Death of Mutsumi

On February 5, 1999, Mutsumi Fukuhara committed suicide by leaping from the balcony of her apartment in Osaka, leaving behind her husband and one-year-old son. The other band members decided not to continue without her and instead moved on to other projects. Several years after Mutsumi's death, the band released the material they were working on at the time as the ''E-KISS-O'' EP and the greatest hits ''Songs Are Our Universe''. ''E-KISS-O'' includes three songs with Mutsumi's vocals and two instrumentals. ''Songs of Our Universe'' features two unreleased tracks and several videos. On June 20, 2009, the remaining three members of Super Junky Monkey reunited to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Mutsumi's death with a performance at the Liquid Room in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Japan.

Musical style

They performed and merged various styles and genres of music, including

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

, heavy metal, hip hop,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, artists indulge in extrem ...

and funk. Influences on the band members include

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist f ...

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

Madball Madball is an American New York hardcore band formed in New York City, that originated in the late 1980s as a side project of Agnostic Front. The band developed after Agnostic Front's front man Roger Miret would let his younger half-brother F ...

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

and

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

states "A quick description of the band would be 'Japanese all-girl

Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, k ...

or Primus'".

Members

* Mutsumi "623" Fukuhara, ''née'' Takahashi — vocals * Keiko — guitar (later joined

Ex-Girl eX-Girl is a Japanese female noise rock trio. Overview They claim to hail from the planet Kero Kero. They are described as psychedelic, space rock, jazz fusion, jagged alternating vocal harmonies, sugary synthesiser pop, punk, prog, epic/atmosph ...

) * Shinobu Kawai — bass (many projects, include Tricomi) * Matsudaaahh!! — drums (in a band called Weeee?)

Discography

CDs

Japanese release Videos

* 1994.11.01　- ライブVIDEO「キャベツビデヲ」- RIOT LABEL RIVD-001 * 1995.04.21 - VIDEO「DEATHI」- Sony RECORDS SRVM444 * 1996.04.21 - ライブVIDEO「HOLY MOTHER OF MEATLOAF」- Sony RECORDS SRVM514

Japanese Compilation Albums

* Benten Bentoh - Po Po Bar * Japanese Homegrown Vol. 1 - Another Mother (remix of Mother) * Japanese Homegrown Vol. 2 - If - take 2 (possibly another take) * Soy Milk Vol. 1 - Towering Man (also on E Kiss O)

References

External links

KURUGE TRAVOLTA - bassist Shinobu Kawai's site
{{Authority control All-female bands Japanese alternative metal musical groups Japanese avant-garde metal musical groups 1999 disestablishments in Japan Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Funk metal musical groups