Polysics

A violently energetic amalgam of fractured punk rock and vintage video game sound effects, Polysics gained recognition quickly due to their spastic live shows and trademark uniforms: matching orange or yellow boiler suits, straight-bar sunglasses, and badges stamped with the letter P. The band was formed in 1997 by Japanese high-school student Hiroyuki Hayashi, who named the group after his first keyboard, a Korg Polysix. After watching some live footage of Devo and becoming heavily inspired by new wave music of the West, the fledgling frontman/guitarist decided to quit his soccer team and form a band that would expand on the cartoonish image and musical ideas of the zany art-punk icons he had seen on TV. He linked up with drummer Junichi Sugai and Sako (aka Poly 2), who took the role of singing vocoded robotic vocals and driving the low-end through a bass synthesizer. The antithesis of spastic performers, Kayo, also joined the band, and her stoic, mechanical stage presence on the synthesizer and vocoder combined with the other members' frenetic live antics made for an strangely lopsided but exciting stage dynamic. While leaving their mark on the blossoming J-rock scene, Polysics were picked up by local indie label Deckrec and U.K. label Project, which released their first record, 1st P. Poly 2 left Polysics soon after, and a more rockin', less synth-oriented record followed that October, titled A.D.S.R.M! While the trio made plans to embark on a national tour, Asianman Records released the group's U.S. debut, Hey! Bob! My Friend!, a compilation of songs from their first two Japanese albums. In April of 2000, just after performing in Austin's South by Southwest Festival, Polysics signed to Ki/oon Records (a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan) and released two maxi-singles,...