Bonescratch - Discography (1996-1998)

 

   Bonescratch was a pioneering hardcore band from Sapporo, Japan, and stands out as one of the early torchbearers of post-hardcore in the country. Drawing strong influences from seminal bands like Born Against and split-mates In/Humanity, Bonescratch adeptly channeled these inspirations into their own potent and aggressive style. Their music was a relentless onslaught of raw energy, imbued with a fervent political edge that paralleled the spirit of the US D.I.Y scene.

    I’m currently missing the files off their demo tape. If anyone has a rip of it, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with me!

Solo Releases

Split 7" w/ In/Humanity

Split 7" w/ Sawpit 1998 (Vernacular)

Split 7" w/ In/Humanity 1996 (HG Fact)

Last Words Gone Mini-LP 1998 (Blood Sucker)

Diaglam CD 1996 (HG Fact)

End Of Slide CD 1997 (Straight Up)

Demo

Nine Days Wonder - Aluminum 7" (1999) and Scenery Is In Disguise Here 12" (2000)

    Nine Days Wonder was a Japanese emo / post-hardcore band that formed in 1997 and were active well into the 2000s. They toured with The Exploder, Envy, Elliott and more. They released two albums, a couple EPs and two compilation CDs, however this post will focus on their first two releases.

    Nine Days Wonder instantly clicked with me after listening to their 1999 7", Aluminum. They have an incredibly tight and technical sound somewhat similar to the likes of Maximilian Colby or Sleepytime Trio. Aluminum stays to the mathy, hardcore sound while their 2000 12" strays a little from hardcore into a more post-rock realm with a few heavy hitting tracks scattered throughout. 

    Akira Kawasaki of Nine Days Wonder was also in Mouse On the Keys, an interesting nu-jazz/post-rock project that is also worth checking out. 

    I'll be using the Spotify links for this post as they are actively copywrited by Dim Mak. 

Aluminum 7"

Scenery Is In Disguise There 12"

Aluminum 7" 1999 (Dim Mak Records)

Scenery Is In Disguise Here 12" 2000 (Dim Mak Records)

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - IE 12" (2000)

    There Is A Light That Never Goes Out was a hardcore punk/emo band from Tokyo, Japan who were active from 1998-2002. They are named after the song of the same title by The Smiths. During the four years they were active they released a full length album on LP/CD, a split 7" with French band Vanilla, a split cassette tape with The 100 Lots and then a posthumous CD with a compilation of tracks and a bonus DVD. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out also played many shows with bands such as Nine Days Wonder, Envy, 400 Years, Kulara and With Love to name a few. 

    Their sound is a complex one with vocals reminiscent of Frail or Angel Hair but instrumentals almost similar to the experimental feel of Clikitat Ikatowi. The resulting sound leaves us with something so rhythmic and packed with energy you can't help tapping your foot to every song. 

    I found this band fairly recently along with Nine Days Wonder, also out of Japan, and both are incredibly underrated. I find I often forget to sift through bands active in the early 2000s for the good stuff but there are really some hidden gems after the 90s. 

(Including the Spotify link for copyright purposes)

Spotify Link

IE 12" 2000 (Dim Mak Records)