D.S.B. (2)

Japanese hardcore punk band from Shinjuku. D.S.B is an abbreviation for Defiance of Shit Bastards. D.S.B was created by two high school students KAZU (vocal) and YO (guitar) in 1990. They gave out their first demo tape, recorded with a simple tape recorder during one of their lives in 1991, at their concerts in Kokibinji Morgana, where they used to play at that time. They were still newbies who had been playing instruments for just a few months. The band name on the tapes the boys wrote themselves with a red pencil and they made several mistakes in only three words. Next the demo of 1993 was recorded in a studio and included four songs; the number of copies printed was a mystery even for D.S.B members. Then the omnibus album In Search of Space, released in 1994, became a kind of milestone for the band. At that time they played not only in Santama (which is one of the suburban areas of Tokyo) but in downtown Tokyo as well. They were influenced greatly by all the music they heard around them and they easily picked up new styles. All those influences were reflected in the album, whose sound is sometimes even close to pop. The release was sold in a shop called "Disc Union" at a low price. The tape NO FIGHT NO GET appeared in 1995; it included seven songs and 350 copies were made. The group began to play outside Tokyo and participated in some short tours around Japan. The tape caught the attention of Koketsu and Wedge (ex-H’100s/ NINE SHOCKS TERROR). At that time those two were living in Boston, USA, and they suggested releasing an EP under the same name but with the year of release - 1996 - and a couple of different jackets. Initially there was an intention to make the EP a split to the album of H’100s. In 1997 the band participated in the recording of an omnibus EP, Santama City Hard Core 2, which was one of a fairly famous series on the label MCR. D.S.B got the opportunity to work alongside such bands as LESS HAZE, SLIGHT SLAPPERS, and CRUCIAL SECTION. Their song on the release was the English version of Never Die. The Wings Continue To Strive With Unchanged Mind CD/LP included songs the band is still playing at their lives. That was the first release where the peculiar style of the band was finally formed. To record the Radical Sharp Shot EP in 1999 the band worked together with Mr. Yanagida of OURHOUSE. The single included four songs, one of which (Freedom) was written with influences from the movie "Brave Heart" in mind. There was also a limited edition of the single printed on red vinyl. In 2001 D.S.B went on a tour around Japan together with DEATHREAT. They also issued an EP, DOUBLE DEATH BLOW, with several new songs. At that time they got to know Billy from US label Partners In Crime and several American bands. They also began to think about touring abroad, and promised themselves to play a live in America in 2003. In 2001 the band again participated in an LP omnibus, One Shot One Kill, with such bands as WARHEAD, EXTINCT GOVERNMENT, and ZONE. The songs for the release were already recorded in 2000 when they still had the initial line-up. But having grown tired of their old sound, D.S.B. ultimately rejected the idea of releasing the songs as they were. Besides they had enough time to re-record the material since the other bands weren't ready yet. So the songs were recorded with the following line-up: YO on vocal and guitar, KAZUFUMI on bass and SACHOU on drums. The resulting sound was a bit unusual but still in line with what D.S.B were typically playing. The release of the EP Pure Cultivation was the real turning point in the band's career. It was the first single released and sold abroad. They worked on it together with the staff of Partners in Crime. At that time they wanted to concentrate on their sound instead of releasing another CD. Appearing in Japan, Europe and the USA, the EP is one of the most important works of D.S.B. It required around half a year to have ready the next CD, Battle Into Invisible Zone. The working process in the studio was riddled with all kinds of accidents; the equipment broke, there was no way to mix the recorded material, sometimes the band had no time to meet in the studio to get down to work. So rather than record in July as originally planned, the recording was done only in November. One of the songs, HUMANITY, reveals the band's concept of "Melodic Punk Rock" and is a sequel to the song HUMANITY from Wings Continue To Strive With Unchanged Mind. A photo of ruins in postwar Afghanistan was used for the cover design. D.S.B's intent wasn't to make an anti-war symbol but to show the reality people had to face. In 2002 the band released a series of three singles under the DISCRETE RECORDS label. Usually they had the time to release new material at their own pace, one of the benefits of staying indies. But still the band envied the majors a bit, because they had to release something new in fixed periods of time. That's why they decided to repeat what hard core punk bands in the 80's in the UK were doing and release three singles within a short period of time. As a result they issued Pure Cultivation (black), Battle Into Invisible Zone (red) and Wait Tremblingly!!! (white) – a set of three singles, each one with its own colour and sound. And finally the band toured the USA in 2003. In 2005 and 2006 D.S.B didn't have a regular bass player, so they invited various session guitarists to record the new album Kill The Phantom City (2006).