Otoboke Beaver

Otoboke Beaver(Japanese:おとぼけビ～バ～)is a Japanesepunk rockband fromKyoto, formed in 2009. The band currently consists of singer Accorinrin, guitarist Yoyoyoshie, bassist Hirochan, and drummer Kahokiss. Their most recent albumSuper Champonwas released in May 2022.
Otoboke Beaver is named after alove hotelinOsakawhich was located near the high school of one of the band members.The band formed in 2009 while the members were active in a rock music club atRitsumeikan UniversityinKyoto.The original members included Accorinrin on vocals, Yoyoyoshie on guitar, Pop on drums, and Nishikawachi on bass.
In June 2011, Otoboke Beaver released a demo CD featuring three songs, including an early version of "Chuchu Song", a live track that would be later re-recorded and distributed to people who helped fund the band's first trip to the United States.In 2012, the group released their first live album via Egypt Records. In 2013, they released a limited-edition single via Jet Set Records, featuring the newly recorded "Otobokebeaver Daijikenbo" and two live tracks. In March of the same year, the band released the mini-albumLove Me Sign. Bassist Nishikawachi left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Hirochan, a fan who asked to join via e-mail.
Otoboke Beaver participated inRecord Store Dayin 2015, releasing the single "Akimahenka" on vinyl. In 2016, the band signed with the British labelDamnably. TheOkoshiyasu!! Otoboke Beavercompilation album was released that year, featuring the majority of the songs found on the group's first two mini-albums, with the addition of the "Akimahenka" single. The band recorded a live session forXFMand toured the UK withShonen Knifeand Leggy. TheEPBakuro Bookfollowed shortly thereafter, with another EP titledLove is Short!!appearing the following year for Record Store Day 2017. The song "Love Is Short!!" reached the UK singles chart.
The band began touring internationally in 2016, including dates at the100 ClubinLondonand theSouth by Southwest(SXSW) festival in the United States in 2017.Their trip to SXSW was financially assisted by fan-funding viaCampfireandKickstarter.In 2018, the band traveled over 24,000 miles (39,000 km) in one week to play two slots at theCoachella Festivaland a three-date headlining tour in the UK with label-matesSay Sue Meand Leggy. Other notable tourmates have includedThe Cribs,Miyavi,Guitar Wolf, andWussy.
The compilation albumOkoshiyasu!! Otoboke Beaverwas re-released on vinyl for Record Store Day in 2018.In that year, founding drummer Pop left the band.Pop was replaced by Kahokiss, who had attended the same university music club as the band's founding members almost a decade before.
In March 2019, Otoboke Beaver again performed at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.The albumItekoma Hits, featuring new songs and compiling some previously released singles, was released by Damnably in April 2019. The non-album single "Yobantoite Mojo" was released in late 2019; the song also served as the theme for the Japanese TV comedySusumu Inomata and 8 Mojo.Also in late 2019, the band played the Koyabu Sonic festival, featuring a mixture of comedy acts and bands in an 8000-person stadium held by theYoshimotocompany.
Along with releasing the single "Dirty Old Fart is Waiting for My Reaction" in early 2020, the members of Otoboke Beaver quit their day jobs to become a full-time touring band.They were able to tour for two weeks in Europe before theCOVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown period they focused on developing new songs and played several live shows via Instagram. The albumSuper Champonwas released in May 2022.Otoboke Beaver returned to touring in late 2022 with a series of shows in Europe, followed by their first full-length tour of North America.Another tour of Europe and North America followed in early 2023.Their performance at that year'sSXSWreceived coverage fromRolling Stone, which described their set as "both a goddamned riot and tight as hell."The band embarked on a short tour of Australia and New Zealand in late 2023, followed by another tour of the United States and Canada in early 2024.
According to its members, the band plays a "fast-paced and aggressive style of punk-rock", with "frequent changes in rhythm and tempo", accompanied by "gang vocals".Their songs feature love and relationships as regular themes, some based on singer Accorinrin's own experiences,and often critique the social roles required of women in modern Japanese society. This was not something Accorinrin was necessarily conscious of at first but she has embraced these feminist ideals after traveling abroad.
They have said they are inspired by a particular style of traditional Japanese comedy,Manzai. Its speed, tempo, and rhythm of delivery are an influence on their musical style.Accorinrin specifies Japanese comedianKen Shimuraand theatre comedy group Yoshimoto Shinkigeki as personal influences.
Each member draws inspiration from her own differing musical tastes: Yoyoyoshie likesJapanese rock, Hirochan likeshardcore punk, and Accorinrin and Kahokiss likeJapanese popmusic.They said that they are “influenced by westernRiot Grrrlattitudes and the sounds of punk and angular post-rock”.The band mentioned further influences from groups such as Yapoos, Hikasyu, P-MODEL, Momoe Yamaguchi, and Afrirampo.
Otoboke Beaver's music has garnered them praise from the likes ofPitchfork("even if their music is not explicitly feminist, there is power in hearing a group of four Asian women say exactly what they want"),and also fromNPR,The Fader,Stereogum,i-D,andFujirock Express.
In 2017, they were nominated for Best Live Act at theAIM Independent Music Awards.They have been featured onBBC6radio.Dave Grohlof Foo Fighters described Otoboke Beaver by saying, "It’ll blow your mind, dude. It’s the most fucking intense shit you’ve ever seen."Upon the release of their albumSuper Champonin 2022,Anthony FantanoofThe Needle Dropremarked "with two really fantastic albums under their belt at this point, is Otoboke Beaver not one of the best modern Punk bands that Japan has to offer right now?"