Mentai Rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mentai Rock is the name given to the collection of Japanese artists who gained national popularity during the late 1970's. Continuing through the early 80's, the collective had little in common other than their origin - the Hakata ward of Fukuoka City. The phrase, Mentai Rock, was derived from the name of a local delicacy, mentaiko, made from roe. Many believed that their origin also had a common influence on the overall sound, despite the wide variety of genres represented.
[edit] Mentai Rockers
Leading artists on the Mentai circuit included:
- Sheena & the Rokkets
- Sunhouse
- Accidents
- The Mods
[edit] Neo Mentai Rock
While the original scene died out during the mid-80's, Fukuoka's music scene has continued to pump out high-quality artists. Ayumi Hamasaki has gone on to succeed as the highest paid J-pop performer in history, while artists such as Shiina Ringo and Spitz have kept the standards high on a less obvious level.
Current scenesters worth looking out for include:
- Roi Schaider
- Smooth Line
- Sano Masaru
- Aqua Bomb
- The Cigavettes
- UFO Beam
- Nanbanjin
- The Routes
- Cut Flowers
- Limit Break
- Baobab
- Dr. Funkinstein
[edit] External links
Mentai Rock in its various forms is not well documented in English. Occasional articles appear in the local press, so it's worth checking out Fukuoka Now or Japanzine if you are interested in reading more.
