The Japanese trio, NUL., has captured the essence of industrial rock while infusing it with their own unique style. Their recent performance, Distorted Circle #2, at Shibuya’s La.mama is yet another proof of their brilliance.
In the music industry, there are bands that manage to capture the essence of a genre and catapult it into a unique dimension. Japanese trio NUL. is one of them. With their originality, catchiness yet heady sound, accompanied by distinctive vocals, NUL. has emerged as one of the most interesting bands of the current industrial music scene. The latest concert they held in Tokyo was yet another proof of their brilliance. On March 7th, the band performed at Shibuya’s La.mama, one of Tokyo’s oldest live music venues (opened way back in 1982), to celebrate vocalist HIZUMI’s birthday with a special concert called DISTORTED CIRCLE 2. The event featured two special guests, Hitoki, the compositor and bassist of Kuroyume and drummer HIMAWARI from DUSTAR-3, adding an edgier and rougher tone to the trio’s music.
At 7:00, as the lights dimmed, the concert began. The band members made a cool entrance, walking one by one from a small elevated alley that was linked from the audience to the stage, sparking excitement among the crowd. The performance started with the songs INFERNAL and Yatagarasu setting the tone for an intense and raw evening. The powerful combination of drums and bass produced a punchy sound that perfectly complemented the industrial trio’s style. The hall shook as the bass reverberated during the performance of DIVE and GREEDY BLOOD FEUD. The atmosphere was electrifying, buzzing with excitement. The crowd jumped up and down, fully immersed in the music. The audience enthusiastically threw their hands in the air, chanting along “yeah, yeah”. Vocalist HIZUMI proceeded to introduce the two special guests for the evening, Hitoki and HIMAWARI, humorously referring to them as rockstars. Their camaraderie and chemistry on stage were evident. The band shook the walls with in-your-face song KaliMa. Everybody was surfing on the same sound wave. Then followed incisive Another Face and sensual, almost carnal, Cube. After this powerful set, tension rose once more: XStream brought a friendly chaos to the stage with its metal-infused sound. The drummer, HIMAWARI, kept twirling the drumsticks through his fingers, while playing. The audience eagerly embraced the energy, completely engrossed in the music. HIZUMI took a moment to express his slight embarrassment about celebrating his birthday on stage but recalled a promise made during MASATO’s birthday live to debut a new song. True to their word, the band unveiled the new track called Reimei which featured a heavy beat and fast-paced rhythm, layered sounds, gritty guitar solo and rich vocals, which is basically NUL. trademark. The setlist continued with upbeat tracks abnormalize and Dictate. The energy was infectious, and the audience surrendered to the music’s hypnotic pull. The setlist flowed into emotional tracks Shiyuu no Tenbin, a track about inner turmoil of the heart and From deep underground, a gothic and haunting track enhanced by the red lights that filled the venue, reminiscent of the gritty atmosphere of the thriller movie Seven. The keyboardist, Kishi, appeared to be genuinely enjoying himself on stage, demonstrating a strong bond with drummer HIMAWARI. After a short break, the band started playing melancholic Higanbana, and abruptly stopped, unexpectedly transformed into a heartwarming rendition of the song “Happy Birthday” to the delight of HIZUMI. MASATO then went on to voice his wish to share the stage with HIMAWARI and Hitoki once more. He said: “The experience was truly enjoyable. It feels regrettable that it’s coming to an end after just one time… I would love to do it again”. The evening’s show reached its apex with back-to-back performances of BLACK SWAN and Plastic Factory, and concluded with POISON EATER during the double encore. The band announced that a new album is on the horizon, set to be released before the summer, followed by a summer tour, with a performance scheduled at Shibuya Star Lounge on July 13.
There is no denying that NUL.’s rising to becoming one of the greatest industrial sensations of the current underground scene. Their originality, catchiness and heady sound have captured our ears. NUL. is a band that should not be missed.
Mandah FRÉNOT
(c) VMJ
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[NUL. | SETLIST]
01. INFERNAL
02. Yatagarasu (八咫烏)
03. DIVE
04. GREEDY BLOOD FEUD
05. KaliMa
06. Another Face
07. Cube
08. XStream
09. Reimei (黎明)
10. abnormalize
11. Dictate
12. Shiyuu no Tenbin (死遊の天秤)
13. From deep underground
14. Jill (ジル)
–ENCORE–
01. Higanbana (灯願華)
02. BLACK SWAN
03. Plastic Factory
–ENCORE–
01. POISON EATER
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Photography by Yoann CLOCHON & Mandah FRÉNOT
