Les Rallizes Denudes

***In 1991, Les Rallizes Denudes released three full-length albums on CD, the band’s first-ever recordings to be made available since their formation in Kyoto more than two decades prior. In 1993, the band appeared in front of an audience for the first time since 1988.

Their February 17 appearance at Club Cittaʼ, which came four days after their “comeback” gig at Baus Theater, turned out to be one of the most notable out of all the Rallizes performances thus far. The show has been talked about in some circles as the stuff of legend. With guitars roaring at colossal levels, even surpassing the immense volume of their earlier gigs, the doors were vibrating as some audience members were said to have run out to the lobby to find respite from the sonic assault.

This shattering (in almost a literal sense) performance, in its entirety, was recorded and preserved on an 8-channel digital recorder. Discreetly kept in storage for thirty years, these multi-track masters form the basis of CITTAʼ ʻ93, a brand-new album that accurately captures the transcendental roar that shook the walls of the venue in Kawasaki that one night. Carefully and sympathetically mixed by former Rallizes member Makoto Kubota, CITTAʼ ʼ93 presents a Rallizes sound that has never before been heard in any official capacity.

The Rallizes lineup that night consisted of Takashi Mizutani (vocals, guitar), Katsuhiko Ishii (guitar), Yokai Takahashi (bass), and Kodo Noma (drums). The album jacket artwork features photography by Takehiko Nakafuji; liner notes by Shinya Matsuyama.