Elephant Kashimashi

Overview

Elephant Kashimashi (エレファントカシマシ, often shortened to "Elekashi") is a Japanese rock band from Kita, Tokyo, formed in 1981 by junior high school classmates. They made their major-label debut with Epic/Sony Records in 1988. Since 1986 the lineup has been Hiroji Miyamoto (vocals, guitar, principal songwriter), Toshiyuki Ishimori (guitar), Seiji Takamidori (bass) and Yoshiyuki Tominaga (drums). They have played Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall every year since 1990, and in 2007 Rolling Stone Japan ranked The Elephant Kashimashi II number 50 among the greatest Japanese rock albums. In 2018 they received the Best Respect Artist award at the Space Shower Music Awards.

Career

Formation to debut

Ishimori and Tominaga formed the band in 1981 at Akabanedai Junior High School, and Miyamoto joined in their third year. The group began as a six-piece covering Deep Purple, Rainbow and RC Succession. The name came from the comedy trio Kashimashi Musume and the impact and sound of the film The Elephant Man, chosen half as a joke with no deeper meaning. In 1982 they played original songs at the EastWest regional preliminaries, their first stage appearance, and performed at venues such as Shinjuku JAM. In 1986 Tominaga's high school classmate Takamidori joined, completing the lineup, and in December they won the CBS/Sony SD audition and signed with Sokeisha.

Epic/Sony years (1988–1994)

They debuted on March 21, 1988 with the single "Dede" and a self-titled album released simultaneously. Rockin'On's Yoichi Shibuya compared the shock to hearing Southern All Stars for the first time. Miyamoto cited Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Rolling Stones and T. Rex as major influences. The second album, The Elephant Kashimashi II (November 1988), turned inward toward anguished, emotional songs. Ukiyo no Yume (1989) brought literary language and a more world-weary tone, followed by Seikatsu (1990), which Miyamoto calls his youth. The band played its first Nippon Budokan show on January 4, 1991, held a five-night run at Kichijoji Baus Theater in 1992, and released Elephant Kashimashi 5 that April. Dorei Tengoku (1993) was intense but sold poorly. Tokyo no Sora (1994) added guests, orchestration and overdubbing, but after it Epic ended the contract in May 1994.

Pony Canyon years (1996–1999)

With help from Rockin'On's Yoichi Shibuya and Yoichiro Yamazaki, the band signed with the new agency FAITH A&R and made its comeback on Pony Canyon with the single "Kanashimi no Hate" in April 1996. The album Kokoro ni Hana wo (August) sold well and gave them their first Oricon top 10. In 1997 "Koyoi no Tsuki no Yoni", the theme of the TV drama Tsuki no Kagayaku Yoru Dakara, sold over 800,000 copies, and its parent album Asu ni Mukatte Hashire -Tsukiyo no Uta- sold half a million. Ai to Yume followed in 1998.

Toshiba EMI years (1999–2007)

The band moved to Toshiba EMI in 1999 and released the single "Gastronger". Good morning (2000), almost a Miyamoto solo work, drew on Rage Against the Machine and Nine Inch Nails. In 2002 Takeshi Kobayashi produced Life, after which the band returned to self-production with the mini-album Dead or Alive, a return to simpler band sound. Ore no Michi (2003) confirmed that direction, and the tribute album Elephant Kashimashi Cover Album Hana Otoko (March 19, 2003) featured acts such as Straightener and Takkyu Ishino. In 2004 came the single "Bakemono Seinen", the album Tobira, the documentary Tobira no Mukou (produced by Hirokazu Kore-eda), and in September the album Kaze. They released their first live albums, Noon Aki and Nihon Natsu, in 2005. In March 2006 Tominaga underwent surgery for a chronic subdural hematoma and recovered fully.

Universal years (2007–)

The band switched to Universal Music in 2007, releasing the single "Oretachi no Ashita" on November 21 and the album Starting Over on January 30, 2008. "Kizuna" (March 18, 2009) became their first song used as a film theme, and the album Noboreru Taiyo arrived on April 29 with a tour from May 14 to June 3. On September 1, 2012 Miyamoto suffered acute hearing loss in his left ear and underwent surgery; live activity was suspended until a special concert on September 14, 2013. A second tribute album, featuring Dragon Ash, The Back Horn, Brahman and 10-Feet, came out in 2013.

For their 30th anniversary in 2018 they staged their first tour covering every prefecture in Japan, ending at Saitama Super Arena with Mr. Children and Spitz as guests. The album Wake Up (June 6, 2018) won at the 11th CD Shop Awards, and on November 16 Akabane Station began using their songs as departure melodies, since three of the four members come from Akabane. In 2021 they skipped Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall for the first time in 31 years. Marking the 35th anniversary of their debut in 2023, they released the single "Yes. I. Do" on March 8, toured arenas for nine dates in spring, and on June 9 issued Live Archive 2007–2017, a six-CD, two-Blu-ray set. Separately, Miyamoto's solo album Romance won the 71st Japan Art Festival Minister of Education Award (popular entertainment) and the Planning Album of the Year at the 35th Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2021, and topped the Oricon chart.

Musical style

The band began with raw rock and roll shaped by Western rock such as The Rolling Stones, T. Rex, Led Zeppelin and The Doors, and by Japanese band RC Succession. Miyamoto's distinctive melodic sense then drove a deeper, harder yet emotional sound. After their comeback they achieved commercial success with gentler melodies and polished pop, later moving between industrial and alternative rock-influenced sounds, meticulously arranged pop, and a self-produced band sound. Miyamoto is the principal writer; co-writing credits with Ishimori appear as "Gandhara Combination" and with Takamidori as "Dandy Brothers". Miyamoto's explosive vocals and the drawn-out phrasing in live performance are hallmarks of the band.