Known for its genre-bending cocktail of indie rock, jazz, and world music,
Japanese alternative rockers The Band Apart formed in Tokyo in 1998. Consisting
of middle school friends Takeshi Arai, Kawasaki Kouichi, Hara Masakazu, and
Kogure Eiichi, began playing thrash metal covers in the mid-90s under the
moniker The Band Apart, a name borrowed from Quentin Tarantino's production
company. Following a brief hiatus, the group re-emerged in 1998 with a much more
personal sound, inspired by melodic punk acts like Hi-Standard and Husking Bee.
After bringing bass player Hara Masakazu int...