Along Ago: 1981-1989

by OXZ

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Gio Makyo OXZ‼️ if there’s one good thing to come out of 2020, it’s this! I think I saw nearly every one of their shows in 1984-85, absolutely adored them. OXZ (pronounced Awk-Zed), with their post punk/dirty pop sound, were really a breath of fresh air in the hard-core conformity of the Kansai punk scene at that time. (Sad to say that scene did not take female bands very seriously, the same was true of shonen knife.) So very glad to see some belated recognition for these bad-ass grrlz.💋 Favorite track: Etranger (1985).

Ash-covered Ghoul A remarkably diverse catalog of tracks for how short it is. Some songs have a very typical atmospheric and at times jagged and jangly post-punk or goth rock sound to them, while others move out to rock and roll, rockabilly, even some straight up pop. While eight years is a respectable span for such a band, the variety of their output makes it a bit of a shame that we never got a full length LP out of them. Still, what they've left for us is fantastic material worth exploring. Favorite track: Boy Boy.

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CD Versions of OXZ's 'Along Ago'. Includes all bonus tracks.

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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Lavender Vinyl Version of 'Along Ago'. Pressed in an edition of 1500 copies. Includes booklet.

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1.	Fall In The Night 01:52	buy track
2.	Along Ago 02:45	buy track
3.	Life And Death 03:08	buy track
4.	Touching My Heart 03:49	buy track
5.	Vivian 04:23	buy track
6.	Be Run Down 02:06	buy track
7.	Etranger (1985) 02:52	buy track
8.	Boy Boy 03:14	buy track
9.	Etranger (1988) 02:15	buy track
10.	Is Life 02:28	buy track
11.	Teenage B 04:10	buy track
12.	（我等は何して）老ひぬらん 04:23	buy track
13.	Blue Sing (Bonus Track) 03:23	buy track
14.	Bleed Love (Bonus Track) 02:13	buy track
15.	Down Easy (Bonus Track) 02:07	buy track
16.	Angel 03:02	buy track
17.	Orgel Bony (Bonus Track) 03:15	buy track
18.	Truth (Bonus Track) 03:55	buy track
19.	Baby Again (Bonus Track) 03:11	buy track

about

The mid '80s were an exciting time for music in Kansai (Osaka-Kyoto), Japan. There were more stages for bands to play on, more releases by independent labels and a variety of bands playing in different styles. The 80s were also a time when women’s rights in Japan, though a topic of conversation, were not widely visible in the real world. There were very few women in the underground music scene at the time, but none of them dressed like punks or dyed their hair, or outwardly showed much interest in declaring independence from the usual rules. So, in 1981, when Hikko, Mika, and Emiko (aka Chasen-maru) first appeared together as OXZ, they were intentionally shocking.

Nothing happens in a vacuum, however. It was already acceptable for young women to form bands in the safety of their high school music clubs. They generally played cover songs at school events. However, actually stepping out into the dirty world of live houses was for the adventurous and compelled. To do so in OXZ’s overtly provocative, dramatic way was unheard of. Contemporaries of Shonen Knife, OXZ were known for the intensity of their live performances. Releasing their first EP in 1984 – an 8" EP – their catalog belies their reputation for moody, dark post-punk ahead of its time. The bass and drums dominate; the guitars are angular and spiky – punk, but with something extra. Along Ago: 1981-1989 collects the band’s entire catalog – three EPs and a single – alongside unearthed, unreleased demos.

Then, 1989, it ended as the band went their separate ways. And the name? No one seems to remember how it came about, but it should be noted that in Japan, O means acceptable and X means rejected, so maybe OXZ means "going beyond all usual standards."

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released March 13, 2020

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OXZ Osaka, Japan

Releasing their first EP in 1984, OXZ (pronounced OX-ZED) made moody, dark post-punk ahead of its time. The bass and drums dominate; the guitars are angular and spiky – punk, but with something extra. Along Ago: 1981-1989 collects the band’s entire catalog – three EPs and a single – alongside unearthed, unreleased demos. ... more

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