Shobu Saitoh

Shobu Saitoh is a Japanese noise/experimental musician, guitar and bass player, active since the mid-nineties and primarily working with his brother Fuyuhiko Saitoh. They began playing as Mamarracho duo, gaining prominence for an extremely aggressive and highly-energetic "Yokohama rolling core" style, and later co-founded Full Volume Agency label/distributor. Shobu joined a rotating 30+ cast of a controversial noise band The Gerogerigegege and collaborated with its leader Juntaro Yamanouchi on several occasions. Together with Juntaro and Fuyuhiko on drums, they recorded a Mar '95 session that appeared on Wreck Of Rock'N'Roll 'Former Self 7" by a German label A.I.P.R. Shobu Saitoh also worked with Juntaro on his last 'official' releases in 2001 before an extended ~15-year hiatus. He 'mastered' the Gerogerigegege's side of the Live In USA: Las Vegas Show Time / At The Club EP 7" split with Dutch noisecore band Crowd Surfers Must Die, co-released by Maxi Noise Sensation and CSMD's No Fucking Labels. One of Juntaro's famous 'conceptual' releases, this record contained no original music or noise, just three songs (including an introduction by some cheeseball Las Vegas impresario) taken from a Japanese pop singer Hiroshi Itsuki's 1976 live 2xLP recorded on his first-ever USA tour. Shobu also played 'all guitar noise' on Saturdaynight Big Cock Salaryman CD EP, published via brother Saitoh's FVM label. Recorded at Hamadayama in April 2001, this session packed 35 songs, complete with track title announcements and countdowns, in under 13 minutes. A true pinnacle of '1-2-3-4 noisecore' genre, and one of the last known appearances by the band's infamous 'senzuri' mascot Gero 30, who was much older than Juntaro and other musicians.