My Electric Fantasy (10 Years After)

Japanese heavy rock band Looprider marks the 10th anniversary of its debut EP, "My Electric Fantasy," with a special release featuring re-recorded versions of three key tracks: "Kill La," "Satellite," and "Farewell", under the title "My Electric Fantasy (10 Years After)". These new arrangements better reflect the band's current live sound, aiming to capture their present-day performance energy.

"Satellite" and "Farewell" features guest vocals from SHOKO of Japanese shoegaze band COLLAPSE. "Farewell" has been completely revamped into a new, extended arrangement clocking in at over 8 minutes, with no drums. This version fully embraces the shoegaze aesthetic and heavily saturated guitars that were only hinted at in the original, creating an immersive sonic experience.

Taka Kubo at Studio Chaosk, a frequent collaborator, oversaw the recording process. The anniversary release also features new cover art by Nasutakeo, who designed the original, eye-catching anime-inspired cover, symbolizing the band's and illustrator's decade of artistic growth.

"My Electric Fantasy" originally released by Call And Response Records on August 19, 2015, introduced Looprider's "doomgaze" sound, blending shoegaze, metal, and J-Pop elements. Vocalist and guitarist Ryotaro aimed to merge the power of Black Sabbath, My Bloody Valentine's ethereal textures, and The Smashing Pumpkins' melodic sensibility with a Japanese rock/pop feel. The original EP was noted for its "merrily contrarian and shamelessly pop" approach and its exploration of "loudness," from sludge to fuzzy pop.

Looprider, a Tokyo-based heavy rock band formed in 2013, is characterized by its "bass-less" instrumentation, with Ryotaro on vocals and baritone guitar, and Ryo7 on drums. Ryotaro achieves a massive low-end by routing his baritone guitar through both a bass amp and a Hiwatt amp stack. The band is known for its diverse sound palettes and refusal to remain static, having explored various genres across releases like "My Electric Fantasy" (shoegaze), "Ascension" (crusty hardcore), and "Umi" (post-rock). Their most recent album is "Metamorphose", released in 2023.

These 10th-anniversary re-recordings offer a contemporary view of Looprider's evolving sound, providing a fresh perspective on their foundational tracks.