Just two days ago, I wrote an article about an interesting and exciting advertising campaign being run by alternative idol group BiSH to promote their two upcoming EPs and album. Through that campaign, you had the chance to grab a free CD for the new EP, although even if you missed out on this rather neat bonus (like this fan unfortunately did) it was worth visiting Shibuya Station just to see the exciting billboards that had been put up to promote the new music. Yesterday saw the release of one of the EPs being promoted through the advertising campaign and, to coincide with this release, BiSH released a brand new music video for the EPs opening track, “Tsuini Shi” (Finally Dead).
If you’ve never heard of BiSH before, yet think you know what to expect from this song as soon as I tell you that they’re an idol group, you’re probably wrong. The video opens with the sound of distant gunshots and the girls hiding within a rundown bar in army gear, before a piercing screech and heavy electric guitars pierce through the noise and attack you from all sides. From that point, you’re treated to a non-stop barrage of surrealist imagery that parodies Japanese variety programming, all while the lyrics, hook, and heavy backing for this track worm their way into your brain. With a sound more reminiscent of a metal group than an idol group, the song and MV are in equal parts bold and expressive, developing and improving on the sound of similar tracks in their discography such as “deadman(2nd)”.
BiSH is easily one of the most exciting idol groups working in the industry right now. Embracing distribution methods like digital to push their sound by previously having offered entire new-release album for mere hundreds of yen in the past to drum attention to their music, going their own direction with a style of music rarely found in the mainstream when it comes to the idol industry and experimenting with their style through music, attire and live performances, the constant risks this group takes makes following them so incredibly exciting.
The EP “STiCKS” is now available exclusively on Apple Music, with the EP “CARROTS’ releasing exclusively on the service at midnight on May 3. The group’s third major studio album, helpfully titled “CARROTS and STiCKS”, will be made available on July 3. If you only try one new artist this month, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving BiSH a chance. Their music definitely isn’t for everyone, but who knows, you just may like them.