The Alternative Counter Organization

Description

"Tako" means "octopus," "kite," and even "onion" in Japanese. Bald men or those with shaved heads, as well as red-faced, staggering drunks, are also called "tako." It is a word that frequently appears in slang and common expressions. "Tako" is also the name of a musical and performance collective from the 80s whose performances were one of a kind. The Japanese group Tako, formed in the early 80s, is an informal collective with variable members, belonging to the post-punk alternative music movement. Its members were all friends and acquaintances of Harumi Yamazaki, a former member of Gaseneta and the central figure of Tako. One could describe Tako as a guerrilla band that, over the years, continued to connect, gather, interrupt, and disperse, while broadcasting ephemeral music and sounds into the world. Tako also performed without Harumi, giving the impression of an anonymous group of musicians. Their first album, released in 1983, had a considerable impact on the Japanese underground music scene. An atypical and collaborative album, it brought together various artists (iconic figures of the Japanese underground scene!) and Harumi, who wrote the lyrics. Each track, a true sonic conglomerate created by this ephemeral local network, shares Harumi's expressive lyrics with all the songs. The whole thus forms a powerful force that, in turn, generates an "incident" spreading like a massive wave. However, following a scandal caused by some lyrics, the records were withdrawn from sale, and only a limited number of people now own a copy of the album. Tako's second album (a 12-inch EP), released in 1984, features a live recording of a concert given in late 1982. Tako is a group of indeterminate composition that only ever gave one-off concerts, but this album reveals a lineup of exceptional musical coherence. It powerfully conveys the force of Tako's stunning and legendary live performances, as well as Harumi's incandescent, sensational, and almost masochistic stage presence. Their whispers and screams, which seem to ignore the detached rhythm, overwhelm the audience like a crashing wave. Here is the description of Tako by one of its members after a concert: "Tako is like a project where the participants, whose identity remains unclear, stoke the heightened desires of personal revenge. It is an ecosystem of viscous mud, tangible and intangible, that accumulates to allow emotions to express themselves, whether in the studio or on stage. That is why the avenger can often end up being the victim." Nameless, March 1985