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Possessing dual citizenship with the London Borough of Camden, your ambassador from Planet C recently passed the time amongst friends at the Underworld watching GANG PARADE perform for the second WACK in the U.K. event. You may be asking why you, dear reader, might be interested in what I do in the evenings, and I assure you it is not because I am possessed with the burning desire to tell you all how unhappy I am with not getting to meet GANG PARADE member, Yui ga Dockson, in person, but rather that, as of this year, we predict a lot more of you might be paying attention to the groups on producer Watanabe Junnosuke’s record label.
As of episode #3 of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger, former BiSH member, Hashiyasume Atsuko is confirmed to be appearing in the series on a semi regular basis as the International Space Agency’s investigator, Shirabe Saibu. Perhaps you have already been captured by Hashiyasume’s portrayal of her strictly business character, perhaps you are curious to know more about the groups she was formerly associated with. Fear not, dear reader! Your correspondent from the stars is here to give you the potted history of WACK!
Formed in 2014 as the abbreviation of Watanabe Artistic Creative Kabushikigaisha, Watanabe’s then fledging company were instrumental in laying the groundwork for what has generally come to be called ‘alt-idol.’ Built mostly upon the popularity of the group, BiS (Brand-new Idol Society), who had garnered a reputation for avant garde and confrontational marketing stunts, once Watanabe and lead member, Pour Lui, had wrapped up activities with the group—going from antagonistic independent releases to a spot on mainstream label avex trax’s roster, a relationship frequently noted for the friction it caused between the group and their label—the next step was unusual in that it saw Watanabe wrest back creative control for decisions and reestablish an indie label, this time with the notoriety of BiS’s prior marketing drawing attention to proceedings.
The first time we on Planet C witnessed what your world after BiS might be like, it was with former BiS member Kamiya Saki’s group, pla2me, a duo founded with Mizuta Mari (real name: Izumi Mari, formerly performing as Izukoneko, equally successful in her own right). When Mizuta left after two singles, pla2me was relaunched as P.O.P (Period of Plastic 2 Mercy). Your correspondent was able to see P.O.P on February 13th, 2016 in Shibuya, and I wrote in my fanzine at the time.
Whilst on stage, Kamiya, and all the members of P.O.P are as engaging and excitable as you would expect any band of this genre to be. But there is something else going on, something that does not bode well. It would not surprise me if this time next year, P.O.P were no more.
One month later, on March 14th, P.O.P played their final headlining give before relaunching with an expanded lineup in July as GANG PARADE.
Surprisingly, Kamiya remained with GANG PARADE right up until 2020. The real change came whilst P.O.P was trying to find its feet, as Watanabe declared he would be reforming BiS as a new group with a new lineup and a new name, BiSH (Brand-new Idol Shit). BiSH were huge, their popularity far greater than I think anyone could have predicted, their members going on to achieve legitimate success in their own right, their presence in mainstream Japanese culture dwarfing even that of their predecessors. Founded in 2015 with five core members—Aina the End, Cent Chihiro Chittiii, Momoko Gumi Company, Yukako Love Deluxe, and Hug Mii—the classic BiSH line-up was actualised with the departure of the last two members a few months after debut and the arrival of Ayuni D, Lingling, and Hashiyasume Atsuko.
We would be here all day if we were to chronicle the significance of BiSH and the history of their discography so please accept this whistle stop tour of notable moments for your loyal correspondent: First independent single, Spark (2015), the only song to feature Yukako Love Deluxe. The group’s original anthem, BiSH -Hoshi ga Matataku Yoru ni- (cw: strong images featuring substances designed to recall bodily fluids). Orchestra (2016). GiANT KiLLERS (2017, cw: images of abuse). Kashiwagi Yuki Nari no BiSH-BAD TEMPER- (2021, featuring now former-AKB48 member, Kashiwagi Yuki). You may have noticed a theme! Although popularity tempered the imagery used by BiSH, a significant part of their marketing was building on transgressive and taboo depictions as BiS did beforehand.
A moment to speculate on Watanabe Junnosuke’s creative influences: from day one, it feels as if Watanabe’s agenda has been to marry the aesthetics and nihilism of punk rock with idols. Watching this process develop from the front row has been fascinating for me as a member of the audience yet not always gratifying. As recently as that Wednesday at the Underworld, when ASP came out on stage, they do so to the sound of Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life. The discomfort arises for me personally in that the message Watanabe has clearly taken away from punk rock is that of the Sex Pistols and their former manager, Malcom McLaren, which, whilst inspired, isn’t always kind. This is not to say that we do not need things that are unkind, that are harsh truths, but the manner in which Watanabe has conducted WACK’s marketing schemes often doubles down on some of the more unsavoury tropes regarding the idol industry. It is not hard to imagine that a girl might join a group and promise ‘to do anything’ to promote it and soon find herself uncomfortable with what was being asked of her. When I think of such things, I hit the same wall that presents itself whenever I consider the work of director and effects artist, Iguchi Noboru.
With the huge popularity of BiSH, WACK’s stunts continued, further groups being announced—EMPiRE (now ExWHYZ) in 2017, CARRY LOOSE and MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN in 2019, several new iterations of BiS in 2016 and 2019, and ASP (initially revealed as ANAL SEX PENiS) in 2021, and many others, all of which leads up to today, when the label’s potential expansion abroad.
It is difficult sometimes knowing where the line is drawn between performance and actuality. The marketing of WACK clearly plays into the myth of Watanabe as a monstrous influence, the 2023 multi-group national tour going as far as to be titled the FUCK WATANABE TOUR, yet now that he lives in London, the ambassador from Planet C cannot entirely promise that she will not throw a rock at him should she see him in the street.
WACK are huge, dear friends, and you who have read this far are to be commended, especially if you only opened this article with the promise of some Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger content. I shall refrain from going into further detail, but I hope that this brief potted history of the label will inspire some of you to consider both WACK and Hashiyasume Atsuko’s career prior to appearance as Shirabe Saibu and embark in some pop culture archaeology.
Will you be checking out BiSH in future? Are you rooting for the ambassador of Planet C to finally get to meet Yui ga Dockson of GANG PARADE? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
