Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. is arguably one of the most influential Japanese bands in the world at this moment.
But want to read a review of one of their records? You'll have to find a copy of The Wire or some other influential foreign music magazine. They barely get a mention in the Japanese music press. Want to buy an album? Look on their Web site or search in the smallest of specialty stores. And gigs? Try London or New York. Though they tour prodigiously in Europe and the United States, with occasional shows in their hometown, Nagoya, they haven't played Tokyo since 1999.
"The last time we played [Tokyo] there were less than 20 people in the audience," says the group's founder, guitarist Makoto Kawabata via e-mail from Nagoya. "On top of that, everyone in the band is from Kansai so we already dislike Tokyo. . . . In my case, Tokyo's bad vibes have a detrimental effect on my health so there's no way I can stay there for more than three days.