Although virtually unknown at home, in 2005 the international release of "Pink" turned Tokyo's Boris into one of Japan's biggest underground exports in the new millennium.
Hipster Web sites such as Pitchfork.com and mainstream rock rags like Spin raved about the album's awesome coupling of sludge metal and bluesy, psychedelic rock, exposing the indie act to a larger fan base in foreign lands. Unaware of official worldwide sales figures for "Pink," guitarist and bassist Takeshi estimates that more than 30,000 copies have been sold in the United States alone.
"From now on, we hope more people will listen to us," says Takeshi in an e-mail interview with The Japan Times. "We are not trying to become a mainstream act, but don't want to be called a 'cult band' and remain in a small world. If we create something good, positive reactions and listeners will continue to find us naturally."