Electric Eel Shock

Electric Eel Shock is a Japanese rock trio that powerfully combines classic rock, metal, and punk influences with a gritty garage rock delivery. Aki Morimoto (vocals/guitar) and Kazuto Maekawa (bass) were first brought together over a mutual obsession with Black Sabbath while in school in Osaka. They played together in a pop/rock band in Tokyo, but after the band broke up, Morimoto turned to fishing while Maekawa briefly joined the popular Japanese funk band the Apollos as a session bassist. It was here that Maekawa first met drummer Tomoharu Ito -- who interestingly enough loves to play naked -- and upon hooking back up with Morimoto, Electric Eel Shock was born, initially as an 11-piece band. Scheduling practices quickly became too hard, thus causing EES to strip down to their present threesome. Without wasting time, the guys started making an impact on the Japanese independent rock scene, starting Micro Music with friends to release their first full-length, Maybe I Think, We Can Beat Nirvana, following it up with Live Punctured. In 1999, EES recorded Slayer Bay Blues and pressed enough for their first U.S. tour. Initial gigs in and around N.Y.C. with friends Peelander-Z were highly successful, so after a brief return home, they soon went back to America, touring for two years straight. They next recorded the Go America full-length and in January 2003, with the help of a U.K. fanzine writer who later became their manager, went to London and played an impressive 12 shows in ten days. Extensive touring continued for the rest of the year, spending time between the U.S. and Europe, including successful stops at SXSW and CMJ in the United States, headlining a stage at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and opening for Danko Jones' European tour. Electric Eel Shock went back into the studio in 2004 to record Go Europe! and Go USA!, licensing both around the world and playing in 30 countries. They next released Beat Me, produced by Attie Bouw (Judas Priest, Scorpions), in 2005. ~ Corey Apar