The essential Kemuri
You might not have noticed before, but I love a bit of ska. Give me a solid upbeat tune and a horn section and I am a happy punk, which is why I adore just about everything that Kemuri has put out over the years. The band is one of the pioneers of the ska-punk genre in Japan, and has been touring in both the US and Japan since 1995.
Want to dive into the world of ska-punk? Here is everything you need to know about Kemuri and some of their best tracks to get you skankin’ the night away.
The Essential Kemuri
Kemuri first formed back in 1995 in Oxnard, California, but they quickly made their way back to Japan where they started releasing music. As is common with ska bands, they have seen numerous line-up changes and shifts, but their sound has remained fairly consistent since their earliest days. They disbanded in 2007 after more than a decade of touring and recording together. Fortunately, fellow punk rock icons Hi-Standard convinced the band to reform in 2012 and they’ve shown no signs of slowing down since.
They are a great distillation of ’90s ska, with what they describe as a Positive Mental Attitude as their core message. Like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Less than Jake from the same era, Kemuri blends punk rock energy into their sound, something that would become the standard for ska in many fans’ eyes. They are one of the most accessible Japanese ska bands for fans in the west since so many of their songs feature English lyrics. Here are a few of our all-time favourite Kemuri tracks to get you started down that rabbit hole.
PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)
This song was originally on Kemuri’s second album, but nothing else sums up their sound and philosophy better than this track. Almost 25 years after it was first released, PMA showcases everything that makes a great ska track. Fumio Ito’s vocals are crisp and on point. Shoji Hiraya’s drums give the song a brilliant punk feel while the horn section and Yukihiko Tanaka on guitar mean you’ll never mistake it for anything but ska. This is the perfect example of Japanese ska-punk.
Time Bomb
It takes a lot of guts to cover one of the fundamental tunes of a genre, but Kemuri managed to do exactly that with this cover of Time Bomb by Rancid. Like all the best covers, it is immediately recognisable yet different enough that you would never mistake it for the original. This version has a touch more ska than the original, which was influenced more heavily by Rancid’s punk roots. It is a fun, distinctive track that will immediately get you moving around the room.
Ohicho
This is another track from Kemuri’s second album, 77 days, and it is such absolute fun. From the opening bar to the moment the song closes you can’t mistake it for any other band. Kemuri is such a great example of that generation of ska bands. The rapid delivery of the lyrics; the pounding drums; the unmistakable sound of horns blaring at just the right moments — this is ska-punk at its finest.
Thumbs Up!
This track helps prove that Kemuri didn’t lose anything when they came back from their hiatus in 2012. After five years off the road, they have put out four studio albums in the last decade, including 2017’s Freedomosh. Thumbs Up! is every bit as punk rock as the band had always been, with an unapologetically positive message and all the fun fans expected from the band — along with a renewed energy and sense of perspective that time away from the stage had given the group. This is easily one of the best tracks since their return to the scene. Ska is all about joy and unity in the face of overwhelming adversity and this song sums that up perfectly.
Find something you like? You can pick up some official Kemuri merch and CDs from our friends at JPU Records to show your ska-punk support for the whole world to see!
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