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GEZAN (下山) is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2009 by Mahi to the People (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Eagle Taka (guitar), Carlos Ozaki Santana (bass), and Shark Yasue (drums). The band released their first album 『かつてうたといわれたそれ』 in 2012 through their own independent label 十三月の甲虫, and were quickly embraced by the Japanese experimental rock scene, earning praise from legendary artists such as Acid Mothers Temple, ...read more

GEZAN (下山) is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2009 by Mahi to the People (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Eagle Taka (guitar), Carlos Ozaki Santana (bass), and Shark Yasue (drums). The band released their first album 『かつてうたといわれたそれ』 in 2012 through their own independent label 十三月の甲虫, and were quickly embraced by the Japanese experimental rock scene, earning praise from legendary artists such as Acid Mothers Temple, Merzbow and Melt-Banana for their frantic mix of noise rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. On their second album 『凸-DECO-』 (2014), GEZAN began incorporating alternative rock and emo elements into their music, becoming more closely affiliated with the underground punk/indie scene. In 2014, they embarked on their first tour of the US, and held the first iteration of their free music festival 『全感覚祭』. GEZAN's third album 『NEVER END ROLL』(2016) exhibited a softer, more melodic sound, with the band now fully embracing their alternative/emo influences. After the release of 『NEVER END ROLL』, Yasue left the band and was replaced by 22-year-old drummer Ishihara Roscal. In 2018, GEZAN embarked on their second tour of the US, playing 17 West Coast dates organised by Bob Vielma of the band Shinobu; immediately after completing the tour, the band entered Electrical Audio in Chicago to record their next album 『Silence Will Speak』 with legendary musician and recording engineer Steve Albini (the album was also mastered by Shellac bassist Bob Weston). 『Silence Will Speak』 saw the band once again adopting a more aggressive approach with the reintroduction of hardcore and noise rock influences into their sound, reinforced by an appearance from Merzbow on the album's closing track. By this time, GEZAN had built up a significant profile in the underground Japanese rock scene and began receiving some mainstream attention. Their free 『全感覚祭』 music festival had substantially grown in scale over the years, with appearances from scores of noteworthy artists every year. In 2018, the festival was shown on television for the first time, while the 2019 iteration of the festival was the first to be held over two days; food was also provided for free at the festival for the first time. Meanwhile, the band made their first appearance on one of the main stages at the prestigious Fuji Rock Festival, and their documentary film 『Tribe Called Discord: Documentary of GEZAN』 was released in theaters. In 2020, GEZAN released their fifth album 『狂(KLUE)』, recorded at Red Bull Studios Tokyo with renowned dub producer Naoyuki Uchida (formerly of Dry and Heavy). Showcasing a unique blend of noise rock, psychedelic rock and dub, the album reached number 38 on the Oricon charts in the week of its release. GEZAN was also honoured alongside chart-topping mainstream artists at the Space Shower Music Awards 2020, receiving the "Best New Vision" award for their "innovative activities". « hide

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