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Bathtub Shitter - Biography


This band's profile is 'invisible', meaning that it's much less prominent on the site - either because it's incomplete, or maybe doesn't entirely fit MS format.


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Biography

Bathtub Shitter was formed in 1996 in the Osakan underground hardcore/punk scene, which has produced such great bands as S.O.B, Boredoms and so on. At the beginning of this band, Keisuke resigned from his own band, named Epidemic Cause to do new music, and advertised for new members. On February 14th the same year, Masato answered this call. He joined and named this band Bathtub Shitter, the original members including Tsuyoshi and Ikeda, and started rehearsals in studio at once. In the same year, they recorded their 1st demo for promotion, pressed only 20 copies, and started playing live shows around Osaka.

The next year, Masato and Keisuke decided to change guitarist and bassist for ideal music style, and invited Horino and Mike to record a 2nd demo tape Demo 97. This tape sold 1000 copies in Japan alone, and with changed artwork for shipment overseas, sold more than 4000 copies in the foreign underground scene. Bathtub Shitter had an offer for a 7" EP from long-running Japanese indie label MCR Company. However Bathtub Shitter discharged Mike because of his lack of guitar works. In 1998, instead of him, Bathtub Shitter invited female guitarist named Mari as guest, and released a split 7" inch record with Dudman.

In 1999, Bathtub Shitter invited Osho as a guitarist, who has known Masato since childhood. What's more, he had been in charge of Bathtub Shitter's jacket artworks. Bathtub Shitter joined Hard Core Marathon, the gateway to success for young Osakan bands under the auspices of Tagrag, which resulted in the live documentary CD Hard Core Marathon vol. 2. Bathtub Shitter had some offers from foreign labels who'd heard stories about the band, and chose two offers for releases with German label T.V.G. Records and U.S. label Rhetoric Records, and began recording. The first 7" EP Fertilizer was released on T.V.G. Records.

However, another single One Fun has not been released because Rhetoric Records went bankrupt. In 2000, Masato received a letter from Lee of Menace To Sobriety Records[/i], and decided to re-release Demo 97 with some new tracks on vinyl, and released it as 97 + 3 Shit Points. After a few days, Horino left to pursue other projects. Instead of him, new bassist Morikawa joined Bathtub Shitter. This line-up recorded a 10" vinyl named Wall Of World Is Words as a limited edition of 1100 copies on German label [b]Farewell Records/Plastic-Bomb. It was put out as their first album.

In 2001, ten bands were gathered from various scenes to contribute to A Tribute To The Griffin. Bathtub Shitter was singled out as the representative of the Japanese grindcore scene. This CD was put out by Zorlac Sound Works/Flexy Nation Music Entertainment. Swedish label Putrid Filth Conspiracy and a Cypriot label offered Bathtub Shitter to make vinyl singles, and Bathtub Shitter recorded thirteen tracks at LM studio, and Mark A Muck was out through PFC. After some months, 2nd single One Fun was finally released on German label, Power It Up, and in the same year, contributed some songs to two compilation CDs: Murderous Grind Attack on US independent label 625 Thrashcore, and Comeback Of Goregods on Czech label Bizarre Leprous Production. The same year, Bathtub Shitter became inactive live for a long time in order that Sugiyama could go to Germany to learn music. Then Masato discharged Morikawa and Osho from Bathtub Shitter. Soon, Masato invited Sato (ex-Hope) as a member and Toru (ex-Raging Fury) as a support guitarist. This line-up waited for Keisuke to return from Germany.

In 2002, 4th single called Angels Save Us was finally out as a cooperative release from Rusted Lock Records and Necro Obscure Terror Records of Cyprus. Keisuke came back from Germany, and Bathtub Shitter started live shows again. However, after a few gigs, Sato left Osaka due to family reasons, so Bathtub Shitter invited Kuroki, then a member of the band's staff, to join. Later that year, Bathtub Shitter re-released the European edition fo 7" EP 97 + 3 Shit Points on Power It Up and the U.S. edition of 7" EP Fertilizer on First Blood Family. They also contributed rehearsal track "Over Kill" to small Italian label ZAS Productions's 7" compilation Worldwide Violence.

(Source: bathtubshutter.com)