Ungulates (label) explained

ungulates
Founded:2017
Founder:Kou Nakagawa
Country:Japan
Location:Tokyo

Ungulates (stylized as ungulates) is an independent record label based in Tokyo, Japan and was officially established in 2017 by Kou Nakagawa.[1]

Ungulates specializes in cassette tape, CD and vinyl record releases for emo, indie rock, hardcore, punk, and post rock independent artists in Japan.[2]

As part of its philosophy to provide indie bands a means to reach a wider audience, ungulates also does digital distributions online, especially through bandcamp.

As well as being a label, ungulates also functions as an event and tour organizer in Japan for independent Japanese bands and foreign artists touring in Japan.

Also in line with its philosophy to enable independent musicians to expand their music cross-border, ungulates runs a distro distributing releases by independent bands from Japan and abroad and has collaborated with other independent labels from outside of Japan for split-album releases.[3] [4]

History

ungulates was first conceived in 2013 by Kou Nakagawa, the drummer of san visage, for the band Clayman Clayman. It derived its name from the hooves of the Okapi.

Event Bookings

In 2017, the label was revived as an event organizer for foreign indie bands touring in Japan.

That year, ungulates organized the Tokyo show of the Japan tour for the American hardcore band, Graf Orlock.[5] The Australian artist, Sam Haven, also toured Japan under bookings by ungulates in the same year.[6]

Adhering to its philosophy to provide opportunities to indie bands, ungulates continued organizing Japan tours for indie bands.

In 2018 alone, ungulates organized and hosted the tours of three bands from various countries. Starting with the joint tour for the American bands, Hemingway and Walter Etc. in March,[7] [8] and continuing with the Swedish shoegaze band, Mystery Language, in May,[9] and finally capping off the year with a 6-show tour by the Malaysian emo punk band, Social Circuit, in November.[10]

In 2019, ungulates organized the Japan tour for the New Zealand band, Carb on Carb.[11]

Music label and distribution

A pivotal point for the label came in 2020, when due to a lull in the live music scene because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ungulates redirected its efforts to music releases instead, focusing on digital music and also small-scale production of albums on cassette tape and CDs.

In 2020, ungulates released its first digital release and the cassette tape version for the emo band, as a sketch pad, led by the Andy Schueneman of the American band, Worst Party Ever.[12]

Since then, ungulates has continued to release both physical and digital albums, EPs and split albums for independent Japanese emo and indie rock bands such as downt, Kudaranai1nichi (くだらない1日), ANORAK!, togaru (とがる) and more,[13] [14] [15] and has become one of the leading independent labels at the forefront of the Japanese emo scene.[16]

In addition to releases for Japanese bands, ungulates has also been involved in collaborative releases with independent labels in Asia and Europe.

In 2020, ungulates collaborated with 6 other independent record labels to release the vinyl of the Japanese version of the album Nya Slussen by the Swedish hardcore band, Det Är Därför Vi Bygger Städer.[17] Also in 2020, ungulates, along with the Chinese label QIIISNACKS and the Taiwanese label, 22 Records, released the CD, 10-inch vinyl, cassette tape and digital version of the album HATE/LOVE by the Chinese hardcore band, Bennu is a Heron.[18] [19]

In 2021, ungulates collaborated with the label Tired Records in Singapore and KAT Records in Indonesia to release a 3-way split album with the bands Cue (from Singapore), Hulica (from Indonesia) and Kundaranai1nichi.

Other activities

Ungulates distributes its physical releases mainly through independent online stores and also through selected independent music stores around Japan.[20] However, in order to help independent bands to reach a wider audience, ungulates does its digital releases mostly through bandcamp and music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.[21]

Notably, in 2022, two bands under ungulates, downt and Sonic Grandmother (音速ばばあ), performed in Fuji Rock Festival.[22]

Artists

The following are artists with releases by ungulates:[23]

Japanese bands

Asian, European and North American bands

Releases

The following are releases by ungulates:[24]

Release dateArtistTitleFormatTypeCatalog
10-9-2013Clayman ClaymanGood NewsDigital, CDAlbumUNGL-001
7-1-2018POINT HOPEHouiDigital, Book[25] EPUNGL-002
4-12-2020Det Är Därför Vi Bygger StäderNya SlussenDigital, LPAlbumUNGL-003
5-26-2020as a sketch padas a sketch padDigital, Cassette TapeEPUNGL-004
10-10-2020Bennu is a HeronHate/LoveDigital, CD, LP, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-005
2-14-2021Kudaranai1nichi (くだらない1日) / ANORAK!SplitDigital, Cassette TapeSplit EPUNGL-006
5-27-2021togaru (とがる)I'll See You If We're Alive (生きていたら逢いましょう)Digital, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-007
7-23-2021Kudaranai1nichi (くだらない1日) / Hulica / Cues3-Way SplitDigital, Cassette TapeSplit EPUNGL-008
10-1-2021downtdowntDigital, CD, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-009
1-7-2022ShapeshifterDark RitualDigital, CD, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-010
3-18-2022Injury TapeSongs I Mailed To MyselfDigital, CD, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-011
4-29-2022Kudaranai1nichi (くだらない1日)reboundDigital, CD, LP, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-012
5-20-2022soccer. / Sonic Grandmother (音速ばばあ)SplitDigital, CD, Cassette TapeSplit EPUNGL-013
6-5-2022downtSAKANA e.p.Digital, CD, EP, LP, Cassette TapeEPUNGL-014
7-22-2022Ayumi NakamuraStrataDigital, CD, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-015
7-22-2022togaru (とがる)This is the Last Time (これで最期)Digital, CDAlbumUNGL-016
8-26-2022CurveTill The End (10th Anniversary Edition)Digital, Album, Cassette TapeAlbumUNGL-017
8-4-2022LacrimaLac(rima)Digital, Cassette TapeEPUNGL-018
3-24-2023togaru (とがる)/Rasen.(らせん。)[26] Togaru to Rasen (とがるとらせん。)Digital, CDSplit EPUNGL-020
4-6-20237th Jet BalloonPleasant, Sadness, And...Digital, CDEPUNGL-021
4-6-2023STARSHIPSDigital, CDEPUNGL-022
4-7-2023Japanese FootballS/TDigital, Cassette TapeEPUNGL-019

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 阿部 . 仁知 . お互いをリスペクトし合いながら切磋琢磨する〈ungulates〉の在り方とは？オーナーKou Nakagawaインタビュー . ANTENNA . 14 April 2023.
  2. Web site: ungulates メールインタビュー . note.com . HOLIDAY! RECORDS . 14 April 2023.
  3. Web site: 【INTERVIEW】くだらない1日とは何者か？ 2020年代東京エモシーンを牽引する4ピースバンドに迫る . STORYWRITER . 14 April 2023.
  4. Web site: Soo . JX . Singapore’s Cues, Japan’s Kudaranai 1nichi, Indonesia’s Hulica announce split tape . NME . 14 April 2023.
  5. Web site: ふりかえり2017 . hatena . zamblog . 14 April 2023.
  6. Web site: SAM HAVEN JAPAN TOUR 2017 . Speaker Gain Teardrop . 14 April 2023.
  7. Web site: HEMINGWAY / WALTER ETC. JAPAN TOUR 2018 . hatena . zamblog.
  8. Web site: Live Dates . shuto official website . 14 April 2023.
  9. Web site: Mystery Language Japan tour 2018 決定 . Punx Save the Earth . 14 April 2023.
  10. Web site: Proud to Announce Malaysian Emotive Punk Band Social Circuit’s Japan Tour . Unite Asia . 14 April 2023.
  11. Web site: Carb on Carb (New Zealand) 初来日ツアー決定 . P.S.Magazine . 14 April 2023.
  12. Web site: WORST PARTY EVER Japan Tour 2023 3月開催決定! . Punkloid . 14 April 2023.
  13. Web site: 〈ungulates〉作品ガイド . ANTENNA.
  14. Web site: downt profile . SMASH . SMASH Corporation.
  15. Web site: インディロックバンド・くだらない1日、山田健人監督による「やるせない」MV公開 . natalie . 音楽ナタリー.
  16. Web site: 阿部 . 仁知 . 君はdowntを目撃したか . Fuji Rock Express . 14 April 2023.
  17. Web site: Det Är Därför Vi Bygger Städer . Musik Sammler . 14 April 2023.
  18. Web site: BENNU IS HERON / Hate/Love CD . stiffslack.
  19. Web site: Hate / Love / Bennu is a Heron (10inch / CD /CASSETTE) . Long Legs Long Arms.
  20. Web site: 【NEWS】soccer.と音速ばばあによるスプリット作品配信開始　6月にはフィジカルのリリースも . Indie Grab.
  21. Web site: NEWS】中西いもうによる独りグランジバンド とがる　2ndアルバム『これで最期』リリース . Indie Grab.
  22. Web site: 阿部 . 仁知 . レーベルの仲間たちが続々集結！ . Fuji Rock Express . 14 April 2023.
  23. Web site: Ungulates . Discog.
  24. Web site: Ungulates . Rate Your Music . 22 April 2023.
  25. Web site: 東京を中心に活動中の男女混合6人組バンド！ . FLAKE RECORDS . 22 April 2023.
  26. Web site: とがる / らせん。 - とがるとらせん . Like A Fool Records . 22 April 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ungulates (label)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.