biography

In 1998 Jinichiro Iida and YUKARI formed Limited Express (has gone?) to make 'exploding grooves' in music. Jinichiro was listening to lots of Japanese alternative music while YUKARI was studying contemporary music at University.Joined by drummer Koji Narazaki they soon started performing in the Kansai area, already reknowned for bands such as Boredoms, Shonen Knife, Hanatarashi, Omoide Hatoba plus many many more.

Limited Express (has gone?) share some elements from that Kansai tradition but their live show shook up the scene because their sound, especially the way they are making grooves, was so fresh and unique.
In a short few years of touring Japan the audience reaction grew as people wanted to hear 'real' new music and the music media also began to take notice.

Soon they were taking part in the independent 'KUISHINBOU BANZAI' music festival in their hometown Kyoto which invites Japanese underground artists to play to audiences of 500 people or more.And later Limited Express (has gone?) organised the 'BOROFESTA' at Seibukoudo in Kyoto - a much bigger festival with audiences of 3000 or more and including local and international artists. Past festivals have featured ROVO, Bloodythirsty Butchers, Guitar Wolf, Deerhoof and Luna amongst others.
In the new century Limited Express (has gone?) have landed supports with such luminaires as Folk Implosion, Half Japanese, Blonde Redhead, Enon, Kinski and the 90 Day Men.

They recorded several songs between 2001-2003, which were mostly released on domestic compilations, which saw good chart action on CR-J (College Radio Japan) including 'SPY' which was No 1 for 5 weeks in 2002.
After being approached by John Zorn, who loved the band's demo, Limited Express (has gone?)'s first album was released on the New York based TZADIK label. The album 'FEEDS YOU' was released in March 2003 to international acclaim. In Japan critics declared it one of the best albums of the year and there followed a successful tour of nine cities there, culminating in a performance at Fuji Rock Festival alongside Bjork, Yo La Tengo, Elvis Costello and Iggy Pop.

'KANFU GIRL' was the follow up single, this time released domestically on the Memory Lab label who also release Sakana, Phat, Yamuchi etc. and featuring the wickedly strange cover version of 'There She Goes'. They then headed off on an extensive USA tour taking in the SXSW Festival in March 2004. Audiences in every city heaped praise on the band, spreading the word of Limited Express (has gone?)'s 'special showtime'.

Working with San Francisco's Experimental Dental School on the USA tour brought about the split release 'Experimental Express Explorer' showing more quirky explorations of pop and melody and continued with 'Beat the Beast' a Rip, Rig and Panic cover for a new wave tribute album also featuring ROVO and Buffalo Daughter.

At the end of 2004 a small intensive tour of Australia and New Zealand was so successful that shows were sold out and no merchandise was left by the end and will see Limited Express (has gone?) return in 2005.

Early 2005 also sees the second album 'Makes You Dance' on Memory Lab, a beautifully chaotic vision of pop and noise sure to live up to it's title. Also another successful Japanese tour, this time with San Francisco's NUMBERS soon followed by their first visit to Korea.