About 54-71, a band that is a one-of-a-kind 'post-rock and rap mixture' group in the world.

Solid and tight performances with stripped-back instrumentation.
Rap delivered in katakana-English by men in tracksuits who look like they're just heading to the local convenience store.
Live performances that are impossible to forget once you've seen them.

54-71, a mysterious group that exudes an aura of being anything but ordinary, including their band name.

54-71 was formed around vocalist Bingo and bassist Leader, who were both enrolled at Keio University.
After dizzying changes in band members and instruments, guitarist Sniper and drummer Bobo joined. They released the albums '54-71' and 'Untitled' in quick succession starting in 2000, and made their major debut in 2002 with the album 'enClorox'.

※Since 54-71's early tracks are not available on Spotify, I will be sharing them from Apple Music this time.

54-71 (2000) / 54-71

Their musical style, which layered chaotic rap over raw, slowcore-like tracks reminiscent of Shellac, was a mixture rock that moved in a completely different direction from bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers or RATM. Furthermore, with melodies reminiscent of traditional Japanese music scattered throughout, their uniqueness was so strong that it was difficult to categorize them. They were a band that left record store clerks wondering: Is this the rock section? The hardcore section? The hip-hop section? Or maybe the avant-garde section?

In the early 2000s Japanese alternative scene, where bands from the '97 debut class, the High Line Records scene, and the melocore/skacore scene were thriving with their refreshing, fast-paced sounds and massive popularity, 54-71 stood out. They were a band full of raw, masculine energy that took the stage in outfits with zero flair, seemingly prioritizing only ease of movement for their live performances. On top of that, their overly eccentric musicality gave them the impression of being somewhat of a novelty act, yet they were highly supported by sensitive musicians, including Shutoku Mukai.
Looking at the lineup of magnificent artists surrounding 54-71—including Bob Weston of Shellac, who served as the engineer for their first two major albums; old friends like Deerhoof and Battles; hip-hop artists they befriended during Japan tours like The Roots and Why? from Anticon; and Kool Keith, with whom they released a collaboration album—it is clear that their originality was on a global level.

In 2004, after guitarist Sniper left the band and they released a best-of album, 54-71's activities entered a lull. After a new guitarist joined and they released 'I'm not fine, thank you. And you?' in 2008, they sadly went on hiatus in 2009.

I'm not fine, thank you. And you? (2008) / 54-71

Even after the hiatus, drummer Bobo has been in high demand as a support drummer for artists like Quruli, MIYAVI, and Fujifabric, while Bingo and Leader have been active in alternative fields just as they were during their band days, such as being involved in the founding of VICE JAPAN, which became the Japanese branch of VICE Media (which filed for bankruptcy in 2023).

If we look back at the history of Japanese rock and consider the 2000s to be the most fruitful era for alternative rock, then 54-71 was the pinnacle and the grand finale of that period.

Since there are few streaming services that carry 54-71's early to mid-period albums, the only way to listen to them properly at the moment is to purchase the CDs, but in this day and age, that underground rarity feels like part of their charm.

If you are even slightly interested, please give them a listen. I guarantee a shock greater than the price you pay.