Pika

     Pika is mostly known for playing drums in the Osaka rock duo Afrirampo. Afrirampo's music often featured call and response vocals, catchy distorted pop melodies, looping fret noise, droning , guttural barks and impromptu squealing. Their early albums featured a sound that could be described as noise-punk, albeit with surprisingly melodic vocal melodies. Their later albums, especially Suuto Breakor and We Are Uchu No Ko, featured a much more expansive sound, sometimes with very long songs and quieter, more ethereal ages. Early in June 2010, Afrirampo announced that they would be disbanding after their final show in Osaka on June 26. However, their homepage stated in Japanese that if the "Mother of Heaven" called upon them to play together again, they would play. In the English version, they stated "If our mother of monster say "PLAY!PLAY!together!!", then we will play," indicating that the door is open for future reunions.
Currently, Pika has just finished making an album with Makato Kawabata called'OM Sweet Home: We Are Shining Stars From Darkside". No strangers to one another, the pair have not only gigged together with their respective bands but also recorded together, when these two outfits temporarily fused in 2005 to become Acid Mothers Afrirampo (releasing an album of the same name). Now they have distilled their collaboration, all other players being stripped away to leave the core of Pikacyu's manic drums and vocals, and Makoto's schizoid guitar conjurings.