A-Zap

Melt-Banana
Left to right: Rika, Yasuko, Agata
Background information
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Noise rock experimental rock hardcore punk grindcore
Years active	1992–present
Labels	A-Zap Gold Standard Labs Skin Graft
Website	www.melt-banana.net
Members	Yasuko Onuki Ichirou Agata
Past members	Sudoh Toshiaki Oshima Watchma Rika Hamamoto

Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that is known for playing extremely fast grindcore and noise music mixed with experimental, electronica and pop-based song structures. Since forming in 1992 the band has released ten albums and toured worldwide extensively.

In 1991, while attending Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Yasuko Onuki started a band called Mizu and, after a short period rehearsing with another guitarist, recruited Ichirou Agata to play guitar in the band. Mizu's original drummer and bass player quit six months after Agata joined, leaving Yasuko to handle the bass and vocal duties until she found bassist Rika. They briefly performed shows around Tokyo without a drummer. Sudoh Toshiaki then joined as the new drummer in November 1992, and they changed their name to Melt-Banana.

In May 1993, Melt-Banana played a show opening for KK Null of Zeni Geva fame, who was impressed enough to immediately offer them a deal with his label, and would later introduce them to Mark Fischer of Skin Graft Records and Steve Albini.

In 1996, sick Zip Everywhere was nominated for MTV UK's best video. In the same year the band completed their first European tour.

In 1997, they created their own recording company, A-Zap (formerly Iguana Coax), and re-issued most of their early albums. Around this time, drummer Sudoh Toshiaki quit. Oshima Watchman became the new official drummer in February 1998.

The band's first Peel Session was in September 1999. Peel described the session as "Simply one of the most extraordinary performances I have ever seen and ever heard ... just mesmerizing, absolutely astonishing."

Watchman left the band in 2000, since then the band has had different drummers helping them on tours and in making albums.