Boris

Formed in Tokyo in 1992, Boris brought together Atsuo, Takeshi and Wata, initially working in a register marked by sludge metal and slowed hardcore, before quickly expanding into drone, noise rock, stoner rock, post‑rock, psychedelia and more ambient pieces. Remaining a trio after drummer Nagata left in 1996, Boris developed an abundant and shifting discography built on repetition, contrasts of volume and changes of format from one record to the next. From early milestones such as Absolutego (1996), Amplifier Worship (1998) and Flood (2000) through Pink (2005), Dear (2017), NO (2020), W (2022) and Heavy Rocks (2022), Boris alternates long hypnotic drifts, upfront rock, noisier passages and more melodic moments. That movement between extreme forms and more direct songs is also evident in Boris’s collaborations with Keiji Haino, Merzbow, Sunn O))) and Michio Kurihara. Present since the 2000s on Japanese, European and North American independent scenes, Boris also opened for Nine Inch Nails in 2008, extending on stage a very free approach to composition.