Music / Guniw Tools

Guniw Tools (Pronounced "Gunyuu Tools") was a Japanese band with a flair for the bizarre and artistic. It began as a video/performance art brainchild of FULL in 1989; with the addition of musicians Jake and Asaki, the group produced an eclectic mix of Rock, Folk, Jazz, Punk and Industrial music. They signed with major label Victory Music in 1996. FULL directed a video for every single song in their discography, creating a strange visual world to complement their music. Lead guitarist and main songwriter Jake left in 1997, but FULL and Asaki continued making music until late 2000, when they decided to pursue separate endeavors.

Members:

• FULL (古川とも [Furukawa Tomo]) - Vocals, lyrics, art direction
• 山鼻あさき (Yamahana Asaki) - guitars, programming, backing vocals (1994-2000)
• Jake - guitars, bass, piano, programming, backing vocals (1992-1997)
• Dinah - dance, performance ("support member")

Albums:

• Niwlun (1996)
• Other Goose (1997)
• Sparky (1997)
• Dazzle (1998)
• Live Sparky (1998)
• Fickle Boon (1999)
• Guniw 200Ls Best (2000)

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Guniw Tools provides examples of:

• Animated Music Video for ''Yasashisa wa Atataka na Shihaisha''
• Anti-Christmas Song: One of the loose themes of Fat December
• Bizarre Instrument: FULL plays "instruments" in several videos that look like bizarre hybrids of string and electronic instruments. . . . is that an electric cello on a tripod that sounds like synthesized brass?
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: The whole band to a minor extent, but especially FULL; his whimsical art, lyrics and stage presence exemplify this trope. Consider the name of his current solo project, Shilfee and Tulipcorobockles, or his record label, Finch Liqueur.
• Creative Differences: The reason for Jake's departure.
• Evolving Music: FULL still covers Guniw Tools songs on his solos tours, albeit in a stripped-down, more ambient style.
• Fake-Out Fade-Out: Briefly in Dada and Cullucoo Vision
• Genre-Busting: What happens when Jake's jazz/funk guitar style merges with Asaki's electro-punk sensibilities and Full's love for Himalayan cultures.
• Genre Roulette: The band's music is all over the map, ranging from thrashing jazz rock to simple folk to electro-industrial.
• Gratuitous English: Entire songs of it, such as Billy what wild cool night
• Impractically Fancy Outfit
• Indecipherable Lyrics: Many of their "english" songs
• Last Note Nightmare: From the Inside, Zujou No Ishi
• Looped Lyrics: Fat December: "COME DOWN IS THIS CURE"
• Lyrical Dissonance: ''Fade Story'' sounds fairly laid-back, until you actually listen to the lyrics, which seem confused and sad.
  "Who burned that home?"
• Lyrical Tic ooh~
• Lyrics/Video Mismatch
• Minimalistic Cover Art: Subverted; their album covers are intricate and surrealist.
• Nobody Loves the Bassist: Averted when Jake was in the band, as he played both guitar and bass. Played straight after his departure, when the band had a support bassist who was not a full member and only appeared in a few videos.
• No-Hit Wonder: Despite tenure with a major label, collaboration with Buck-Tick and exposure in music mags, their songs never charted.
• Non-Appearing Title: Most of their tracks. It would be difficult to include many titles, considering those such as Plenty of Flour and Baby's One Do.
• Pep-Talk Song: Baby's One Do
  "Shine now that thin skin has peeled away
  Your uniqueness is the wind carrying you"
• Songs of Solace: ''Shuuen no No'' especially.
• Song Style Shift: ''Maggot Gun'' jerks between a stark industrial song with harsh whispering in english and a soaring Japanese ballad several times.
• Spoken Word in Music: The songs Border of Taboo and Devil's Breakfast include a woman with a British accent speaking ominously over the music.
• Step Up to the Microphone: Asaki sings lead on Billy what wild cool night, and shares lead vocals with Jake on DISTORTION, with Full only contributing to the chorus.
• Surreal Music Video: Although most of their videos at least briefly show the band members, bizarre colorings, props, costumes and images dominate.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: DISTORTION and Grazing
• Translated Cover Version: Looser Sugar is a cover of Sugarcube by Yo La Tengo with retooled lyrics in Japanese. Doubles as The Cover Changes the Meaning.
• Word Salad Lyrics

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