Chu Ishikawa | Artist

Chu Ishikawa was a Japanese composer and musician born 1966 and was best known for creating the soundtracks of many cult films by Shinya Tsukamoto and Takashi Miike. He also founded industrial music groups Der Eisenrost and Zeitlich Vergelter. Ishikawa picked up his first synthesizer at the age of 15, and entered the music scene with his first band at the age of 18. The alternative metal percussion unit, Zeitlich Vergelter, received a warm welcome from the indie scene, alongside bands such as the Ruins and the Boredoms. After their break up, Chu continued as a solo percussion artist, and wrote his first soundtrack in 1988 for the cult movie classic Tetsuo, directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. His work was hailed worldwide for its Armageddon-esque feel. He was selected to work on the sequel, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, where Chu explored the sounds of his self-made metal instruments. Ishikawa was then asked to create the music for Tsukamoto's next film, Tokyo Fist, without the use of his precious metals, but he nonetheless came through with a brilliant soundtrack. Chu's second band Der Eisenrost, a thrash/industrial metal percussion quartet, created the brilliant soundtrack for the 1998 movie Tokyo Fist. The artist continued to create film scores and was involved in numerous musical ventures, writing for films, plays, games, and even fashion shows, up unto his untimely death in 2017 at the age of 51. Standout albums include Tetsuo (1992), which comprises remixes of his scores for the first two Tetsuo films, plus the albums Tokyo Fist (1998), A Snake of June (2002) and Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2010). Also Highly recommended is the 2010 compilation release Tetsuo Complete Box.

Artist Website: wikipedia/Chu_Ishikawa

Featured Albums: Chu Ishikawa

Related Artists: Der Eisenrost, Zeitlich Vergelter

Video Clips: Mausoleum, Lost, Sand II