World’s End Girlfriend | Profile

World’s End Girlfriend is the otherworldly work of prolific composer Katsuhiko Maeda. Fascinated by his father’s classical music collection as a youth, Maeda was composing on keyboards, guitar, tape recorders and computers by age thirteen. He also experimented with various other instruments and recording techniques, and is said to have hundreds of songs recorded but not released. His music tends to revolve around atmospheric soundscapes, often dark or moody. In 2000, World’s End Girlfriend released the EP’s Sky Short Story (Cubic Music) and Listening You (Forfull). Later that same year, he released his first album, entitled Ending Story (Current). He followed up in 2001 with his second album farewell kingdom on the medium- sized MIDI label, which included a collaboration with Piana, with whom he sometimes performs live. The album received a wide range of critical approval, and was embraced by fans of post-rock, techno and electronica. The album was later released in Europe and acclaimed in Taiwan and Hong Kong. A World's End Girlfriend track was also licensed for a compilation on the UK label Pussyfoot. Writers have noted all sorts of influences, and some have compared World’s End Girlfriend to 4AD Records material - a comparison Maeda himself rejects, saying that 4AD’s music is cleaner, while his music has more “human smell”. While possessing a certain human grit, Maeda’s music also often has a bizarreness that suggests a fantasy... Read More

World’s End Girlfriend is the otherworldly work of prolific composer Katsuhiko Maeda. Fascinated by his father’s classical music collection as a youth, Maeda was composing on keyboards, guitar, tape recorders and computers by age thirteen. He also experimented with various other instruments and recording techniques, and is said to have hundreds of songs recorded but not released. His music tends to revolve around atmospheric soundscapes, often dark or moody. In 2000, World’s End Girlfriend released the EP’s Sky Short Story (Cubic Music) and Listening You (Forfull). Later that same year, he released his first album, entitled Ending Story (Current). He followed up in 2001 with his second album farewell kingdom on the medium- sized MIDI label, which included a collaboration with Piana, with whom he sometimes performs live. The album received a wide range of critical approval, and was embraced by fans of post-rock, techno and electronica. The album was later released in Europe and acclaimed in Taiwan and Hong Kong. A World's End Girlfriend track was also licensed for a compilation on the UK label Pussyfoot. Writers have noted all sorts of influences, and some have compared World’s End Girlfriend to 4AD Records material - a comparison Maeda himself rejects, saying that 4AD’s music is cleaner, while his music has more “human smell”. While possessing a certain human grit, Maeda’s music also often has a bizarreness that suggests a fantasy world. In 2002 World’s End Girlfriend toured in Japan with SBK (Skebo-King), and also played in Barcelona at the Sonar Festival to rave reviews. In December 2002, Maeda released the mini-album dream’s end come true, which moves in a somewhat cinematic direction, featuring a mix of quirky electronics and arranged violins and cellos. In November 2003 he made a limited edition Christmas album on Romz Records, which Maeda released as World’s End Boyfriend. Maeda has also released an album called enchanted landscape escape under the name Wonderland. His brother Ryuma is also a fairly well-known musician, who records under the name Milky-Chu. World’s End Girlfriend's The Lie Lay Land was released in February 2005, and picked up for distribution in the States by 12K/Happy. The album features striking artwork by Komako Sakai, and the music itself is a fascinating collage that shifts seamlessly from minimalism to animal-like noises to elaborate orchestrations. His music seems well suited for film soundtracks, and in fact was used in Late Bloomer, a 2004 film by Go Shibata about a handicapped killer. There is also a popular video for the track “We Are The Massacre”, from the The Lie Lay Land album. WEG has also picked up steam in Asia, and performed dates in Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau. In 2005 the buzz on World’s End Girlfriend continued to build. In August of that year Maeda was again called to appear to at the Sonar Festival in Spain, and performed there for the first time with a drummer on stage. Also in 2005 World’s End Girlfriend made a collaborative album with the Japanese band Mono, Palmless Prayer/ Mass Murder Refrain, on the Human Highway label. The two also did a 31 date tour of Europe together that took them to the UK, France, Spain Switzerland, Italy Germany, Holland and Belgium. While Maeda seems pleased to be reaching an international audience, he keeps promotional efforts low-key, and does not use promotional photos or an official bio. In March 2007 World’s End Girlfriend released the album Hurtland Wonderland on the Human Highway label. Also in March WEG went to Korea to perform in support of the Korean release. In April 2007 World’s End Girlfriend and Mono will launch a 32 date tour of North America. Collapse