Friction

Formed in 1978 by multi-instrumentalist and composer Reck upon his return from New York, where he had performed alongside foundational No Wave acts such as James Chance and the Contortions and Lydia Lunch, Friction ranks among the most enduring groups in the Tokyo underground. Although the band’s lineups and sonic approaches shifted across two decades, Reck’s ongoing synthesis of punk, hard rock, and noise stayed fixed. Their releases reached American audiences through labels including Enemy and Tzadik, the latter of which issued the 1999 album Zone Tripper.