Biography
Formed during the early 1980s in Japan, OXZ operated as an all-female group whose sound straddled jagged punk and moody new wave. The band issued multiple singles, EPs, and tracks for compilations before splitting in 1989; three decades later, Captured Tracks assembled their entire recorded history on the 2020 anthology Along Ago: 1981-1989.
OXZ (pronounced Ox Zed) came together in 1981 within Osaka’s Kansai region. Guitarist/vocalist Mika and bassist/vocalist Hikko, having first connected while still in school, resolved to launch a group and recruited drummer Emiko (aka Chasenmaru). Early sets consisted of Clash and Sex Pistols covers, yet the results proved unsatisfying, prompting the trio to compose original material shaped by the dark post-punk and new wave currents then emerging. Live performances began in 1982, and in 1984 the group introduced itself to listeners with a self-titled, self-released 8" EP. By then OXZ had secured a foothold in local punk circles, touring regularly and appearing at festivals. Later that same year Night Gallery Records issued the second EP, Fall in the Night. Activity slowed over the following years; the band recorded only one additional EP, 1987’s And Blue and Bleed, and supplied a track to the 1988 compilation West Psychedelia 2 before disbanding in 1989. Each member continued making music in varying capacities, and Mika and Emiko formed the subsequent project Playmate. Years afterward the group’s scarce records attained status as sought-after punk artifacts. In 2020 Captured Tracks issued Along Ago: 1981-1989, gathering every studio recording alongside previously unreleased demos.
OXZ (pronounced Ox Zed) came together in 1981 within Osaka’s Kansai region. Guitarist/vocalist Mika and bassist/vocalist Hikko, having first connected while still in school, resolved to launch a group and recruited drummer Emiko (aka Chasenmaru). Early sets consisted of Clash and Sex Pistols covers, yet the results proved unsatisfying, prompting the trio to compose original material shaped by the dark post-punk and new wave currents then emerging. Live performances began in 1982, and in 1984 the group introduced itself to listeners with a self-titled, self-released 8" EP. By then OXZ had secured a foothold in local punk circles, touring regularly and appearing at festivals. Later that same year Night Gallery Records issued the second EP, Fall in the Night. Activity slowed over the following years; the band recorded only one additional EP, 1987’s And Blue and Bleed, and supplied a track to the 1988 compilation West Psychedelia 2 before disbanding in 1989. Each member continued making music in varying capacities, and Mika and Emiko formed the subsequent project Playmate. Years afterward the group’s scarce records attained status as sought-after punk artifacts. In 2020 Captured Tracks issued Along Ago: 1981-1989, gathering every studio recording alongside previously unreleased demos.
Albums
Singles
