Edgar (Germany): vocals, guitar, hairdryer
Tatsumune (Japan): lead guitar
Kenmi (Japan): drums
Sachiko (Japan): flute, accordion, tambourin, vocals
Makiko (Japan): bass
Mai (Japan): keybord
Min Sung (Korea): ex.bass
Jonny (Scotland): ex.keyboards
Miniskirt is a band based in Tokyo. They were formed by Edgar and Tatsumune. Miniskirt play guitar pop. They like British bands like Felt, Pastels, Jesus and Mary Chain, Field Mice, Smiths, BMX Bandits, Weather Prophets, Belle and Sebastian, Close Lobsters, Razorcuts and Pale Fountains. Most of the songs have English lyrics, but some of the lyrics are in German. In Miniskirt songs a lot of artists are name-dropped like Hank Williams, Thelonious Monk and Woody Allen. This may remind you of Dan Treacy's song-writing. In the Japanese lyrics of J-Pop songs English words appear quite often because Japanese think that they sound cool. Miniskirt play with this idea. Sometimes they use Japanese expressions in their English lyrics. In the song "Woody Allen likes Japanese Noise Rock" Edgar sings: "my job is writing jokes for a very small newspaper company, but no jokes come up to my mind, I feel so goddamn sad and lonely, Tokyo is a city hard to live and everybody is so isogashii."
Miniskirt already have one real fan. His name is John Berry from New Jersey. He is working in Tokyo. He is in love with the Miniskirt song "Her Blue Contact Lenses Make Me Crazy" John remembers the lines. Sometimes he sings parts of that song loudly on subways and in restaurants. Once after a Miniskirt live show he came up to Edgar and said with a reverent voice "You are my hero".
Some Japanese think that Miniskirt named themselves after a song of the same title by the Japanese pop artist Kaji Hideki, but Miniskirt heard of that song after they had already decided on their band name. Miniskirt originally started with some different band members as "The Mini Skirts". But after a reformation of the band it was time for a radical change of the band name.
There are rumours in the air that Miniskirt are currently working on the recording of a CD that shall contain 12 original songs. For their live shows they have a cover song of the unknown German guitar pop band Die Fuenf Freunde on their songlist.
Details on the band members:
Edgar: The vocalist is from Germany. He still cannot tune his guitar. In one of his songs he rhymes self-ironically: "People say I look like Johnny Marr, but I cannot even tune my guitar." It seems Edgar wants to be Stephen Pastel. When he stands in front of the microphone and looks up to the starless ceiling he looks with the same glassy and dreamy eyes as his Scotish hero. On one song Edgar plays a hairdryer which can be regarded as an appropriate pop answer to the German noisemakers Einstuerzende Neubauten. Edgar is writing his doctoral dissertation in Japanese history at a Japanese university.
Tatsumune: He states that he never practices to play guitar, but nobody believes him. His style of playing jingle jangle pop guitar makes you speechless. His collection of guitar pop CD's comprises more than 2000. Edgar met him on New Year's Day at a D.J.-event in Tokyo's famous girl-hunting district Roppongi. Tatsumune works for a fashion design company in Shibuya.
Sachiko: She is the lightning sun. She is an angel from above. Sachiko plays flute, accordion and sings. A few weeks ago a huge construction site materialized in front of her window. Nevertheless she is always happy. Edgar and Tatsumune met her at a guitar pop event at Bar Drop in Kichijoji. She joined Miniskirt in February 2001. Sachiko works at the head office of a big company.
Kenmi: He joined Miniskirt in October 2001 after he answered a "We are looking for a drummer" message that Edgar put on the notice board of Tokyo's best guitar pop record shop Vinyl Japan in Shinjuku. Before Kenmi joined Miniskirt he played in a band called Heartly. They released a song on a Rover Records compilation. Kenmi is a big fan of Bartlebees, Television Personalities and Marsh-Marigold Records. Once he even visited Oliver, the owner of Marsh-Marigold, at his home in Hamburg/Germany. Kenmi is a student of German literature.
Min Sung: The Korean Min Sung joined Miniskirt on bass in November 2001. Edgar met him at Club Chu in Shibuya at the guitar pop D.J.-event Rainbow Valley which was named after the same-titled classic song by Dolly Mixture. As Edgar had studied the Korean language he came up to talk to him. In Seoul Min Sung played in a band called Linus Blanket which covered songs of the Japanese pop band Lucy van Pelt. Min Sung works at a Bento (lunch box) shop in Tokyo's Ueno district.
Jonny: Jonny comes from Glasgow/Scotland. He was at university with Belle and Sebastian. He plays keyboard and bass. Jonny joined Miniskirt in May 2002. Edgar met him at a concert at Eggside in Shibuya where My Coffee Moment, Poussin, Orange and Vasallo Crab 75 played an unforgettable show. After Min Sung's return to Korea Jonny will change from keyboard to bass. Jonny works in Tokyo as a teacher of business English.