Enlightenment activists from far east psychedelic underground. Bo Ningen are from Tokyo, Gunmma, Tajimi, Nishinomiya, but all met in London.
Meaning ‘Stick Man’ in Japanese, BO NINGEN are a London-based four-piece alternative rock band consisting of Taigen Kawabe (bass/ vocals), Yuki Tsujii (guitar), Kohhei Matsuda (guitar/keys) and Monchan Monna (drums). Though they come from Gunma, Tajimi, Nishinomiya, and Tokyo in Japan, they coalesced in London. Very few bands are capable of crossing creative borders and boundaries like BO NINGEN—be it in the world of music, art, fashion, literature, or design, the quartet have never found themselves lacking in conspirators and admirers. Like all the best innovators, they are adept at tying together disparate influences and strands, weaving them into something always exciting, and often revolutionary.
The Guardian, Love Magazine, Nowness, Design Week, NME, The Quietus, DIY magazine, and CRACK Magazine have all hailed them for their chaotic & anarchic onstage performances, often leading to personal injury. Rightly so, as their now-fearsome live reputation has earned them a host of global tour dates alongside such notable artists as Nick Cave, Primal Scream, Super Furry Animals, Kasabian, TV on the Radio, The Fall, Savages, WIRE, The Cult, The Horrors, Temples, KEIJI HAINO and many more.
Over the course of their career the band have featured at some of the world’s biggest festivals—including a personal invitation to Yoko Ono’s Meltdown Festival—appearing at Glastonbury, MIDEM, Coachella, Fuji Rock, Iceland Airwaves, Summer Sonic, Reading & Leeds Festivals, Primavera, Canadian Music Week, End Of The Road, SXSW, CMJ, Big Day Out, The Great Escape, and scores of other events. With the release of Holy Mountain scheduled for late spring 2022, new material being written and recorded plus their recent UK tour including several sold out shows, Bo Ningen are bringing their quest for artistic invention to the fore.