Artist description Fuzzy indie rock, with male/female vocals, Japanese vocals

Music Style Indie Pop, JPOP, Shoegaze

Musical Influences Mogwai, Yo la Tengo, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth

Similar Artists Mogwai, Yo la Tengo, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth

Artist History We are now known as "Asobi Seksu" www.asobiseksu.com www.mp3.com/asobiseksu With atmospheric guitar sweeps, melodic male and female vocals and carefully constructed noise, the post-rock of Sportf*ck is consistently psychedelic, but powerfully attentive. Founded in the mid-1990's as Theta Wave State, the band built a loyal Long Island following of college kids and hipsters trying to get away from the deluge of cover bands that permeates Long Island's musical landscape. Figuring they had tapped the full potential of Long Island, the band decided to change their name, refine the sound and bring their music to a larger audience. Sportf*ck draws its influences from artists like My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and The Pixies as well as their own diverse backgrounds and talents. Singer/guitarist James Hanna hails from New York and backs up his song writing/playing skills with a degree in classical guitar performance. Yuki Chikudate (keyboard/vocals) also holds a music degree in classical piano performance and comes to the band from Los Angeles while bassist Brian Ward, a former Baltimore resident, has played for hardcore legends. Drummer and founding member Keith Hopkin has been a part of the East Coast music scene for over a decade. Indie-rock girlfriends and hipster boys are drawn to Sportf*ck's lyrics (some of which are sung in Japanese) and edgy sound that flirts with a little emo and punk. Sportf*ck draws an eclectic crowd of fans with their, “. . .fuzzy guitars and synths [that] stutter out wave upon wave of bliss-inducing trance rock. . .” (Big Takeover, issue 48). North Of January Records was impressed with Sportf*ck's sound and quickly agreed to market them. The Vermont-based label, whose catalog includes releases by Flowchart and Civic, has released the band's first proper recording, a three-song 12”(1999). Later that year after attending the band's performance at SUNY Stony Brook, Emmanuel Goldstein (2600 magazine editor and hacker icon) decided that Sportf*ck's dynamic and moody sound would be the perfect backdrop for his movie project Freedom Downtime (2000). The soon to be released movie premiered at H2K in the Summer of 2000 and is currently being screened around the world. The soundtrack cd - Original Music for the Movie Freedom Downtime - is currently being marketed through 2600 Productions. From these recordings and frequent online plays, the quartet has garnered both national and intenational interest from fanzines and radio. Recently , their single “These Islands” has been charted at number 8 on Shredding Paper's e-radio show Shreddingradio.com. Sportf*ck (under its previous name Theta Wave State), has performed at the 1999 and 2000 CMJ Music Festivals in New York City as well as the 1997 WE Fest in Wilmington, North Carolina. The band has gigged extensively throughout New York bringing their energetic shows to infamous venues such as CBGB's, Brownies and Knitting Factory. They have traveled up and down the east coast rocking D.C, Boston and Providence. For more information, go to www.sportfck.com or email keith@sportfck.com

Group Members James Hanna: Guitar, Vocals Yuki Chikudate: Keyboard, Vocals Brian Ward: Bass Keith Hopkin: Drums

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, Drums, m/f vocals

Albums Sportfuck EP

Press Reviews SPORTFUCK | S/T (EP, self-released) A couple of months ago, I spotted Sportfuck acting as musical backdrop for the movie 'Freedom Downtime', a project by hacker guru Emmanuel Goldstein. Their energetic blend of different alternative pop-rock styles caught my attention. The same goes for their first release after the successful single 'These Islands'. This EP contains eight relatively short tracks that show the quality of the four New York-based musicians who are unmistakably influenced by late 80s alternative rock. 'Islands' and 'The Words Live Longer', for instance, recall My Bloody Valentine blended with Loop, while opener 'Tremble' sounds like good old Dinosaur Jr. in their better days. But also The Pixies and Sonic Youth come to mind while listening to Sportfuck's eclectic pop with fuzzy guitars, soft, sometimes sweet vocals, and addictive bass lines. Best track, however, is the epic wave song 'One Catastrophe to Another', where distorted guitars and feedback match perfectly with slow synths and whispered vocals. Although their influences are easily traceable, Sportfuck sound fresh and are able to create their own retro pop style. Let's hope their first full-length will be released soon. (by Theo Ploeg) Visit Sportfuck's website @ www.sportfck.com 16.Nov.2001 http://www.kindamuzik.net/reviews/index.shtml

Location New York, NY - USA

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