Agata, also known as Ichirou Agata, is a Japanese guitarist and co-founder of Melt-Banana, a noise rock band from Tokyo formed in 1992. He is known for an especially physical stage presence, with constant movement and jumping during performances, and for wearing a surgical mask on stage.

Work with Melt-Banana

Agata is the guitarist in Melt-Banana and is associated with an extended-technique approach that uses effects pedals and guitar slides to produce sounds that are often not immediately recognisable as guitar. His playing is also linked to the band’s wider sound and to the track “Outro For Cell-Scape” from Cell-Scape.

Solo work

In 2004 he releases a solo guitar album, Spike, on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records. The album consists mainly of solo guitar and sound effects, and its titles include skateboard-trick references such as “Frontside Boardslide Shovit out” and “Nollie Crooked Grind”. It is described as sharing close similarities with his guitar work in Melt-Banana.

Playing style and equipment

Agata creates dense and unusual soundscapes and is often described as making the guitar sound unlike a guitar. He says that riffs come from the feeling of euphoria at the moment of success in video games, particularly Tony Hawk’s, and that he sings the melody before translating it to the guitar. He often uses a vintage Gibson SG, a Sunn Beta Lead head with a Marshall 4x12 cabinet, and an effects chain that includes two Boss Super Shifters, a Fulltone Full Drive pedal, a Digitech Whammy, a Pro Co Rat, a Boss 2-Way Selector and a Line 6 FM4 Filter Guitar Pedal.