Tokyo noise-rockers Melt-Banana have released the first video for their single “Stopgap”, which will appear on their long-awaited ninth studio album 3 + 5.

The whole of 3 + 5 showcases the duo’s visionary musical approach and extraordinary abilities as performers: Yasuko’s giddy, hyperactive vocals and Agata’s glitchy cyberpunk guitar played at dizzying speed, bathed in a whirlwind of aggressive electronics. A trademark the band prides themselves on, the music on 3 + 5 can be expected to be full of unpredictable surprises and excitement.

Much like their previous single “Flipside”, “Stopgap” is as intensely explosive. Exhuming the frenzied examples of extreme music (hyper-pop, noise rock, metal, etc.), the song is a nonstop barrage of hyper-electronics clashing with the furious sounds of electronic powerviolence. The video also shares the song’s frenzied rage with an equally chaotic light show. Directed by IROHA, the video for “Stopgap” delivers a taste of the live energy of Melt-Banana’s performances as viewers are bombarded by lasers, holograms and neon imagery that shrouds the whole music video.

The video and the album as a whole are informed by Japanese culture in general and the subcultures of gaming, anime and homegrown underground music in particular. The album’s nine tracks have been crafted to maximize the independent appeal of each song. Each selection boasts its own unique charm and ideas that begs for repeated listening. With this abundance of energy and force, “Stopgap” may have superseded all expectations as fans await the release of 3 + 5.