Interview: Andrew Lee From Houkago Grind Time on Anime and the Underground
As a longtime fan of death metal and anime, I’ve noticed how frequently these passions encounter similar challenges. The complaints of perverse, violent, and sexualized content damaging kids seem to apply to everything from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid to the new Rotten Remains album. But, if you take more than a minute to look into their communities, you’ll find a pretty excitable and accepting crowd. The ethos of anime and extreme music are oftentimes perfectly intertwined, and musicians like Andrew Lee of Houkago Grind Time and Ripped To Shreds seem to grasp this connection better than anyone.
With a play on K-ON's Houkago Tea Time and song titles like “Shamiko Noises Compilation 4” and “I Like Dubs Over Subs,” it’s safe to say Houkago Grind Time is a weeb band. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, HGT merch includes body pillows and anime-themed shirts! We chatted with Andrew over all things weeb and dug deeper into his love of moe and blast beats.
Q: In the voice of that one African TV host; let me ask you, “Why are you a weeb?”
A: I am a devout follower of Haruhism. Through the power of Haruhi and Lucky StarHirano Aya converted me from an “anime enjoyer” to a “filthy weeb.” During my time in college, I watched Welcome to the NHK and got super depressed. Before that, I liked anime, but I didn’t self-identify as a weeb and looked down on people who ran with their arms out Naruto-style or came to 3rd period Japanese wearing a fedora and Dracula cape. When I first watched Lucky Starthere were a lot of references I didn’t get. This motivated me to dig deeper so I could understand the subculture more. Because of this, I was introduced to the world of SOL series, most importantly K-ON!
Q: Could you tell me what type of anime you enjoy the most? What would your top five shows be?
A: It’s definitely a slice-of-life anime. I do like reading action-oriented manga, but adaptations are almost always disappointing. This may be because of budget concerns and the relative lack of detail compared to the original art. SOL anime typically doesn’t need expressively detailed animation. Even the source material of these usually has a simple art style. This means that the animators can save up the sakuga for impactful moments.
My favorite mangas are trashy romcoms like Domestic Kanojo, Ojousama no Shimobeor Scum’s Wish. For the top 5 shows, I’ll limit it to series that came out after 2010 and not include BoZaRo or Dungeon Meshi.
- Yuru Camp
- Hibike Euphonium S1
- Konosuba
- Unlimited Budget Works
- Akiba Maid War
Q: You release music like Attack on Titan releases final seasons; how do you do it? Can you explain Mincegore to the Anime Corner family? Some readers might think that’s what you get when a yandere finally catches the girl flirting with her dude.
A: It’s love! I have a deep love for many different bands and music genres, and I want to pay tribute to them by putting my unique spin on their work. It’s also very helpful to live in The Weeb Dungeon, aka my parents’ basement, where I have a drum kit and recording gear permanently. This means I can just start writing and recording whenever I feel like it. I think studio access/time/costs are the biggest barrier for any musician, so I’m very lucky to be in a position where I can record at will.
Mincegore is a hybrid genre of “mince core” and “goregrind.” Mincecore is a raw primitive form of grindcore popularized by bands like Agathocles and Archagathus. On the other hand, goregrind is a subgenre of grindcore with pitch-shifted vocals and death metal-ish riffs.
Q: There are quite a few bands that use anime themes in their music, but they always tend to go the guro route. Houkago Grind Time, on the other hand, seems to embrace the kawaii. How did that come about?
A: Those other bands typically use hentai/guro for shock value. I understand it’s in the long-running tradition of goregrind to use autopsy and crime scene photo collages, and it was shocking and transgressive 40 years ago, but now it’s just lazy and boring. From me that’s a “No thanks,” I love moe anime, and I want to evangelize it through grindcore.
Q: Is it safe to assume that since you’re a one-man band, the power of friendship means nothing to you?
A: My main band (Ripped to Shreds) has a lot of scheduling conflicts because everyone plays in 20 bands. This means we can’t tour as often as I would like. So Houkago Grind Time shows fill in those dead spaces in my schedule.
The DIY grindcore scene is built on the power of friendship! If you’re in a band from America and you want to play in Europe, someone who is a friend of a friend will put on a show for you. Someone will put you up for the night and feed you. That’s because the grindcore community believes in the power of friendship.
Q: I saw that Houkago Grind Time is set to perform at Obscene Extreme this coming year—huge congratulations on that! What are some shows that hold a special place in your heart?
A: Playing Barely Breathing 2 in Long Island meant a lot, it was the first big Houkago Grind Time show. There were so many friends and (anti)musicians that I looked up to enjoying and moshing to my silly one-man drum machine set with YuGiOh samples. It gave me a lot of confidence in what I was doing.
I also enjoyed playing the set in Asakusa, not just because the entire audience were true otaku but also because an editor from Wanimagazine attended the show and gave me a copy of the latest Comic Kairakuten.
Q: Could you tell us about the bands that influenced you to pick up a guitar and sing?
A: In the very beginning (high school), it was In Flames. But my personal drive to write and perform music came later. That began when I discovered Horrendous’ ‘Ecdysis’ and Dead Congregation‘s ‘Promulgation of the Fall.’ For Houkago Grind Time specifically, it would be my buddy Harlan’s band Extremely Brutal. He asked me to fill in for some shows, and I had so much fun learning the set that I wanted to do a band in a similar style.
Q: There are some banging anime musicians like Liz Noir and Raise A Sulien. Are there any anime bands you’d like to shout out?
A: Kitaouji Concert Band, Houkago Tea Time (of course), and North High’s ENOZ. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve still never watched Nana or Beck.
Q: What are some shows you’re digging this season?
A: 2.5 Dimensional Seduction. It’s a great adaptation of a series I’ve been following since it came out. I’m really excited that the show is a two-cour series because the Aria arc is when the manga truly goes into overdrive and gets really good.
Ranma ½. I didn’t watch the original ’90s version of the show because the designs were weirdly changed from those in the original manga. Plus, it had too many filler arcs, and it had that early ’90s low framerate budget-saving animation. The remake appears to be created with a lot of love—and a considerable budget—while staying true to the essence of the original manga, which is fantastic! I’m really curious about how they plan to portray Happosai, though. So far, Dragonball Daima seems fine, but I’m being cautious because both “Super” and “GT” also had a strong start.
Q: I’m legally obligated to ask you who your favorite waifu is.
A: Aqua is mai waifu. But the better question is, who is the best girl from the following series? WITH: Misato, OreImo: Kirino, Bokuben: Sensei, 5toubun: they all sucked, F/SN: Medusa, Nisekoi: gorilla supremacy.
Q: Lastly, can you recommend some bands, manga, and shows to our readers? Recommend things that would make people’s mom mad.
A: Parallel Paradise is beyond peak, Okamoto Lynn is a genius. Frankenfran is pretty cool too. I highly recommend Interspecies Reviewers and School Dayswhich are wholesome shows suitable for the whole family. I don’t know how well-versed the average anime watcher is with noisy extreme music, but given the popularity of anime deathcore bands like Brand of Sacrifice, there must be some overlap. So I’s recommend the classic d-beat gorepunx Dysmenorrheic Hemorrhage. I’d shout out Cystgurgle and Archagathus.
Check out Andrew’s bands;
Houkago Grind Time on Facebook, Spotify and Bandcamp
Ripped to Shreds — Facebookand Bandcamp
Andrew Lee’s Heavy Metal Shrapnel — Spotify and Bandcamp
