POiSON GiRL FRiEND

Booking Agent : Luca Ciscognetti

POiSON GiRL FRiEND is a musical project driven by nOrikO, a multifaceted artist based primarily in Japan. nOrikO’s talents span singing, songwriting, composing, producing and DJing. The origins of POiSON GiRL FRiEND trace back to 1990 when nOrikO founded The Poison Girl Friends with her companions. However, by the end of 1991, it evolved into her solo venture, POiSON GiRL FRiEND. Since then, this moniker has frequently been employed as an alias for nOrikO.

nOrikO was born in Yokohama to a mother who was a chanson singer and spent her formative years in Tokyo. She demonstrated her musical inclinations early on by learning to play the piano and violin. In the 1970s, she resided in Rio de Janeiro where she attended a French-language elementary school. Her high school years in Tokyo saw her develop an affinity for British rock music, specifically New Wave Music.

Prior to embarking on her professional career in 1990, nOrikO spent some time exploring London and Paris. It was during this period that she delved into the European club music scene, particularly within London. This amalgamation of varied musical influences – including classical music from her early training; Brazilian dance music from her time in Rio; French chanson and pop from her schooling; British New Wave from her high school interests; and club and electronic music from Europe- have collectively shaped nOrikO’s distinctive and rich musical style.

In 1990, alongside performing as Poison Girl Friends, nOrikO initiated her professional pursuits as an ambient DJ. A year later in 1991, she independently produced her first mini-album Poison Girl Friends under her own label Psycho Planet Communications. Subsequently in 1992, her first major-label album as POiSON GiRL FRiEND, Melting Moment, was released on Victor (Endorphin Label). A track from this album, Hardly Ever Smile (Without You), has since become a signature piece for nOrikO. This piece is characterized by its fusion of electric ambient house style and classical string arrangements.

Between 1993 and 1994, POiSON GiRL FRiEND released three albums under Nippon Columbia. In 1993, two albums – Shyness and M.r Polyglot Remix – were produced in collaboration with Momus (Nicholas John Currie) in London. These works saw nOrikO classified as a Shibuya-kei musician due to her close collaboration with Momus and Simon Fisher Turner. The following year’s album Love Me was produced under nOrikO’s complete musical supervision and showcased a distinct French influence.

Parallel to these releases, nOrikO also ventured into dance music under the pseudonym “Dark Eyed Kid”. In 1993, she released the dance-music album Angelic House’ on Spiral Label. Subsequently, she introduced the dance music unit Kiss-O-Matic which released circularhythm (1996) and Sambanista! (1997) on her own label Psychoplanet.

From 2000 onwards, nOrikO expanded her activities across France (Strasbourg), Berlin and Tokyo as a producer, singer and DJ while putting her production as Poison Girl Friend on hold. However, in 2014 she revived POiSON GiRL FRiEND to release rondoElectro on Psycho Planet Communications after a hiatus of two decades. This album displayed her various stylistic facets.

In recent years, nOrikO has continued to make strides in the music industry. In 2018, she released “Das Gift” on Nekon Records which featured a range of Japanese musicians from the electro genre.

The year 2021 marked a significant milestone for Sekiguchi’s career when major labels Victor Entertainment and Nippon Columbia began distributing her earlier albums through various download and streaming services. This move led to the rediscovery and reevaluation of POiSON GiRL FRiEND by an international audience and a new wave of listeners.

Throughout her career, nOrikO has made regular appearances as both a singer and DJ at various venues, as well as hosting her own events. Recently, she has gained enthusiastic recognition as a pioneer in musical endeavors and an iconic figure among the younger generation.

In 2023, two vinyl albums were released: “Melting Moment”, a vinyl edition of her 1991 album, and “exQuisxx”, a compilation of her three albums from the Nippon Columbia years. That same year, nOrikO collaborated with Sega Bodega’s project with Mayah Alkhateri, kiss vacility on So Many Ways. She also performed a full concert in Shanghai in December.

In October 2024, she released a new single on digital platforms titled “October Country.” Shortly after, she embarked on her highly anticipated first U.S. tour, delivering ten electrifying performances across eight American cities from October to November. The tour included stops in Seattle (The Crocodile), Portland (The Star Theater), Los Angeles (Vermont Hollywood and The Novo), San Francisco (Great American Music Hall), Washington, D.C. (Union Stage), New York (Elsewhere and Sony Hall), and Chicago (Lincoln Hall). The tour was a remarkable success, with most of the shows selling out and each performance drawing enthusiastic crowds. Her compelling stage presence captivated audiences at every stop. She is also eagerly awaited for two shows in China at the end of December: Shenzhen (B10 Live) and Shanghai (Bandai Namco Shanghai Base, Dream Hall).

She has also been in high demand as a DJ for online radio stations since 2023, including holding a residency on NTS radio and being invited to guest DJ on stations such as Baihu (Shanghai), NTS Radio (London), BBC Sounds (for a program hosted by Sega Bodega), LYL Radio (Lyon, France), Apple Music DJ Mix, and Sharp FM.

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Tourdates

No shows booked at the moment.