Akihito Morimoto (Guitar & Vocal) and Kazuto Maekawa (Bass) were brought together whilst still at school in Osaka by a mutual obsession with Black Sabbath.

They learned English from the bands they read about in Burrn Magazine and played together in several bands that often covered their idols from the western world which, as well as Sabbath, included Twisted Sister, Van Halen, Rainbow, MSG, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Queensryche, WASP, RATT, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne Band, Motorhead, Guns and Roses, Motley Crue etc…

Aki and Kazuto first tasted commercial success after moving to Tokyo and playing as guitarist and bassist in a five-piece band that had some pop rock success at home in Japan.

Aki explained this bands implosion by explaining that they believed every bit of advice that they were told and eventually became directionless as a result. It was this lesson that helped form the attitude of Electric Eel Shock -- listen to everyone BUT make the decisions yourself and if you do make a mistake make sure that you only make it once...

Now in Tokyo with no band Aki turned back to his other passion of fishing was a professional competition angler for a while (he still writes for Japans largest fishing magazine Basser Magazine). Kazuto joined The Apollo’s a well-known Japanese Funk band as session bassist. Kazuto’s low slung bass and unkempt appearance was at odds with the suited and polished image and led to his time in this role being short lived, however it left a lasting impression on the drummer Tomoharu Ito. The leader of The Apollo’s had given his drummer the more familiar name “Gian” due to his similarity in appearance to a well known Japanese comedian of the same name. Gian, who had a day job making false teeth, was soon introduced to Aki and the three started practicing together shortly afterwards.

This was not quite the start of Electric Eel Shock as we know it, the first public performances of EES were actually as an 11 piece band with keyboards, female vocals, horns etc… it was not until the logistics of getting all of these members together on the same day to practice became unbearable that EES stripped down to the three piece. It is thought that Gian took up playing with four drumsticks after he moved from Funk to Rock and wanted to increase the impact, it is any ones guess why he likes to drum naked!

Electric Eel Shock decided against making demos and sending them to labels etc instead they dived straight in and set up Micro Music with their friends releasing their first full length “Maybe I think, We Can Beat Nirvana” they then followed this with “Live Punctured” and set about making a major impact on the independent rock scene of Tokyo.

In 1999 EES recorded Slayers Bay Blues on an eight-track recorder press up enough to take on the road and set off for their first gigs abroad. They had lined up a hand-full of dates in and around New York with their friends Pealander-Z who had relocated there some time earlier. The gigs were a massive success and a handful of dates turned into 20 or so. They went back to Japan with many offers to return. It was around this time that they first met longtime tour manager Bob Slayer, who had previously toured with bands such as Led Zeppelin and had become the first westener to be Karaoke Champion of Japan.