Polysics

The first things you notice about the Japanese new wave band Polysics are their glaring similarities to Devo — the most obvious of which are the band's orange jumpsuits and their straight-bar sunglasses. Of course, the similarities aren't completely unintentional. In 1997, when the founder of Polysics, Hiroyuki Hayashi, was...

By Michael Escoto

January 28, 2010

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The first things you notice about the Japanese new wave band Polysics are their glaring similarities to Devo — the most obvious of which are the band's orange jumpsuits and their straight-bar sunglasses. Of course, the similarities aren't completely unintentional. In 1997, when the founder of Polysics, Hiroyuki Hayashi, was still in high school, he saw footage of Devo and was greatly inspired by the band and other new wave originals. And though Polysics draw a lot of inspiration from Devo, they are not Devo clones. The band has nailed down the synth-pop styling of new wavers before them, but Polysics are more tongue-in-cheek than their predecessors. Given their oddball lyrics and cartoonish sound effects, it's no surprise that success has escaped them in the States. But Polysics aren't about to stop trying. The group signed to MySpace Records in 2007 and is hoping the label will have the right marketing plan to get their upcoming album, Absolute Polysics, to the masses.

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