For POiSON GiRL FRiEND, 2025 was a year that clearly marked a new phase in her career.
For POiSON GiRL FRiEND (hereafter PGF), 2025 was a year that clearly marked a new phase in her career. Both their large-scale European tour undertaken in the summer and their North American tour in the fall were hugely successful. They proved they are being embraced by listeners worldwide not merely as a “rediscovery” or “reappraisal,” but as an artist actively creating, performing live, and DJing in the present.
Echoing this international fervor, Japan finally saw a full-scale movement to reissue past works. On August 2nd, their 1st full album ‘SHYNESS’ (1993) and 2nd full album ‘LOVE ME’ (1994) were reissued on vinyl and CD. Furthermore, the highly regarded first mini-album ‘MELTING MOMENT’ (1992), considered a PGF masterpiece, was reissued on CD exclusively at Tower Records on November 26th.
Then, at the end of 2025, coinciding with the ‘MELTING MOMENT’ CD reissue, appearances on streaming programs, rare live performances, and in-store talk events were held in Japan. Here’s a brief report on these rare opportunities to witness PGF live in Japan.
First, on the release date itself, November 26th, a special program titled “TRANSONIC RECORDS PRESENTS POiSON GiRL FRiEND ‘FUTURE IS NOW’” was streamed on the live streaming program SUPER DOMMUNE. This special program was conceived after PGF was confirmed as a guest live act for the YEAR END PARTY, scheduled for December 13th by Japan’s leading techno label, Transonic Records. As expected from a program planned by Transonic Records, which has been active since the dawn of club techno in Japan, this program was not just a simple release commemorative event, but an extremely dense program that examined the history of PGF’s activities while overlapping it with the Japanese techno scene from 1989 to 1993. Referencing rare event flyers from the time and footage from the live event “Endorphin Night” held on February 29, 1992, the program carefully explains the context in which PGF emerged and built their unique musical world.
During the set change after the talk, Kiyoshi Hazemoto took over as DJ. He brilliantly connected the pop sensibility of PGF, which was positioned between techno and Shibuya-kei, with the UK indie guitar pop trend of the time. Having been active since the dawn of Japanese techno and featuring nOrikO as a guest vocalist in his own unit, Sigh Society, his song selection was unique to someone with such a long-standing friendship.
At 10:15 PM, PGF’s live performance finally commenced. With Makoto Otsu on guitar and Kohei Sakae on keyboards, a dense, approximately 30-minute set was streamed worldwide. The performance respected the original song structures while occasionally carrying a razor-sharp tension and physicality that sliced through the space. This post-punk sonic texture, combined with nOrikO’s lyrical worldview, hinted at why they resonate so strongly with discerning young listeners worldwide.
After the live show, DJ Kazunao Nagata, head of Transonic Records, took over. He played 90’s techno classics like THE ORB, 808 STATE, LFO, OPUS III, and Orbital, and ended with tracks from Endorphin label artist Subliminal Calm, brilliantly recreating the diverse atmosphere of early 90s club culture. nOrikO was an impressive sight, dancing happily both in the DJ booth and on the dance floor.
With the excitement of DOMMUNE still fresh, on December 13th, PGF appeared at the “TRANSONIC RECORDS YEAR END PARTY” held at the club heavysickZERO in Nakano. On the B1F live floor, artists closely associated with Transonic Records (and gaining international attention) like QUEER NATIONS, Kuma-chan Seal, KING OF OPUS, Sigh Society, and POiSON GiRL FRiEND performed live. During Sigh Society’s set, nOrikO made a surprise appearance as a guest vocalist, joining them for a performance of “Reality.”
PGF took the stage at 9:20 PM as the headliner for the packed B1 floor. Like DOMMUNE, they were supported by Makoto Otsu and Kohei Sakae. During “Slave To The Computer,” Hazemoto Kiyoshi from Sigh Society, who had just performed with them, made a guest appearance. He joined on keyboards, delivering a collaboration uniquely suited to this party. ULTRA∞, the indispensable VJ for PGF’s live shows, prepared new visual material specifically for this event, further enhancing the special atmosphere of the performance. It was a fitting live show to close out PGF’s 2025.
However, this did not mean that all of PGF’s activities for the year were over. On December 20th, a special talk and special event commemorating the release of “Melting Moment” was held at Tower Records Shibuya. The guest was Naoyuki Sato, ex-A&R from Victor’s Endorphin label, which released the album at the time, who took the stage for a conversation with nOrikO. They shared specific episodes that only those involved could know, from their encounter with PGF to the behind-the-scenes story of the album’s production. One of these episodes was that the music video for “HARDLY EVER SMILE (without you)” was originally requested to be produced by director Makoto Tezuka, an old acquaintance of nOrikO. Although Mr. Tezuka had agreed to the production conditions, including the budget, it unfortunately did not come to fruition due to his schedule. It’s an episode that sparks the imagination about what kind of video might have been created. At the end of the talk, nOrikO mentioned that 2026 might see the creation of new work. While we’d love for her to dedicate time to new material, it seems live and DJ requests continue to flood in from around the world. She is scheduled to perform at a major music festival in Melbourne, Australia on February 28th. In Japan, she’s confirmed to appear at the ‘RAMEN CLUB’ event hosted by sister audio-visual unit tamanaramen on February 9th. 2026 looks set to be another busy year filled with live performances and recording.
Following the talk, a signing session was held for CD purchasers. This direct interaction with fans brought PGF’s 2025 to a close.
The past connects to the present, and the present opens toward the future. PGF continues to renew this process even now. The series of events at the end of 2025 served as a powerful reminder of this fact.
Hideo Kogure
(With the cooperation of nOrikO, Naomichi Nagata, and Kiyoshi Hazemoto)
