Space, Punk, and Progressive Grit: An Interview with Green Milk from the Planet Orange
Transmission 309: Interview with Green Milk from the Planet Orange
Green Milk from the Planet Orange are a Tokyo-based progressive rock outfit. In their recorded output and physical performances, they have grappled with themes of ancient civilizations, cosmic landscapes, the fragility of perished cultures, and the sheer endurance of the human body.
Following the collapse of Bare Back Ride, dead k and A established the unit in 2001, giving the Japanese underground a jagged and chaotic design that eventually captured global attention—even briefly topping digital video charts in the United States.. Their approach takes a raw, down-to-earth manner, stripping away the pretension often associated with their genre to find a genuine reality in high-volume improvisation. They are the authors of an experimental discography that includes the sprawling City Calls Revolution, and more recently, the focused lyricism of Third.
The band has survived lineup changes and periods of silence, regrouping to solidify a decade-long partnership with bassist Damo alongside longtime drummer A. The band is currently on a large-scale circuit across Europe and the UK, hitting 27 cities to bring their cathartic sound to both familiar haunts and new stages.
Green Milk from the Planet Orange’s Bandcamp
Featured image: Rui Gato
Which artists originally pushed you to pick up your instruments and pursue this path?
- A: Skid Row
- Damo: Billy Sheehan
- dead k: Metallica
How did you first meet, and what was the exact moment you decided to form a band together?
dead k: In 1996, I was playing in a band called Metal Militia, and we played a show together with A’s band at the time, Bare Back Ride. That’s how we met and immediately hit it off. I kept going to see Bare Back Ride play for a while, but when they eventually decided to break up, I asked A if he wanted to start a band together. That became No Rest for the Dead, the predecessor to Green Milk from the Planet Orange.
To build a worldview through our music that intertwined ancient civilizations and outer space.” — A
Was the local scene supportive when you first started, or did you feel like outsiders in Tokyo?
A: I wouldn’t say we felt like outsiders, but looking at where we are now, I don’t think the scene back then was particularly supportive.
dead k: When the band first started, aside from a few bands we played shows with, there wasn’t much interest in our music in Tokyo. Because of that, there were times when we felt a sense of alienation.
How does it feel to look back on 25 years of The Planet Orange?
A: Before I knew it, 25 years had passed. I feel like I’ve become an old man—though nothing on the inside has really changed.
dead k: Because we had periods of inactivity, it hasn’t been a continuous 25 years, but an incredible amount has happened. No matter the era, I feel we’ve always continued to play the music we truly love, with prog at its core.
The band’s groove has become much tighter… the band has shifted toward more lyrical expression.” — dead k
What was the original “sonic mission” when you formed in 2001?
A: To build a worldview through our music that intertwined ancient civilizations and outer space.
dead k: I think we were trying to express a longing for things that have perished—like ancient civilizations—through progressive rock.
How has the band’s chemistry changed over 10 years with Damo?
A: The songs have become more lyrical.
dead k: Compared to the 2000s, the band’s groove has become much tighter. Damo is very good at fitting chord progressions to my guitar parts, so as A said, the band has shifted toward more lyrical expression.
How has the Tokyo underground scene evolved since you started?
A: Since around 2010, the scene has become fragmented. Many small communities formed, and the sense of a single, larger scene disappeared.
dead k: There are fewer bands or artists that are widely recognized within the underground now. Also, with so many live houses and events happening everywhere, it feels harder to draw audiences. On the other hand, there are more foreign tourists coming to shows.
How does the “emotional coldness” of the modern world influence your recent compositions?
A: I haven’t consciously thought about it, but since our strength lies in the opposite direction of that coldness, it might be influencing us unconsciously.
Damo: Stress and anger from everyday life might motivate me when I play, but I don’t think they directly affect the songs or my bass phrases.
dead k: I try not to think about it too much, but when it comes to guitar phrases, it may create a kind of resignation-like lyricism or quietness. I think it’s also reflected in the lyrics.
Who are your biggest influences outside of the music world?
- A: Diet
- Damo: Books, my partner, and alcohol
- dead k: My wife, books, and occasionally alcohol
I hope it will be catchy, yet something people have never heard before.” — Damo
What is the core theme of Third?
A: A collection of iconic cosmic scenes Damo: Lyricism dead k: The sense of hardness and solidity expressed by Green Milk from the Planet Orange
Are you working on new material?
A: Yes. I think the next album will be the most accessible one we’ve ever made.
Damo: I hope it will be catchy, yet something people have never heard before.
dead k: The songs we’re currently working on are progressive, with a strong driving feel and a psychedelic, trance-like atmosphere. We hope to record and release an album of songs written after Third within this year.
Photos courtesy of Green Milk from the Planet Orange
Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others
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