Casino Versus Japan (sometimes Casino vs. Japan) is the recording name for Erik Paul Kowalski (born May 5, 1973 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin), a United States-based musician who works in electronic music.

Influences[edit]

For fans of Kowalski’s work, his inconspicuousness has been a small source of frustration. After the release of 2010’s Night On Tape and a subsequent tour opening for Deerhunter, Casino Versus Japan went quiet for five years before finally releasing a digital single. That Casino Versus Japan has such a reverent following is a testament to Kowalski's supple and clear-eyed manipulation of sound. Even in the intimidating expanse of his 2016 album Frozen Geometry—which spans 80 tracks and more than three hours—Kowalski largely focuses on concise tracks in which melodies firmly but gently tug against powerful atmospheres. Not long ago the Moodgadget label gave us a reminder of Casino Versus Japan's sizable contribution to the field of electronica, reissuing the eponymous debut from 1998. Now, Attacknine delves even further, presenting a collection of twenty previously unreleased works from the CVsJ archive. These tracks date back to 2002, when Attacknine co-founder (and member of the duo Freescha) Nick.

Buried - 0:00 Dropsickle - 5:15 Border of your place - 10:29 Search for the sun - 16:30 Troidic - 19:24 To be Roomy - 23:54 Glossy Triad - 28:24 Roo Bug - 34. Casino legalization means a ban on private-sector gambling will be lifted for the first time ever in Japan — a historic policy shift in a nation where gambling has long been outlawed.

As a child, Erik Kowalski was originally heavily influenced by Jan Hammer's music for Miami Vice, as well as Vangeles and Jean-Michel Jarre. Kowalski taught himself piano, guitar and drums in the early '90s while in high school.

Early work and releases[edit]

Recording guitar-based, ambient/experimental music as Radiogate in 1996 and 1997, Kowalski matured in the underground electronic music community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He worked at Atomic Records for 14 years and also wrote for the alternative fanzineMilk Magazine which also informed developments within many styles of innovative music. During this time he interviewed many of his favorite artists and influences. In early 1998, he approached Mike Bailey (d. 2019) of the local electronic label Star Star Stereo with some demo tapes, and shortly thereafter, released his self-titled debut Casino Versus Japan. This subsequently led to live performances (including several dates opening for Low) with Charles Wyatt (Charles Atlas) accompanying Kowalski on guitar, as well as a subsequent tour opening for Deerhunter in 2010. In January 2000, Go Hawaii was released on CD by Wobblyhead (later on double-vinyl LP by City Centre Offices, 2001). By the summer of 2002, the track 'It's Very Sunny' was used in a Hummertelevision commercial. His song 'Go To Sleep' was used as a bump for Adult Swim. His third album Whole Numbers Play the Basics, followed in September, 2002 on Carpark Records. The song 'Manic Thru Tone' was used in MTV's 'Choose Or Lose' campaign in the fall of 2002. In 2012, the title track from Go Hawaii was covered by Adam Peters for use as the incidental theme music for Oliver Stone's film Savages.

Collections and collaborations[edit]

Hitori + Kaiso (1998–2001), a collection of unreleased tracks, appeared in 2004. The album was compiled and released by Attacknine Records from a large archive of material initially presented as a gift to Nick Huntington of Freescha, and not intended for public release. Huntington enthusiastically encouraged a release, however, which also resulted in the 2010 collection Night on Tape, another batch of selected tracks from the same archive.^[1] Casino Versus Japan and Freescha released a Split EP together in 2004.

Casino Versus Japan Tours

Tracks by Casino Versus Japan have featured heavily during the intermissions of NPR's Radiolab podcast.^[2] In July 2011 Radiolab were licensed to allow followers to download Casino Versus Japan's Miano: A Pink Night For Snowmen from the Night on Tape album.^[3]

Discography[edit]

Albums and collections[edit]

• Casino Versus Japan, CD (1998, Star Star Stereo)
• Go Hawaii, CD (2000, Wobblyhead) 2x12' LP (2001, City Centre Offices)
• Whole Numbers Play the Basics, CD and LP (2002, Carpark Records)
• Hitori + Kaiso (1998–2001), Double CD (2004, Attacknine)
• Casino Versus Japan [Reissue] (2010, Moodgadget)
• Night on Tape (2010, Attacknine)
• Frozen Geometry (2016, self-release)
• Suicide By Sun (2018, self-release)
• Echo Counting (2020, self-release)

Singles and EPs[edit]

• Casino Versus Japan + Jessica Bailiff, split 7' (2000, Star Star Stereo)
• 'Via', 10' (2001, Wobblyhead)
• 'Silver And Gold' b/w '64 Colors' Split 7' w/ Am Boy (2004, Wobblyhead)
• 'Casino Versus Japan + Freescha' [Split] CDEP/12' (2003, Wobblyhead)
• 'Damaged Errata', 'Scenic Loop' (2015, Attacknine)

References[edit]

1. ^Night on Tape Description from Attacknine Records Online. Accessed: May 27, 2010.
2. ^[1] Online. Accessed: July 10, 2012.
3. ^[2] Online. Accessed: July 13, 2011.

Casino Versus Japan Tourist

External links[edit]

A veteran Wisconsin experimental musician makes a rare public appearance.

Experimental musician Erik Kowalski is best known for his long-running project Casino Versus Japan, which over the course of 20 years has ranged from the beat-driven space-outs of recordings like 2000's Go Hawaii to the ambient processed-guitar glimmer of last year's Suicide By Sun. Kowalski almost goes out of his way to avoid attention, although the music itself is available on Bandcamp and he toured with Deerhunter in 2010. And it's not necessarily a charismatic sort of obscurity: He seems largely content to hunker down in his home base of Green Bay, playing very few live shows and doing very little press or promotion—his most recent contact with the media seems to be a lovely mix for Fact in 2018. He told Bandcamp Daily in 2016 that he likes 'being part of a working class community where things aren’t part of a scene,' though he did play a more prominent role once in Milwaukee's music scene.

That Casino Versus Japan has such areverentfollowing is a testament to Kowalski's supple and clear-eyed manipulation of sound. Even in the intimidating expanse of his 2016 album Frozen Geometry—which spans 80 tracks and more than three hours—Kowalski largely focuses on concise tracks in which melodies firmly but gently tug against powerful atmospheres. He excels at combining guitar melodies, synths, and other sound sources into one pleasantly scratchy fabric. Whether giving his delay-soaked clean-toned guitar a more overt role—as on 'Barefoot Belle Of The Sun,' from Frozen Geometry—or favoring a bleary mass of sounds—see Suicide By Sun's 'Death To The Fictitious Light Cycle'—Casino Versus Japan masterfully disarms and immerses the listener. Kowalski is playing a live set at this afternoon/early-evening show. The host venue, dance-focused record store JiggyJamz, is asking those interested in attending to RSVP ahead of time. —Scott Gordon

Casino Versus Japan Tour Packages