Michiro Endo - 50 / Half [Japanese Import] Michiro Endo

The first release on Michiro Endo’s own label, Hokkyoku Bacteria, finally arrives as a special 2LP edition! A rare live document capturing performances with the final bassist of The Stalin.

Following the breakup of the reunited Stalin, legendary frontman Michiro Endo established his own independent label, Hokkyoku Bacteria, and released this solo album as the label’s inaugural title in 1995.

Recorded at Apia 40 in Shibuya, Tokyo, the album captures live performances from 1993 to 1995 featuring bassist Chikao Adachi, who had served as the final bassist of The Stalin before the band's breakup. The lineup is further expanded by Chikara Tsugiki on harmonica, Yoshiyuki Konno on percussion, and Napoleon Yamagishi on electric guitar.

The set showcases Endo’s distinctive songwriting and raw, intimate live presence, while offering fascinating reinterpretations of material connected to his past. Highlights include “Canon,” featuring Endo’s own lyrics set to Pachelbel’s timeless Canon, and an acoustic version of The Stalin classic “Dendō Kokeshi.”

With its diverse instrumentation, powerful performances, and direct connection to Endo’s post-Stalin career, this album stands as a compelling snapshot of one of Japan’s most uncompromising underground artists during the 1990s.