Nav Katze

Nav Katze (meaning "Nervous Cat") are a female pop rock group from Tokyo, formed in 1984 by Shino Furutate, Miwako Yamaguchi, and Naoko Iimura. Furutate left the group not long after their major label debut in 1991. For their 1996 album, Gentle & Elegance, Iimura's role was greatly reduced while producer Yuji Sugiyama became a lead performer and songwriter (though he was never declared a member of the band). This would prove to be the group's last album of new material, though in 2026 they recorded a new track for a Tohru Okada tribute album. Outside Japan, Nav Katze is primarily known for being remixed by European electronic artists. Their remix albums were distributed across Europe, and notably Aphex Twin included two Nav Katze remixes on his album 26 Mixes For Cash. This recognition in "IDM" circles lead to the band abandoning their pop rock style in favor of an almost entirely electronic sound for their final album.