TWIN TAIL

TWIN TAIL, not to be confused with the Japanese metal band Twintail, is a three piece improvisational, instrumental band. Made up of drums, bass and violin, they bring something of a unique sound to the table. That said, they do sound an awful lot like other bands featuring violin, specifically sgt. Violinist Yuji Katsui uses the same set of floating, delayed and syrupy effects as sgt's Mikiko Narui. The sound is so similar as to make one wonder if there isn't some sort of conspiracy going on amongst post-rock instrumental bands in Japan.

The sonic resemblance ends there though. It's obvious from the start that TWIN TAIL is all about improv and jamming out thorough extended passages. Their songs build (very) slowly, with tempos stretching and breathing along with the intensity of the music. There are really no "songs" or hooks per se. Yuji plays his violin like a screaming, psychedelic guitar more like a blissed-out solo from Jimi Hendrix than any sort of classical piece, while drummer Tatsuya Nakamura and bassist Toshiyuki Terui pound out a trance-like tribal backdrop.

One other element to their music is their fourth, off stage member Toshiaki Toyoda, their live cinematographer. As is often the case with instrumental groups, their live shows are enhanced by visuals project both behind and onto the band. In the case of TWIN TAIL this is a much need accompaniment, since their songs are ephemeral at best. They work much better as soundtracks or background wallpaper than an in your face group with a message. Something which the band is well aware of, blending sight and sound into one unpredictable package.




Official Site
MySpace

Members:
Tatsuya Nakamura - Drums
Yuji Katsui - Violin
Toshiyuki Terui - Bass
Toshiaki Toyoda -Cinema

Albums:
Everything is Permitted - 2008