Mowmow Lulu Gyaban (モーモールルギャバン)

Mowmow Lulu Gyaban is a trio made up of two guys and a girl, playing fractured jazz pop and experimental new-wave electro-rock.

In a way, this wide range of styles makes it hard to really get into the band at first. All of what they do is high-quality, but the way styles jump around actually makes it a little tough to stick with the album as a whole. The jump from the frantic, playful chaos of "POP! Oolong-Hai" to the almost lounge-like feel of the much more serious "Contact" takes some work to follow. Then there's the old-school new-wave of "Kimi no Skirt o Mekuritai" that sounds as if it were pulled right out of the Plastics back-catalog. Well, if it wasn't for the total destruction the song undergoes several times. That's not to say there aren't music fans out there who can't appreciate sheer noise and solid song-writing at the same level. The somewhat unique mix of drums, bass and rhodes keyboard sounds goes a long way to keeping the disparate elements returning to a cohesive whole. If nothing else, there is no mistaking when you are listening to Mowmow Lulu Gyaban.

It's the band's live performances that really bring the songs to life. Seen in this context, everything starts to make perfect sense. While the songs on the album feature a more sonically diverse palette, their live presentation makes their crazier stuff much more digestible. Instead of being a zany, somewhat inscrutable collection of music, they become something almost like a normal rock band, sans-guitar. They keep their slightly arty-feel while pushing their harder rock sound to the fore.

Mowmow Lulu Gyaban is a band with many facets that seem to shift depending on the situation. From one song to the next, from live to in the studio, they present a new face at every turn. All of which makes the whole more understandable and providing a deeper level of appreciation. Mowmow Lulu Gyaban is no one-trick pony and it will be interesting to see how they develop.

BUY MOWMOW LULU GYABAN RELEASES FROM JAPANFILES, HEARJAPAN AND CDJAPAN





Official Site
MySpace

Members:
Gary Yajima - Drums, Vocals
MARU - Bass
Oie U-ko - Keyboard, Vocals

Releases:
Noguchi, Kutsukawa de Bakushi - 2010