About Tess

About Tess is an instrumental rock band based in Tokyo. On its own, that might be anything newsworthy. Add in the fact that the band is made up of not only two guitarists, but two bass players and to drummers and you have something a bit more unique.

Formed around 2004, the band has taken its time in releasing material. Swan Song, released in 2005, only contained three songs in both live and studio versions. It wasn't until 2008 that their first proper releases surfaced, and even then it was a six song mini-album. Part of the reason for this lag might be the fact that they run their own music even called Swan Song Council. Currently on their tenth event, it's a massive showcase of all sorts of indie bands, from School Food Punishment to The Telephones to Paperbag Lunchbox and far too many more to list here.

Putting public services to the music community aside, we are left with their music. First off, it's instrumental, slightly post rock but really more jammed-out and guitar fueled. They aren't real virtuoso players, but they obviously like to take their time showing you around their fret boards. There are also elements of blues, but only vaguely. They stick to the harsher sounds, tempering their heavier rock tendencies with the aforementioned bluesy jams and prog rock atmosphere. It's perfect for those who wouldn't normally touch the blues with a ten foot pole, yet who like a little more groove in their brash rock and roll.

Overall, About Tess is a little more style than substance, with their songs meandering around, putting up stylish wallpaper and dim mood lighting. They can really rock out when they want, bringing plenty of clever tricks to the fore. While they may not provide much to grab on to, the win extra style points and will maybe push those more timid listeners into a search to something with a bit more bite.

BUY ABOUT TESS RELEASES AT CDJAPAN and at AMAZON!

Imaginedit



Official Site
MySpace

Members:
TAKUTO - Guitar
KAZUYA - Guitar
MIYA-KEN - Bass
KANZ - Bass
TETSURO - Drums
DKO Drums

Albums:
Beautiful - 2008
Swan Song - 2005

Live


Live


Live

Art Cube (アートキューブ)

When it comes to dime-a-dozen vis-kei bands, there can be none held more responsible for their existence than Malice Mizer. One of the earliest vis bands to play in what is now known as a steriotypical vis-kei sound and style, they were also the incubator that spawned both singing sensation Gackt and guitarist Mana, two of the biggest names in the visual scene.

While Gackt moved into less visual and more pop-rock oriented territory, Mana went further into the gloom and doom to form Moi dix Mois, and his own fashion juggernaut. One of the singers of Moi is Seiji, and it is he who has gone on to become part of Art Cube, changing his name to Z. Art Cube itself is apparently a reformation of the band Brain Hacker. Anyway, as you can see, the world of Japanese visual rock is small and incestuous, to say the least.

Art Cube is still extremely new to the scene, having released only two singles thus far, starting in 2008. The musical style between them ranges from the usual schmaltzy and saccharine Casio quality preset ballads to some genuinely skilled symphonic metal. While they fall a bit short of the sheer epicness of Versailles, they do manage to rise above the vast sea of vis-mediocrity when they put their minds to it.

Right now it's too early to slot them into column A or B. The world will have to wait for a full length album before any real idea of the band can be solidified. Plus, as their history shows, they are far more likely to fizzle out long before they have time to shine. Until then, Art Cube is worth keeping an eye on.

BUY ART CUBE RELEASES HERE!

Suna no Hana




Official Site

Members:
N - Bass
S - Drums
Z - Vocals
M - Keyboards
Y - Guitar

Releases:
Shitsu Raku Cho (2008)
Suna no Hana (2008)

Pain Wing


Live


You're Here

Allport Diary (オルポート ダイアリー)

Somewhere in-between Base Ball Bear, Burger Nuds and Bump of Chicken lies the newly minted Allport Diary. With an earnest vocal delivery, modest dance vibe and slightly nerdy guitar noodling, Allport Diary blends the best of several different worlds into their own brand of mild, yet toe-tapingly stylish rock.

Formed in 2007, the band has released only a single self-titled album to-date. While their first release has a few of the hallmarks of a band's first halting steps into the world of pro recording (slightly too dry and shaky vocals, a few too many bland studio effects and a general lack of confidence) their songwriting is solid. Their songs are much more than a predicable progression of verses and choruses, but instead take the time to walk around in a few wide circles before zeroing back in on the target.

The 50/50 ratio of ballads to the more rocking songs is probably a good indication that these guys are a bit more concerned with playing the soft and sensitive role than a more confrontational and overly serious one. Even their louder songs take the time to break down into slightly jazzier sections, defusing the high energy before it can go out of control.

With only one eight track release to go on, it's still unclear where these guys might go in the future. They certainly have the ability to turn up the volume and really crank things up, but maybe they will instead continue to merely skirt the edge and instead set their sights on softer shores. Right now, only time will tell.

BUY ALLPORT DIARY RELEASES HERE


Official Site
MySpace

Members:
坪本伸作 : Vocal,Guitar
河辺朋久 : Bass
七戸阿希人 : Guitar, Programming
[no drummer listed, though all pics show four members...?]

Releases:
Allport Diary 2008

Asparagus

Asparagus are an indie rock power trio. They've come a very long way since their debut in 2002. Then again, it would be tough not to, considering their first release was pressed onto a record shaped like Winnie the Pooh. Yes, the Winnie the Pooh. Their first single was released as part of the 100th anniversary of the confused little bear. They quickly followed it up with a much more respectable full length album devoid of and direct Disney tie-ins.

They started life as a rather typical indie-rock band. Their first album Tiger Style is a bit tepid, certainly loud and raw, but a bit unadventurous. They followed that up with not one, but two albums released on the same day, though on different labels. Kappa I kicks the energy up a notch, but sticks closely to the Tiger Style style. Kappa II seems to contain the more highly evolved tracks. It's generally faster, louder and more dissonant than the latter. Both feature the same upbeat vibe, with Shinbou Watanabe's (formerly of Captain Hedge Hog) high pitched, nasal vocals cutting through the tight guitar work, all-over-the-map bass-lines and tightly tuned drums. Mixing up indie-rock, a very slight hint of pop-punk and earnest down-tempo tracks, one can't say they stand still for long.

After a few years they released Mont Blanc, a rather huge leap forward in both production and intensity. It's here that they start to show movement into 9mm Parabellum Bullet's intense, unrelenting rock and Base Ball Bear's more upbeat, danceable style. Overall they're very bright and clean, with positive sounding melodies and feel-good vibes. Yet their music has much more of an edge than, say, Straightener, though they have a very similar sound. Their production is very clear, yet they're not afraid to let things get loud and overdriven from time to time. Thankfully they never stray into pop-emo-punk territory and manage to keep things strong, sharp and positively serious.

Hopefully this still young band will continue to push themselves into new territory. They show signs of become something truly great very soon.

Jerk




Official Site
MySpace

Members:
Naou Hara - Bass
Masakazu Ichise - Drums
Shinbou Watanabe - Vocal & Guitar

Major Releases:
Tiger Style - 2003
KAPPA I - 2004
KAPPA II - 2004
Mont Blanc - 2007

Silly Thing


Falling Down (Live)

Asian Kung-Fu Generation

It's not often that a run-of-the-mill rock band finds a way to not only break through into mainstream success, but also manages to produce some challenging music along the way. Asian Kung-Fu has done just that.

Releasing their first material in 2000, the band has stuck to their guns through the years, releasing ten albums and mini-albums full of top quality, emo tinged rock. Starting off as an above average indie-rock band, they honed their sound and their skills very quickly. Thankfully they stay well away from any strip-mall-esque "punk" influences, instead focusing on their expert skill at their respective instruments. They are pretty heavy and screamy at times, but not in a bratty Cookie Monster sort of way. Masafumi Goto is merely singing his ass off. Ajikan isn't afraid to switch up the time signatures and throw in some intricate syncopation from time to time, something that propels them far beyond other bands in the genre. Think Weezer meets Foo Fighters.

Not only has the band gained nearly legendary status in the indie rock scene (much like the aforementioned Weezer,) but they have also supported that scene through their own annual music festival. Started in 2003, the Nano-Mugen Festival has been the high-water mark for Japanese rock shows. Featuring a who's-who of the current scene, it's seen the likes of Beat Crusaders, Mo'Some Tonebender, Art-School, Straightener, Going Under Ground, 9mm Parabellum Bullet and Shugo Tokumaru, among many others. The show includes not only top Japanese talent, but also opens its door to other bands from around the world.

Another point of note is that all of their artwork is handled by one person, Yusuke Nakamura. The rather enigmatic illustrator brings an equally clean and clear visual analog to Ajikan's music. His style is very flat and bold, with large swaths of solid color framed by equally strong black line drawings. Animals factor largely into his subject matter, along with solitary young girls and various musical instruments and recording equipment.

Like many bands finding themselves in the spotlight, Ajikan seems to have mellowed out greatly over the past couple albums. The slower, more introspective and “nice” sounding songs have begun taking over space previously filled with their faster, loud material. That's not to say that the band doesn't still have the chops or the energy to kick out the jams. Just that one would do well to delve into their back catalog to unearth some real gems.

Blackout

Buy Asian Kung-Fu releases here!



Official Site

Members:
Masafumi Goto - Vocals, Guitar
Kensuke Kita - Guitars, Backing Vocal
Takahiro Yamada - Bass, Backing Vocal
Kiyoshi Ijichi - Drums

Releases:
Caramelman and Asian Kung-Fu Generation - 2000
The Time Past And I Could Not See You Again - 2000
I'm Standing Here - 2001
Hōkai Amplifer - 2003
Kimi Tsunagi Five M - 2003
Sol-fa - 2004
Fanclub - 2006
Feedback File - 2006
World World World - 2008
Mada Minu Ashita ni - 2008

Blue Train


Mirai no Kakera


After Dark


Haruka Kanata


Rewrite


Loop and Loop


Kimi to iu hana

Art-School

Formed in 2000, Art-School are your textbook indy-rock band. They don't rely on flashy guitar tricks or complicated time signatures. Instead they just do what so many other great rock bands have been doing for ages: write some really great songs.

While still a relatively young band, Art-School has risen in popularity rather quickly. Their first album Requiem for Innocence was released in 2002, and they've continued to pump out excellent albums every single year since. They've also been able to play larger and more popular music festivals in very short order.

Their style is a bit middle-of-the-road. They generally stick to mid-tempo songs full of earnest lyrics and straight-forward chords. While they are a bit modest in the composition department, they more then make up for it in intensity. Not to be confused with your typical emo/scremo band, Art-School has a much more mature sound, relying more on their top-notch song-writing instead of trendy posing or in-you-face antics. Singer Riki Kinoshita may not be the most versatile singer, with his voice cracking and occasionally just barely missing the note he's aiming for. Of course this fits perfectly into the role of the tortured indie soul, and Kinoshita hits all the marks.

They certainly are emotional, but in an honest, non-commercialized way. Perhaps they would be a fair representation of an art-school band, but only if you took out the “arty” pretensions and left the heightened scene of preciousness and innocent feelings. Hopefully they won't burn out from the increasing attention and demand, and will continue to create their rare form of raw and honest rock.

Scarlet

Buy Art-School releases here!


Official Site

Members:
Riki Kinoshita－Vocals, Guitars
Masafumi Todaka－Guitars
Takeshi Uno－Bass
Yuichi Sakurai－Drums

Releases:
Requiem for Innocence - 2002
Love/Hate - 2003
Boys Don't Cry (Live) - 2004
Paradise Lost - 2005
Missing - 2006
Flora - 2007

Lost in the Air


Missing


Black Sunshine


Freesia


Swan Song


Under My Skin


Ato 10-hyoo de

The Aprils (エイプリルズ )

Effortlessly moving from electro-disco, to folky rock, to 8-bit chiptunes (with the help of YMCK,) The Aprils are a factory of cute, catchy and creative music. Switching between equally light male and female vocals, The Aprils conjure up electric Takashi Murakami landscapes full of gummy bears and happy anime aliens.

Formed in 1999, the trio quickly established their own unique sound. While they have elements of Shibuya-kei, namely the jazzy, upbeat bossa rhythms and crazy sampling a la Pizzicato Five, they mainly focus on electronic sounds. Classic 8-bit bleeps and buzzes from Nintendo's NES era are the most prominent element, along with other retro influenced sounds making up the bulk of their sonic pallet. Perhaps it's not surprising the they've worked along side other like mined artists like YMCK, Strawberry Machine and Plus-Tech Squeeze Box in the past. Still, they are far from your standard synth-pop band. They do incorporate actual guitars and drums, as well as well polished duel lead vocals, giving them a much more personal and “human” feel.

The tone of most of their songs is upbeat and bright, full of rainbows and Technicolor pandas, a toy box of musical ear candy. They temper the unabashed positiveness with a slightly melancholy mood from time to time, but it's a rarely used tactic. More a preciousness than a sadness. Their spaced-out tracks are more about a blissed-out quietness than an inward self-examination. Even their more obviously poppy tracks like "Cosmo '80s" seem to have a slightly darker edge. Their videos show that same art-school pop mentality with pandas and other cute, childlike animals playing a major role. (They do have both a song and an album titled “Panda” after all.)

After releasing three albums in three years, not to mention their various collaborations and touring, The Aprils have taken a much need break. They are currently working on their fourth album.

Kirameki Moon Diver


Buy The Aprils' releases here!


Official Site

Members:
Kentaro Imai - Vocal, Guitar
Miho Iguchi - Vocal, Synthesizer
Yuhki Shotokuji - Drums

Releases:
Astro - 2003
Pan-da - 2004
Space Dream Bathroom - 2005

Time After Time


Panda


Aprils In Stereo


Live


Live


Live


Kentaro singing live with Marino

Akeboshi

Light, unassuming, modest, natsukashii...singer/songwriter Akeboshi Yoshio is the very definition of down-tempo, earnest folk tunes. Far from other more experimental folk artists like Shugo Tokumaru who use electronics to add a unique texture to their pallet, Akeboshi sticks strictly to the well worn sounds of acoustic guitars, strings and piano, only rarely dipping to synthetic sounds. This also fits the overall feel to his music, which is equally calming, clear and to the point. Far from a solo artist, Akeboshi brings in a full band on most songs, though many of his songs sound as if they'd translate just as well with just a piano or guitar.

While the instrumentation on his albums may be standard fair, he does have a wide range of stylistic influences. Having studied music in England, he brings bits of the U.K., the U.S., Japan and even Ireland into his own work, flitting between Simon & Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, John Denver, Sting, traditional Irish folk tunes and occasionally The Beatles (of course.) He also gives equal opportunity to both English and Japanese lyrics. His voice is rather mid-ranged, a little muddy, never straying too high and certainly never dipping down low. Much like his music, he never tries too hard to show off, simply adding another layer to the hazy golden glow and allowing the music to simply flow along gently.

He's probably best know for his songs “Wind” and "Yellow Moon,” both used in Naruto. Both of these are far from what one might expect from the hugely popular ninja anime series, though “Yellow Moon” is just about as close to a rock song as you'll find in the Akeboshi discography. Still, it was a move the undoubtedly brought in a few new fans. The popularity of the songs didn't seem to change the course of his music writing though, as following releases stuck to the same mostly down-tempo path. This new expose to over-eager fans may have also started the misconception that he writes in odd time signatures almost exclusively, which is far from reality. “Wind” is indeed in 5/4, but the majority of his songs are in a regular 4/4 or 3/4, far from unique and certainly nothing new to his brand of calming folk songs.

While he may not be an instant attention grabbing artist, there's a lot to like about Akeboshi. While he may stick to overly user-friendly territory, the songs are nice enough and certainly not offensively saccharine or cute and whispery. He walks the fine line between melancholy and overly positive schmaltz, something that keeps one both interested enough to continue listening and just sleepy enough to not want to get up and change the disc.

Along the Line

Buy Akeboshi releases here!



Official Site

Releases
Akeboshi - 2005
Meet Along the Way - 2007
Roundabout - 2008

Yellow Moon


Wind


Hey There


Night and Day

Aioria

Vis-kei bands are a dime a dozen, so it's no surprise that some of them only last for a short time before dissolving. Formed in 2001 by guitarists Michiru and Misa, Aioria seems to have trouble finding their footing in that turbulent chaos. They managed to release only a handful of singles and one album before calling it quits just one year after forming. However, that single album is better than what many other bands, some that have been around for far too long, could ever hope to produce.

Instead of over the top theatrics and melodramatic interludes, Aioria keeps things focused with catchy songs and driving beats. While synth-heavy at times, the signature speedy harpsichord sounds are kept to a minimum in favor of metal guitar riffs and straightforward Castlevania rock. The backing synthetics simply flesh out the soundscape, adding the appropriately gloomy atmosphere.

Aioria also managed to stay away from the over-the-top vampiric balladry that is (rather unfortunately) so common among lesser visual bands. Obviously they had the "shocking" visual look, but that angle was downplayed in favor of straight-up rock and metal, tempered by romantic overtones. They certainly didn't break a lot of new ground, but they did manage to avoid the many pitfalls that other bands fall into all too easily. They skip the "happy goth" vibe entirely and instead work things back into fast and furious ground before it can veer too far off track.

All of the members have continued to make music since their break-up late in 2002. Drummer Hiroki moved on to play in another vis-kei band D. Perhaps most notable was mastermind Misa moving on to join Babylon, a band that sounds much like a heavier version Aioria. While it's always sad to see a promising young band like Aioria break up so soon after forming, it's reassuring to know that the legacy continues to live on, albeit in a slightly different skin.

Matataki




Members
Sarino - Vocals
Misa – Guitar, Programming, Backing Vocals
Michiru - Guitar
Hiroki - Drums
REN - Bass

Releases
Kirameyuku Shunkan - 2002

Kousai no Children


Fantagia


Rurichou

Advantage Lucy

Originally formed in 1995 as Lucy Van Pelt, Advantage Lucy has certainly seen their share of ups and downs. Guitarist Takayuki Fukumura began the band as Lucy Van Pelt, placing ads looking for anyone other than a guitarist. What he got in response was a bassist who couldn't play bass, and a vocalist who couldn't sing. It would seem like a project doomed to failure, but the group soldiered on, eventually filling out various other positions with a seemingly unending rotation of support musicians.

The band briefly signed to major label EMI in 1998, and changed its name to the much less lawsuit-instigating Advantage Lucy. Founding member Fukumura left in 1999, the same year that the band set up its own independent music label Solaris Records. Along with releasing all of the band's own material, they also signed up Huckleberry Finn. It was soon after in 2001 that the band learned of Fukumura's death. They continue to honor his memory every year with a special show called Mune-Kyun Arpeggio.

The band began touring outside of Japan, though not too far afield, playing regularly in South Korea. They also recorded the opening theme for the Japanese NHK version of the children's book Hooray for Fish titled “Suisui Fizi!”

The band has gently floated through the years on their bed of sincere, mellow rock/pop. Their catchy songs are inoffensive in the extreme, making them excellent background music for cleaning house or washing the dog. Their songs, while soothing, are infectious as well. It's tough to not find yourself bobbing along to them even when you're not fully paying attention. Aiko's voice takes a hold of your sub-conscious, worming its way in setting up shop. It's a warm summer day lazing around in the cool grass injected directly into your bloodstream.

Windy Sunny Friday




Official site
MySpace

Members
Aiko – Vocals
Yoshiharu Ishizaka – Guitars

Releases
Echo Park – 2005
Station – 2000
Advantage Lucy - 1999
In Harmony (as Lucy Van Pelt) - 1997

Kazeni Azukete


Sunday Pasta


Hello Mate


遠い日


(Live)


(Live 2006)


(Live 2006)

Adachi Tomomi / Adachi Tomomi Royal Chorus

Adachi Tomomi is an avant-garde/experimental artist who uses his voice along with a few electronics and self-made instruments to create his art. Like many other experimental/noise artists (see: Merzbow) Tomomi uses homemade sound generators to produce his unique brand of sounds. Unlike many of them, Tomomi also uses his voice to generate the signal. This is then filtered through a hodge-podge of gizmos that turn it into otherworldly sounds. These include wearable devices like shirts and gloves as well as very small kits made out of Tupperware that have bits of raw wire sticking out that can be “played” by touch. He's made several art gallery installations featuring a variety of his strange yet playful sound generating toys.

1997 saw his first performance as Adachi Tomomi Royal Chorus, formed with a few other non-musicians and non-traditional musicians. It truly is a chorus, using nothing other than their voices as instruments. As Tomomi explains it, there is no actual harmony or set musical pitch to the pieces. The members simply play off of the natural tones of the other performers. At first listen it might seem like a chaotic swirl of staccato "ah" and "nu" types of utterances, but eventually words and patterns form out of the stuttering rhythms. The styles range from angry and frenetic to soothing and almost playful. From a round of rapid-fire screams and shouts (think "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in hell) to soft, eerie passages fit for only the most terrifying of survival horror video-games. If Fantomas and Rockepella got into a fight, this would be its soundtrack.

Adachi Tomomi Royal Chorus has released two full-length albums. Their first, nu (2001) is a collection of songs written by Tomomi and several other members of the chorus. With 2003's YO Tomomoi took over all the writing duties as well as production. The album even caught the attention of avant-garde godfather John Zorn who was involved as executive producer. The albums are extremely stark yet very organic, which shouldn't be surprising considering the free-form vocal approach. From the warm undertones to the ear piercing high end stabs, the songs range from calm burbling streams to violent vocal firestorms. Certainly not something you'd want playing in the background of your next high society dinner-party, but maybe useful in chasing away those unwanted door-to-door salesman.

Yumiko




Official Site

Members
ADACHI Tomomi with EGAWA Risa, FUKUNAGA Ayako, IWATA Chikako, UNAMI Taku, HIRATA Yuji, FURUSAWA Takeshi, FUKUI Tomoko

Releases
nu - 2001
YO - 2003

Voice and Infrared Sensor Shirt


Tomomin Synthesizer II


Two Snails and One Pig

Aira Mitsuki (アイラミツキ)

Aira Mitsuki is another in the seemingly endless Perfume clones...or are they Capsule clones? Maybe Coltemonikha clones? Whatever the case, at least this time it's not Nakata Yasutaka pulling the strings, but Oonishi Terukado, who has also done work with MEG who, of course, Yasutaka has also worked with.

OK, anyway, back to Aira. She does indeed sound an awful lot like the aforementioned idol bands. Namely high energy dance pop, highly compressed and razor sharp, and robotic in the extreme. In fact, Aira takes the robotic elements even further by imitating a robot live, as well as having all of her vocals heavily vocoded. She seems to be targeting a more toy-like retro 8-bit audience with her '80s style clothing and the Devo/Polysics glasses motif.

She is still pretty young, turning 20 in 2008, and has released only three singles so far. Still, she's already had a song used in a Transformers movie and one released for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. For a girl who has yet to release and album, not to mention prove her staying power in the exploding world of chip-pop-cyber-dance, it would seem things are moving very fast. Hopefully she can keep her head above water and maybe, just maybe, release something interesting to set her apart from the crowd.

Buy Aira Mitsuki releases here!

ロボットハニー




Official Site
MySpace

Releases:
Copy 2008

GALAXY BOY


Colourful Tokyo Sounds No.9


China Discotica


Romantic Rope


Star Fruits Surf Rider (Cornelius cover)

Aural Vampire (オーラルヴァンパイア)

Aural Vampire is the industrial/darkwave duo of Exo-Chika (vocals) and Raveman (everything else.) Raised on a diet of schlocky horror movies and German techno, the high-school friends not only have a unique sound, but an over-the-top visual presentation as well. Exo-Chika plays the only-innocent-on-the-surface front woman, while Raveman lurks in the shadows behind a blood-red Jason-esque mask and layers of military gear. Indeed their sound has a bit of KMFDM's dark and glam dance-industrial with a heavy dose of Lords of Acid's campy style. Mix that with more traditional Japanese synth-pop and you have Aural Vampire (which, by the way, is indeed a play on "oral" vampire.)

The duo has released only one album, 2004's Vampire Ecstasy (sporting a classic horror movie-style cover complete with credits,) and a download-only single, Death Folder, in 2005.

Aural Vampire has tour around the world, most notably Germany, made an appearance at Huston, TX at Anime Matsuri in March 2008 along with Nirgilis and Bespa Kumamero.

BUY AURAL VAMPIRE RELEASES HERE

Freeeeze!!



Official Site
MySpace

Members
Exo-Chika (vocals)
Raveman (everything else)

Major Releases
Vampire Ecstasy - 2004
Death Folder - 2005

Darkwave Surfer


Hot Blood Workout

Audio Safari

Audio Safari is a mellow electro-shoegaze band from Kyoto Japan. Originally a duo (with computer backing), they've diversified over the past four yeas and now include a drummer and bass player. In that time they've only recently released a single full-length album, 2007s Urunosora.

Actually, calling them "electro" is a bit misleading. Much of Urunosora reminds me of Highvision era Supercar. They are very soft but full of bubbling synths and solid bass-lines, with an overall positive yet melancholy feel. Mami Sakurai's vocals are equally soft and clear, a bit like Chara meets Bjork. Pleasant yet unique enough to stand out in a crowd full of similar singers. There are also echoes of Sigur Ros sprinkled throughout, largely due, again, to Mami's wonderful delivery over the twinkling pianos and synths. A sort of slow but insistent quality. "Don't tell anyone," it says "but I have something important to tell you."

Audio Safari are one of those bands that you must actually listen to in order to fully understand. It's often too easy to just skip through a song looking for the good bits, but with Audio Safari, the good bits are sewn through the entire work. This is a rare feat. Hopefully they won't wait another four years for the next album. Then again, it would certainly be worth the wait.

Sharin



Official Site
MySpace

Mami Sakurai - Vocals
Daisuke Yoshiga - Guitar, Programming
Shintaro Kawamoto - Drums

Major Releases
Urunosora (ウルノソラ) - 2007

Nami no Moyo (波の模様)


Awa ni Hibiku (泡に響く)

Album Review: Abingdon Boys School Abingdon Boys School

It's been a long wait for fans of the newly formed Abingdon Boys School. The first ABS release was the opening song to the D.Gray-Man anime series in late 2006. They released a series of singles that were also featured in a number of television shows and movies. Their live appearances have been even more few and far between, with only two of note, their debut in November 2005, and again at Live Earth in 2007.

It's been almost two years since the world first heard of the band formed by formerly solo act Takanori Nishikawa (aka TM Revolution.) The album is finally here. Was it worth that wait?


The easy answer is yes, absolutely.

It might be easy for a music elitist (*ahem*) to look at the band as just another boy-band tarted up in heavy makeup and pretty clothes, propped up in front of fake instruments and told to make pretend they are rock stars. This certainly isn't the case. At least not entirely.

Front man Nishikawa, while inarguably a phenomenal vocalist, is just that, the pretty looking voice. The main songwriter and man behind the curtain is Toshiyuki Kishi, the keyboardist and programmer. As I point out on my profile on the band, he's always been the man with the plan, and it would seem as though ABS is more of an excuse to get Kishi on stage and in front of the cameras than it is a chance for Nishikawa to earn his rock and roll cred.

This argument loses steam once you hear the music. It is far more than one member or the other showing off while the band simply backs him up. ABS is first and foremost a band full of excellent musicians. Every song is full of layers, changes and unexpected flourishes, things that you will never find in a factory-pressed pop band. Sure, the production is slick to say the least, but the songs manage to break out of their overly compressed and normalized confines and offer up not only stunning sounds, but an impressive set of balls.

"As One" starts the album off on a bit of a low note considering what lies in wait later on in the track list. I'll note right now that the one major failing of the album is that every song, sonicly speaking, sounds exactly the same. Namely, really fucking loud and in your face with everything sitting at just about the same volume, full of the aforementioned sparkle and gloss. "As One" simply sets the stage, lumbering through its soaring chorus and wall of guitars and record scratching.

The first of the early singles follows this. "Howling" is the quintessential ABS song, and probably the stand out track. It manages to secretly sneak in some rather wicked heavy metal riffs under the glossy veneer, and Nishikawa gets the chance to show off his slightly angry side. They somehow manage to present what might otherwise be a simple rock song in a way that not only makes it more epic and soaring, but also darker and more complex than anything you'd hear on a rock or pop radio station. All without going too far in either direction to scare off the pop girls or the metal dudes.

Howling



"Via Dolorosa" is all about Nishikawa. It's a slower song, just about as close to a ballad as ABS gets. It's still full of grinding guitars and huge drums, but it leaves plenty of space for him to stretch his range to new and rather impressive heights.

Things pick up again with "Innocent Sorrow" and "Down to You." Both of these are your standard driving rock tracks. They both highlight what I can only think of as a late '80s/early '90s power metal mentality. They are very melodic and guitar driven, yet they have that over the top pop metal quality. While Skidd Row and Whitsnake may have taken into unbearably poofy hair swaying directions, ABS sticks to the basics and simply belts out their massive riffs with nothing but power.

Innocent Sorrow



"Athena" is the first truly pop track on the album. It chooses a driving disco-like beat as its foundation, ala Base Ball Bear or UVERworld. This is pure radio candy, very upbeat and straight-forward. The piano lines and squealing guitars are also very Gackt-like, and I can see this one being played live while either rain or multi-colored streamers fall from the ceiling. Also, a lot of back-to-back guitar playing. Perhaps shirtless?

"Stay Away" opens the second half of the album, again with a very upbeat feel. This one feels rather weak and shallow after the unrelenting sonic feast preceding it. Even before the album was released I felt that this was their weakest song, and that would seem to be the case on the album as well.

Well, OK, mabye that award should go to "Nephilim." It's another of their (trademark?) ballads that's too loud to really be a ballad. The chorus is certainly epic and full of energy and drive, but overall the song feels too much like your average girl getter. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Nephilim



OK, now is the time when I have to piss off the fans boys and girls out there. Previous to the album, "Lost Reason" was a decent track, a bit in the "filler" category, but still full of that certain ABS-ness. This album version, however, is a horrible fucking mess. For some reason thay saw fit to add some dude (MICRO) rapping over anything that Nishikawa isn't singing on. Any pause and MICRO is in there jibbering away. Then, for some godforsaken reason, the song drops out and a new break is added where this goon raps for a while. Not only does this utterly destroy the flow of the song (ironic!), but it serves absolutely no purpose. It's possibly even worse than what KanYe West did with that Daft Punk song. Well, OK, maybe not that bad. Nevertheless, what has been done to this once good song is not only baffling, but unforgivable. I have already deleted it from album folder and inserted the correct, first draft of the song in its place. Let's never speak of this again.

Moving on.

"Desire" moves things into a decidedly more electro direction with stuttering drum samples and squeltchy synths arpeggiating away ala Boom Boom Satellites. While the song is certainly frenetic to say the least, it's perhaps a bit too chaotic. It's the obvious "let's use this one to play twenty minute guitar and drum solos live" song. It's not so much a song as it is a music bed.

Now, "Dress" is a bit of a mixed bag as well. First off, it's a cover of one of my favorite Buck-Tick songs. No one can compare to the voice of Atsushi Sakurai, so it already has one strike both for and against it. The music, however, is a clear improvement, at least if you've enjoyed any of the previous songs. Yes, once again it lacks any dynamics, running at full steam from the beginning to the end. Yet ABS does add a ton of darkness and a sort of powerful dominance that the original lacks. It's gone from a simple, soft, almost delicate song to something much more brooding and, to use that word again, epic. While Nishikawa may not be able to convey Atsushi's inherent and seemingly limitless supply of raw goth, the band certainly picks up the slack.

The final track "ReBirth + ReVerse" is just a chance for Kishi to strut his stuff unencumbered by the band. This certainly supports my "producer turned rock star" theory. It's a straight up electro dance track, with the thumping kick and echoing piano parts, surrounded by clanging industrial drums. While it is inoffensive in and of itself, it is totally out of place with the rest of the album. Why they chose to include this aimless song and not the far superior b-side "Nervous Breakdown" I guess we'll never know. It's a clumsy end to an otherwise cohesive (well, except for "Lost Reason." Damnit! I said I would never mention it again!) album.

Nervous Breakdown



Obviously, I am a big fan of Abingdon Boys School. While I don't think I could handle listening to this album more than once at a time due to its ear tiring production, it is certainly one that will get a lot of play. It has its faults, some of which are almost enough for me to question my very existence, let alone the sanity of whoever makes the decisions for the band, but those faults are easily deleted or replaced with other options. Overall, it's a triumph of musical alchemy, of mixing pop with rock and metal and truly epic structures without having the entire tower come falling down into a big messy heap.

BUY ABINGDON BOYS SCHOOL RELEASES HERE!

Abingdon Boys School

Abingdon Boys School is something of a super-group, though that might not be immediately apparent. Their front-man is none other than the platform dancing/silly arm waving Takanori Nishikawa, aka T.M. Revolution. Most J-pop fans already know all about him (for reasons why, see: T.M. Revolution), but what about the other strapping (not so) young lads in the band?

Sunao, the phenomenal lead guitar player, is also a member of and writer for T.M. Revolution's solo work. Shibasaki Hiroshi, rhythm guitar, was in a band called WANDS (think New Kids On The Block with guitars) before leaving to form al.ni.co, a sort of arty grunge band. Ikuo (bass) is a member of Cube Ray, as is drummer Kozy Hasegawa. Hasegawa has played in a few other bands like Out Of Order, Admucho Family Band and The Esper, and that’s just the beginning. In short, this guy is a tireless and prolific drummer.

The real brains and brawn behind the band seems to come from the keyboard/turntable/laptop/programming guru Toshiyuki Nishi. Also known as TKO, he has worked with and produced or arranged music for a huge number of artists like The Alfee, Tomoyasu Hotei, Tomovsky, Tetsu69, J and of course T.M. Revolution. He's also performed live with Pizzacato Five and Tetsu 69 among others. Trolling though his site and reading over the lists is rather exhausting.

All of this diverse talent leads to some equally extraordinary music. Their first self-titled album is consistently thick with layers of detail, while at the same time providing plenty of balls-out rock. Even the slower tracks "Nephilim" and "Lost Reason" bring a huge lumbering metal machine to back them up. In fact it's usually Takanori who manages to keep the band from falling off the tracks into territory that may be too dark for a wider audience. His clear and pretty voice calms the otherwise savage riffs. It's a testimony to the quality of the other band members that Takanori is often the weakest link. He is a great vocalist in his own right, but his hard-rock shortcomings are really brought to light in their cover of Buck-Tick's "Dress." While the song reaches new heights of awesomeness due to the massive sonic assault, there really is nothing that compares to Atsushi Sakurai's god-like vocal prowess.

Their music is everywhere. From NANA ("Stay Away"), to the Death Note movie tribute album ("Fre@K $HoW"), Buck-Tick tribute album ("Dress"), to various anime shows like Darker Than Black ("Howling"), D. Gray Man ("Innocent Sorrow") and also video games like the PS3 FolksSoul (“Nephilim”). Ever single has been used as part of another major work. With this much coverage and mainstream acceptance, I expect absolutely huge success for Abingdon Boys School.

BUY ABINGDON BOYS SCHOOL RELEASES HERE!

Howling




Official Site

Members
Takanori Nishikawa - Vocal
Toshiyuki Nishi - Keyboards/Programming
Sunao - Guitar
Shibasaki Hiroshi - Guitar
Ikuo – Bass
Kozy Hasegawa – Drums

Releases
Abingdon Boys School - 2007

Blade Chord


Innocent Sorrow


Nervous Breakdown


Athena


Nephilim


Fre@K $HoW

Yumi Arai / Matsutoya

Also known as "Yuming" and "Yumi Matsutoya," Yumi has been releasing albums consistently since 1972. Known in her early days as Yumi Arai, she gradually gained notoriety as both a singer and a songwriter for other artists. After she married in 1976 she almost quit the business, but eventually returned as Yumi Matsutoya. With over 20 records released and millions sold over her 30 year career, she continues to be active to this day. I consider her younger voice to be one of the best voices ever, and I've listed her under her original name for this reason. So there!

Avengers in Sci-Fi

"Avengers in Sci-Fi" is itself the perfect description for this band. With frenetic disco-like rhythms and sharp synth sounds swirling around spaced out guitars and Taro's highly effected vocals, one can't help but imagine a superhero team flying through space. OK, maybe you could help it, but one must admit that these guys are anything but your average terrestrial rock band. Don't mistake "spaced out" for psychedelic either. These guys are fast and frenetic.

BUY AVENGERS IN SCI-FI RELEASES HERE

The Automatics

Fun, fun, and then maybe a little more fun. That's the best way I can describe The Automatics. They seem to be influenced by a lot of early pop rock, being stripped of fancy production or electronic tricks. Momoko Yoshino has a rather squeaky and nasal voice, yet it works perfectly with the up-tempo, clean guitar rock and numerous vocal harmonies. Unfortunately their discography is rather slim and their performances few and far between. I guess it just makes them that more iconic. And fun!

AKB48

AKB48 is a group made up of, you guessed it, around 48 young girls age 13 to 22. The actual number seems to shift by a few from time to time as “old” members are “graduated” (the Japanese idol scene's way of kicking out the girls who are no longer young enough) and new members are indoctrinated. The “AKB” in their name is derived from their home base in Akihabara where they also have their own exclusive theater. Akihabara is a mecca for all aspects of Japan's otaku culture, including anime, manga, video games, technology and music. As much of the otaku culture is focused on the adoration and worship of all things moe (basically the feeling one gets from looking at cute, young, lovable girls) AKB48's location is certainly no accident.

Style wise, they are exactly like Morning Musume, another large group of very young girls singing sparkling pop songs and dancing around. The music production is extremely artificial, loaded with synthetic strings, orchestral stabs and the occasional guitar. Perhaps unsurprising, the music takes a back-seat to the vocals. While some of the songs focus on one or two solo singers, most are made up of thickly layered and effected choruses of the entire group. It's all extremely up-beat and positive, with the sing-along sections in full force as well as the earnestness and “innocence.” You know, moe. Yet their songs, along with their extremely young appearance, point toward their intentions being far from innocent.

While the music is nothing particularly innovative or ground-breaking, it's the marketing behind this truly massive group that is something worth mentioning. The hook with AKB48 is that producer Akimoto Yasushi makes it absolutely no secret that the group is a pre-packaged product aimed directly at older otaku men. Fans can even call up their own favorite member and chat with her after the shows. Naturally, fans will do anything to follow their own special idol, which most often means buying whatever CD, DVD or photobook they are a part of.

The true genius (if you can call it that) behind this format can be seen in their albums. The large group is divided into three smaller sub-groups, A, K and B, consisting of 16 or so members each. The three sub-groupings each release their own singles and albums. The things is, each sub-group sings many of the same songs as their compatriots, so fans are essentially buying the same albums three times. Even the one regular album they've released, SET LIST -Greatest Songs 2006-2007, is essentially a re-issue of all of their previous singles and b-sides.

As so many other things in Akihabara, AKB48 is first and foremost a disposable commodity, something to be sold on the basis of its glossy surface alone. They do have catchy songs, but it's really the girls who are for sale here, and that doesn't exactly make for a great listening experience.

BUY AKB48 RELEASES HERE

"Iiwake Maybe"




Official Site

Members:
Team A
Itano Tomomi / Kawasaki Nozomi / Kojima Haruna / Komatani Hitomi / Maeda Atsuko / Masuyama Kayano / Minegishi Minami / Nakanishi Rina / Narita Risa / Ohe Tomomi / Oshima Mai / Sato Yukari / Shinoda Mariko / Takahashi Minami / Tojima Hana / Hirajima Natsumi

Team K
Akimoto Sayaka / Hayano Kaoru / Kasai Tomomi / Kobayashi Kana / Masuda Yuka / Matsubara Natsumi / Miyazawa Sae / Noro Kayo / Ohori Megumi / Oku Manami / Ono Erena / Oshima Yuko / Satou Natsuki / Umeda Ayaka

Team B
Hirajima Natsumi / Inoue Naru / Kashiwagi Yuki / Kikuchi Ayaka / Katayama Haruka / Matsuoka Yuki / Nakagawa Haruka / Nakaya Sayaka / Noguchi Reina / Oota Aika / Saotome Miki / Tanabe Miku / Urano Kazumi / Watanabe Mayu / Watanabe Shiho / Yonezawa Rumi

Graduated Members
Usami Yuki / Uemura Ayako / Orii Ayumi / Hoshino Michiru / Imai Yu / Takada Ayana / Watanabe Shiho / Deguchi Aki / Masuyama Kayano

Releases:
SET LIST -Greatest Songs 2006-2007 (2007)

Sakura no Hanabiratachi


Yuhi wo Mite Iruka?


Skirt