First, sorry if anything on the blog is broken. I just moved everything and frankly there's way too much to keep track of.
Second, hi! Yes, still alive.
Third, check out this super swank new video from Lillies and Remains! Nothing but smoldering, intense slow-mo looks from the guys in the band, but it's still pretty cool.
I've been working on and off trying to unpack everything that's in the new solo album titled Flowering from TK, front-man for the band Ling Tosite Sigure. The short version: It's just like Ling Tosite Sigure. I can't really think of anything that's on Flowering that I would be at all surprised to hear on a regular LTS release. Not that that's a bad thing. If anything, TK solo is even more intense and dense, more chaotic and frantic. And what LTS fan wouldn't want that?
(Special thanks to @jakcadden for reminding me about this album.)
September 30 - October 14
Mouse on the Keys
European Tour
Sep 30 - La Malterie - Lille, FRANCE
Oct 01 - TBA - Paris, FRANCE
Oct 02 - The Public - West Bromwich, UNITED KINGDOM
Oct 03 - tba - Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
Oct 04 - The Canteen - Barrow-in-Furness, UNITED KINGDOM
Oct 05 - tba - Leeds, UNITED KINGDOM
Oct 07 - Conne Island - Conne Island, Leipzig, GERMANY
Oct 08 - Lovelite - Simplonstr, Berlin, GERMANY
Oct 09 - Bunker Ulmenwall - Bielefeld, GERMANY
Oct 10 - Denovali Swingfest - Essen, NRW, GERMANY
Oct 12 - künstlerhaus (k4) - nürnberg, Bayern, GERMANY
Oct 13 - České Budějovice jazz festival - Budweis, CZECH REPUBLIC
Oct 14 - Cairo - Würzburg, GERMANY
Source: MySpace
Here's the a new video from instrumental post-rock band Lite. Their new album Illuminate is phenomenal (more on that later), and "Image Game" is the perfect example. The song is an exercise in precision and control, but it's also rather hypnotic and energizing. The video doesn't really do much, but it works to show of the swirling, angular feel to the song just fine.
May 13-18
Ling Tosite Sigure
The Great Escape Festival
5/13 - Volks / Brighton, UK
5/15 - Komedia / Brighton, UK
5/17 - South of the Border / London, UK
5/18 - Barfly / London, UK
Source: Site
[Thanks to Luke for the tip!]
Psysalia Psysalis Psyche is an arty, brooding grunge band formed around 2005, though simply calling them a grunge band is selling them woefully short. Like their alliterative name might suggest, they blend styles and sounds from all over the map with loud guitars and sloppily screamed lyrics just one set of paints on their palette. For every jangly song there is an equally soft and shoegazy counterpart, a slightly psychedelic swirl behind the driving rhythms.
While songs like "Take Me Out" and "Midunburi" seem haunted by Kobain's ghost, others like "Lonesome Valley" and the stunning "Narrow" show a much more modern, almost post-punk aesthetic. There are also more sparse and dreary moments like "Act I Scene II Tremolo," and it's follow-up "Tea For Two," both of which seem pulled from an angst-filled film soundtrack.
Whatever they attempt, Psysalia Psysalis Psyche manage to ride the fine-line between obsessive attention to detail and sloppy rage. They have enough coffee-house flair to grab the beard-wearing, iPhone obsessed art-students, while still waving a middle finger in the air. With only a few small releases and one solid album under their belts, it'll be interesting to see what course this young group chooses to blaze.
March 4-13, 2010
Mouse on the Keys
European Tour
03/04 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
03/05 - Metz, France - Emile Vache Art Cafe
03/06 - Kassel, Germany - Galerie Loyal
03/07 - Duisburg, Germany - Djzz
03/08 - Leipzig, Germany - tba
03/09 - Gdynia, Poland - Ucho Club
03/10 - Poznan, Poland - Pod Minoga Club
03/11 - Krakow, Poland - Club Re
03/12 - Wroclaw, Poland - Firlej
03/13 - Chemnitz, Germany - Weltecho
Feb 3rd-12th
Lite
US West Coast Tour
03/04/10 The Blue Lamp,Phoenix
03/05/10 Bootleg Theater,Los Angeles
03/06/10 The Casbah,San Diego
03/07/10 Muddy Waters Coffee House,Santa Barbara
03/08/10 The Blue Lamp,Sacramento
03/09/10 Bottom Of The Hill,San Francisco
03/11/10 Dante's,Portland
03/12/10 Chop Suey,Seattle
Source: MySpace
The members of sgt. fall into a lineup a bit more like that of a jazz quintet than a traditional rock band. Drummer Hitoshi Ono and bassist Kouji Akashi form the band's solid backbone, proving the beat and pulse. Guitarist Hironori Taoka also falls into this role, merely fleshing out the band's sound rather than performing any virtuosic feats on the fretboard. Violinist Mikiko Narui most often falls into the role of soloist, taking the place of a saxophone or trumpet. She also takes the melody almost exclusively, in those rare cases when there is one to take.
sgt. isn't exactly well known for short, pithy and easily digestible songs. That's not to say that they're overly infatuated with creating inscrutable, million changes-a-second math rock or imposing sonic mountains. Their songs are more like a walk down a long, dimly lit path near stormy seas than any sort of road-map like the more universal language of verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus chorus.
Having said that, Capital of Gravity, sgt's third mini-album (available now at HearJapan) is even more likely to get distracted and wander around that path than their previous releases.
Clean of Core is perhaps the closest spiritual successor to Downy since the latter's split many years ago. The main difference being that while Downy incorporated vocals into much of their work, Clean of Core is strictly instrumental. Yet the same dark and intense post-rock vibe runs in their veins.
While Clean of Core may not have that vocal element, it's obvious that they are no less concerned with forming very melodic songs around their bare-bones instrumentation. They let their songs loop and slowly develop, building in intensity and depth. They also keep things in a more traditional verse/chorus/bridge song structure, as if their singer is simply absent. Yet it certainly doesn't feel like there's anything missing from the equation. The group offers up more than enough evocative material, projecting images of watery landscapes and misty hillsides. In fact much of their debut album Spectacle seems to carry with it thoughts of the sea, with song titles like "Pipe Line," "Navigation and Storm" and "Time Wave."
Unlike other instrumental or post-rock bands who like to thrill their audiences with showy playing and head scratching musical equations, Clean of Core does indeed focus on the core of their work, letting it drive the focus of the song. They spin around it like a star, letting it pull and push them as they travel in looping arcs around it.
Japan's Nuito is to post-rock as Fantomas is to metal. If you find that sentence a little confusing, how about this. Think tiny bits of complicated, tempo jumping musical blasts, all linked together by the thinnest of threads. In the case of Fantomas, they grind out a mountain of furious micro-metal. With Nuito, it's more your typical noodly instrumental post/art/math rock, only done on a tiny scale.
Formed around 2004 in Kyoto, the trio blends generous amount of finger tapping guitars with various effects and stuttering drums to form their odd constructs. They use "kaleidoscopic" as just one of the many possible adjectives to describe their own sound, and it's perhaps the most apt. They create a constantly shifting mosaic of angular guitar rock, with intricate loops and obscure melodies that vanish before your brain can even register their presence.
That's not to say they run forward, head down, 110% at all times. They also have many moments of sublime calm, but it is no less fuzzy and slippery. It's as if the band will explode if they sit in one place for more than ten seconds. Yet at the same time they demand your attention, lest you lose all sense of the song. If you can manage to stay focused and aren't practically concerned with being able to sing along, then Nuito will provide you with a wealth of material to dig into over many repeat listens.
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
It's not often that a band becomes more popular outside of its home country before they are equally well known at home, but it would seem as though Lite, an instrumental post-rock progressive band from Japan, has done just that.
They've played shows around the world, hitting up the UK and Ireland several times, as well as New York. They've released two live albums, one from Ireland and one from their recent 2009 trip to New York. They are even signed to a European record label, Cargo Records, along with the likes of The White Stripes.
The music that the band makes is, as mentioned, all instrumental. They are a bit like Downy in their overall sense of darkness, but Lite isn't nearly as arty or experimental. They are also not as light and precious as Miaou, nor as harsh as sgt. In some way Lite lives up to their name in that, while intense and intricate, little of what they do is overly heavy. This leaves them a bit more accessible to a wider audience who might be turned off by noodly math rock or way too spaced-out jams. They are smart without letting it get in the way.
Their instrumentality also makes them much easier to get in front of international audiences, something that has been a considerable help to other instrumental groups like Mono. Plus, they're just damn good at what they do, which is something attractive in any language (or lack thereof.)
Formed in 2004, the short lived Rejuvenated Half Face threw in the towel soon after in 2008. With only a single album, Ccmmgr, released in that time, it's tough to know what might have been, but the crumbs they've left behind are nothing if not a promising sign.
Their natural post-rock elements are tempered by generally softer treatments and front woman Mai Karasawa's voice. She sings in a very clear and restrained tone, instead letting her breathing do most of the angry work. She seems to sing to the point of exhaustion, then letting her lungs shriek in more air. Her breathing/gasping adds tension and a sense of urgency. It's almost an instrument in and of itself. On "Relative Downer" especially, her high pitched and ragged intakes of breath are highlighted when all the other instruments stop, leaving Mai to do her best drowning victim impression, desperate for just one more taste of air before going under another wave of noise.
Much of their music is a bit like that of School Food Punishment or Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, with a heavy dose of some pretty arty progressive tendencies, maybe more like Zazen Boys (see "Herring Roe"). Yet they always manage to reel in their more out-there passages and bring the melodies back down to earth.
This is most obvious on "Antimony," an epic trip through bizarre and frenetic mash-ups of notes followed by some soaring vocal passages. Even more so on "Cucumber," the closing track on Ccmmgr. It's one song, but with many different ideas broken into several tracks. It's as if they wanted to pack up all their remaining material into one song, doing their best to mold it into a single cohesive whole, yet still making sure to keep it separated for some reason, at least cosmetically.
Sometimes it's best for everyone when a band puts everything they have into a single, precious package, quietly leaving it behind for future fans to discover and wonder about. Other times, one can only morn the loss of so much potential. In this case, it might be better if the world could at least get another chance with Rejuvenated Half-Face.
Much like they flit between sounding a bit like Bump of Chicken and Ogre You Asshole, the newly minted People In The Box lightly leap from bright safe rock sounds to much louder and distorted wall-of-sound blasts. The great thing is that they do it all with their own sense of style. Even when the guitars are turned up to eleven and the drums become a blur, there's still an air of fresh-faced optimism.
They don't easily fit in post rock, shoegaze or just plain indie rock categories. Sure, they're not going to totally shatter any genre boundaries, but much like Burger Nuds, they bring a unique and very capable musicianship to the table. This is something that sets them apart for other middle-of-the-road to lighter-rock bands that only seem able to pump out track after track of bland pap. Sure, People In The Box have their doe-eyed moments, but they are very short and nicely broken up with their more powerful and intricate bits. Their songs are all very nice, but they also have a sinewy undercurrent that keeps the blood moving.
These guys are still new to the world, with only two mini albums and one full length released in 2007. If they can manage to keep defying easy categorization, maintaining their youthful, soft-but-earnest edge and avoid selling out completely to bottled water and airline adverts, then I think we will all benefit for having them around.
Unmistakably jazz with a strong dose of rock experimentalism and down-tempo post rock jams, Japan's Henrytennis is indeed the "progressive/rock/jazz" band they profess to be. Formed in 2002, the band has only released a single album thus far. Perhaps this famine of material is the result of the several line-up changes (and the unfortunate loss of Chie Takizawa's voice and flute) the band has already undergone. Another reason could be that they are simply a live band focusing on live shows.
While on tape they do have the air of a band a bit more used to free-form expression, their sole album Eight Rare Cases does contain a lot of well developed moments. While you may not see it in their various live clips, they at one time seemed to have a more vocal slant, featuring dual male and female leads. The songs on the album are blissed-out and hazy, with swinging underpinnings and a smokey atmosphere. More twee-pop than jazz or rock, they are fleshed out with plenty of tiny xylophones and reverbed-out Rhodes-esque keys and guitars. These softer tracks are surrounded by more frenetic instrumental songs. While not in the same league as the much heavier Downy or sgt., they do at times come close, providing a softer alternative. Instrumental bands like Miaou and Mono also come to mind, though Henrytennis is definitely the more jazz influenced of the bunch.
The band seems to be very active in the live scene, even playing shows in New York. They host their own regular showcase called "Fuck Up My Underground Era" featuring a huge range of bands like Audio Safari, Gutevolk and Miaou. They obviously have their ear to the ground and a broad range of skills to draw from. Here's to hoping they manage to keep the band stable enough to release more material. It might also be nice if they brought the dual vocal style back as well, as it serves to really set them apart from the crowd. Just a friendly suggestion. The world could always use more pretty songs like "Landmachine."
"The Electronic Flute" - Live 2005 (Original line-up)
Official Site
MySpace (English)
MySpace(Japanese)
Members:
Yoshihito Okumura - Guitar
Yoshinari Kishida - Drum
Takeshi Horikoshi - Bass
Akihiko Ando - Saxophone
Toshiaki Sudo - Instruments
Koji Ueno - Nordlead2
Releases:
Eight Rare Cases 2006
Live 2008
Live 2008
Live 2008
Live 2008
Much like sgt.'s sinuous music, the members of the band have interwoven themselves throughout their particular music scene. Active since 1999, they've had plenty of time to not only refine their sound, but to find many friends with which to share and collaborate. They've even been fortunate enough to run their own even called "seimei" featuring many fellow indie bands. Perhaps most notable, they are also the backing band for ex-Supercar front man Koji Nakamura's solo band iLL.
Perhaps it's not too far a stretch then to compare their sound, at least in passing, to that of Miki Furukawa's solo work. While nothing near as poppy as Furukawa, sgt. does at times have the same otherworldly sighing sounds provided by violinist Mikiko Narui's electrified playing. Being an instrumental three piece, it's also easy to compare them the much more similar sounding Downy. sgt.'s post-rock aggro-jazz space jams certainly have the same raw power and tightly synced drum and bass section. Over this are the aforementioned wailing strings and even the occasional saxophone and piano.
Similarly, their music weaves between slightly quieter and groovy sections, building to and punctured by extremely intense bouts of distorted bass and screaming strings, all piped through giant caverns of reverb and darkness. It's only through prolonged listening that one will pick up on the cues and be able to discern the song sneaking around underneath all that ephemeral weight, but once it's found, it is tough to lose again.
With so many years under their belt it's a wonder why they've only released a sum total of thirteen songs (not including a smattering of slip EPs.) Perhaps it's their outside involvement with other bands and events that has prevented them from solidifying their thoughts into recorded material. Regardless, what they've presented us with so far is certainly a feast, but in this case more is never enough.
If there ever was a band that lived up to its name, it would be Mutyumu. A "crazy dream" is probably the best description for their music. A crazy dream full of fire, statuesque figures, impressionistic operas, delicate ballet performances, leering demon faces...the images are as diverse as the instrumentation and song structure. At one moment you'll be treated to very soft piano and violin melodies, only to be bashed over the head with a massive heavy metal dirge the next. Similarly, the vocal treatments range from almost inaudible whispers to angelic female falsettos to guttural male bellowing.
The work of Mutyumu is extremely artistic and symphonic, yet not overly so. They never stray into straight-up new age territory, while also staying clear of schlocky death metal. Simply put, it's goth in the very best sense of the word. Mature and very sophisticated, classically dark, they never go the easy route of over-the-top style over substance, instead doing the reverse. Avoiding slathering on the gloom, they strip things down to few elements, developing them into minimal symphonies. They even have a few regular rock songs that wouldn't be out of place on a Bauhaus or Buck-Tick album.
Their raspy strings and twinkling pianos along with other synthetic sounds set them apart as something more than your average band that just gets on stage and rocks out. They have extended atmospheric sections that either lighten or darken the mood, like either the sun or the moon rising over a secluded pond. A bit like Matyoshka or Sigur Ros with their trance-like crescendos, they seem to find their most beautiful moments when they're either their most calm and repetitive, or their most loud and soaring. Case in point, the incredible "祈り," ("Prayer") which builds to ridiculous heights over ten minutes.
Having been formed in 2002, they are still a bit young, yet their solid sound and production really hit the ground running with their first self-titled album in 2006. Their 2008 follow-up Ilya cranks up the number of full-band rock outs and death-metal blasts. It's much less subtle and atmospheric, aiming more for the gut with a clearer guitar/drums/bass/vocals format and less of a focus on the strings and piano, though they are both still very much a part of the equation. (Again, refer to "祈り" above.)
Whatever your poison, be it classical strings and high society, or ancient demon metal and flaming pagan rituals, you'll find much to sink your teeth into with Mutyumu's twisted dream-scapes.
眼は神/L'œil est Dieu
Official Site
MySpace (English)
MySpace (Japanese)
Members:
Hatis Noit - Vocal
Ryota Yoda - Guitar
Junpei Suda - Drums
Yuko Ikenaga - Piano
Yuji Hayashi - Bass
Ryota Taniuchi - Violin
Releases:
Ilya - 2008
Mutyumu - 2006
反復する世界の果てで白夜は散る
塵に過ぎない僕は塵に返る
