That's right. You can now pick up the December 2009 issue and read my review of the new Vola & the Oriental Machine album Sa Ka Na Electric Device in all its glory.
And that's all that I've got this time around, but there's more great music coverage to be had in the form of Brian Camp's huge interview with the members of Morning Musume. (Did you read my interview with group leader Ai Takahashi in August?) And there's also a special Cosplay Cafe interview with the Anime-Song Girl's Club.
Then of course there's the usual barrage of video game, film, anime, manga and general otaku spazoid greatness. Check it out!
Formed by Number Girl frontman Mukai Shutoku and drummer Inazawa Ahito after that band split in 2002, Zazen Boys takes Number Girl's loud and abrasive garage rock assault and turns it on its ear. With even more complex arrangements and a much more improvisational feel, Zazen Boys blends all sorts of genres like rap, dub, garage rock and electro into one continuously evolving mass. Inazawa has since left Zazen Boys to form his own band Vola and the Oriental Machine.
Their improv and free-form approach to performance is the most obvious driving factor to all of their releases. They've produced many live albums as well, further accentuating their interest in letting their music live and breathe on its own. That's not to say they're just making it all up as they go. Their songs usually revolve one or two complex grooves while Mukai rants and raves over the top. His vocal style is perhaps best described as aggressive rap, sometimes devolving into tight fragments of words and sound stuttered and spit out like a machine-gun. But the music is usually far from hip-hop, bring more like fractured post-rock or math-rock, just smoothed out a little.
As much as the band loves to play around in this jagged world, they also toss out the occasional curve-ball. Their latest work features songs that are very synths heavy, with a dark club vibe an disco beats. Yet even those songs have a raw and somewhat lethal sounding edge to them, like a late night drive through a glitzy, yet dangerous part of the big city. Never one to settle down, Zazen Boys are truly one of the you'll-hear-something-new-each-time-you-listen sorts of bands.
First up, here's a new video from Vola & the Oriental Machine. This one isn't nearly as awesome as the one for "Weekend Lovers," but hey, it's still pretty stylish. Plus the song is great, so the video is just a nice little extra.
Hit that jump for more!
Denki Groove "Denki Groove 20 Shuunen No Uta"
Denki Groove are back with their 20th anniversary album. This is another great, rather minimal techno track with a huge groove. The video is basically just some shots of a manga story playing out. It's a little lacking, unless you can actually read what's going on...
Electric Eel Shock "Out of Control"
New, fun, hard rockin' music from Electric Eel Shock! I can't really say much about the video, as it's really just them being awesome in an empty room. Well, except for the shots of the drummer, naked, except for a very, very long sock on...Oh, and can you spot the vampire teeth?
Clean of Core "Navigation and Storm"
I recently highlighted Clean of Core on a post over on HearJapan.com. These guys play some really nice instrumental post-rock stuff.
Beastie VS DEDE MOUSE VS Aphex Twin
Here is a very interesting mash with using the Beastie Boys, De De Mouse and Aphex Twin tracks. There's almost too much going on to keep track of, but knowing that it's amazing is easy.
Well, looks like this is quickly turning into little more than a video blog! I assure you, I'm doing all I can to get be to some sort of normal schedule. But until then, hey! More videos!
[UPDATE: Shoot, looks like it was already taken down. Well, just imagine one shot on a white screen with three girls mouthing the lyrics and not moving much.]
Here's one of the new videos from Perfume from their new album/DVD Triangle. I did a quick review of it for Japanator, and I didn't exactly give it a thumbs up. I want to make it clear that I don't hate the album or them. I simply don't think it's a very good album and that the group, on the whole, is sort of played-out. If you like them, great! If not, well that's good too.
But seriously, look at that video. I mentioned it on Twitter yesterday:
How does the biggest pop group in Japan make a video? They rent an HD camera, some lights and a fan for 5 minutes: http://is.gd/1vyY5
Benu, one of my Twitter friends, took me to task for hating on them, and I basically said the above. Also this:
@Benu Oh, and I'll admit that it does look like they put at least twice as much thought and time into the blocking. :D :D <3 <3
All I'm saying is that a little more effort would be nice. That's all!
I must admit, I lost my shit when I first saw this new video from Vola and the Oriental Machine. There are far too many incredible things going on in it...I can't even begin to go into it all. Suffice it to say that I want to immediately fly to Japan after watching it. I'm sure it's like this all the time, right? I cannot get my hands on their new album soon enough!
Here's an example of how to make a simple and cheap video, but also a very interesting one to watch! I think it also helps that the music is crazy good. The best bit? The parts where the drummer is moving his hands fast enough to see the pictures projected on his sticks! It's subtle, but amazing.
I've been waiting for something a little more ass-kicking from these guys, and there's some pretty interesting stuff going on in this song. The video, not so much. But hey, it's certainly orange!
Here's a brief clip featuring the new Abingdon Boys School single that's the opener for the new anime series Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (as pointed out over on Japanator). Not too much to say about this one other than it's not the greatest thing ABS has done, IMO. All of their recent releases seem to be a little on the weak side. On the other hand, I just might have to check out the anime!
A Plus D - "Stanky Whip"
I love everything about Bootie Blog. This video should be explanation enough.
If you've spent any time on this blog, you know that I'm not a huge fan of pop music. But I must admit that I have a pretty big soft spot for Perfume. I really liked them right from the start, and have been following them ever since. Most of their music sounds very "same-y" lately, but their newest "Night Flight" single is quite different and just plain loaded with retro smoothness. It's like a long-lost Yellow Magic Orchestra track unearthed and updated. Plus, the video (or the commercial that the song is used in, actually) also looks great. Like living inside a Famicom!
Perfume "Night Flight"
More after the jump!
Vola and the Oriental Machine "Self-Defense"
This is an amazing live performance from Vola. It's totally chaotic, but the amount of energy they bring is incredible!
Ling Tosite Sigure - live
Speaking of high-energy live shows, here are a couple live songs from Ling Tosite Sigure. 'Nuff said!
Yellow Magic Orchestra "Tighten Up"
This is a "live" version of "Tighten Up" by YMO (originally by Archie Bell and the Drells), on the classic US show Soul Train nonetheless! Obviously they aren't actually playing, but it's still a historical "performance."
Oh, and just in case you didn't know why I found this even funnier the first time I heard it, watch this:
And, of course, the obligatory bizarre Japanese Michael Jackson "Thriller" parody.
Without a doubt, 2008 was nothing short of amazing when it came to new albums. Not only were there a lot of new faces releasing thrilling stuff, but there were also many old favorites that continued to churn out fantastic records.
I could tell around the middle of 2008 that there was going to be way too much ground to cover in terms of a "Best Of" year end collection, so I put together my first list of 30 albums back on July. You might want to give it a quick read to get yourself up to speed.
We've finally lurched into 2009, so naturally it's time to take one final look back at some of the Best Japanese Albums of 2008. What a list it is! I've spent an incredible amount of time pouring over the list, mostly getting lost in the staggering number of great videos I've mostly forgotten about. Really, I could probably just keep listing to the stuff from last year all through 2009 and still be happy.
So, get comfortable, grab a tasty beverage and join me after the jump for the Best Japanese Albums of 2008 (Part 2)!
First off, I'll start with my absolute favorites. Just about any of these albums could have made the top of the list, so everything is simply listed in alphabetical order.
While these guys might not be the most creative sonically (every song sounds very much like every other song), they more than make up for it in sheer intensity. They are extremely sparse and focused, with performances that cut to the bone. Think Rage Against the Machine, only with even fewer frills. [BUY]
Another furiously performed album from possibly the biggest name in the new wave of indie rock. These guys have done nothing but great things right out of the gate, and Vampire is both their most mature and most exciting album so far. [BUY]
Combining their super-tight post-punk playing with spaced-out electronics and production, Avengers in Sci-Fi creating something unique. Both rock and dance, energetic and calming, they manage to push the boundaries without creating too much chaos. [BUY]
De De Mouse is a rare example of an artist who not only creates amazing music, but also creates entire worlds. His purely electronic style is also totally organic and absolutely original, full of fuzzy memories of childhood set in a Lisa Frank world. Absolutely wonderful stuff. [BUY]
Leave it to house/prog/trance masters Denki Groove to step away for a while, only to come back with two full length albums in one year! JPOP already made it onto the previous Best list, and they're back again with Yellow, their second release in 2008. It's actually a much more solid album, and totally infectious from beginning to end. [BUY]
Mo'some Tonebender have come such a long way over the years, but they've always churned out great sutff. Sing! sees them at their peak, with both great sounding songs and some really new direction. Very upbeat, yet still kicking all kinds of ass, as always. [BUY]
Combining operatic vocals, nu-metal guitars, rock piano and classical strings, it's safe to say the there isn't anyone quite like Mutyumu. Their second album pushed their sound even further, but in the death metal department as well as the profoundly moving softer, extended strong sections. A little something for every, just so long as you like things very very dark and brooding. [BUY]
Just one of many spectacular instruments band to release something great in 2008. Yet sgt. stands way above the crowd with their featured violin player and truly epic song structures. Like many other bands in this list, the mix a trancelike intensity with equally delicate details. While they've been together for a while, this is their first album. Let's hope for much more in the future! [BUY]
Few bands rise to prominence as fast as Versailles. With their very first song released, "The Revenant Choir," they instantly shot to the very top of the vis-kei scene. This is no doubt due to the fact that they are amazing players, packing in nothing but quality in each of their epic symphonic metal songs. Oh, and I suppose some people might like the visual side to them as well. [BUY]
Vola changed things up a bit on this album (essentially an EP.) While it's still very much the same band, they went in a slightly more dance-oriented direction. It's still pretty intense and fun though. The use of short electro tracks in-between the songs proper really makes for a solid release. This is another band that's really become an icon in the scene, so it'll be very interesting to see what they do next. [BUY]
Those are the top 10! Oh, but there's still so much more. In fact I had to sift though close to 110 albums just to make this list of the second half of 2008! Naturally there's just too much to go into great depth with. If you want to learn more about each band, click their names and check out more info and videos. They're all superb!
That's it! What? That's not enough? Sheesh, some people are never happy. Well, we'll all just have to wait and see what happens in the coming year. I expect great things.
Make sure to stay tuned to the blog and to Japanator Radio every week for more of the best music from Japan!
Vola & The Oriental Machine is the spin-off group formed by former Number Girl drummer Ahito Inazawa, who also played drums in Zazen Boys, a band formed by Number Girl front man Mukai Shutoku after Number Girl broke up in 2002.
Vola is something of a super-group, featuring former Downy guitarist Aoki Yutaka (who has since left Vola to play in his own band Unkie), drummer Nakahata Daiki from Syrup16g and Arie Yoshinori on bass. All of these expert players combine to form the Vola super-robot. Shedding Number Girl's and Zazen Boys' more erratic, complex and noisy sound, Vola hones its blade to a sharp edge, slicing the air instead of pummeling it. Their songs are pure and to the point, yet intricate and deep. Mostly straight-up rock, they tend to be danceable and driving, with relatively simple drum lines (at least when compared to Inazawa's previous bands) in lock-step with the bass.
Inazawa (who plays guitar and sings, by the way) at times sounds a bit like Sawao Yamanaka from The Pillows, at least when he's actually trying to sing. So much so that when I first heard Vola I had to double check to make sure I didn't get something wrong. Vola is like a very intense and dangerous version of The Pillows. While their songs are often anthemic and soaring, they contain a dark and angry edge.
Much like Dave Grohl moving on from Nirvana to form The Foo Fighters, Ahito Inazawa has moved on from Number Girl to form Vola & The Oriental Machine. It's an apt comparison (if I may say so) and a testament to the huge amount of songwriting talent Vola & The Oriental Machine has to offer.
During their seven year run, Number Girl were one of the most influential indie rock bands in Japan, with a wide variety of outside influences themselves (most notably Sonic Youth and The Pixies). At first listen you could be forgiven for dismissing the band due to its very noisy, almost chaotic sound, but further and closer listening will reveal the true genius of the band. Full of complex, ever changing rhythms, they often stray into territory far outside that of typical noise/indie rock, such and dub and reggae, being most obvious in the massive amount of reverb often present on the drums and vocals. Regardless of their approach, every song is exploding with energy and movement, due to each member being a master at their craft. After breaking up, guitarist Tabuchi Hisako joined Bloodthirsty Butchers, also forming Toddle, her own slightly more pop oriented band. Singer and guitarist Shutoku Mukai formed the even more insane Zazan Boys with drummer Ahito Inazawa, who then went on to form Vola and the Oriental Machine.
J-Pop and J-Rock are only the beginning. The modern Japanese music scene is just as vibrant and varied as any other music scene in the world. I'm Zac Bentz, writer, musician, designer and all around Japanese music fanatic. Here I hope to share with you a comprehensive (!!) list of Japanese artists and bands (with a strong focus on underground and indie acts) that you may or may not have heard of, in the hopes of expanding our mutual awareness of Japanese music.
I don't mean to suggest that everything I listen to is great. Quite the contrary, I hope that you will take the time to recommend your own favorite artists in the comments so that we can all learn a bit more about the huge range of Japanese music that's out there.
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