Funn - 1st Demo

F is for Funn

One of the fun things (No punn intendended.) about uploading things in alphabetical order is that it's allowed me to rediscover parts of my music collection that had been blanked from memory. No "F" bands immediately came to mind until I dove into my horded mountain of aural artifacts and I pulled out this Demo CDR by Funn. (Fabulous Vibrations and Freedom were also on my candidate shortlist.) 

Unfortunately there's not a lot I know about Funn besides what nuggets of info are contained in the CD liner notes and their defunct website/blog. The demo was recorded in 2008 and the band seem to have been inactive since 2009. The 4-piece are listed in the credits as Tamai Masae O0wng, MDLPitnblog and Kenn3 and the demo was recorded in Rinky Dink studios in Tokyo so I assume they're a Tokyo band.

Details aside Funn are exactly that, toe-tapping, head-bobbing, trashy, fuzzy, lo-fi Japanese garage punk. There's some decent variety in 9 track "Demo" CDR that show off the bands versatility. From mid-tempo grungier moments that sound reminiscent of Tokyo rockers Silver Fins to breakneck hardcore grooves that bring to mind the similarly styled D.I.Y. punkers Sika Sika all mixed in with some catchy retro-throwback guitar hooks. 

Also F is for Fucking Thee Oh Sees came to fucking Japan and fucking rocked fuck yeah! Thanks guys for making the expense trip to this tiny, distant island. Hopefully John returned home with enough money to buy a new shirt. Fucking bum!

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EAD - Lead Or Deadead? Head Or Ead.

E is for EAD.

EAD are one of the many bands that sprang up during the sudden peak in interest in the Japanese experimental underground scene in the mid-90's that followed on the heels of the success of bands like Boredoms, Ruins and Acid Mothers Temple.

"Lead Or Deadead?" was put out by renowned Osaka D.I.Y. label Gyuune Cassette in '97. The label was created by local musician Suhara Keizo in '94 as a way of documenting the local underground experimental scene. Over the years the label has been home to some of Japan's best known musical vanguard including Yamamoto Seiichi (Boredoms, Omoidehatoba), Hiroshi Na (Hadaka No Rallizes, Port Cuss, Niplets), Tabata Mitsuru (Acid Mothers Temple, Zeni Geva) as well as younger generations of cosmic sonic adventurers such as Afrirampo and LSD March. 

EAD were a 4-piece collaboration project (Junji Miike, Atsushi Shibata, Koichi Yoshimura, Manabu Ishikuma. Off the top of my head the members don't ring any bells but I'm sure most of them must have been active in other bands and projects. Kudos to any knowledgeable reader who can point them out to me.) that bare many of the hallmarks of the underground scene at the time. Genre-less experimentations into noise-psychedelia with heavy Krautrock, prog and No-wave influences. The album also features a number of guest musicians including members of Omoide Hatoba and Solmania.

It doesn't look like the CD is still available (I found my copy tucked away in the treasure trove of Japanese underground gems that is Forever Records.) but you could always try contacting Suhara himself through the Gyuune Cassette website to inquire about it. Yeah, when I say D.I.Y. label I mean D.I.Y. label.

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Deracine - Deracine (デラシネ - デラシネ)

D is for Deracine.

This Tokyo based 3 piece create the sort of off-the-wall-bat-shit-crazy music that could only possibly have been produced by Japan. The sample heavy noise-punk Tokyo 3 piece (Drums, Bass, Samples/electronics.) are slightly reminiscent of art-punk veterans Melt Banana only injected with a little more humour and the weirdness dial cranked up a few more notches. Tracks are fast and frantic with more change ups than a Lady Gaga concert. The total running time of this 15 track album clocking in at just over 15mins. Lyrics come in the form of tongue-in-cheek awkward, misappropriated catch phrase English seemingly extrapolated from imported TV, movies and media and half remembered English lessons. 

Not too sure when the band formed but this is their self titled debut put out on Tokyo hardcore label Less Than TV in 2006. More recently the band put out a split CD with LA band Mikki & The Mauses.

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Captain Sentimental - Sounds Of Powerspots (I & II)

C is for Captain Sentimental. 

Tokyo based improv collaboration project made up of members for Bossston Cruizing Mania, Panicsmile, Groundcover and Owlights. The band play loose flowing improvised sets of experimental "hip-hop" that sounds something like DJ Krush or Madlib's Quasimodo project on a Krautrock tangent. Grooves drift in and out of focus as members float ideas into a free flowing stream of consciousness until something snags.

Powerspots is a CDR the band put out a year or 2 ago and contains 2 live recordings roughly 20 to 30 mins in length.

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