Ichi - Mono

I is for Ichi

Ichi is the Pseudonym/solo project of multi-instrumentalist and artist Eiichi Shimasaki. Born in Osaka and raised in nearby Nagoya Eiichi is best known for his work as steelpan drummer with long standing eclectic, world music influenced rockers Nohshintoh. Eiichi performs delighful one man shows that utilize everything from accordions, steel drums, ping pong balls, typewriters and toothbrushes to his own hand crafted instruments like his glockenspiel-contrabass hybrid.  

Charming seems the most appropriate adjective to use when describing Ichi's music but doesn't really seem to do justice to just how marvellously charming his music and performances actually are. Fusing a wide range of World Music influences with field recordings and some light Jazz. Ichi comes off a little bit like a more ambient, slightly more psychedelic sounding Manu Chao. All sung in his bizarrely cartoonish high pitched muppet jibberish. This is Ichi's first studio which was released back in 2005 but he also released a second album entitled "Memo" in 2010. Ichi regularly plays plays shows in the UK and Europe so catch him if you have the chance. You won't forget it.

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Helicoid 0222MB - Helicoid 0222MB

H is for Helicoid 0222MB.

Helicoid were an all girl Osaka 3-piece that formed in 1997. Regulars at the venue-of-choice for Osaka's experimental underground Bears Live House, the band quickly caught the attention of venue owner and former Boredoms/Omoidehatoba Guitarist Yamamoto Seiichi. The band made a number of appearances on compilations curated by Yamamoto before releasing their first full length album on Yamamoto's own label Ummo records. The band released 2 more albums before seeming to cease activity sometime in 2004.

A fetishistic love of Psychedelia, Prog, Noise and Krautrock which is fairly typical of Osaka's typically untypical underground vanguard is given the bands own spin by fusing it with some heavy influences from the more contemporary Shibuya Kei movement. A sub-genre that sprang up primarily around Tokyo's Shibuya district around the mid-90`s and most closely associated with the sound of bands like Fishmans, Cibbo Matto and Supercar. As a result Helicoid's sound is pretty ecclectic and manages to balance tangential spacey tracks with more immediate catchy grooves.. The bands 2 follow up albums "Ele Shock" and "Flying Startlyzer" are also worth checking out if you enjoy this one. Although they all seem to be out of print so could be tricky to track down.

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Gnu - Suro

G is for Gnu 

Tokyo based Gnu (Pronounced as "Nu" the G is silent.) are a semi-improv unit formed by avant garde Jazz performer and composer Okura Masahiko in 1997. The band have had a couple of different lineups over the years switching bassists, drummers and guitarists with Okura being the only constant member. In 1998 Itoken joined the band as their drummer and in 2001 the ensemble began using a dual drum setup by throwing Kumada Takashi into the mix. The current 5 man lineup being Okura on Sax, Clarinet and Synth, Itoken and Kumada on drums, Taneishi Yukiya on bass and Chiba Hiroki on violin, contra bass and electronics.

The bands angular jazz/math-rock is probably most easily compared to genre figureheads Tortoise. The music is composed but live the arrangements of the songs are improvised with Okura taking the role of composer/master of ceremonies by communicating through hand gestures the length, tempo and dynamics of musical phrases and which players are playing etc.

Released in 2003 "Suro" is the bands 3rd studio album. The album represents a nice middle ground between its more accessible 2007 followup "Event" and the their most recent 2009 album the very cerebral sounding "Knowns". The dual drumming is fairly subtle on this release but check out "Knowns" to see the impressively nuanced beat juggling the band have developed over the years. 

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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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