The best way I’ve come up with to describe the music on Kid (keeping in mind that I don’t understand a word that’s being sung) is this: it’s as if someone bottled up all the good vibes from a song like Faith No More’s Easy Like Sunday Morning and wrote a whole album from it in Thai. Ignorant comparisons aside, this is the kind of record that you put on whenever you want to feel at ease and, well, quite simply, nice. Which for most people, I assume, is a lot of the time.

scrubb are a singer-guitarist duo, though keyboards, brass and synths can occasionally be heard peeking through the standard layer of drums, bass, guitar and vocals. The production is clean and clear. Singer and lyricist “Muey” has a smooth, very listenable-to croon that reminds me of Blur’s Damon Albarn (sans the cockney, obviously), and the music by “Ball” provides numerous nods to late-90s Britpop-rock whilst staying true to its own twist on the Eastern easy listening sensibility.

Rohi Toh

The ten tracks on Kid are largely split between upbeat, guitar-pop tracks like Prohm and Suk Jai that could transform any tedious household chore or workplace task into an excuse to bop your head, clap your hands and smile; and slower numbers like Ni and Lom Bao whose ideal listening setting would involve being stretched out on a lazy hammock under the stars on the slowly lapping shores of some largely tourist-free exotic island in South-East Asia, gently caressed by a soft summer breeze whilst sipping on the fresh juices of a ripe coconut.

There’s not an awful lot of variety on Kid, but as you find yourself unwittingly listening to it on repeat you’ll come to realise that that’s not the point. The point is that you’ll be feeling better about things after it’s over; that whatever problems or headaches or nuisances that should’ve gotten you down during the day didn’t turn out to be so bad after all; and that songs with intangible feel-good charms like this really shouldn’t be pretentiously deconstructed in a review, but rather shared and enjoyed with friends.

Tracklist
Kid
Black Sheep/SonyBMG Thailand, 26/06/10

01. คำตอบ (Kam Tohb)
02. พร้อม (Prohm)
03. รอยต่อ (Rohi Toh)
04. สุขใจ (Kid Edited) (Suk Jai (Kid Edited))
05. วันเหล่านั้น (Wan Lao Nan)
06. หนี (Ni)
07. ฉันก็เป็นเหมือนใครคนหนึ่ง (Chan Gaw Pen Meuan Krai Kon Neung)
08. คนนี้ (Kon Ni)
09. ลมเบาเบา (Lom Bao)
10. คิด (Kid)

Band

L-R:
ต่อพงศ์ จันทบุบผา (Torpong Chantabuppha)* - Guitar
ธวัชพนธ์ วงศ์บุญศิริ (Thawachpol Wongboonsiri)** – Vocals

* Nickname: บอล (Ball)
** Nickname: เมื่อย (Muey)

scrubb – Official Website (Thai)
scrubb – MySpace

GO!GO! couldn’t have written a better album to mark their 10th anniversary. It is, in many ways, the perfect retrospective – yet it’s a “Best Of” consisting of entirely new songs. The rockabilly surf punk of Dasoku Hokou and Gyotaku; the psych-tinge of Tategami and Ryuuzetsuran; the pop glaze of PARADE and 569; and the random rock melange of ANTENNA… it’s all here in some way, with a production bias towards their earlier, harder rocking sound. And that’s definitely something you’re not going to be hearing any complaints about.

Mayakashi no Sekai

Everything about GO!!GO!GO!GO!! screams energy – the title, the cover art, and most importantly, the songs. If it wasn’t evident before, it should certainly be now: GO!GO! songs are written to be played live. Yet this the first time they’ve been so explicit about it – opener EOEOE begins with nothing less than a live crowd chanting the album’s title before the band “appear” to raucous applause with a tune whose riff must surely be a homage to the Rolling Stones’ Jumpin’ Jack Flash (and probably not the album’s the only Stones homage – check the cover art). From here on in, the band take us on a journey – in turn, though sometimes all at once – of the genres and styles they’ve dabbled with over the past decade. And with 13 tracks averaging between 4 and 6 minutes each, it’s a pretty hefty ride.

Saigo no Bansan and Mimitabu 2gou resurrect the surf twang that got lost somewhere after Gyotaku and this is personally one of the sounds I’m most happy about hearing again in their music. Mimitabu 2gou in particular might be my personal pick of the album but there’s plenty of others putting up a fight for that title… not least of which are its immediate neighbours, the ridiculously-titled Kutsushita no Ana ~Ashi no Ke Chanto Sotta noni~ and the wonderfully schizophrenic SUGAR & SPICE. Along with Ee Janai ka, which follows after SUGAR & SPICE, this run of songs forms the album’s crowded, hard rocking spiritual centre. To experience these tracks live would surely be a treat like none other. Videos obviously don’t do the real thing justice, but here’s a taste:

Ee Janai ka (Live)

The album’s actual centrepoint, however, falls on BALLAD and Rakuen no Ohanashi. The former is an old new song which has been floating around their live shows in very much the same form since at least the year 2000. Who knows what took them so long to put it to record, but I’m glad they finally did because it’s a great tune and yes, it is very much a ballad, complete with an outro consisting of lots of impassioned, yet thankfully listenable wailing by Yuu. The latter is the album’s slowest number – a wandering tale that takes the briefest of dips into psychadelia… though regrettably it doesn’t dive in as deep as it could have.

By the time the hard rocking course ends with Ee Janai ka, things return to pop-rock land with the upbeat Kyou no Uta and Nothing2 (one of the sunniest things they’ve ever recorded) and finishes off with the “extra track”, 365 Renkyuu BOOGIE (good lo-fi fun with Turkey on lead vocals).

I don’t know whether it’s the result of their move to a less iron-fisted label, or of some kind of mid-band-life crisis, but this album is one of the best that GO!GO! have ever put out. Almost everything that the band has been loved for is here – the varied songwriting, the deft mash of styles both old and new, Yuu and Akko’s harmonies, Turkey’s amazing, amazing drumming, throwaway riffs and hooks that lesser bands could form entire songs from, their overwhelming sense of presence… everything down to the bizarre song titles and lyrics is here. But perhaps the most telling and critical inclusion is the sense that you’re listening to a band with the youthful energy of one that just started yesterday, and, moreover, the talent to keep them burning bright for many more years to come.

Tracklist
GO!!GO!GO!GO!!
FlyingStar Records, 02/06/10

01. エオエオエ (EOEOE)
02. リフレイン　リフレイン (REFRAIN REFRAIN)
03. まやかしの世界 (Mayakashi no Sekai · Fake World)
04. 最後の晩餐 (Saigo no Bansan · Last Dinner)
05. 毒リンゴ (Doku RINGO · Poison Apple)
06. バラード (BALLAD)
07. 楽園のおはなし (Rakuen no Ohanashi · Story of Paradise)
08. くつしたの穴　～あしのけちゃんと剃ったのに～ (Kutsushita no Ana ~Ashi no Ke Chanto Sotta noni~ · Sock’s Hole ~Even Though I Shaved My Leg Hair~)
09. 耳たぶ２号 (Mimitabu 2gou · Earlobe #2)
10. シュガー＆スパイス (SUGAR & SPICE)
11. ええじゃないか (Ee Janai ka · Isn’t It Right?)
12. 今日の歌 (Kyou no Uta · Today’s Song)
13. Nothing2

Extra Track
14. 365連休ブギー (365 Renkyuu BOOGIE · 365 Consecutive Holidays BOOGIE)

Band

L-R:
野間亜紀子 / ノマ アキコ (Noma Akiko)* – Bass, Vocals
ターキー (TURKEY)** – Drums, Vocals
中島優美 (Nakashima Yumi)*** – Vocals, Guitar

* Nickname: アッコ (Akko); Maiden name/solo alias: 浜田亜紀子 (Hamada Akiko)
** Real name: 細川貴之(Hosokawa Takayuki)
*** Nickname/solo alias: ゆう (Yuu)

GO!GO!7188 – Official Website
GO!GO!7188 – MySpace

Azel – Panzer Dragoon RPG (Panzer Dragoon Saga in the West) was released on the Sega Saturn in 1998. Despite being a critically- and generally-acclaimed triumph in artistic direction, musical scoring, technical implementation, storytelling and gameplay, only a small number of copies were ever released. Nonetheless, it was regarded by most as the Saturn’s swan song… and what a song it was.

Azel Trailer (Music Track: Atolm Dragon)

The 2 disc Memorial Album soundtrack released in 2001 contains all the music found on the original Complete Album released around the same time as the game, but with one bonus remix track added to the end of each disc. Most of the album’s 59 tracks clock in at between 1 and 3 minutes in length, for a total of just under 2 and a half hours of music.

The Panzer universe, whose locations and inhabitants were visually fashioned from a distinct blend of organic and mechanical textures, managed to ignite within the player a wondrous sense that they were exploring and engaging with a truly unique culture that was at times familiar, yet, simultaneously, impossibly foreign. To get an idea of just how thorough the design of Panzer’s world was, consider that an entirely new spoken language, “Panzerese”, was devised especially for use in the game’s FMV cutscenes (apparently it’s a mix of ancient Greek and Latin). Furthermore, in Azel – the first and currently only RPG in the series (the others are on-rail shooters) – players had access to an in-game encyclopaedia that contained descriptions of every creature and enemy they encountered, as well as various “books” on the world’s history, religion and politics. Yes, this was certainly one game world crafted with care and imagination.

Needless to say, such a detailed world design would have fallen very short of its potential without a suitably unique soundtrack – fortunately, composers Saori Kobayashi and Mariko Nanba not only created something that did justice to the grand scope of the Panzer universe (a remarkable feat in itself), but something which has, over the relatively short course of the series, become an inseparable part of it. As music comprises an integral part of any culture, so it does here.

Much like Panzerese, Panzer’s music takes elements from existing styles and fuses them together into something uniquely, well, “Panzer”. In this case, the composers crafted the incredibly exotic and evocative sounds heard in the games by working with an inspired mix of tribal African beats, Latin American rhythms and Celtic melodies. Asian and Middle-Eastern influences are also evident here and there. In addition, though some of the pieces featured orchestra recordings, most of the music was actually generated in-game using Cybersound, the Saturn’s on-board MIDI instrument set. The result is a slightly electronic, synthesized delivery, which, when coupled with the “earthy” tones of African, Latin American and Celtic music, complemented the series’ organic and bio-mechanical visual designs perfectly.

Transformation 1

Rest

Azel, as a 4CD RPG, is epic, and so too is its music. From awe-inspiring ambient flight accompaniments to heart-pounding, percussion-driven boss battle themes to quiet melodies played by campfires as rider and dragon rest, this soundtrack has the quintessential Panzer experience covered. Much of it resides in ambient territory, with only a few tracks featuring traditionally recognisable melody lines. A palpable sense of the primitive permeates. Make no mistake, this is not your conventional RPG soundtrack. For most part, the tracks are all instrumentals, bar the gorgeous closing song Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu, and even then, the vocals by Eri Ito are sung in Panzerese. The two bonus tracks are remixes of this closing song. The first, by one of the game’s sound producers, Tomonomi Sawada, adds a more modern mid-tempo beat to the sampled vocals. The second, by American house producer Ron Trent, gives it a predictably chilled-out treatment and provides the album with its longest track at a slightly protracted 8 minutes. Though largely unnecessary (the original tracklisting was in no way in need of additional support), these bonus tracks are interesting variations that thankfully don’t take away from what is already an exemplary listening experience.

Ancient Weapon

Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu

Recommending this album is something that I do both wholeheartedly and with some measure of thought as to how practical such a recommendation could be. Wholeheartedly because, like the game, it’s a stunning work of art and I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it. You simply hit play and let it take you away. However, due to criminally low production runs, both the game and both editions of its soundtrack are now, more than a decade later, incredibly rare to come by. I personally don’t know anyone else who has played the game, let alone who owns a copy of it or any edition of its soundtrack, and I’ve yet to encounter anyone online or otherwise who has gone through the experience of playing the game without coming out the other side completely and utterly converted. In other words, I can only assume that those lucky few in possession of a copy of the game and/or its soundtrack are undoubtedly well aware of its worth, and aren’t likely to part with it for anything short of a lucrative sum, if at all. I personally found my second-hand copy of this soundtrack in the labyrinthine corridors of the Shibuya branch of Mandarake (otherwise known as otaku heaven), safely sealed away behind the window of a locked glass cabinet. So, whilst I cannot recommend this soundtrack enough, I can only wish you the best of luck should you decide to undertake the needle-in-a-haystack search for your own copy. It might take some patience, and few bags of dyne more than it should, but rest assured that this is one gem that’s worth it.

Tracklist
Azel – Panzer Dragoon RPG – Memorial Album
Marvelous Entertainment Inc., 21/04/2001

Disc 1

01. Ecce Valde Generous Ale (見よ，いと貴き翼) (Ecce Valde Generous Ale (Behold, The Precious Wings))
02. 初陣 (First Battle)
03. 高貴なる賊軍 (Noble Rebel Army)
04. 偽りの神国 (A Holy Nation of Lies)
05. 孤独な戦い (Solitary Battle)
06. 翼 (Wings)
07. 永遠の別れ (Separated for Eternity)
08. 戦いの予感 (Premonition of War)
09. 変異種1 (Transformation 1)
10. 静寂の中の混沌 (Chaos Amongst the Silence)
11. 変異種2 (Transformation 2)
12. 巨大生物1 (Giant Creature 1)
13. 休息 (Rest)
14. 生命の息吹 (Breath of Life)
15. 蒼き遺跡のテーマ (Blue Ruins Theme)
16. 放浪 (Wandering)
17. 禁断の地 (Forbidden Land)
18. 純血種 (Pure Blood Seed)
19. 黒き艦隊 (The Black Fleet)
20. 出会いの定め (Rendezvous with Destiny)
21. アトルムドラゴン (Atolm Dragon)
22. 竜巻 (Spirit of the Dragon)
23. 予期せぬ遭遇 (Foreseen Encounter)
24. 帝国 (The Empire)
25. 箱船 (Shelcoof)
26. ゾアの街 (Town of Zoah)
27. パエット (Paet)
28. 水の廃都 (Water Ruins
29. 旧世紀兵器 (Ancient Weapon)
30. Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (Re-arranged)

Disc 2

01. 人ならざるもの (Trapped Underground)
02. 胎道 (Path to the Being)
03. 閉じた魂 (Sealed Spirit)
04. エレベーターチェイス (Elevator Chase)
05. 巨大生物2 (Giant Creature 2)
06. 再会のための別館 (Separation for a Future Reunion)
07. 「譲り火」のもとで (Source of the Protective Flame)
08. 邯鄲の夢 (Delusions of Grandeur)
09. 眠れる鉄塊 (Sleeping Iron Ingot)
10. 帝国軍空中艦隊 (Imperial Air Force)
11. 巨大戦艦 (Giant Warship)
12. 邂逅 (Fading Away)
13. 神の軍 (Holy Chariot)
14. 旧世紀 (A Century Gone By)
15. 迎撃 (Interception)
16. 覚醒 (Awakening)
17. 結末 (Conclusion)
18. シーカーの里 (Village of the Seekers)
19. 森の悲鳴 (The Forest’s Cry)
20. 紅き遺跡のテーマ (Red Ruins Theme)
21. 約束の地へ (Into the Promised Land)
22. 終局への序曲 (Overture to the End)
23. 涙 (Tears)
24. セストレン (Sestren)
25. 幻影1 (Vision 1)
26. 幻影2 (Vision 2)
27. 最後の戦い～回帰～ (The Final Battle ~Recurrence~)
28. Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (其は聖なる御使いなりや) (Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (Art Thou The Holy One))
29. Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (Prescription Vocal Club Mix)

It was an invitation one couldn’t refuse. A performance by Jens Lekman in an inner northern Brisbane backyard. A perfect venue for Swedish Lekman’s style of indie pop.

We arrived at a typical Queenslander in an industrial suburb. Our venue for the afternoon.

It began with a performance from BIGSTRONGBRUTE. Normally a six piece, lead singer/guitarist Paul Donoughue set the mood with his acoustic guitar and powerful voice.

Then a change of pace with Lion Island. This folk/pop eight piece did the best they could with the space they had (drummer and double bass hidden in the back). At times it felt as if there was too much going on but ultimately they put on a good performance.

The sun began to set as the audience waited for Jens Lekman to begin. The mood was relaxed and the audience was highly respectful. One would be hard pressed to find a quieter audience. Reportedly a stark contrast (but no less respectful) to Lekman’s previous night’s performance under a house somewhere in Brisbane’s inner west.

And by the light of two unveiled lamps, Jens Lekman, his guitar, tambourine and laptop, and in a way that only Jens can – sang and told stories of love and love lost, of misunderstandings and broken hearts – to the sounds of the odd neighbourhood dog barking, the running water of the fountain next door, and the trains as they softly rumbled past.

True, anyone who ranks being “progressive” highly on their list of criteria for admiring a band would have written this pop-rock trio off albums ago. Since their major label debut, Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari in 2007, their output has consisted almost entirely of the same material – if you’re not a fan of fist-clenching ballads, sunny pop tunes or catchy rock songs, then this group definitely isn’t for you. I suppose the only thing that has changed between albums is the scale of the production – the soaring orchestration and sweeping piano accompaniments seem to get more and more elaborate and layered each time around, to the point where one wonders if it really is still fair to attribute all the music heard on the record to just three people who are only ever seen playing guitars, the harmonica and singing. Whether or not this is due to an ever-increasing production budget (thanks to their skyrocketing popularity) or down their own musical initiative is something I’m not sure of. It’s probably a bit of both. But again, the question remains – if it’s just more of the same, why bother with it at all?

The answer, simply, is this: they write good songs. And if you’re a fan of this kind of pop, you could even say that they write great songs. It is perhaps the curse of the band that sets the bar so highly on their debut that the prospect of topping it appears improbable at best, and that to deviate from what they have already declared themselves to be may result in a sudden reversal of their initial successes. In light of this, it can then be argued that the act of maintaining the same high level of quality, as opposed to falling short of it, may not be such a bad way to handle things if going above and beyond appears too lofty a goal. And as generations of bands in the past have proven, coming up with consistently good, albeit familiar material is not always as easy as it sounds.

YELL (3rd Single, with translations)

It should be clear by this stage that if you’re already a fan of ikimono-gakari, then Hajimari no Uta will do nothing to change that. The aforementioned fist-clenching ballads are present (YELL, Nakumonka, Futari), as are the sunny pop tunes (Yumemidai, Tenohira no Oto) and catchy rock songs (Joyful, HOTARU NO HIKARI, How to make it). And as they’ve done on a number of their previous albums, they’ve dusted off and included a re-recorded version of a song from their first indie release, the formidably-titled Makoto ni Senetsu Nagara First Album wo Koshiraemashita…, complete with all the fancy production that the modern-day ikimono-gakari listener expects. This time, it’s Akizakura that gets the makeover, and fortunately it doesn’t lose much of its original charm in the process. Hotaka’s searing harmonica remains intact and thankfully the song’s original bluesy urgency can still be felt under its shiny new coat. This, if anything, demonstrates the point made earlier about the consistent quality in their songwriting – here is a band that has been writing solid tunes since their indie days, back when they were little more than two guitars, a harmonica and a vocalist – all the expensive production that’s been added on since is merely the icing on what was already a very tasty cake.

HOTARU NO HIKARI (2nd Single)

But even the most well-formed songs with the most expert production can come off as unlistenable with a poor vocal track, and in that sense, the credit for much of ikimono-gakari’s success must lie squarely at the feet of its talented lead vocalist, Yoshioka Kiyoe. I still remember the first time I heard her sing – it was just over a year ago, a live performance on TV of their gorgeous breakthrough single Sakura. My initial impression was that of a high school girl giving it her all at a singing audition. Her voice lacked that easily-identifiable, professionally-trained warble – it was, in many regards, plain, but it was strong, very strong, and it really felt like the voice of someone, as clichéd as it may sound, singing their heart out. Her performance on this album is no less potent, though sometimes it’s potent to a fault – there are moments that would benefit from a more delicate voice, yet hers seems permanently stuck on maximum strength the whole way through even when she’s taking it slow. But I guess that kind of raw enthusiasm and unbridled feeling is part of what makes her singing so appealing… and a right pain to imitate at karaoke.

Futari (1st Single, Live)

Hajimari no Uta begins as most of its kind would end – with a lengthy, 6-minute title-track ballad that’s got enough emotion and sentimentality packed into it to make even the most hardened cynic recall some long lost memory of standing in the pouring rain, staring after an estranged lover, heartbroken, yet hopeful… or some other overly melodramatic scene like that which, in all likelihood, probably never happened, but for some reason or another, as you listen to the music, feels like it did. And that’s why, after four albums of the same stuff, the ikimono-gakari brand of pop still “works”. They’ve got a knack for weeding out emotions and images, even if it’s done with the subtlety of a blunt pitchfork. Those who don’t mind such blatant manipulation will relish in the well-crafted tales found on Hajimaru no Uta; everyone else, you have been warned.

Tracklist
ハジマリノウタ (Hajimari no Uta)
Epic Records (Sony Music Entertainment), 23/12/09

01. ハジマリノウタ ～遠い空澄んで～ (Hajimari no Uta ~Tōi Sora Sunde~ · The First Song ~Clearing the Faraway Sky~)
02. 夢見台 (Yumemidai · Dream Stage)
03. じょいふる (Joifuru · Joyful)
04. YELL
05. なくもんか (Nakumonka · I Won’t Cry)
06. 真昼の月 (Mahiru no Tsuki · Midday Moon)
07. ホタルノヒカリ (HOTARU NO HIKARI · Light of the Fireflies)
08. 秋桜 (Akizakura · Cosmos [Flower])
09. ふたり -Album Version- (Futari -Album Version- · The Two of Us -Album Version-)
10. てのひらの音 (Tenohira no Oto · Palm Sounds)
11. How to make it
12. 未来惑星 (Mirai Wakusei · Future Planet)
13. 明日へ向かう帰り道 (Ashita e Mukau Kaerimichi · The Return Path Facing Tomorrow)

Band

L-R:
水野 良樹 (Mizuno Yoshiki) – Guitar, Vocals
吉岡 聖恵 (Yoshioka Kiyoe) – Vocals
山下 穂尊 (Yamashita Hotaka) – Guitar, Harmonica

ikimono-gakari – Official Website

It’s either been a frustrating or relaxing few months for Yuu (guitar, vocals), Akko (bass, vocals) and Turkey (drums, vocals), whose 31-date Hentena tour, which began on the 6th of March this year, was originally slated to wrap up on the 31st of May. However, as they entered the home stretch, Akko fell victim to, of all things, complications arising from treatment for a detached retina, and the last four shows of the tour had to be postponed by three months to allow time for her to recover. That pushed the final show I was supposed to attend on the 31st of May back to last Monday, the 31st of August. Which, as further misfortune would have it, was also the day an aforementioned tropical storm decided to amble its way through the city.

As the rains fell and winds wheezed through the tight-knit cul-de-sac leading to my house, I stood with my raincoat (and stylin’ rainpants) at my front door and re-calculated the risks. I had ridden out on my bicycle to JCB Hall, the concert venue, many times before, and in fact much further past it, since I arrived in Tokyo late last year. Situated at one corner of Tokyo Dome City, the same grounds that house the monstrous and titular Tokyo Dome, and a short distance away from the cultural hotspots of Akihabara and Ueno, it was on a familiar and straightforward route and only about a 30 minute ride from where I was standing. I looked at the sky. It was getting dark. I looked at my watch. 5:15pm. Doors opened at 6pm. I looked at my trusty bicycle, and then at the sky again, and then at the rain, which truth be told, wasn’t nearly as strong or frightful as the sort I thought a tropical storm ought to bring. After a further moment’s contemplation, I made up my mind, relished the feeling of warm, comfortable dryness in my soon-to-be-soaked shoes by wriggling my toes a bit, and stepped out into the storm with the exhilarating feeling you can only get from doing something you know is (probably) stupid.

Thirty minutes and one uneventful bicycle ride later, I had arrived safely at JCB Hall, mostly dry save for my exposed shoes, hands and face, and in a queue of fans that stretched around the block. Young, eager faces – check. A sea of GO!GO!-branded tees and towels – check. The occasional middle-aged person you’d never otherwise think of as being into this kind of music – check. The foreign-looking foreigner – check. All the usual suspects.

I should probably get this following part out of the way early. It is with deep sadness that I write this live report without having one single photo of the band in action to accompany it. Yes, that’s right – not one, single, lousy photo. Not even a blurry, over-exposed one that I could pass off as an “arty” shot. There is no build up. There’s no big “reveal” like last time. The following incidental photos are IT. I’m sorry. But rest assured that save for their getups, the scene on stage was more or less identical to the photo I took during their PARABOLA NIGHT gig back in March.

With that said, and your expectations sufficiently lowered (is anyone still reading?), here’s what everything except the band looked like on the night.

As is customary, a giant, congratulatory floral bouquet to the band. This one’s from their record label.

JCB Hall is a modern, multi-purpose, multi-level performance hall that’s equipped with food counters and TV monitors – like the one above – on almost every floor. I walked past this particular monitor broadcasting the scene around the stage on the way in, and immediately regretted eating dinner in lieu of getting there earlier. In the words of a fellow passerby, “Eh, yabai…” (Oh, crap…). It looked packed.

But as they say, don’t believe everything you see on TV! With around half an hour to go before kick-off time at 7pm, the scene on the ground wasn’t nearly as bad as the cropped monitor image made it out to be. There wasn’t much hope of getting to the front rows anymore, but the back half of the arena floor was still very breezy. With regards to the stage configuration, the only thing that differed from the PARABOLA NIGHT setup was a collection of hanging light bulbs at varying depths and of differing sizes. If you squint really hard, and use a fair bit of your imagination, you can see them in the photo.

The hall itself isn’t large, especially when compared to the Tokyo Dome nearby (but then again, what is?), but it’s a very comfortable space with some nice futuristic touches in the lighting department. At this point, there were still many empty seats in the balconies but they would soon all be filled by the time the band came on stage.

After the show, those who hadn’t yet lightened their wallets at the merchandise stands did so with gusto (patiently, in an orderly queue, of course). Tees, posters, stickers, wristbands, CDs and DVDs flew off the table as fans rode high on the wave of euphoria after a great gig (yes, I’m getting to that bit).

And lastly, a photo of a photo of the band in action. From another concert. Yes, this really is the closest I got to a photo of them. Again, I apologise.

The reason I didn’t get any juicy shots this time was because I decided that, for once, I would throw myself right into the middle of the pit at the front of the stage. I’d only ever experienced a GO!GO! concert from somewhere near the back, where the crowds were so subdued you could enjoy an unhurried game of chess whilst watching the band and not have to worry about anyone knocking over the pieces. This time, I wanted to see what kind of crazy the crazy Japanese GO!GO! fans had in them.

As I soon found out, the answer was – a surprisingly energetic kind of crazy. After the initial rush and compression of people to the front as the lights went out and the band appeared, it felt like I was being tossed about in a giant washing machine. All the towels that people were twirling above their heads only added to the effect, as did the thorough soaking I got from other people’s sweat. More or less like any other moshpit in the world, then, I guess, though the core of the spin was largely radiating out from a small group of over-enthusiastic (annoying) people (jerks) who had thought it a good idea to form their own “mosh ring” within the pit, jumping around in circles and crashing into everyone around them. Not prime photo taking conditions.

The band started with an instrumental jam, which initially sounded like a cover of The Beatles’ Come Together, but which quickly descended into an all-out rock-out as Yuu wailed on her guitar and reminded me of precisely the kind of GO!GO! I wished they would one day return to.

The main setlist was a modified version of what was played at the PARABOLA NIGHT with one of the weakest tracks omitted (Kataomoi FIGHTER) and bolstered by a number of very welcome additions from the band’s early (and some might say “glory”) days. Among them were classics like THUNDER GIRL, Nukarumi and Tokage 3gou, the latter of which is a personal favourite and one that I’ve been keen to hear live for a long time.

During the handful of breaks the band took to address the audience, the trio sincerely apologised for the show’s postponement, and thanked everyone for sticking with the rescheduled date and coming out despite the presence of a darned typhoon (though long-time fans should be used to this by now, if recordings of previous concerts are anything to go by). Akko delved into the details of her medical drama, which elicited much ehh-ing from the captive crowd which hung on her every word. Unfortunately, my sub-kindergartener level of Japanese meant that most of what she said went completely over my head. Other bits of banter centred around their upcoming shows later in the year and the obligatory pimping of official merchandise.

Getting back into the music, Akko’s retinal woes served as inspiration for a modified version of Me Mimi Hana Kuchi (Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth) which was lyrically reworked into the obvious Me Me Me Me Me Me Me (Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes). Anyone familiar with the song can imagine that this resulted in a rather amusing chorus. Manten no Hoshi Haru no Niwa saw the stage transformed into a dream-like starry night, as the suspended light bulbs glowed and diffused through a cloud of fog onto a temporarily subdued audience entranced by the ballad inspired by the band’s hometown of Kagoshima.

They ended the set with Ame no Hi Dake no Koi, written, perhaps, for the express purpose of ending sets, what with all three members chiming in on vocal duties and its irresistibly upbeat la-la-la sing-along conclusion.

Not long after they left the stage did the audience, naturally, demand an encore. Five minutes or so later, the band acquiesced to the chants from the crowd and delivered a knockout two song encore. The first song, I believe, is a new one. Whether or not it was the first time they’d played it live, however, is something I’m not sure of. There was a bit of chat as they introduced it, but again, my poor Japanese. The tone of the song does little, if anything, to stray from their current direction – it’s cheery, it’s poppy, heck, it’s even got another la-la-la bit in it. Razor-sharp it ain’t, but hearing a new song debut live is always exciting. The second song, however, was definitely not new, but still retains an edge that cuts like nothing else they’ve done so far. The first reverb-heavy strums that heralded the start of Ukifune set the crowd into a frenzy, as friends locked hands and looked at each other with wide-eyed excitement (I’m not kidding) as the band unfolded one of their most popular and well-known tunes to date. It was a treat to watch, and I’m now one step closer to dying a happy man.

After the last rai-rai-rai had faded to raucous applause, the band left the stage for what seemed like the last time. Many made a beeline for the exits, convinced that an encore consisting of an all new song and Ukifune couldn’t possibly be followed, but the joke was on them as the band ran back out to deliver their classic closer, Bungu. It’s fast on record, but it’s even faster live, and every time I hear it at the end of one of their concerts, I’m awed that they still have the energy to perform it in such a way without suffering a collective heart attack.

And with that one song second encore, they were done.

Outside, the storm had subsided. People were either lined up at the merchandise stand, or busily scribbling pictures and filling out a short questionnaire on photocopied, hand-drawn forms, the purpose of which escaped me, but whose doodles I’m sure will turn up on a website or DVD sometime in the future.

As for me, I hopped on my bike, made a leisurely trip back home through the cool, fresh, typhoon-cleaned air, all the while replaying their blistering performances of ANTENNA and Ukifune and everything else and wondered, not for the first time, just how awesome it would be to rock out like that for a living.

Setlist
GO!GO!7188
ヘンテナツアー (HENTENA TOUR)
Live @ JCB Hall, 31/08/09

00. Intro
01. 地球最後の日 (Chikyuu Saigo no Hi · The Earth’s Last Day)
02. ちんとんしゃん (Chintonshan)
03. 脳内トラベラー (Nounai TRAVELLER · Intracerebral Traveller)
04. 食わずギライ (KuwazuGIRAI · Food Aversion)
05. 飛び跳ねマーチ (Tobihane MARCH · Hopping March)
06. サンダーガール (THUNDER GIRL)
07. YOMEとして2008 (YOME toshite 2008· As a Daughter-in-Law 2008)
08. on the まゆ毛 ～切りすぎて～ (on the Mayuge ~Kirisugite~ · on the Eyebrows ~Overcut Hair~)
09. あしのけ (Ashi no Ke · Leg Hair)
10. ぬかるみ (Nukarumi · Mud)
11. めみみはなくち (Me Mimi Hana Kuchi · Eyes Ears Nose Mouth)
12. ハモリエヴリデイ (HARMONY EVERYDAY)
13. 満天の星　春の庭 (Manten no Hoshi Haru no Niwa · The Whole Sky’s Stars, Spring’s Garden)
14. ふたしかたしか (Futashika Tashika · Uncertain Certain)
15. ばりぶり (Bariburi)
16. コミュニケーションギャップ (COMMUNICATION GAP)
17. とかげ3号 (Tokage 3gou · Lizard #3)
18. アンテナ (ANTENNA)
19. 雨の日だけの恋 (Ame no Hi Dake no Koi · Rainy Day Only Love)

Encore 1

20. New Song
21. 浮舟 (Ukifune · Floating Boat)

Encore 2

22. 文具 (Bungu· Stationery)

GO!GO!7188 – HENTENA TOUR 09 Information Page

The album’s official English titles have been used here for ease of readability. See the Tracklist at the end of the article for the official Japanese titles.

After converting her legions of fans (and then some) into raving, lifelong zealots with her self-proclaimed final solo album, 2003′s brilliant Karuki Zāmen Kuri no Hana, Ringo ditched the reins to her career as a solo artist and embraced what she said had once only been a dream – to relinquish sole creative control and be part of a band that not only performs, but writes their songs together. The result – Tokyo Jihen – has to date released three albums and toured the country to much success. Now, 11 years after their founder made her electrifying solo debut with the modern-day classic Muzai Moratorium in 1999, it’s their turn to sit on the sidelines as she once again resumes producing new, original work under her own name.

Firstly, some trivia.

Superficial Gossip is, in true Ringo style, a production with an idiosyncratic fondness for symmetry. Like her sophomore effort Shōso Strip and its follow-up Karuki Zāmen Kuri no Hana before it, the album’s 13 tracks proper are symmetrically arranged, meaning that each song, bar the “axis” (track 7, in this case), has a “partner” on the exact opposite side of the record that has precisely the same number of Japanese characters in its name, a similar theme (lyrically and musically) and in some cases, even the same arranger. There may even be other things being reflected, which are not immediately obvious to me, but I’m sure that someone else out there, with the time and the inclination, is on to it.

And although it can easily be dismissed and forgotten as a gimmick – albeit a structurally fundamental and rather poetic one – once you know such parallels exist in the album, it really does change the way you listen to it and what you listen out for.

Except for temporary virgin (DEATH JAZZ ver.) and bonus track Marunouchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.), all the songs here are new and written almost exclusively by Ringo. As with most of her past releases, she’s enlisted the help of a number of talented groups and individuals to assist with the arrangements – among others, Hiizumi Masayuki (“HZM” of the instrumental jazz group PE’Z and one-time Tokyo Jihen keyboardist), film and videogame soundtrack composer Takayuki Hattori (son of the renowned composer Katsuhisa Hattori), club jazz group Soil & “Pimp” Sessions and the big-band conductor Saitō Neko, an old friend with whom she had most prominently collaborated with for 2007′s lushly orchestrated Heisei Fūzoku.

The “no concept” concept communicated in nude tones. The Gibson “SG” guitar was the inspiration behind the album’s title

Musically speaking, it doesn’t take many spins of Superficial Gossip to realise that although she’s taken up the name “Shiina Ringo” once again, she certainly hasn’t taken up the eclectic edge that her previous solo albums wielded to so effectively to cut a swathe through the formidable mass of mediocre Japanese pop/rock acts to a bask in a clear, hallowed plain of their own. Largely composed of immaculately produced jazz-rock and big-band numbers, it can be argued that fans who have been following her recent (and some not-so-recent) flirtations with such genres should have seen it coming. It is, by Ringo’s standards, a very safe album.

It opens with the jazz-rock of vogue and a rap by MummyD (from the hip-hop groups Rhymester and Maboroshi). So far, so good. The nasal Ringo wail is back, and frankly if you’re not sure if you’re going to be able to take it, you’ll surely know by the end of track 2, the bluesy soul rocker, blue collar. This is followed by clandestine, an English language track which, with its exuberant brass, fruity flute flourishes, wah-wah guitar and xylophone solo, sounds like the theme to a madcap 70s secret agent anime. After an altogether upbeat start, things slow right down for the acoustic electropop of original intention. This, along with its partner song sharp practice over at track 10, are my personal highlights of the album, if only for the fact that they echo what once was and tease at what could have been…

The next track, temporary virgin, was originally featured on Heisei Fūzoku and the “DEATH JAZZ” version here (arranged by Soul & “Pimp” Sessions) was previously an iTunes-only release. It’s a big-band number, but a little lacklustre for all its pomp. It’s followed similarly by yet another big-band tune, the leading hitter, this time arranged by Saitō Neko. It’s beautifully put together, but all in all it’s just a bit too detailed, a bit too much – at times it seems like Ringo and the instruments are both competing for the same limited space in your eardrums, with Ringo ultimately losing out as her voice trembles under the clear strain of outputting something that can be heard over all the blasting brass and frantic strings.

And then, suddenly, the maelstrom ends, and there’s season.

The axis of the album, and it’s like an oasis. An orchestrated, yet comparatively stripped-back ballad which gives a welcome moment to rest your ears, before…

just the two of us whisks you back to a 50s dancehall with its campy showtune melody and tap-dancing breaks (yes, tap-dancing). This is followed by the jazzy urgency of fake fellow (the album’s second English language track) and the aforementioned goodness and futuristic imagery of sharp practice, where MummyD makes another appearance for the outro. It’s a shame that one of the highlights of the album is succeeded by what has to be the album’s most easily forgettable piece – the perky yet ultimately boring (and ironically titled) excitement.

Then, things start to wind up with ordinary ability, the most sonically naked track on the album with Ringo’s dramatic croons (which seem to span the extremes of her range here) accompanied only by Yasuhiro Kobayashi’s skilled accordian. The last track proper, alone, is perhaps the closest thing Superficial Gossip has to a straightforward rock song and sounds like something she might have written back when she was a teen and penning the tracks that would one day end up on Muzai Moratorium and Shōso Strip.

The bonus track, a bi-lingual reinterpretation of her early classic, Marunouchi Sadistic, is a bit of an awkward addition to the set. Besides ruining the album’s carefully considered symmetry, it’s soulful arrangement by current Tokyo Jihen guitarist, Ukigumo, is at musical odds with the rest of the album’s sound. That, and it doesn’t lift a finger to the original.

Superficial Gossip certainly had a lot to live up to. The “Shiina Ringo” name once evoked images of a wildly talented young singer-songwriter whose brain was an eclectic melting pot of genres, both old and contemporary from around the world. Now, Shiina Ringo is 30 and all grown up; she’s seemingly put her wild days of bedding a different musical style every few minutes behind her and settled down (permanently?) with the sophisticated yet wholly unoffensive Mr. Jazz. She also fancies herself a bit of a postwar crooner, though the jury is still out on whether she’s any good at it.

Once upon a time, Ringo was musically mature for her years. Now, she’s acting precisely her age.

Tracklist
三文ゴシップ (Sanmon Gossip · Superficial Gossip)
EMI Music Japan / Virgin Music, 24/07/09

01. 流行 (Ryūkou · vogue)
02. 労働者 (Rōdōsha · blue collar)
03. 密偵物語 (Mittei Monogatari · clandestine)
04. 〇地点から (〇 Chiten kara · original intention)
05. カリソメ乙女 (DEATH JAZZ ver.) (Karisome Otome (DEATH JAZZ ver.) · temporary virgin)
06. 都合の好い身体 (Tsugou no ii Karada · the leading hitter)
07. 旬 (Shun · season)
08. 二人ぼっち時間 (Futaribocchi Jikan · just the two of us)
09. マヤカシ優男 (Mayakashi Yasaotoko · fake fellow)
10. 尖った手口 (Togatta Teguchi · sharp practice)
11. 色恋沙汰 (Irokoizata · excitement)
12. 凡才肌 (Bonsai Hada · ordinary ability)
13. 余興 (Yokyou · alone)
14. 丸の内サディスティック (EXPO Ver.) (Marunouchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.))

Note: The official English titles above are often not direct translations of the Japanese titles.

Band

椎名 林檎 (Shiina Ringo)

Shiina Ringo – Official Website
Shiina Ringo – Superficial Gossip Official Website (EMI)

I’m no expert on the scene, but I do like myself some funk, and the following original tracks are some of the downright funkiest minutes of electro-house I’ve ever had the pleasure of dancing to in a room by myself with or without the curtains drawn.

Pool Party 2009
No prizes for guessing when and where to crack this one out. Though I can’t recall any pool party I’ve been to that ever sounded, or felt, this schmick.

Luckier
The track that got me hooked; it remains my personal favourite out of what I’ve heard so far. The smooth melodies and effortless solos allude to his formal piano training (find out more in the interview linked below) but there is nothing dry or stuffy about the overall effect. Sublime.

Both tracks can be found on Pool Party, his recently released solo debut EP.

Shazam – MySpace
WAM, BAM, It’s Shazam! – Words Are Trivial

Such is the energy of the performance that the whole thing ends up getting a bit… animalistic and er, spiritual towards the end. But it should be clear to anyone listening that, by that stage, they’ve more than earned the right to end it however the heck they damn well want.

Here is the original nostalgia bomb by Ray Parker Jr. from 1984 because, well, it’s Ghostbusters:

Hraun – MySpace

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We started the night late but managed to catch the end of The Dø – a folk/pop band formed in 2007 comprising Dan Levy and Olivia Bouyssou Merilahti from Paris, France and Helsinki, Finland respectively [last.fm].

Relief at arriving in time for M83 quickly turned to regret as The Dø proceeded to blow all expectations away.

Their curious percussion chamber no doubt largely responsible for their heavier than expected set – surprising but impressive and confirmed with raucous applause.

M83 finally took the stage. A drummer encased in a sound barrier (see 1st The Dø photo), face to face keyboards, the female vocalist and Anthony Gonzalez’s box of aural bliss.

Starting with Run Into Flowers the crowd seemed a little subdued. It was obvious that most had never heard their earlier albums but no matter – the instant Graveyard Girl hit the crowd responded in kind. Then…

… an hour insight into the end of the world. Beautiful and fantastic.

Setlist
M83
Live @ The Zoo, 31/03/09

1. Run Into Flowers
2. *
3. Graveyard Girl
4. We Own the Sky
5. Teen Angst
6. Don’t Save Us From the Flames
7. Kim & Jessie
8. Skin of the Night
9. A Guitar and a Heart
10. Couleurs

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Some clips from their YouTube channel for those that are interested.

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