Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

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UNBELTIPO (left to right; Tsuneo IMAHORI, Mitsuru NASUNO, and Yasuo SANO)

As a matter of fact, UNBELTIPO had taken off as one of the projects by a guitarist Tsuneo IMAHORI (ex-Tipographica) in 1999. In their early days (early 2000s), the band formation had been unstable (except the frontman Tsuneo) with various session players on stage. Their self-titled debut album was released before the millennium.

In 2003 Tsuneo recorded some material for a 12-inch analogue EP titled “Joujoushka #1” with a progressive bass player Mitsuru NASUNO (ex-Altered States, Korekyojin) and a session drummer Yasuo SANO. The three talents, amazingly together making a perfect trio, started gigs as UNBELTIPO TRIO in the following year. Since 2004 UNBELTIPO have performed on stages and released albums with the stable three-piece formation.

Uncle Bunny Tongue (2011) - UNBELTIPO

These days, UNBELTIPO are renowned as a three-piece fundamental / experimental / avantgarde rock project around a genius Tsuneo IMAHORI, who might feel strongly fantastic with other two talented players - Mitsuru NASUNO and Yasuo SANO. Yes also I feel exactly "they could hit it off". Therefore, they seem to play flexibly, eccentrically with feeling relaxed - namely, we cannot hear any chilling atmosphere in this session of them. Always surprisingly, they seem to shoot such experimental sounds with complex rhythms so easily - especially based on the rhythm section created by Mitsuru and Yasuo. Imagine they can feel and grasp momentarily and appropriately others' breath and sound shoots together.

Back to this album - "Uncle Bunny Tongue" may be considered as a sound essay improvisedly coordinated by the three essayists. Each part is about ten minute long, with various styles and structures via their kaleidoscopic soundscape. Actually they are formed by so simple rock instruments - guitar, bass, drums - that we cannot hope a toybox-ish versatile soundgarden like Tipographica (and furthermore, one of the Tipographicans Naruyoshi Kikuchi should be another eccentric genius I'm sure). However, very wonderful variation we can see in their simple formation. Let me say their variability reminds me a Japanese avantgarde bizarre Aburadako (in "Tsuri" period). Both projects have very complicated but very strict melody and rhythm line (and UNBELTIPO's can be more delicate and less punk than Aburadako's). All are not simply punk or aggressive, but sometimes weirdly quiet and sensible - their characteristic, I imagine.

Previously mentioned, their project formation is too simple and the style is too improvised to be expected much unexpected dramatic and drastic shows in their theatre, but can we think it great that such a basically-formed project can create such a fascinating music Tipo?

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