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Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

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DamoXt7942 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 03:26
The night view at Kyobashi ... a renowned neon sign is always dazzling for my eyes.

Attended the first gig of an Osakan rock project named SOUNDSCAPE, at Beronica yesterday.


SOUNDSCAPE - left to right; Kohdai MATSUMOTO (guitar), Takaaki ASAKURA (bass), Ai OHNUMA (keyboards), Kosuke KAMATA (drums)

SOUNDSCAPE (named after their motto to play music as a means to drawing a landscape) were founded in 2012 as a smart, stylish rock quartet by four versatile artists - Kohdai MATSUMOTO (guitar), Takaaki ASAKURA (bass), Ai OHNUMA (keyboards), and Kosuke "Camacho" KAMATA (drums). With strong intention of putting their originality out, SOUNDSCAPE have played their innovative creation composed by all members (especially Ai) and appeared on stage upon March 16, 2012 at Kyobashi Beronica (Osaka, Japan).

Yes, this is the first gig for them!





Just from the beginning, they’d started launching a complex / powerful "soundscape" with aggressive technique ... very amazing, how their scape would go!


Kohdai MATSUMOTO (guitar)


Kosuke "Camacho" KAMATA (drums)


Takaaki ASAKURA (bass)


Ai OHNUMA (keyboards)

They played five songs under the sound sky.

1. Going Up (composed by Ai) ... quite suitable for their opening shot - a sharp, delightful and powerful one.



2. Wordless World (Kohdai) ... Kohdai said he’d not been very familiar with progressive rock, and this song sounds like his smooth, straight pop / rock material.



3. Egoist (Camacho) ... his drumming was pretty strict and enthusiastic. Yes this should be his own song I suggested.



4. Into The Twilight (Ai) ... Ai’s mellow ballad I’ve listened to for the first time, and simultaneously felt her warmness amongst her tragic darkness.



5. Air (Ai) ... already listened to this stuff, that has showed Ai’s inner passion and humanity ... her passion is sometimes ardent, sometimes cool, sometimes rigid, and sometimes fragile. This song makes an expression about a fright of an airplane she’s mentioned, and I always feel more and more gracious / grateful around this brilliant gem.



Oh yeah they’d produced and directed a fantastic night in Osaka ... Ai was a beautiful and pretty flower, Kohdai was green leaves flavoured green, and Takaaki and Camacho were fantastic ground, supporting all instruments.




... Anyway, the most progressive / innovative thang should be Ai’s interlude talk, methinks. (Hahhaha, please cool down and be more Osakan!)



Let me say we’re looking forward to your debut album released anytime soon! :D


Thank you for reading this blog. ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶
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CPicard View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CPicard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 08:29
By the way, the French edition of Julian Cope's Japrocksampler had been released the former week.
Any thought on this book? I'm not sure about buying it.
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DamoXt7942 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 08:32
I have the Japanese edition of his book ... a good stuff but we should read carefully under his personal opinions.

Interesting one indeed, please try. Approve
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote colorofmoney91 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 09:37
Ai is kinda cute Embarrassed
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Eetu Pellonpaa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 11:19
Great report of Soundscape, Damo!!! Party
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rivertree Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 18:50
Heart great SoundScape introduction, Keishiro Clap


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2012 at 20:14
Thanks all. I'm very happy to get your kind words. Hug

Exactly, Ai is a cute princess with mysterious atmosphere around her. Heart

Already asked her to release their album or EP soon ... I'll again come back here and recommend their stuff. Cool



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote abaslev Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 20 2012 at 20:56
Please allow me to introduce my own band.

I released EP on Gumroad. now you can listen & free download from EP.
If you like it, Please buy whole album.


::Petrushka::
http://soundcloud.com/xenamess-inc/paradise-shift-decade-k
http://petrushkajp.web.fc2.com/k.htm

thanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 21 2012 at 03:28
^ Sounds great Heavy Prog for me, excellent work indeed. Clap

Gonna check your other stuffs, thanks for heads up! Beer
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 29 2012 at 01:49
Originally posted by sagichim sagichim wrote:

Just remembered another great japnese band - IL Berlione.
Tagged here as fusion if i'm not mistaken, but are much more prog and some slight RIO.
Absolutely fantastic band!!
Wink

 Il Berlione by BERLIONE, IL album cover Studio Album, 1992
4.04 | 4 ratings 
Il Berlione
Il Berlione Eclectic Prog

Review by DamoXt7942
Special Collaborator Japanese Prog Specialist / Moderator

4 stars A jack-in-the box of various pleasure - such a phrase may be suitable for Il BERLIONE I guess.

They had played understandably about some physical discomfort or illness, weird phenomena, enjoyable memories, or actions like cynic. It's natural each of their sounds or noises could be complex and eccentric. However, at the same time it's amazing all of their stuffs could be harmonized strictly. Very sharp- and hard-edged brass kicks and piercingly cold percussion knocks. Regardless of weirdness of their song titles (about physical troubles or dreadful phenomena mainly), their atmosphere upon playing stuffs could be kaleidoscopic and colourful with plenty of instruments and their unique sound structure.

The first track "Electrostatic Hotel" can be their stronger theme I guess. They played not statically but dynamically, with complex phrases based upon their rhythm section and funky saxophone sounds, for a static electricity, nonetheless. We can listen to such a case here and there ... Sometimes they play for relieving us and sometimes for punching our brain, with unexpected perfume flavour based upon strongly alcoholic stimulation sounds. They played fuzzily, noisily, irritatingly (in a good manner) under soundscape like King Crimson's "Starless And Bible Black" in "Make You Die, Your Brain", and ethnically, meditatively in "The Engei Suite". On the contrary, authentic jazz rock like "Kouenji, Memories In The Rain" (consider this song should be their beginning as an avantgarde jazz project) we can touch.

As a result, through the whole album we can feel their "kaleidoscopic" and "phantasmagorical" gem box named Il BERLIONE. Let me recommend, as a Japanese, such a fantastic album to you all.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sagichim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 30 2012 at 01:54
Yeah i saw your review, i'm glad you like it and cleared out the dust off this band a little bit.
You should definitely get their second one as well, they go together. I hope i can clear some time to review it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2012 at 06:23
^ Thanks Sagi, and I'll check the other one anytime soon ... 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2012 at 06:26
Hi, progressive mates!

I've attended LE SILO's Tour in Kansai last weekend (see the page) and found a promising symphonic rock project named YUUKAIKENCHIKU (in English, "Melting Architecture").


Amazing symphonic sounds featuring "sharp-edged" flute by Nami!
Quote YUUKAIKENCHIKU were founded in 2009 as a promising symphonic "multi-dimensional" rock quintet by five Zeuhl followers - Nami ADACHI (flute), Hidehito TAMBA (guitar), Shintaro KANDA (bass), Kei AKITA (drums), and Takenobu "Hassan" TAKAHASHI (keyboards) - in Kyoto, Japan. With a light music club in Kyoto Univ., where Takenobu and Kei have belonged to, as a starting commune, they have played not with getting tied to traditional rock but with strong intention for flexibility of soundscape, gigged basically around Kyoto, Osaka or Kobe.

I'd not heard of them but completely was immersed in their mysterious soundworld.


Nami ADACHI (flute) ... a beautiful, graceful, and keen mademoiselle wind.


Shintaro KANDA (bass) ... deep, deep bass steadiness.


Kei AKITA (drums) ... he and Shintaro should support their rhythm and soundbasis.


Hidehito TAMBA (guitar) ... a cool guitar chopper (pretty in harmony with them but not much with assertion).


Hassan TAKAHASHI (keyboards) ... a Magma freak and simultaneously a Yes maniac. His keyboard play is another basis.

The beautiful flutist Nami gets to be a pretty, charming MCer, as follows.



They played these 6 "kaleidoscopic" songs:

1. Shudrakarman
2. Meiosis
3. Swift As A Whirlwind
4. Sayo-Shigure
5. Beatnyx
6. The Porcupine Dilemma


Sometimes keyboard-based symphonic, sometimes heavy, and sometimes massive, meditative, meaningful, along with Nami's flute windchase (cool, very cool play!).



They've released two demo CDRs "Yuukaikenchiku" (2010) and "Yuukaikenchiku II" (2011) already, and this month (April, 2012) will record the newest material for the next album. Good luck!


Thank you for reading this blog. ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote colorofmoney91 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2012 at 07:25
Seeing Le Silo would be so awesome Shocked Yuukaikenchiku seems promising too -- bassists who use that type of bass are usually interesting.




Edited by colorofmoney91 - April 02 2012 at 07:30
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DamoXt7942 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 03 2012 at 07:28
Originally posted by colorofmoney91 colorofmoney91 wrote:

Seeing Le Silo would be so awesome Shocked Yuukaikenchiku seems promising too -- bassists who use that type of bass are usually interesting.
Hey Alan, such fantastic mights I've NOT experienced! Big smile
All artists on the stages are excellent indeed ... please check them out. Cool
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2012 at 07:05
And my review for Yuukaikenchiku II EP is here ... please check it out. Cool
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2012 at 06:13

GUNJOGACRAYON

Found GUNJOGACRAYON's "2nd Album" (I consider this album is their first "full-length" album) re-released in 2011 via a Japanese distributor Disk Union a while before. (Their first EP has already been introduced here.)


Gunjogacrayon (2nd Album) (1987) - GUNJOGACRAYON

Maido, GUNJOGACRAYON dasu! (Hey everyone, here comes GUNJOGACRAYON!) ... by the way, where had their style 7 years before gone away?

This "Gunjogacrayon" (in Japan, re-released under the moniker of "2nd Album" via Disk Union) was firstly released in 1987, 7 years after their debut EP released. This 7-year interval should not be so short for them to alter their music style I feel. Not simply avantgarde this creation is, but pretty experimental and a bit like Krautrock, especially upon their complex polyrhythm and weird sound effects (listen to "Tekuru" or "Naguno" and you will get immersed in their mysterious psychedelia). Their is not enough heavy riffs nor deep inflation (we can a little hear some trace in the middle part of "Wadesu" or so), but flexible and slightly cataleptic footstep quakes mainly by the drums / percussion launcher.

Yuji's meaningless words with irritating tones and rhythmic senses could season their creation with Zeuhlish experimentalism. Mind you, we can hear no alteration upon their pleasure in playing everything, with such a quirky brilliancy of their messy soundscape (No toughness nor fuss can be found for example in "Reruto" or "Gadete", simple grooves). And their highlight "Ushimashi" can be considered as another Krautrock sample, filled with fuzzy electricity, bubbling circus, and loose jamming ... 17 minute is not so long for us, definitely. The last "Sesaitoburu" is a classic addictive one under noisy bubble bobble.

Not recommend as an authentic avantgarde-progressive but we can easily find weird experimentalism of Japanese psychedelic Krautrock in their second work.


Thank you for reading this blog. ٩(̾●̮̮̃̾•̃̾)۶
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 25 2012 at 10:29
Finally my dream has come true ... one of Japanese progressive rock combo pioneers SADISTIC MIKA BAND have been added in Progarchives (as a Prog Related outfit).

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7357

Big smile

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sagichim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2012 at 01:21
I have downloaded this album, and listened to it only once until now, nice overall.

What a cool band name though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote colorofmoney91 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2012 at 09:36
I like that band name, I must give them a listen Shocked
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