4037

It's 2025 and HAPPY FAMILY are back! I first became aware of this four piece powerhouse out of Japan in the summer of 2007. I picked up both of their 90's records and was immediately drawn to that intense angular guitar, monster bass lines and upfront drumming. Funny that it's the keyboards this time that made me take notice. The band recently mentioned that after that European tour for that comeback album released in 2014 called "Minimal Gods" they were burnt out.

It took an offer from Cuneiform Records boss Steve Feigenbaum to participate in Cuneiform's 40th anniversary celebrations to ignite that spark. The spark became "4037" a 21plus minute Ep with four tracks all written by a different band member. The "40" stands for Cuneiform Records 40th anniversary, while the "37" is how many years that HAPPY FAMILY have been in existence. I do understand that there is a full length album on the way, but this small package is dynamite. Very heavy and bass led for the most part. And you angular guitar fans will be happy. I mentioned earlier the keyboards, and the electric piano on here is great! Some organ as well but plenty of the electric piano.

I'll be honest that opening keyboard melody on "Pygmalion" that is repeated does not sound like HAPPY FAMILY. Thankfully I had nothing to worry about but this is different. Electric piano a minute in goes off. So much depth and power until that spacey calm 2 minutes in that is joined by angular guitar lines. Piano ends it. "Hypocrisy" was written by the bass player and that is no surprise once you hear this. Those first 2 minutes are incredible then the guitar lights it up followed by the keyboards. Crushing bass throughout.

"The Flying Man" was written by the keyboardist. And we get some stomping piano early along with bass. Angular sounds then a calm with piano leading. It kicks in hard before 4 minutes before turning angular again. "Itchu" is the drummer's track and the most experimental. Gotta love the opening bass line. And later before 1 1/2 minutes. Keyboards lead for a while and the drumming is off the wall. A difficult avant sounding piece.

This is such a consistent band. Every recording they have put out is of the highest quality. Whether you like them or not is another story, but here's another one that keeps up their standards. A solid 4 stars.

I have not seen the physical CD of this release, but I can only hope it includes the notes from each member of the band, as they are incredibly interesting. After the 2014 'Minimal Gods' tour they needed a break, and somehow that break lasted for ten years and could still be going on until today if not for Cuneiform Records' boss Steve Feigenbaum asking the guys if they would like to be involved in the fortieth anniversary of that august label. Consequently Kenichi Morimoto (keyboards), Takahiro Izutani (guitar), Hidemi Ichikawa (bass) and Keiichi Nagase (drums) found themselves in a rehearsal studio for the first time in ten years and it was as if they had never been apart. The title comes from the 40 years of Cuneiform, along with the 37 years of Happy Family (althoug h in fairness they had a 15-year break before the last album, so plus the ten from recently they have been apart from than they have been together), and the concept was that each of the band would compose an instrumental track. This in itself was a new way of working, and the result is something where each track is very different indeed yet also brought together by the togetherness of Happy Family. When it comes to Zeuhl/RIO there are few which match their use of space and jagged melodies, and it is difficult to understand that Morimoto didn't touch an instrument for nearly ten years before starting to play Henry Cow pieces for relaxation (needless to say, his track "The Flying Man" is very much in that style).

This is a wonderful release, and let's hope they keep it going and we get another full release soon, and that we don't have to wait five years for the next one (15, 10, 5?).