ZETTAIMU

Basically Zettaimu are founded as a Hisashi's project that has realized his Japanesque music dream merged with 70s rock and roll essence. He'd tried to push another Japanese dark side ahead, as his original depressive lyrics and weird riffs. Contrary to "Miroque" their recent album, this "Grandma" cannot be mentioned as a refined and well-matured one. However, his weirdness drenched with Japanese dark tradition could be terrifically expressed by such an unpolished structure, especially with Yoshihiro Orii's (a bit unstable but) heavy drumming quake and Hisashi's sticky and a bit cheesy (sorry) voices. Hisashi says he'd got immensely shocked at his grandmother's vacant words in a mutter "we people do the same monotonous tasks (eating, sleeping ... ) over and over" in front of his grandfather's gravestone, and noticed that he should create the conception for the first album and songs with her thoughts ...Exactly this was the kickoff of ZETTAIMU. From the beginning of the first track, their infernal sound sighs are too painful for us to listen with comfort. But actually, Hisashi might launch this depression intentionally, as "seriousness" for almost all of Japanese, or "philosophy" that has been alive for a long while in Japan.

Quite different from as-it-is-said progressive rock, their tune structure is (that is, sounds less structurally complex and more cynically poppy), and we can feel pretty eccentric sound depth in them. Let me say, this "eccentricity" can absolutely be called progressive. Hisashi says he's never got immersed in as-it-is-said progressive rock, and this means that he looks over more progressive sight I suppose. This album cannot be thought pleasant and delightful, and be recommended for typical progressive rock freaks, but let me recommend to you who love eccentric progressiveness merged with Japanesque soundscape that sounds very dark and painfully depressive. And what an unrefined stoner-flavoured inferno (different from ZETTAIMU in their recent days featuring with graceful and solemn female voices), you can enjoy this naive greasy taste.

My first impression for ZETTAIMU was that they play Japanesque traditional music with weirdly solemn atmosphere (especially around voices) based on Japanese oldie and goodie songs, also tinged with modern pop or mainstream light rock. No complex rhythm structure nor warping sound appearance around this project and material, but it can be said progressiveness (not progressive rock) that "naturally, not artificially" they could pick up mainstream pop music and cultivate in Japanese traditional music culture. Their lyrics are mainly Japanese, that notify us something mysterious and psychedelic far from Western hemisphere - in Japan psychedelic rock has got much influential upon progressive rock scene, and much renowned all over the world, and this phenomenon can be seen in ZETTAIMU project. Not sharp-edged sound procedure but their voices and lyrics can be stuck like an icepick into our mind, mysteriously.

Hisashi FURUE has said he should not play progressive rock but a mixture music with Japanese traditional music and rock music he'd listened to and played, based upon Japanese atmosphere called "Wa". He might not need complex rhythm collection at all but simultaneously he might wonder why nobody had tried to do such a natural mixture, I consider. This album "Miroque" they could not take enough time to produce, Hisashi mentioned, but I've felt we can get enough intensive Japanesque traditional pop via their instruments. As a result, we can call them progressive, even without complexity nor eccentricity of sound structure. Let me say you can realize another appearance of progressive music. Recommended.

"Red Moon-Prologue" is an intro track with the wind blowing as the sound builds. Some vocal melodies too. "I Don't Need Anything Else" is melancholic with vocals, bass and drums standing out. The guitar comes to the fore after 3 minutes. "Anyone Is Loved By Someone" is laid back and fairly dark to start. Reserved vocals before a minute. It picks up after 4 minutes with some nice bass before settling again with that melancholic vibe. "Time Like An Arrow" is more upbeat with vocal melodies. Vocals join in and the guitar comes and goes. "Jennifer" opens with strummed guitar and some percussion. Male and female vocals on this one although the male vocals become more prominant.

"Sharan" opens with a Japanese stringed instrument of some sort as female vocals join in. Bass too. It's heavier before 4 minutes. "Icarus" features female vocals and a beat that comes and goes. Guitar 2 minutes in and a fuller sound follows. "Time Perplexes Time Oneself" opens with some nice guitar. Vocals follow. The guitar here is so raw, I like it. "Red Moon-Epilogue" is brighter with vocals. Piano after a minute. It's kind of jazzy. Back to the brighter sound again. Wind 3 1/2 minutes in as the mood changes. Piano and vocal melodies join in.

I think you'd really have to be into this melancholic, minimalistic style of music to really enjoy this one.