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Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX
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DamoXt7942 View Drop Down
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Points: 17455 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DamoXt7942 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 24 2016 at 10:26
Katan Hiviya Band in Vi-Code (Osaka) upon Sep. 24, 2016

Hi, every Japanese progressive rock freak!

Tonight I've attended Katan HIVIYA Osaka tour 2016 (with DJAMRA) and got pretty immersed in his guitar technique and colourful voice theater.

(With U-Full)

I'm familiar with Katan's performance (a couple of times I've enjoyed inOsaka or Tokyo) but this was the first stage by his "band" for me. 


His guitar play is always aggressive, extensive, and of top gear. And his live performance is quite atypical, bizarre, and  eccentric as his lyrics. With featuring various elements like a Vocaloid, a dramatic theater of an anonymous killer, or morbid / cynical humours.


Going to post my review for his album ... my pleasure if you can read it.



Thank you for reading this blog.
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RIO had a heavy Japanese contingent this year with Haco, Cicala Mvta and members of Jump For Joy and Half The Sky.
Ian

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Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

RIO had a heavy Japanese contingent this year with Haco, Cicala Mvta and members of Jump For Joy and Half The Sky.
 
Is Haco still doing After Dinner stuff or is it very different?
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About half the show was After Dinner, she was playing with an Italian band who specialize in Japanese covers with an Italian singer who sings in Japanese. It was a good show.
Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/
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Originally posted by TheH TheH wrote:

Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

RIO had a heavy Japanese contingent this year with Haco, Cicala Mvta and members of Jump For Joy and Half The Sky.
 
Is Haco still doing After Dinner stuff or is it very different?


Having seen her in a small concert in Paris (and planning to go her next concert in Paris on monday evening), I can answer: she sung After Dinner songs for that very special occasion that is the RIO festival in France, with the Sonata Islands band (including Giovanni Venosta on keyboards).
The future of this collaboration isn't written. For my part, I would be pleased if this orchestra could play another time with Haco (and I have some ideas about where they could play...)

For her concert in Paris two weeks ago, she made a free improvisation with singer/vocalist Catherine Jauniaux (that people versed into the ReR catalogue would know for her works with Aksak Maboul, Bill Gilonis or her own solo album Fluvial).
Then, after the other performances (among others, a solo of saxophonist player Cathy Heyden who happens to play with Faust on some concerts), she played 4 songs from her last album Secret Garden (released in 2015).

Tomorrow, she's on a bill with a free improvisation French band, XTetX Ensemble. For that concert, she will use a device she called "Stereo Bugscope" which captures sounds from electronic devices (example: a laptop computer)
Here are excerpts of two Stereo Bugscope performances:





By the way, Haco will have concerts in Czech Republic and Slovakia next week.
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Thanx for the Infos guys!
 
Sonata Islands also had a good Magma show a few years back...
 
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Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

RIO had a heavy Japanese contingent this year with Haco, Cicala Mvta and members of Jump For Joy and Half The Sky.
So glad lots of Japanese avantgarders appeared on stage of RIO festa. Heart

And soon glad lots of fans for them are all over the world. Hug
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Hi, all. 
Already mentioned one of Japanese guitar madmen Katan HIVIYA and please let me recommend two of his productions here.

Firstly, his superb ep released this year ...

Sakasa Modoki Mairu ZERO (2016) - Katan HIVIYA

One of Japanese guitar specialists Katan's back with a theatrical suite in collaboration with his superb support collective - Taro HOMMA (keyboards), Masahito WATABE (drums), and Ryuki MAEDA (bass).

I'm very familiar with him as a solo guitarist, who plays bizarre acoustic folk / pop with a baffling variety of melodic variations in his God hand control but forgive me I could not imagine his "rock" style because I've been afraid nobody would not play lyrically and technically with him. I found out that's incorrect. I got completely immersed in his incredible combo on stage last week, where a heavy, loud, and magnificent gig was done ... finally purchased this creation in a rush manner.

This ep is one theatrical suite and consists of six pieces. The beginning rap is followed by a serious scene of narration by Katan with a piano wall of sound in the backyard. In the third track Katan the guitarist killer / bizarre melody maker proves his real musical appearance with depressive chorus and dark melody lines constructed by his excessive guitar machinegun. And his voices are colourful too. The fifth one featuring a reprise of the theme in the third track can be suitable for the last positive phase ... flooded with Katan's surging guitar shower.

Amazingly Katan Band played more and more enthusiastically than in this ep. Let me say please come to Japan and join his gig.


Thank you for reading this blog.


Edited by DamoXt7942 - October 03 2016 at 07:48
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Secondly, his newest album released in 2016 ...

Post Position Proxy (2016) - Katan HIVIYA

Kinda dissected pop is his musical appearance and attitude. His third full-length album in collaboration with his back band, released in 2016, is a gigantic box in which are lots of his musical elements (pop, rock, folk, avantgarde, techno, etc etc). There is a certain techno-pop created with preserved recording in a synthesized computer, Katan's voices processed by a effector, and "real" quartet instruments like the second track "Sakura Bloom Sakura' indeed, but basically nothing of his dislike can be heard there. He's a nice and frank guy and at the same time is always strict, rigorous upon his musical view and his own creation ... looks obvious.


His soundscape that sounds distorted and crushed might be released as a normal, sincere expression I guess. Such a mysterious, eerie structure can be produced with full of ideas popping up in his brain, just as they are. On the other hand, I fully understand he should have created his originality through much musical, lyrical, and literary essence inspired by lots of pop / rock pioneers or poets, writers definitely. "Chronographic Body Fluid" reminds me of a Japanese bizarre pioneer Omoide Hatoba ... some quirky moments can be heard here and there based upon simple guitar principle.


Serious and vigorous guitar action and crazy violin psychedelia can be enjoyed in "Foliage Peeping - The Fate Of The Red" ... Katan's lyrics are very thoughtful and depressive (and sorry not analyzable for me) that might be influenced by some Japanese famous writers. The titled track is a simple guitar circus along complex melody line and crooked poem world by Katan, and the previous one is a deep, heavy rock tinged metallic pop by the superb combo. One of his stage repertoires "Welcome To The Day Before Yesterday (Ototoi Oide)" features his percussive guitar chops and delightful song talks ... yes the audience are always amazed in front of his performance. The last "Shumatsu No Hitotoki (The Moment Of Repose At Eschaton)" sounds like a couple would spend a regular day as well, even upon the last day of the earth ... full of meaning (Shumatsu in Japanese has another meaning ... a weekend in English actually).

Not enough enthusiasm nor "blood sweat & tears" as upon stage but we can get immersed in his technical, lyrical, critical universe. Katanic Majesty.


Thank you for reading this blog.
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Jump For Joy!

Hello, folks. My mate Ian recommended a multi-national rock combo JUMP FOR JOY! for us, and I really enjoyed their debut live album Bat Pullover … let me recommend here, please!

Originally posted by Yumi Hara Yumi Hara wrote:

The roots of a multi-national rock combo JUMP FOR JOY! can be thought as an experimental rock trio YOU ME & US (Daevid ALLEN, Yumi HARA and Chris CUTLER). They were booked to play at Jean-Hervé PÉRON’s Avantgarde Festival in Schiphorst in 2014, but late in the day Daevid was unable to make it. Since most of Jean-Hervé’s band, faUSt - including Geoff LEIGH - were all coming to the festival but not playing, Jean-Herve suggested Chris and Yumi join them as a new project named JUMP FOR JOY! to headline the festival. Later Elena Wolay (aka Jazz is Dangerous) was out in the audience and invited them to perform at her festival the following year in Gothenburg. Their founding lineup is as follows:


Yumi HARA (piano, keyboards, voices)

Chris CUTLER (drums, percussion)

Geoff LEIGH (flute, saxophones, electronics, voices)

Jean-Hervé PÉRON (bass, voices)

Zappi Werner DIERMAIER (drums, percussion)


And Geraldine SWAYNE (guitars, keyboards, voices) has joined since 2015.


The debut live album of JUMP FOR JOY! “Bat Pullover” has been released via Bonobo's Ark in September 2016.


(Biography written by Yumi Hara, and updated by Keishiro Maki)

Bat Pullover (2016) - JUMP FOR JOY!


A multi-national experimental / improvisational rock sextet JUMP FOR JOY! have been founded in 2014 by six musicians of singular energy - Yumi HARA (piano, keyboards, voices), Chris CUTLER (drums, percussion), Geoff LEIGH (flute, saxophones, electronics, voices) based upon avantgarde / RIO feata family, and three faUSters Jean-Hervé PÉRON (bass, voices), Zappi Werner DIERMAIER (drums, percussion), Geraldine SWAYNE (guitars, keyboards, voices). Honest to say, I'm afraid whether such a crazy great combo formed by six artists of individuality can get unified strictly so far, but damn, no concern needed. Found out they had smashed their identity together upon the stage and crystallized as a music gem altogether, that has been finally recorded and released.



What an illusive music council. The audience can get immersed completely in sorta "unpolished" beauty created with energetic instrumental portfolio by all talents of identity. Each musical magnification joins hands with others just like a cup of ice cream seasoned with deeply matured soy sauce (yum really). Wish I could have attended RIO Festival in 2016 ... always feel so every time I read Ian Carss' review for them (and realized he's a sincere man ;) ). Polyrhythmic (dissecthismic?) sound intervention leaning toward the RIO / avantgarde movement merged with Faust's Krautrock bizarre black magic experimentalism (that can be heard e.g. via "Soleil Cheval Malade" or so).


Every piece has great tension launched by brilliant drumming duo who sound like a singular single aloof percussionist. And Yumi's piano always dress an experimental / avantgarde / mystical elixir for the audience and themselves. Geoff's wind instruments have definite massive personality, presence and existence, all of which should be about to swallow everything down. Actually, every artist has his/her own musical and artistic vector, therefore it sounds like one would turn his/her face toward the very same (musical) direction, I consider their soundscape cannot be recommended for every RIO / Avant-progressive rock freak, but yes we can grab another innovative milestone via this creation. Try it.




Thank you for reading this blog.



Edited by DamoXt7942 - October 09 2016 at 09:12
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Enjoyed your Jump For Joy review Damo, or did I dream I read it? Sorry these are strange days for me.
I'm about to review a Japanese band I've talked about for years mostly because of their bass player but had yet to review them until now. I'm talking Altered States, that power trio who blazed a trail in the nineties.
"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"

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Originally posted by Mellotron Storm Mellotron Storm wrote:

Enjoyed your Jump For Joy review Damo, or did I dream I read it? Sorry these are strange days for me.
I'm about to review a Japanese band I've talked about for years mostly because of their bass player but had yet to review them until now. I'm talking Altered States, that power trio who blazed a trail in the nineties.
Thank you John, I'm very happy as a Japanese to hear you love JFJ or other Japanese combos. Heart
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Hello, I’ve got an album “Woodmoon”, the newest one by Ryoko ONO and Rogier SMAL directly from Ryoko (what a pleasure).


Woodmoon (2016) - Ryoko ONO & Rogier SMAL

Originally posted by DamoXt7942's review DamoXt7942's review wrote:

Groovin'.


A new free jazz moonshine provided by a Japanese saxophonist Ryoko and an Amsterdam-based percussionist Rogier has come to me, happy to say. Saxophone play by Ryoko is quite aggressive, addictive as expected, and drumming or percussion sound by Rogier, whose play I've not listened to so far, is pretty flexible and freaky like a drunken kung-fu fighter. Very curious how the big two would go into battle upon the album field with each other, and finally their musical battle has let me shout "it's crazy great". Cannot realize what would come out at the next moment. Cannot help listening to this whole world with massive palpitation.


Anyway no title cannot be found out upon every single track but who cares? Guess this album might entirely consist of a 47 minute suite divide into 9 movements. Sounds like Ryoko's avantaholic saxophone vibe is a love rollercoaster upon a solid but dissected percussion wave launched by Rogier in every movement. There are three mysteries or marvelous phenomena - firstly Ryoko a ladylike lady plays so explosively (what a mismatched music theory), secondly improvisation-oriented saxophone play and flexible somewhat egoistic drums / percussion machine-gun can get unified with each other like nuclear fusion, and thirdly (just my tuppenny though) there might be kinda methodology under that the duo write a composition.


Apparently it's splendid they would create a variety of sound appearance and colourful orientation through only two instruments. Activity, believability, creativity, diversity, eccentricity ... are their ABCDE in this creation. And what do you say in the track 4 Ryoko? (LOL)

With Ryoko's letter ... WHAT A PLEASURE!



Thank you for reading this blog.




Edited by DamoXt7942 - October 11 2016 at 08:59
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Woohoo, Masaharu "Wai" NAKAKITA (DJAMRA) has sent me their original "BAKUHEN (in English "Explosive Bizarre")" badges.

 


Thanks Masaharu! Big smile
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Hi all, again sorry for my loooong hibernation (now a tad pressed with my preparation for an exam next month) but I've given my "thanks" message to a Shrine near my home.


Good bye 2016 and a happy new year friends! Big smile
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Happy new year to you, Damo. Heart It reminds me my holidays in Tokyo, Asakusa district, 3 years ago. Fantastic memories.

Afficher limage dorigine
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Thanks Pierre, and happy new year for you. Heart

Oh Sensoji Temple at Asakusa, Tokyo is one of the biggest temples in Japan actually. (And always flooded with tourists all over the world amazingly. Shocked )

A cool pic really. Cool
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Hello, I’ve attended a superb gig performed by DJAMRA and YUUKAI KENCHIKU (see this review) … the Yuukai Kenchiku’s newest EP titled “Seibo” was purchased and my review is here, finally …


Seibo (2017) - YUUKAI KENCHIKU


As I've mentioned in my review for their live performance in January 2017, they can be called as one of brilliant Japanese jazz-based symphonic combos. This ep "Seibo" has been released as their first cry in 2017, and the stuff should notify us of their obvious innovation and growing-up intention to decent symphonic project. No complicated polyrhythmic / multirhythmic basis nor difficult melody line is needed but beautiful, delightful sound texture to our heartstrings should be beneath their appearance.


In this sense, we can hear their dramatic theatrical symphony fully via this ep. Basically their songs are created with images of nature or life upon the earth, and they play so "naturally" and "lively" enough for ones who are not familiar with them to get familiar more easily. The masterpiece in this creation "Death And The Sun" has definitely dynamic and energetic atmosphere where we can enjoy both metallic heaviness and completely harmonized sound brightness. Complex phrases are here and there but their passion to amaze the audience is quite magnificent and wholehearted. Deep and widespread sound world launched via their instruments and their inner space must be thought as the best of all of their eps, I'm sure.



The mysterious sleeve drawn by Raku, featuring the title written in seal script, is simple but quite fantastic and thoughtful indeed. Upon our recent discussion in the live space, the drummer Kei has emphasized that they keep developing themselves and adopting novel essence. This ep itself has really verified that they are always evolving. It's pleasure of the audience exactly, and let me say (as one of their fans) their sound line should be loved more and more by everyone from now on. Anyway we the fans are looking forward to their full-length album produced conceptually ... another hope.




Thank you or reading this blog.
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Kitsune No Yomeiri added to Crossover. Thanks to Crossover Team. Cool
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Hey Keishiro!

I was looking up the band Hikashu earlier because the one very enthusiastic review they received when I came across this.


Are you familiar with P-Model? This particular album sounds like Cardiacs to me, very avant. The later material sounds very straight electronica. 

Curious for your input.

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