One For the Mature Mid-Western Psychedelic Visionary in Your Life

Another J-Pop band that made its way to SXSW over the past five years. They did a live recording for KVRX studios during the same period of time. It can be heard here.

Below is a review of their most recent album Blueberry:

'This "electronic pop co-operative" from Tokyo are based around the myriad talents of guitarist, composer (and, apparently, award-winning nuclear physicist) Ryuji Tsuneyoshi. Having worked in Japan since 1996, the band is about to step on to a wider stage with Silent Way, which comes garlanded with praise from Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, who considers it a fount of psychedelic feeling. Others may consider its bliss-rock textures closer in mood and content to the Cocteau Twins: vocalist Yuki Nishimura may not have the range or daring of Liz Fraser but there's a comparable depth and slow momentum in the band's layered guitars and keyboards. "Rollercoaster" is something of a misnomer, the track's limid piano and guitar arrayed with a calm, unhurried grace behind Nishimura's breathy billing and cooing; but "Strange Day" is exactly that, its understated vibrato guitar and wistful organ washed with a gentle shower of rain, to magical effect. The gossamer charm of the Color Filter sound is most readily discernible on the album's only cover, a version of the ballad "Goin' Out of My Head" that's the musical equivalent of being caressed by a thousand feathers. Apart from the brief jazz-rock flourish of the climatic "Endless Word", Silent Way sounds like the chill-out album of the year.'

Andy Gill
The Independent

Ordinarily, a recommendation by a member of the Flaming Lips wouldn't cause a rush to go check out a band; however, there's a first time for everything...

Here's a sample of their...er... Sample CD that was handed out during SXSW back in 2002.

Their most recent album can be purchased here.