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Old 2012.01.17, 07:48 PM   #43
Tokyo Jihad
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So here we are, reviewing Tokyo Jihen’s latest EP, Color Bars. The release I was all too excited to skip. After being contently lulled away with Sports and Dai-Hakken, I was finally resigned to let Tokyo Jihen go. Except they had beat me to the punch and were letting themselves go. Announcing their break-up (over a year in the making) weeks before the release, I couldn’t help but think back to their original announcement of establishment and the promise the band held for a while. Well shit, now I guess I have to listen to this thing.

Color Bars and the story of Tokyo Jihen’s end go hand-in-hand, so let’s dwell on the break up. The seeds of disbandment were apparently planted following Shiina Ringo’s 4th album, Sanmon Gossip. There were some rumbling and grumblings supposedly coming from her bandmates over the album. Was it the extra hiatus from the band? Shiina’s own content on the album? I don’t know, but around that time recordings from Petrolz and Appa (Ukigumo and Izawa’s bands) surfaced which raised the communal question for the fanbase: was the band better apart? True, Tokyo Jihen ultimately never could quite pull it together. – Correction – they did actually develop a unique sound as a unit, it just never yielded anything as interesting as what Shiina, Petrolz or Appa put out previously. Was it a product of Japanese culture, promoting the collective over the individual, or was it aiming at a demographic with more cash to spend? Personally, I’d wager the latter, but that’s just conjecture.

What I hear on Color Bars is the dissolution of the band. We start off with a song that sounds archetypically “Tokyo Jihen” and finish with a song that accentuates one individual. As a first for the band, every member gets a writing credit. The EP starts with the Shiina Ringo-penned “Konya wa Karasawagi” and as previously mentioned, sounds most similar to Tokyo Jihen’s previous work. If that’s your bag, then you might get some mileage out of it, but I find virtually every other track more interesting. It has that retro-lounge feel, but this time made snappier, and is at least an improvement. The more I think about it, it probably as far as the band could have gone with this sound, excepting the killer “Himitsu” from Adult.

The EP then shifts into the darker “Kai-horrordust.” Sung by Izawa, the song sounds reminiscent of what could be found on Appa’s Rashipoki. There are still flanges and badges to remind the listener that this is still Tokyo Jihen, but it is the most Appa-sounding song in the Jihen catalog with big and dark sounds mixed with poppy rhythms and beats. Following that is Kameda’s ultra-sappy “Time Capsule.” I’m sure you didn’t need me to tell you that Kameda wrote this, it has his touches everywhere. Soaring, sweeping, and sentimental. The most traditional of the songs here and that’s what Kameda does best. What he brings to the table might not always sound “fresh and new” but he always does it exceptionally well. The song is at the heart of Color Bars, and that feels right. Kameda is dependably the heart of the band. Here Shiina brings out some of the best vocals we’ve heard in years. In fact, the song doesn’t even sound out of place in her own catalog, telling me that Kameda understands the “Shiina Ringo sound” maybe even better than Shiina Ringo.

Sa_i_ta is Ukigumo’s offering this time around. Unlike Izawa’s, I wouldn’t say it sounded similar to Petrolz – but nor does it particularly sound like Jihen. There’s an interesting grumbling, almost droney, bass crawling underneath the track as it builds from atmospheric and empty into a disco beat chorus. In that respect, it’s a less goofy Mirrorball, but decidedly better.

The EP concludes with the debut writing credit (for the band at least) of drummer Hata Toshiki, “Honto no Tokoro.” And what a first impression it is! Not only does he write, but takes the mic and bleats out the strained, raw vocals. The most passionate singing since Dynamite Out (or “Tegami.”) The song has this great, smoky space that highlights Hata’s gravelly voice and harsh drums. One could construe this as a deconstruction of a jpop (or just pop) song – and by that extension, a Tokyo Jihen song. It is traditional verse, chorus, verse, and has a very simple, plodding beat and rhythm, but with messy vocals, sparse instrumentation, and sung by the least traditionally attractive member of the band. It is SUCH a treat and in just moments brings back all the waves of promise the band had up-to-and-including Adult, the daring and well-executed adventures the band originally enjoyed. Hearing this song almost makes me disappointed that the band would call it quits after such a song. If only the band had drawn upon more of this type of energy, rather than sounds that are decidedly safe. After this, I hope Hata finds an outlet for more music; I’ll gladly listen. Even the damn drummer might be better off!

Such is the story of Tokyo Jihen. The band puts it together for one last hurrah after squandering earlier good will. There’s hundreds of “I wish they would haves…” but at least a few are answered on this disc. Maybe we’ll get to hear more daring sounds from the “Incidents” soon, hopefully, and make the whole Jihen thing worth the while. Tokyo Jihen may have been a failure, but it was a pretty worthwhile failure. They put out an absolute classic live DVD, one album anyone could share with their friends and not be embarrassed about (Adult) and maybe one more (Kyouiku.) Also one EP that’s at least a little interesting, and makes you wonder what if Sports and Dai-hakken (or Variety!) had been split up into tighter, less confuddled EPs. We got “Himitsu,” “Toumei Ningen (Dynamite Out version.,) “Gunjou Byori,” and Hata’s “Honto no Tokoro.” (Most importantly, I got “Superstar” and “Fukushuu”) So really, things should be looking up! In the video for Konya wa Karasawagi, Shiina Ringo sported a mole – her mole, again. Things can go back to normal; resume regularly scheduled programming. Tokyo Jihen is finally over.
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Last edited by Tokyo Jihad : 2012.01.17 at 07:53 PM.
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