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Oct
04
2008
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Written by Soen S. Mojo
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Saturday, 04 October 2008 |
 When we listen to prog music patterns, we can fell that each country has its own specialities both in motif and in sound. That is so if we turn our attention to the sounds of Japanese prog music. In the case of Mizukagami I can say that this outfit seemed went to adopted and put some 70s prog styles on the modern Japanese taste.
These five members are Futaba (vocal and flute), Yasuo Asakura (guitar, lute and mandolin), Junya Anan (keyboard and koto), Keita Kamiyama (drum and Japanese percussions) and Keiichi Yanagawa (bass). See the range of instruments and structure of the band, if only I could turn their music back to dynastic era, it was quite possible as outgrowth of ‘Geza’ (kind of Kabuki, a theaterical music in Edo period). Nevertheless, seasons come and go, and age follows age. By added bass, keyboard and synthesizers on an equipment, therewith they look as a real rock band. With the second album “Yugake” they presented 6 tracks and the songs overall sung in Japanese language. Thought I don’t understand about words at all, yet through music movements I am able to guess that it’s a concept album. The music composed here was more inventive and revealed dramatic moments. And album title is deciphered as the opening of whole tracks. It started with sounds of clanging bell in the rite and avant-jazzy touch on piano. All of a sudden boogie beat flowed in medium tempo to led vocal, then the music went from being busy to more extended passages. Excepted on “Yatagarasu” (track-3), music loaded passionate offbeat and sound density in up-tempo. In my ears it’s real fresh krautrock. The rest of tracks loaded some great music that is all over the map. There are lots of intervals, changes of tempo, and longer with layers of local atmosphere. As I heard of “Hanamizake” on (track-2) that is opened with neo-prog motif as intro in asymmetric 7/8 metre, “Riu” on (track-4) that displayed melancholic flute and pentatonic tones on vocal, “Tsukinokusa Tsuyunokusa” on (track-5) that featured duo vocal and guitar, albeit without bass and drum, many time-wasting elongation in bars that sometimes were slightly humdrum. However, guitars thrumming sprinkled remaining spaces with fantastic minor-aug keys. Presumably they were so inspired by ‘Supper’s Ready’ from Genesis. An interesting one that caused their music have gotten different from main influences, these musicians usually ended up by droning atmospheric sounds. It had many moments where incisive keyboard and expressive drumming would bring to mind the best of Pulsar. In conclusion they completed this album through “Ruten Ame) on (track-6). This conclusive track had similar sound to tarck-1 and moved slowly.
In mid-section it had short catchy interplay from guitar and bass as bridge toward a spacey rock feel ending with hint at Steve Hillage’s styling. Beneath it all, this album kept tremendous feat from a new band. It included a lot of music here to recommend to the lovers of symphonic rock. Especially for those who do love prog music as acid as Pulsar and winged as earlier Steve Hackett’s solos. |
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