Sajjanu - Californication II (2012)

Previously on PoS (yes we are all aware of that usually stands for )

So a reader has informed me that thanks to a successful bout of badgering the group Sajjanu posted their follow up record on bandcamp from 2012. Why is this amazing? well if you are familiar the question has already been answered (they are math rock demons). But for those not in the know certainly click the link above to DL some real meaty math. I have to say this is more compositionally rich than their first effort and less chaotic but a hell of a lot more focused. Sajjanu still stand as one of the busiest and most technical of the Japanese math rock groups. That is along with the amazing Nuito. So if anyone wants to get on those guys for a new album thatd be great as well.

Sajjanu

TK - Flower (from the Album Flowering)

I'm thinking about starting a video thing every now and again of awesome math rock that I cant find proper on the tube.

This is the solo work of TK the guitarist of Ling Tosite Sigure.  It is a bit like LTS but more personal and ambient while keeping the same frantic math rock nature.

Ilya - Mutyuma

Curve ball coming right to your faces peeps. Ilya is a japanese group that plays a very singular style of music. Truthfully very little of it has to do with math rock... sue me. That does not mean it lacks in pure musical excellence. This stuff is a mix of classical music styled instrumentation, post-rock, metal and progressive math. The way these pieces fit together is the true star here because under less capable hands this could be an ugly ugly mess. HIGH REC's.


Link in comments :)

Haisuinonasa

A band seemingly at odds. Shifting from lulling atmospherics, glitch breaks to breakneck math rock and everything in between. Who better to provide this interesting amalgam then haisuinonasa a band hailing from our favorite island nation of precision math rock. Have to say when things get slow...I get sleepy with these guys. When the tempo gets ramped up you may not have a band that is this insanely tight again this year, staggering really.

想像と都市の子供

Dobutsu no Karada (2012)

The Cabs - First Incident

Japanese emo/ indie rock with some math rock flirtations. Some pleasant vocals mixed  screaming. When the tempo slows down these guys seem at a disadvantage but raise the BPM's and suddenly the drums and guitar go all kinds of math wonky.  Its pretty good stuff but I cant say for sure how long it will stay in the rotation. Is it worthy of a look? Hellz Jess.


First Incident

Kosuke Jodai - Scissorcuts Reunion (2010)

When we are talking left field music the Japanese always seem to be pushing boundaries.  Math Rock as a genre is pretty new and there is still room for growth. While there is much in the way of awesome time bending groups today, I think we can all generally agree that not many venture past the typical expectations. Enter Kosuke Jodai, I have no information other than this concerning this release so we will let the music speak for itself. This is some serious stuff. Equal parts noise, synth laden math rock its hard to keep your baring at times. It walks the line surprisingly well all things considered because there is just a lot going on. What actually came to mind similarity wise was the cram jam math rock super beast "Hey!Tonal" previously covered. This is great stuff and I wish I had more info on it at all. Certainly fans of the genre need to check this out.


Scissorcuts Reunion

Polaris - "Family" (2004)

Have I got a treat for you!

Well, only sort of.

Polaris is a Japanese band that's uh... quite dissimilar from everything else we post on here. I can't find too much information about them, though I know they're rather prolific. They apparently formed in the last decade after the dissolution of a group called Fishmans, continuing on with that band's style of dub-influenced pop. "Family" is maybe their 3rd album, but again, I'm not too sure, as information in English is sparse. Oftentimes it sounds like an aggressive mash of Jamiroquai and the Dave Matthews Band. And yeah, I know, that's like the musical equivalent of synthesizing AIDS and cancer.

But somehow it still works. Give it a chance, even if the first couple tracks don't stick.

Polaris - "Family" (2004)

(Note - Apparently this album just got remastered and re-released in June of this year. This is NOT that version.)

Sax Ruins - Yawiquo (2006)

Holy fancy get ready to have your lives enriched. Anyone even vaguely familiar with the Japanese math rock scene should be instantly familiar with the duo Ruins. Well this venture is Tatsuya Yoshida, the powerhouse drummer of Ruins and Ono Ryoko, a highly skilled Japanese improv. alto sax player. These songs are reworkings of older Ruins songs with guitar replaced by the sax.....a lot of saxophones.  Think of some of the most rip roaring jazz with equal parts twisted prog and your starting to get close. This stuff is a dense mother and can be a bit much at times but it's certainly unique in its execution. An absolute not to miss album. TIME CHANGES WHERE YOU AT?!

yawiquo

A Brief Message Concerning the Blog

So this is it. 2011.

The technology that we are growing accustomed to using has the ability to coordinate highly tactical terrorist attacks in India (and coordinate the murder of Osama Bin Laden), leak crucial top secret government information and letters to the public, and pirate music and entertainment media at an insane level. Industries are dying, and with the last of their power they are going to continue suing money out of individual offenders until they can figure out who is legally responsible for sites like Mediafire, Rapidshare, bit torrent service providers, etc. It is their death rattle; maybe they will come out of their spastic downfall, maybe they will sink and drown. Epic times.

Mouse On The Keys

Piano Driven Jazz Math

As Metaghost will certainly attest to, Mouse on the Keys is some seriously amazing stuff. I cant think of another progressive jazz group that employs math elements that is really this fun and knows how to man handle a groove. The drummer for this group needs to give lessons to some of the other math rock groups, possibly start some sort of out reach program. I'm shamefully unfamiliar with these guys former group "Nine Days Wonder" but I'd be willing to bet its pretty straight amazing as well. Thank you Japan once again for sending us auditory delights.

mouse on the keys

an anxious object   (Track 2, Spectres Des Mouse, has possibly the single tightest drum lick of your life)

Natsumen

First off would like to thank Metaghost for getting me into these guys years ago. There are really only a couple things you need to realize about Natsumen. They describe themselves as a "Japanese Progressive HardCore JAZZ Aggressive Improvisation ROCK band" and really I'd be hard pressed to argue with such a tagging.  This stuff is gold with noisy abrasive guitars, intricate drumming and soaring horns. Maybe think Broken Social Scene with some balls minus vocals. Awesome Sauce

Natsumen

Malegoat

Alt. math emo rock

This is an extremely tight group that really displays not only a large level of technicality but also good structure and great melody. The vocals are usually shouted melodically as well. As a matter of personal opinion the japanese math groups just seem way tighter than our own. High energy is great to see as a lot of the newer groups seem far too sleepy to me. This group gets compared endlessly to Algernon Cadwallader....what a lazy comparison. They are almost nothing alike other than they both are fond of odd time changes. Malegoat comes out on top always.

 Plan Infiltration

To Face the Music

Sajjanu - Pechiku

Already seasoned veterans of the Japanese progressive scene in other groups, Sajjanu carries on ideas and styles frequented by their geographical brethren Ruins.  My previous post on Nuito as well shares many similarities although Nuito are certainly the more grounded rock band if you can even say that.  This is classification wise spazzed out complex jazz-math. An interesting component here is no lead instrument being focused on which makes it that much easier for the songs to breath and shift. This is a sound of a band that is having fun while simultaneously charting time changes and abrupt pauses. Most technical groups are a heavy handed sort and strive for some sort of emotional charge that never comes.  You can tell by the chords chosen that the band is fully aware of this aspect, playful but not twinkly. Songs can run into one another and you cant exactly hold onto a riff without it being torn out from under you. After its over your left impressed yet without an exact memory of parts. This however is never the point of such ventures.
   


PECHIKU!