It Came From Japan tour

There is a whisper and a chill in the air. Through the mists of Myspace word has reached me of a mysterious promotions company responsible for surreptitiously importing beasts from the East, and turning them loose on unsuspecting UK crowds. Beneath the twisting back streets of Exeter lurks The Cavern, light glowering from it’s tiny doorway in the dark, dank alley. In the half light an unknown monster throbs below and a solitary poster ominously states ‘It Came From Japan!’

Once underground, the chamber unfolds like Pan’s Labyrinth but, instead of an apparent ghoulish collaboration of H. R Giger and Adam Jones, there lurks an altogether more sinister creation. A tiny Japanese man in a business suit is concocting a deadly cocktail of Karaoke, comedy, cutsy kids TV music... and shredding guitar.

He is also staring right at me. Although it is debatable how much of this chaos is orchestrated live, and although melody and rhythm rarely correlate, Sonic Dragolgo, (known as ‘Sonic’ to his friends), manages to capture the attention of all fortunate enough to be here tonight. Between hilarious one-sided discussions on the finer points of British culture and an unnerving puppet show featuring a stuffed Bob the Builder toy which has been mysteriously and impractically fused with a guitar slide, the music is actually incredibly enjoyable, managing to slip effortlessly between touching, effeminate vocals and chugging, freakout electric.

A lengthy lecture on on the concept of ‘buy one get one free’, followed by three renditions of the song of the same name gets the crowd barking along every time. Other highlights include an amazing Electro cover of the Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’, that magnificently defies any shred of logic and taste, (fans of the Stone’s should probably steer clear). Towards the end of the set he conjures a compact mirror and, after checking his beard, blasts out the last few numbers.

Even Sonic’s synth-induced psychosis cannot prepare anyone for Bespa Kumamero. An orgy of electric light, colour and sound that clash at breakneck speed in an explosion of Manga inspired Electro pop. With glitter, goggles, gizmos and grins aplenty this day-glo duo engage the crowd in a curiously well co-ordinated demonstration of lo fi clubbing mania. From the side of the stage Monichi Irikura produces an intricate device which is ritualistically strapped to his torso. Reminiscent of a reverse home-made ghost-pack or a light-hearted madcap invention of visual artist Stellarc, what effect this device has on the overall sound of the performance is anyone's guess! Having said that, the idiosyncratic wonder of this unit, which is ‘played’ with the concentration of a toddler on the toilet and includes a huge flashing red emergency light, is such a delight that who cares?

No sooner have the crowd grown accustomed to this technological barrage than Monichi produces a Katana and begins more ceremonial dance. Suddenly, in one swift motion he leaps from the stage and starts hacking at the crowd. Engaging in faux Kenjutsu with various members of the audience marks the start of an array of ‘attacks’, from ray guns and megaphones, (toted by the increasingly enthusiastic Azumi Kuwadate), to a Metal-driven machine gun massacre courtesy of Monichi’s crunching black electric guitar. Bursting with more neon energy than a hyperactive children’s action cartoon Bespa Kumamero are great fun to watch and could easily fill huge clubs of cyber kids given more publicity.

Headline acts Tokyo Pinsalocks are 16-Bit girl rockers armed only with Korgs, bass and drums. Heavy, vibrant and retro they nullify the senses with feel-good nodes of Nintendo fuelled madness. Sugar sweet, simple and occasionally Bjorkesque lyrics accompany a grimy but tightly skilled rhythm section that blasts from the PA with the fervour of a super hero video game. Hisayo’s bass sounds like an Atari on overload and the kit is positively collapsing with the intensity of Reiko’s drumming, but they get heads nodding and are very well received considering the tiny crowd. Altogether this is an immensely intoxicating trio, not only capable of capturing and elevating the spirits of anyone with a sense of fun, but making them want to catch the next flight to Tokyo to find more!

‘It Came From Japan’ is such a terrific idea for those who want to hear what joyous monstrosities are being concocted on the other side of the globe. More tours like this would provide valuable publicity for previously unknown bands and ensure the music in this country would never, ever get dull!

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.