Fragments - Let It Go [2006]

Fragments is sort of a super-group, but not what you would expect from any of the members. Spalding, from Minoritybluesband, fronts the band on guitar and vocals. Aki, from Forgetmenot, Off-End, Conception, Impulse Records, plays drums. Both of those guys are playing slightly different styles, but for Fragments they don't really meet in the middle. Instead they play folk-ish indie rock that reminds me of a less country Chamberlain. This is really, really laid back stuff; it has a definite calming effect.

They released a full album on Impulse Records, but have since quit playing. Spalding is in What-A-Nights now, and Aki continues to play in one thousand bands (exaggerating). Check this out for something a little different from some scene legends!

Buy it Here!

Fragments - Let It Go

1. Undecided

2. Motherly Sea

3. Some Jingle Jangle Morning (Originally By Mary Lou Lord)

Infro - Melody [2007]

Another week has passed. Now here's Friday where I post something I really, really, really love.

Infro has been playing for years, but this is their first album. 7 songs of emotional, fun, hardcore punk stuff. For fans of 1000 travels of Jawaharlal or Turbostaat. If you haven't heard of them yet, you're a nut, so please download this now. Anyways, back to playing video games. Have a good weekend!

Infro - Melody
1. shirukotowo shirukoto
2. kimiwa moumoku?
3. kotobajanakute
4. ataerudake hageshiikoe ichidokirinara kantanda
5. montage
6. kigatsukeba mounanimonai
7. magatteasenaka

VA - Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 3 [2008]

And so the week ends with Volume 3. This actually isn't the last of the compilation series, but I don't have Vol. 4, so that'll be it for this anyways. I really hope Aki continues with this series, as there isn't really any other compilations in Japan collecting this stuff.

As with the others, this one has a different style than the one's before. This one is mainly emo and screamo bands. Some of the stand outs are Bed, What Ever Film, and The Sunset Boulevard, although almost every track is really good.

I still have a copy of this in my distro, so pick it up if you like the tracks: Buy it Here!

Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 3 Compilation

1. Herpiano - I Wonder

2. Piece Pix - 真夜中の歌

3. Bed - 70000000000人間

4. TG.Atlas - 神or魔神

5. What Ever Film - イツワリ

6. The Sunset Boulevard - Return From Ruin

7. Nenem - 三階裏からの追憶

8. Curve - Rather Forgiven

9. Malegoat - Expression

10. Fragments - Such Days

11. Mod Lung - 昨日みた夢

12. Sheba - Rainbow On You

VA - Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 2 [2006]

Ah, number two. This was some time after the first (around two years) and had a different focus than the previous one. Although the theme of Impulse Records' Here Comes the Bottom Line... seems to really just be about getting great Japanese bands together, each one seems to have a stylistic focus too. The first was a sort of melodic hardcore/screamo/emo mash-up. This one is more about noisy bands and emo bands. You've got the expansive and sneaky Bright and Dark Side next to the wild and chaotic Fountain of Rich Aroma. There's even a solid noise track with 斜陽 (sorry, won't bother translating it). The tying thread, like the first, is that this is the Japanese underground. Aki doesn't collect every band in this series. He would be almost to the hundreds by now. What he does try to capture is the spirit, the ethics of what makes the underground unique. Sometimes its just personal. Most, if not all of these bands have played shows with all the others. They probably know most of the members by name. Styles aside, this is a cohesive scene. And maybe that's the theme of each, he looks at one scene. I'm not sure if many of these bands have played shows with Mule or Minoritybluesband, from the first compilation, so maybe that's it. 


I can see this as also a sort of level setting, to define what makes these bands different. As an outsider to Japan, I don't normally play the scene card. I tend to evaluate bands based purely on their sound, not caring who they play with or what label they're on. And not that those things matter, necessarily, but I think they're indicative of the character and ethics of said band. There's a specific scenario that outlines this point perfectly. Zankyo Records is a slightly prolific label in Japan that releases music in the emo, and sometimes screamo, genres. If you listened to folio and, say, 3nd or The Cabs, you can see a lot of similarities. But, those bands would rarely, if ever, play together in Japan. The reason being, I can only ascertain from what I can see, is that folio is an indie or DIY band, and The Cabs are hoping to "make it big." After the success of 9mm Parabellum Bullet, who were on Zankyo before signing to Sony, it seems that becoming popular while playing indie music with screaming is a real possibility. This is really about the sound of music separated from the reasons that sound was developed. In some ways, that is also the problem with the internet spreading DIY music. Most of the time only the music is communicated, separated from the context that music was created in.


So, these compilations, while not explicitly communicating a message in their packaging, are about the DIY culture and what it means. If so, then it's really some sort of allegorical biography of Aki himself, because the dude embodies what is great about this culture. Playing in about 10 bands, being a focal point and supporter of the DIY scene. His most recent Impulse Fest is a perfect example of his commitment to the scene outside of a specific genre. Do yourself a favor and get into Impulse Records.


This compilation is still available a few places, but hey(!), you can pick it up in the States from me, so DO IT!
http://www.meatcube.com/product_info.php?products_id=293 
And listen at the link below.


For comparison. Folio:

and The Cabs:

Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 2 Compilation

1. Shoutmoskva - Missing? or Nothing?

2. Fountain of Rich Aroma - A View

3. Bright And Dark Side - Mirror

4. Same Place Empty - Consciousness That Was Let Loose

5. Paluka - 荒唐無稽

6. デラシネ - Business For Your Music 10,000,000

7. 斜陽 - 無題

8. Alan Smithee - Stalker

9. 33/45 - 連鎖、共鳴シ続ケル鐘

10. Test Mustard Disco - Irresponsibility

11. R3-N7 - クソッタレ

VA - Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 1 [2004]

Back in 2005, Impulse Records was an upstart label coming out of Shikoku, Japan. I'm not sure who sent the first email, but I think I contacted Aki to get copies of their first compilation (this one) and the Forgetmenot 3 songs EP. This was at a time when most of the bands I'd been friends with were slowing down or breaking up all together. I was busy with Cease Upon the Capitol and not paying so much attention to what was going on in Japan. So when I got the stuff from Impulse, I was blown away by all of these newer bands that were amazing. Forgetmenot was an instant favorite, for sure, but this compilation took time to grow on me. I appreciate it now more than I did then, mostly because of changing tastes.

This is sold out everywhere, but I found a copy at MNM Distro. So, buy it here:
http://mnm.xrea.jp/distro/cd/index.php?page=all#916

Here's a music video from one of Mule's later albums:

Here Comes the Bottom Line... Vol. 1 Compilation

1. Mule - 12

2. Butch - The Day

3. Driftage - Issues Persecute Us

4. Infro - 足跡

5. Infro - 独り

6. The Oxide - Bombed Like This Stereo

7. Hush Puppy - Still

8. Minority Blues Band - Stone Won't Roll

9. Forgetmenot - 理想も忘れて

10. Halka Goat - 光の日々へ

"Doors" - Revival Sleep / Sora / Forget Me Not / Folio split [2006]

I first traded with Impulse Records back in 2005, right when the label was just getting started. That was my first introduction to Forget Me Not and the label. We kept trading, as they kept putting out really amazing stuff. Impulse is located in Shikoku, a place far off the radar from the prominent Tokyo scene, but they were releasing stuff easily as good as anything else going on in Japan.

When Aki told me he was going to release this, I knew it would be gold. I'd played a show with Sora during my month with Gauge Means Nothing and had worn their demo out already. Adding new songs from Forget Me Not, and it didn't even matter if the other two bands were garbage or not.

What I got once I did the trade was one of the nicest splits ever to come out of Japan. Seriously every band on this thing is top notch and each scratch a different itch. Revival Sleep has since disbanded (can't find much info on them), but the other three bands have gone on to have pretty amazing careers so far.

There's not much else to say about this, except that it's marvelous. Do yourself a favor and listen to this, if you haven't already, because you will thank me later. Here's a vid of Forget Me Not:

Doors 4-Way Split

1. Revival Sleep - SUN

2. Revival Sleep - Short Film

3. Sora - 無色の景色

4. Sora - 小さな手

5. forget me not - 君の顔に映す

6. forget me not - 眼と手と手と眼

7. Folio - One of the Tenderness

8. Folio - Proof