New Japanese band De Lorians (from Tokyo) playing somewhere between RIO and Canterbury (they're a long way from home, then lmao.gif)
Genki Goto (electric bass, cello),
Hyozo Shiratori (electric piano, organ, vocals, theremin, saw),
Soya Nogami (electric guitar, vocals),
Syzeuhl “Meme” Joyer (drums, percussion),
Takefumi Ishida (alto saxophone, saxello, synthesizer)
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https://deloriansbbib.bandcamp.com/album/de-lorians
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Been yappin' about these guys on FB a lot over the last month - some fabulous stuff - loads of sounds, shapes, and catchy hooks.
A good album. I won't call it great because there's much Zappa cloning.
There is - but not a huge amount. I hear chunks of Moving Gelatin Plates too... but its all good shit as far as I'm concerned.Originally Posted by spacefreak
Good call!
And live, they're really good too! (almost three minutes …!):
From YT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Zv...ature=youtu.be
"At De Lorians’ monthly gigs, there are plenty of more surprises, too. There’s ample improvisation, of course, but some nights they disassemble the sections of their songs, piecing them into new suites that might run longer than the length of their studio debut."
Pitchfork even liked it. That scares me.
The Prog Corner
As we discussed with the authority of mr Spacefreak, lots of promise but also some serious copy paste fron Soft Machine and Zappa. The last 2 tracks yield the more original take on things. Very enjoyable, and looking forward to a brighter future.
A young band copying Zappa and Soft Machine?! Pinch me, I must be dreaming.
I really like this one, btw.
And sometimes Pitchfork is on point (no pun intended), albeit not often IMO.
I enjoyed listening to this album , but there were times when I found the particularly shrill reedy style of saxophonist and bandleader Takefumi Ishida a little off putting. Its piercing earlobe, twitching tone is particularly apparent in Mata Mata , but this is more than compensated for, by the classic organ work, reminiscent of Mike Ratledge that underscores much of that particular piece.
or, more likely, identical to.
So what's the problem with that?
I have this on order. The Laser's Edge had this for a price I felt was reasonable, so I bit. Looking forward to checking it out.
Bill
No problem at all, but being so blatantly retro sets the bar lower for me. I am a fan of this record, and I even introduced it here in the Japanese thread, but I prefer bands that create their own sound.So what's the problem with that?
It's not "progressive."So what's the problem with that?
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Gotcha. I understand that too. Generally I'm not as into the "clone bands" as I used to be, but it's so rare (for me at least) to hear a new/young band who sound like Soft Machine or Frank Zappa. I can't help but feel happy about that.
Bi Kyo Ran is another case - I love KC - and I love that a band like BKR did songs so similar in tone and approach - its like an added bonus band of music I dig - and listen to as well. Cant have enough music that sounds the way I like it.Gotcha. I understand that too. Generally I'm not as into the "clone bands" as I used to be, but it's so rare (for me at least) to hear a new/young band who sound like Soft Machine or Frank Zappa. I can't help but feel happy about that.
I have no issue with any copying or cloning. I love their sound and spirit. I'll take all the copy and cloned stuff you can throw at me if they're doing the copying from FZ, Soft Machine and the like. Beats the f*ck out of anything new from Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran or Sufjan Stevens.
^ Oh I dunno, Sufjan is actually a pretty interesting guy. He has attempted (and sometimes even pulled off) some pretty ambitious things musically -- some pretty high-concept stuff actually.
I'd take him over Ed Sheeran or Ariana Grande any day. Actually been to one of his concerts and had a really good time, even though I wouldn't really consider myself a fan.
I've given this a couple of spins since it arrived. I like it. I certainly hear the influences people are citing, but I'd stop short of calling De Lorians a clone band. They certainly aren't afraid of echoing their influences, but there's a lot in their stew. I hear a lot more Canterbury in addition to Soft Machine, for example, and I think they integrate their influences pretty well into a fresh (if not entirely original) sound. I also think their stuff is a bit more "focused" than much Zappa and early Soft Machine. I'm not a super-big fan of either, but I connect with De Lorians pretty easily.
My only quip is that the album is stupidly short at 32 minutes, and I don't really care for how it ends. It really could have used one more piece, to my ears, and there are a ton of opportunities to have extended some way cool jams a bit longer. Another three to five minutes and a somewhat more defined ending would have made a big difference to me. But I can't deny that I enjoy this record, and I'll definitely check out future releases from the band.
Also absolutely love the cover art... reminds me of a lot of great 70s/80s animated films like Wizards and Heavy Metal.
Bill
In the LP days quite a few albums didn't run longer than 32 minutes.
Frank Zappa: Apostrophe was only 32:02
Even by LP standards, 32 minutes is short. I have tons of cds of albums from the 70s, very few are less than 35 minutes, most are close to 40. Yes, there are exceptions, but those are exceptions. It wasn't the standard for the 70s. And I've had the same issue paying $15 or more dollars for these extremely short 70s albums that I do paying that for an album released in 2019. I'll do it if I must, but it seems like a bit of a rip-off to get so little music for the same price as an album that is ~40 minutes. Sometimes I wait to see if I can grab something like that used, which in the past was possible (for example, I got most of my Beatles CDs used for about $6-$8 years ago). Not so much any more, you have to grab stuff before it's gone forever if you want physical media (in my case, CD).
At least TLE had De Lorians for $12, which was enough of a discount to make me bite. But I think for this day and age, this is a valid criticism, and I hope the band takes it into consideration on their next release.
Bill
It always nice when they are long, but its the quality that counts
overnite sensation 34 minutes
grand wazoo 37 minutes
waka jawaka 35 minutes
KC - Red 39 minutes
Have to admit that I'm a bit underwhelmed.
Japan has been a virtual hotbed for excellent and sometimes hyper-advanced progressive rock in the Softs/Zappa/Picchio mold - from the fine (Flat 122, Djamra, East Wind Pot) onto the great (Il Berlione, SOH Band, Machine & the Synergetic Nuts, Hi-Speed) to the outright fantastic (P.O.N., Zypressen, Tipographica).
To my ears, De Lorians don't really stand out at all. It's a good and solid little album, but it doesn't engage me that much.
Perhaps I'm getting old. Perhaps it's alcohol, liver and upcoming death. Hell awaits.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Yes. Compared to the incredible Japan output of the previous two decades, this is just a good record. One misses the creativity of bands like Tipographica or Il Berlione.
But it's 2019. Even stuff like Tipographica is 25 years old. We have to expect less and be less harsh. I guess...
I guess we are all in agreement here.
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