Andersens (lo-fi pop from Japan)

andersens

Between Static and Fire
Majikick CD, 2003

ANDERSENS were one of the bands I wanted to hear more of after listening to Song for Nao (reviewed previously here) and this 2003 record doesn't disappoint. Less folky than the cut on Nao, the band languidly approaches pop, twee, psyche and, yes, folk with a healthy smattering of guests to cover, quite handily, guitar, sitar and banjo - different pieces of percussion are used, not abused, throughout to add additional texture to the songs. Although they are classified as "lo-fi", I think that's only because the three core members are somewhat tentative on their instruments as I can't see that their recording, while intimate, isn't being done with the highest standards. The band is built around a core of three high school friends (by 2003 they are probably in their very late teens or early 20s) and Yoshiko Iguchi who joined the band with this their second disk.

There's pieces and parts of VU, Yo La Tengo and some of the twee folk (Jennifer Gentle springs to mind) but with lots of spacey reverb. Like "Swan", the cut from Nao, they aren't afraid to just stop a song in its tracks and let one instrument carry things for a verse although unlike "Swan" the songs are simpler and mostly not as full of surprises, at least within the pieces. That said, they show some skill at sequencing the songs - building smaller instrumentals are the longer, more substantial pieces - and even with the slow tempos, this helps the listener catch their breath.

Band Members:

• Kiyokazu Onazaki
• Sinsuke Ouchi
• Daisuke Kobayashi
• Yoshiko Iguchi

Songs:

• "Philadelphia" - could be the best companion piece to Julee Cruise's "Falling"... Instrumentation: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, toy drum, drums and vocals.
• "Waiting For You" - the masterpiece of the album: think of it as the equivalent to floating on your back down a swirling river accompanied by a blanket of stars.

Buy via Jet Set Records on Gemm: Andersens - Between Static and Fire

Links:

• Band Website and I think this is their blog (translated via Google Language tools)
  
• Band Interview from Sound of Sunday
• Sound Samples from their latest record, Prepared Landscapes, suggest a turn towards country-western drone

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MEME UPDATE:

Well, I finally got a taker on my challenge: SEB, a Canadian living in Japan (coincidence!) who obviously spent a good deal of time in my fair city takes on the meme in his "And you may find yourself..." blog He's got a better list of instrumentals than I was able to come up with. Maybe if we're nice to him he can score me the latest ANDERSENS record since JetSet doesn't seem to be carrying it at this moment.

Again, the offer stands - do the meme and I'll drop you a link... fyi, if I forgot to say it before: the originator of the meme is 12thharmonic blog so let him know if you do it as well.