It has been a long two years since UK psyche twisters Japanese Fighting Fish set ears and passions ablaze with their album Day Bombs; a time where the band has never been far away from ears at The RR to be fair but too long to wait for something new from a band who to that point had only brought something unique and invigorating to the British music scene. Finally the wait is over though with the extremely anticipated single U Ain’t Gonna Win This about to uncage its devilry, and guess what… Japanese Fighting Fish are still amongst the most imaginative, inspiring, and yes warped bands around today.
Really that is no surprise as their 2011 debut album Just Before We Go MAD was a bold and virulent escapade of creative devilment and sonic psychosis too; rich enslaving qualities taken to another level by Day Bombs two years later. It is a surprise that they alone have not made the Leeds-born, London-based outfit a house hold name and passion, and if you add an impressive live presence which has seen them play with the likes of Space Hog, Wild Beasts, The Stranglers, De La Soul, and UB40, as well as ignite venues in their own name and right, it is a mystery. Now with the exotic spicery and revelry of U Ain’t Gonna Win This things might and should be about to change.
A teaser for their next album Swimming with Piranhas which is scheduled for release at the end of March 2016, U Ain’t Gonna Win This takes all the prize elements of those previous albums and their hosts of singles, and twists and hones them into a new kind of JJF temptation. From its first step of its erotic prowl, the bass is sonically gurning and guitars splattering spots of sonic tempting on the senses and imagination. The distinctive inviting growl of Karlost is just as swiftly to the compelling mix; his unique tones courting sound and ears as beats from Al jab and probe the same. The virulent bounce to the track’s carnival-esque stalking has feet and hips involved from the off; its funk spawned gait and noir jazz air simply chains of seduction, whilst slithers of noise rock, alternative pop, and psych punk only thrill as they entangle the maelstrom of imagination and enterprise to matching success.
An exploration of split personalities whilst also making a “homage to boxing greats like Ali, and Rocky “, the song is an alchemy of devilment, an infestation of crazed ingenuity that creeps into and manipulates every pore and brain cell. The same applies in a different way to its companion on the single Queen Marilyn, the song a dirty grunge seeded blaze of desert rock with more than a scent of Queens Of The Stone Age to it, if a psychotic and bedlamic version. The track rumbles along, throwing out increasingly gripping hooks like sonic confetti, rhythms barging away within the mix too as Karlost spreads his sandy tones.
As in U Ain’t Gonna Win This, the guitars of Gareth Mochizuki Ellmer and Karlost captivate and provocatively suggest whilst the bass of Matt creeps with salacious intent through the swinging raps of Al. It is a combination united by the band’s off-kilter imagination and craft into creating arguably the best single of 2015 and an already impatient anticipation for Swimming with Piranhas.
The Japanese Fighting Fish are back and irrepressibly better than ever, and even more inventively deranged.
U Ain’t Gonna Win This is released November 13th via CDbaby @ http://bit.ly/1SNr0wL
http://www.japanesefightingfish.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/Japanesefightingfishuk https://twitter.com/jffuk
Pete RingMaster 13/11/2015
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
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A drama lined caress of piano from vocalist Anthony Orzel entices ears and appetite first, its quick persuasion soon joined by the melodic smile of Dave Bithell’s guitar and in turn the punchy beats of drummer Drew Burns. A thicker and darker texture courtesy of bassist Daniel Orzel brings depth and great shading to the song too, tempering in a good way the impressive and rich vocals of Anthony. Settling down into a feisty endeavour with rhythms an energetic shuffle of enterprise, the song is soon swinging with emotive and infectious zeal, the open invention and craft of individuals uniting in a feel good yet emotively intense canter of sound and expression.
The EP opens with Orion, an immediate spatial romance for the senses and imagination from its first electronically cast atmospheric breath. The alluring voice of McLarnon is just as swift in laying charm upon the emerging flight of suggestion and sound, Kretov’s guitar potently hinting too with emotive textures within the wrap of electro seducing. In no time the imagination is lost in the immersive warmth and call of the song, submerged in its elegant hug and sparked to explore its own assumed passage of adventure and design. It is a mesmeric start to the release, the familiar Ummagma invention and tender sound venturing into distant climes and atmospheres.
The EP opens with Sitting Pretty and within a breath the guitars of Ben Mercer and Nick Blair are spinning a web of technical prowess and enticing expression, the bass of Jamie Holmes no slouch in gripping attention either with his lure of dark strings. Swiftly the song is a climatic affair, emotion and sound colluding as vocalist Oli Cole lays down an antagonism of voice and narrative within the blossoming tempest. Calm and elegant moments also add to the temptation of the song, their shining passages still prowled by the predatory tones of the bass within a constant rhythmic web swung by drummer Chris Sheen. The track is a potent and welcomingly unpredictable start to the EP but soon eclipsed by its successor.
It begins with Thief and an immediate tempting of melodic guitar amid an emotive wash of sound. That parts as the enjoyable vocals of Will bring harmonic warm and emotional reflection to the emerging hug of gentle sound, though both aspects soon brew up into a fiery nature and flame brightly against the darker hues of bass. It is a magnetic affair luring ears and imagination with ease, even if maybe not exploding fiercely enough in its angst lined expulsions of passion. Growing with every passing minute in potency and impressiveness, the track seizes an appetite for its enterprise before allowing the infectious rousing of Too Scared To Swim to stir things up even more. With understated but strong hooks lining the melodic and harmonic walls of the certain crowd pleaser, the song canters along with a feel good factor in its heart and feisty nature to its energy, resulting in a stroll of pop punk to get fully involved in.
Just Move On moves in with a feisty nature and on a roll of rhythms from drummer Freddie Green, the sonic coaxing of guitarists Matt Bond and Luke Padfield no less a lure with their emerging cascade of riffs. Once in full view, the song settles into a robust stride lined by the throbbing bass bait of Leon Watkins, it all leading, once the superb vocals of Danni Monroe spring in, to a busy and eager roar of energy and sound. The rhythms continue to be as galvanic as the fiery delivery of Monroe, whilst sonically the track sizzles with infectious enterprise. The flowing flame of keys, also cast by Bond, only add to the warm and incendiary character and contagion of a song which alone is a powerful call to newcomers to check out The Dirty Youth further and indeed Gold Dust.
As mentioned, the London based threesome of vocalist Anelise Kunz, guitarist Fabio Couto, and DJ/producer Gabriel Ralls decided to pull back on their productivity to reassess their direction and the next step for the band. It is not that Plastique were floundering but assumedly like everyone, there comes a time when batteries and maybe more so the passion for and challenge of doing things need to be re-ignited and it appears that was the same for the band at this point. Quake showed it was a wise and potent move, Lips instant confirmation too that the move was the spark needed to take the band to the next level in sound, invention, and in breaking into the strongest spotlights.