Thursday, October 7th, 2010 by Victoria Goldenberg
A preview review for the Far East to East Showcase
The multicultural New York City has a history of incubating bands that cross the borders between Japan and the United States, such as Cibo Matto, Peelander-Z and Gelatine. By mixing sounds—and sometimes band members—from both countries, they challenge our assumptions about what constitutes a Japanese or American music act.
Ambient band Echostream occupies common ground between the American gothic and Japanese Visual Kei scenes. The members hail from both the United States (Tony Grund, CJ and Jen) and Japan (Ryoko, Tomo Asaha). While they’ve earned VK cred from touring with Blood, their English lyrics and moody ambient-rock mix hold a broader goth appeal.
One of Echostream’s greatest assets is one that sounds like a weakness on paper: Ryoko’s thin voice. A stronger singer could have made songs such as “Contagious” overdramatic—at least from the perspective of someone who’s not a fan of Visual Kei or goth music—but Ryoko’s human fragility reins them in.
The Duality of Courage closes with an atmospheric track of bells, thunder and other sounds (“Disturbance at 8 am”), a silent track and two untitled songs. The choice is interesting, but these songs don’t transition smoothly from the ones that precede them. For example, the volume is significantly lower on “Disturbance at 8 am.” I felt like I was listening to a different album.
That said, Echostream put on a fun show when I saw them at last year’s Far East to East Showcase, and they help bridge the Far East to the West. If you dig goth or Visual Kei culture more than I do, you’ll probably find plenty to enjoy.
Tags: blood, cd reviews, cibo matto, Echostream, Gelatine, goth, gothic, Peelander-Z, reviews, the duality of courage, victoria goldenberg, visual kei
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Monday, October 5th, 2009 by Victoria Goldenberg
When pop group AKB48 ran across the stage waving at their fans during their debut American concert, the members were in perfect sync. When Fujishima Mineko of Swinging Popsicle ran across the stage high-fiving the audience at the Far East to East Showcase, she nearly hit her head on a speaker.
The New York Anime Festival closed with two polar opposite Japanese concerts at Webster Hall on Sept. 27. Pop fans could enjoy AKB48’s slick choreography and endearing adorableness. But two flights down at The Studio, the music was totally underground. The second annual Showcase, presented by Superglorious and NYAF, covered punk, ambient, indie pop and cabaret in four distinctive bands. It was an intimate affair all about the originality, raw energy and spontaneity that make small club gigs so appealing.
Gelatine conveyed a simultaneously dark and comical mood through the two-prong thrust of its frenetic punk music and menacing stage presence. This New York City band formed in 2001 to play both original music and that of singer Seiko’s old band, 10Yen Ana-kinoko. Its first record, the murky Gie Ji Gaii, finally came out this year. Gelatine’s chief draw is Seiko, who has the confidence and twisted humor to perform in a diaper and act like nothing’s strange about it. This time she wore a bra and bondage leash, which seemed almost tame in comparison. Though leashed, Seiko behaved more like id unfettered: swinging around from the mic stand, stomping in place, and moving from cute shrieks to aggressive snarls within seconds. The rest of the band was ready to meet Seiko at every capricious turn, and they complemented her bizarreness with their own. Guitarist Takeshita Jun literally growled his MCs about glamorous topics like the sweat in his eyes. Rock ‘n’ roll, indeed.
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Tags: AKB48, ambient, Björk, blood, cabaret, carmen, chocolate soul music, classical, concert, Echostream, Far East To East Showcase, fra-foa, fujishima mineko, Gelatine, gie ji gaii, go on, habanera, hirata hironobu, indie, j-rock, japan girls nite, japan nite, jpunk, junketsu wa aka, Kokusyoku Sumire, live report, lolita, loud cut, mikami chisako, new york, New York Anime Fest, New York Anime Festival, New York City, obama, perfect loop, punk, rainbounds, ryoko, sachi, seiko, shimada osamu, snow-ism, Superglorious, Swinging Popsicle, takeshita jun, the studio, tomo, tony, victoria goldenberg, violin, visual kei, way forward, Webster Hall, yuka
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