Koenjihyakkei

It’s an old story. We North Americans invent dry cleaning and the television then the Japanese take the technology, juice up and combine it, then next thing you know they have a robot that picks apples… and it’s cheap to buy!!! In this musical case Ruins drummer Yoshida Tatsuya has taken the (mostly) European strains of prog and opera and come up with a powerful, possibly lethal mutation of "progopera.” This is Koenjihyakkei’s fourth release but first in North America, and just as Ruins routinely blow the doors off of most/all other drum and bass duos, Koenji make most contemporary progressive outfits look like the codgers they are. Musically there is the seemingly psychically adhered interplay of drums, piano and bass that is less harsh and manic than Ruins but triply dramatic. This stratospheric playing sets the scene for the one to three to five voice choruses of male and female voices volleying high and hard in the mix. Depending on your musical taste this may be the thing that unleashes your inner valkyrie. Others may view it more like that episode of Buffy where everyone sang: groundbreaking, but thank god it’s not every week.