Music
Tokyo’s techno-rock trio don’t like interviews so they gave us a playlist to illustrate their point.
It’s not like most blabbermouth bands to clam up when talking about their music, but Tokyo’s Nisennenmondai aren’t most bands. Masako Takada (guitar), Yuri Zaikawa (bass), and Sayaka Himeno (drums) make hypnotic yet thumping, industrial-sounding techno-rock which should please ears with a fondness for Factory Floor, Battles and Krautrock.
The trio are returning to Europe in February to perform at the 16th CTM Festival in Berlin, alongside Carter Tutti Void (Throbbing Gristle’s Chris & Cosey plus Factory Floor’s Nik Void), psych-metal heroes Electric Wizard, Egypt’s electro chaabi crew E.E.K. and Evian Christ, before hitting the road in support of a new, extended version of their latest LP, N.
When we speak (very briefly), Nisennenmondai make two things very clear to us. They feel no kinship to fellow boundary-pushing acts in their home city. Even famously experimental types they feel ostracised from these days: “We used to listen to Boredoms, but they don't influence our style. We're influenced by electronic music only,” says Himeno.
If they’re not part of a local scene, how else to pin down a sound that’s been constantly shapeshifting since they formed in 1999? “We've been trying to make new music from a basic band style, so guitar, bass and drums,” Himeno explains, “but we've been exploring what we can do through trial and error, and someone described our music as Zen, which we like. But really, just listen, feel and dance.”
They’re not shy of telling us who they do draw inspiration from in their strident, more-techno-than-techno noise, though. “We like the sounds of Throbbing Gristle and [Finnish noise artist] Mika Vainio,” says Himeno. “One of our dreams came true,” he adds about playing with two members of the former at CTM. “Their sound is always new to us.”
And the other thing they want to point out? “We don't like talking much about ourselves – too much talking dilutes the music's power. This is our style, we hope you understand.”
Which is why they’ve provided us with an exclusive mix to do their talking for them. Enjoy.
Track listing 1. A bouncing people planet / Allan Bryant 2. Untitled B1 / Philus 3. Ritual of drugs / Parasense 4. Wegwerfliebling / Roter Stern Belgrad 5. Single Blip / VCMG 6. Bird of paradise - part 1 / Terry Riley 7. Hot on the heels of love / Throbbing Gristle
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