I first saw relatively the unknown Japanese band ‘Lansrat & Mery‘ in 2004. I was in Kobe at the time, and we had stopped outside a train station after grabbing a bite to eat. Kobe is an excellent place for live music, and the streets are no exception. Outside this station (can’t for the life of me remember which one) were three bands set up in a circle, eagerly awaiting to play yet another set that night.
For some reason, this was probably the first time I had actually stopped anywhere in Japan for an extended period of time. I don’t mean that *literally*, but I had gone with the flow for the first few months, what with the new job, the new sights and the new places to explore. I had just stopped, looked around and taken in the atmosphere and the buzz around the place. After seeing these bands ready to play, we decided to take a short break before setting out home and sat down to watch the show.
My ear drums were nearly shattered after the live music at Kobe’s Chicken George (yes, that is the name of a real Live House in Japan – more about those later), but that experience had really got me geared up to hear more live music, so I suffered ^_^. Plus, I was invited to jam along at my mate’s band practice, so I was definitely in the mood to check out some local bands and get some pointers. First up was a three piece band. They were pretty average, nothing really stood out but they were trying pretty hard to win people over. I might have critiqued them a bit harshly; they may have not stood out, but they were far better than your average UK/US garage band. Just, not the sort of thing that would make me buy their CD. Too generic I think.
Next up were these guys:
Now, you saw these people in a previous post. When I’m in Japan, my fashion sense becomes a lot more liberal. For example, wearing a pink beanie is not only passable (and extremely cool ^_~) but also a common place occurrence. In the UK, you wear one and you’re likely to be called a fag and punched in the face. This however, is going a liiiitle bit too far in my book. I know glam rock used to be popular, but c’mon! Ok, so their image certainly caused a stir and a few laughs, but unfortunately their music didn’t do much to help further their musically futures. Still, it was entertaining to watch I suppose.
My general view is that Japanese musicians try a lot harder than some of their overseas counterparts. I’m not trying to imply stereotypes and say they’re born with a muscial silver spoon in their mouths, but the general concensus is that there is a lot more quality music from unsigned bands (especially in the jazz scene) than you tend to find in the UK or the US. After seeing some bands and playing with one, I could see that there’s a lot more drive to become a better musician and write better music there. At least that’s my opinion. Feel free to disagree, but disregard all the watered down pop and there’s a good deal of well written, well played music out there. Anyways, I digress.
Now, up third was a band called ‘Lansrat & Mery’. Had I realised how good they would be, maybe I would have captured some photos or video or something. Unfortunately I failed to get any shots, and since they are a low key band, I can’t find much on the web.
If I remember rightly, there were a guitarist, a singer / guitarist, a double bass player, a drummer and a keyboard player. Unlike the two previous bands, they started to play and my attention snapped like some heat-seeking missile detection system, straight on to them. It was probably some saving grace that my friend who was with me wanted to hear all three bands, otherwise I would have probably got up and left to get on home.
A swinging double bass line came out of the PA as they went into their opening song, ‘Shuffle!’. The composition was amazing and the music flowed the way jazz ought to; it was music that tried hard to push through the boundaries, but all the while managing to keep on the right path.
This wasn’t just jazz though, this was funky jazz. Like, jazz with a funky rock twist to it. I know i’m overplaying them a bit, but I was really stuck in the moment. They weaved in and out of individual solos, and were playing like professionals. They went into Valentine, which has my favourite piano intro of any song, ever. I actually learnt that intro by ear the next day.
After their set, I ran up to buy their CD straight away. Although it is good, none of the recordings do their live music justice. Think of Dave Matthews Band if you will. Their songs are great (if you like that sort of thing), but they really shine when they are live. The studio stuff pales in comparison.
I’ll let you make up your mind, i’ll post up the whole album. I’m not concerned about copyrights and that sort of thing, I mean I’ve searched all over for more information on the band and the album, but so far there is very little. I can’t find it to buy anywhere on the web. I think if anything i’ll be doing them some good service by word of mouth. Still, if they want me to take things down, they only need to ask.
Lansrat & Mery – Shuffle!
[Right click and save as]
Shuffle! (Single)
and if you want the rest of it:
It’s definitely something you should do if you are out in Japan. Do a bit of searching and you could find some bands playing the street, usually trying to sell their latest CD’s and trying to gain attention from various labels. If you like the music, then do them a favour and buy their CD if you can afford it. They’re usually only about 1000円, and you’ll probably find a hidden gem like Lansrat & Mery. That kind of music is much rarer and a great deal more personal.
Dave Smith is an illustrator with great interest in Japan and Japanese culture. Find out more about Dave at