seven four records.

Shimokitazawa’s small but welcoming ERA was packed by 6.30pm on this Monday night in Tokyo. It had been a long weekend due to a public holiday, and there was no better way for the mid 20’s-ish crowd to unwind than with some fresh post-rock sounds.

Press play and enjoy…

First up were Deep Sea Drive Machine, a four piece that had a distinct uplifting dancefloor vibe whilst maintaining an air of ambience to the music. With the guitar delay pedals helicoptering notes around the small venue, and brief sequencer interludes providing interesting breaks in the music, they certainly had the crowd bobbing their heads along to their catchy tracks.

Next were Rega, who evoked a more post-punk sound in the vein of bands like At The Drive-In and The Fall Of Troy. The energy displayed was nothing short of electric – despite having no vocals, the band members still mouthed the crowd into action, eliciting many a raised fist in the air throughout the set. Danceable math rock passages, complete with frenzied riffing, were followed by bursts of shifting rhythm and soulful melodies, working to great emotional effect. A definite hit with the crowd.

The third act, nanorunamonai, was slightly different from the rest of the line-up, having an MC and DJ grace the stage sans drums or guitar amplifers. Opening up with some ambient, minimalist electronic beats and impassioned, almost whispered delivery, the duo treated the audience to a pseudo storytelling session. The crowd was slow to warm to the performance but opened up a bit more as the music slowly shifted to some more Lupe Fiasco-esque beats and catchy melodies, and even some room for some scratching from the DJ. The passion in the vocals never dropped and seemed to lift with the energy of the crowd. Hearty applause ensued at the end from the room, seemingly won over.

9dw began their set with a dual keyboard assault, some funky synth lines setting the tone for some non-aggresive, jazz/electronic hybrid rock. Soon some jazzy guitar made its way into the mix, one of the synths being ditched in favour of some crazy finger tapping action. And just like you’d imagine from a band with a synth, some 80s disco influence shone through to good effect with help from the drums and bassline. Overall though, the band seemed to be in more of a jam or practice mode, their robotic actions seemingly matching the feel of their performance this night.

Finally it was time for LITE to rock out on a synth of their own, launching straight into new single The Sun Sank. Kozo’s transition from guitar to a synth and sequencer seemed effortless, hammering out the melody like it was one they had been playing for a few years now. The energy of the fresh new track was matched by the movements on stage, with Akinori beating the drums as if he was providing the heartbeat of the world, and Jun thrashing the bass as he delivered his complex, searching bass lines.

The tight riffs and technical interplay between the members continued throughout the next song, old favourite Human Gift. Each instrument was distinct in its role, all dueling to be heard, but no one instrument really took control from the rest, thus helping to create LITE’s signature sound. There may have not been a lot of movement from the crowd but the appreciation could be felt. Guitarist Nobuyuki, whilst soft spoken, soon managed to get a few laughs out of the crowd in between tracks, introducing the other new tracks from the ‘Turns Red’ EP. The tracks showcased LITE’s ability to make soft ambient pieces work in a live context, full of melody and shifting dynamics.

However, it was the opening track from ‘Phantasia‘, Ef, that really blew everyone away with its sheer energy and aggression. The tone of Nobuyuki’s machine gun like opening riff, distorted and menacing, cut through the air like a knife. It was matched in power by the less aggressive, long, drawn out notes that followed later on in the song. Each note seemed to hang in the air and resonate throughout the room, once again displaying the control LITE had over their use of dynamics to create powerful music, channeling brooding and introspective feelings out into the open for all to empathise with.

The band came back to the stage for one encore song, delighting the crowd with a track from their first full length album, ‘Filmlets’. Tonight was a solid display of instrumental/post-rock from a lot of talented bands in Japan’s alternative scene, and in LITE, the crowd was treated to one of Japan’s most talented bands, full of energy and emotion – pure rock ‘n’ roll minus the bombast and grandeur. On this evidence, LITE should find many more packed venues, no matter what day of the week.

Note: Thanks to Jeremy for the photos – ah, the wonders of an iPhone!