Songs of Innocence

Luminous Orange

2010/06/02(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-089 2,520yen(tax in)

After breaking 2 years of silence with the 2009 release of Japan’s most renowned alternative rock band Luminous Orange, the band comes back once again with a brand new full-length effort “Songs of Innocence”. With 18 years of experience from its initial conception, the band does not fall to any symptoms of lethargy or deterioration, but instead, are charged with limitless energy and vigor, transcending all that the band has achieved thus far, and eschewing the faults of what many “shoegazer” bands have attempted and failed.
The opening track “Song of Innocence” proves to be a perfect gambit as it gracefully portrays the band’s signature color. The song strides off with a very soft and pop intro; gradually developing into a labyrinthine stretch of dreamy chorus of sopranos, followed up with light, blissful echoes of whistles which cause an enchanting paradigm shift. The solid drums and harrowing guitars in “Untold” ruthlessly charges through as though a sonic riptide has been unleashed. The brilliantly intertwining riffs in “Sea of Lights” perfectly match the name of the track, as it casts stimulating panorama in the listeners mind. “Autumn Song” is a graceful song anchored upon complex drums and graceful guitar sounds. The subtle electronic sparkles featured within the interlude exemplify the ever-evolving stance of the band. The strangely charming track “Yuekin Spring Moon” embarks upon a peculiar chord progression, as though if it takes the listener into a different world.
With unpredictable song structures, idiosyncratic chord progressions, barrage of ever-changing time signatures, the album is laced with multiple sparks of innovation which can only be derived from a natural stream of consciousness of a select mind. Switching from the rigid to the fragile, the frantic to the mellow, Luminous Orange cleverly encapsulates a very dense creation into a short span of just approximately one hour, displaying their endless journey and hunger for innovation.

Down In the Hole

texas pandaa

2010/06/02(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-090 2,300yen(tax in)

Two and a half years since their sophomore album "DAYS" release in 2007, Texas Pandaa finally launches their long-awaited 3rd album "Down In the Hole".

With a tint of electronica & neo-core taste powdered around their signature female duo-vocals and highly-acclaimed sound formulae, they have eagerly challenged conventional methods both in time-consuming song writing and sound designing duties, successfully marking new heights in their musical career.

"Down In the Hole" is yet to become another raw and stunning album, taking listeners on a voyage brimming with implosive emotions and pleasant surprises.

Animals

This Town Needs Guns

2010/04/14(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-087 2,100yen(tax in)

Comprising of Tim Collis, Chris Collis, Jamie Cooper, and Stuart Smith, Oxford’s quartet comes out with their first full-length debut album “Animals”. The album centers around Tim Collis’ frantic mathematical guitar works, which builds atop Jamie Cooper’s dancey, melodic bass lines, followed by Chris Collis’ earthy, complex drums, and with the binding, moody vocals by Stuart Smith which stretches and soars through each song – all winding asymmetrically through its ever-changing time signatures, presenting their prowess in musical technicality. What makes their technical creation stand out from their like-minded peers is their gift in combining the meticulous math-rock laced indie elements and catchy pop vocal line, which makes it accessible to listeners of all fields.

squatter

AFRICAEMO

2010/03/17(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-084 2,100yen(tax in)

Africaemo was formed in 2007 between 5 college alumni. Since their inception they have performed numerous amounts of shows, including FUJI ROCK’s “ROOKIE A GO-GO” which they have managed to perform within a year of their first public performance, gaining the band a lot of attention from critics across Japan. Their sound consists of organic dance grooves featuring elements of post-rock, hardcore, and synchronizing influences from the forefront of Japanese underground hip-hop through Kishi’s short attention spanned bombastic, breakneck lyrics. Members Abe and Imanaka are also known by their DJ outfit “Body Fantasies” and started an all night rave in 2009 called “TOUCH PARTY”, inviting popular DJ’s and bands. This simply highlights the fact that these guys aren’t just another party band, and without a doubt, Africaemo is bound to set the new frontier to a genuinely new sound, connecting the missing links between the subcategorized contemporary music scenes.
HIGHLY recommended for fans of the telephones, Sakanaction, 80kiz, and Kitsune Music!

Weak4

65daysofstatic

2010/03/10(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-086 1,050yen(tax in)

Zankyo Record proudly presents the early Japanese release of “Weak4” from the Sheffield based industrial, glitch-pop, post-rock 65daysofstatic. The band now returns with a new outfit for the new decade, transcending their previous sounds with a bona fide electro influence. This early Japanese release includes a Japan only bonus track “Pacify” – a track charged with both the strapping new electro sounds and the classic 65daysofstatic’s signature hybrid styles.

Champions

Blakfish

2010/03/10(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-085 2,100yen(tax in)

Not considering logically, they're just playing what they want with threatening madness of twin vocals, howling twin guitars' discord, the heaviness bass line in the world and driving beats of drums. The band's name is "Blakfish", four piece band from Birmingham. They're not just a hardcore punk band, the songs also consisiting of clean tone and melody line between noisy parts , which is influenced by chaotic hardcore. It is their outstanding point that they always keep calm even in the storm of their chaotic violence.
Blakfish doesn't have any messages into their songs but only inspirations, and they tell different biography each time we ask them. Maybe they're just not serious or don't care about it, anyway that stance must be the core of their music.

Dedicated to mad music lovers including fans of hardcore punks such as SikTh, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, The Refused, Daughters and Give Up The Ghost.
Just shake your head till it comes off!!

Blue,under the imagination

cinema staff

2010/07/07(Wed) RELEASE

ZNR-094 2,300yen(tax in)

After 1 year from their 2nd mini album “Symmetoronica” cinema staff comes back with their long anticipated 3rd effort “Blue, under the imagination”.

The band used the word “Blue” as a metaphoric representation meaning “what lies ahead”, as they recently graduated college and will be moving on to start their new stages in life. The word “Blue” also stands for their determination for their ongoing effort of “creation through imagination” and “actively performing through instincts”.

The mini album comes in a double CD, featuring 6 hot new tracks and a bonus CD, which consists a total of 9 of the best live recordings handpicked by the band from the March 22 show at Shibuya O-nest and the March 28 show at Nagoya CLUB ROCK’N’ROLL -- both of which are their very first solo performance.

The band has a tour titled “‘Blue, under the imagination’ Release Tour – An Imaginary Tsuji” planned, and are scheduled to play 27 dates, and is also scheduled to play a solo performance at Daikanyama UNIT for their tour final.