Brighton's Fujiya & Miyagi is a band built on contradictions with a penchant for the cryptic and cavalier. With their breakthrough 2006 singles comp Transparent Things, the trio's ubercool indifference and calculated minimalism permeated the mainstream via beer commercials and dancefloor culture through the mashup blogosphere (listen below). Tracks such as "Collarbone", "Ankle Injuries" and "In One Ear and Out the Other" have had enough legs to stay relevant five years later. Their followup Lightbulbs had moments but the lack of a grabber single was glaring. In 2011, the band as aesthete has become a fully functioning construct on their new LP Ventriloquizzing, emphasizing their Krautrock influences and stark minimalism by grinding their sound down to a microscopic tip then etching their marks and flourishes faintly on the fresh page.
The opening title track is a good reflection of Ventriloquizzing in its entirety. The influence of Kraftwerk and Can are omnipresent, yet Fujiya & Miyagi don't stray too far from the their hip swaying roots. What is different is the dark nature that shrouds the new LP. Where the previous releases strove for sweetness and light, the new tracks are featuring minor keys and omninous lyrics. It works best on first single "Sixteen Shades of Black and Blue", whose dirty tone slinks around while the descriptive lyrics are downright erotic with their deadpan delivery. "Minestrone" tips a hat to late 70's Talking Heads as the nonsensical ramble weaves through the funky mix. The atmosphere of cool continues on "Yoyo" where the exercise in repetition and minutiae is the draw without the extended drone that bands like Stereolab have perfected over the years.
There lies the missing element in Ventriloquizzing. Where Fujiya & Miyagi choose brevity in their minimalism, some tracks would have benefited from some sonic exploration. "OK" has a smooth simplicity and uses delicate piano plinks to make an impression, but the dark synth fills could have been pushed even further. Things become even more elementary and enigmatic on tracks like "Taiwanese Roots" which can be best described as a silly scat about eating. Ventriloquizzing gets gains its footing again on extended jam "Tinsel & Glitter" that throws in a spacey organ groove that almost breaks their "less is more" rule. For the most part, the choices that Fujiya & Miyagi were well advised and calculated. I am not sure it is going to sell any beer, but there is always the next album.
Purchase Ventriloquizzing here.
Fujiya & Miyagi - Ventriloquizzing
Fujiya & Miyagi - Sixteen Shades of Black and Blue
Fujiya & Miyagi- Yoyo
Bonus: Chicago mashup masters The Hood Internet love Fujiya & Miyagi and always seem to find the right balance with their hip-hop counterparts. Check out their website for oodles of free party starting mixes.
The Hood Internet - The Next Collarbone (Dr Dre x Fujiya & Miyagi)
The Hood Internet - What U Know About Transparent Things (TI x Fujiya & Miyagi)
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