Asakusa Jinta – Setsuna

Asakusa Jinta is a unique band. They combine rockabilly, Japanese marching band music, ska, hard rock and klesmer into a hyperactive performance. I saw them last march at SXSW’s Japan Nite and they put on one of the best shows of the festival. They look and sound like they’re having fun every second of their performance. If you ever, ever get the chance to see them live, you should do whatever it takes to do it – their show is like an enourmous celebration, and it’s impossible not to get swept up in it. Their new album, ‘Setsuna’ does a good job of capturing that energy, and is a great soundtrack for bustling big cities.

This is a very Japanese band. They’re from Asakusa, an area of Tokyo filled with traditional culture and that’s where they draw their influence from. Singer/bassist Oshow describes their influences as “Matsuri drums, enka, old jazz, old marches, jinta, chindon, and all sorts of other sounds, like those of crowds or temple bells, are our musical backbone.” Their influences go far beyond traditional Japanese music though – they combine all sorts of sounds form all sorts of genres. These influences result in a sound that’s like an even more hyperactive Gogol Bordello, if Gogol Bordello was obsessed with old jazz records and Tarantino movies.

That Tarantino influence shows itself in the horn parts of ‘Tokyo-Sabaku De Jidanda’. The song opens with a mournful trumpet solo before switching gears to a furious punk march. This song has all the mayhem of the best Polysics songs with manic horns, punk-rock guitars, and impossibly fast bass playing.

There’s so much going on instrumentally that it can be easy to forget the vocals, but on a song like ‘Rakuyo’, Oshaw’s vocals get an opportunity to shine. He’s got a great rockabilly wail and a great sense of melody. Even when his singing sounds mournful, there’s still a sense of celebration. This really suits ‘Rakuyo’, as he describes the song’s meaning: “I pictured the sun setting on a scorching day in Tokyo, and sang as if reciting a Buddhist prayer.”

One thing that really stands out is how well Asakusa Jinta play together. All the players are great at their instruments, and they’re great at giving each other a chance to shine. There are lots of solos on this record, and since there is such a range of instruments in the band, they remain fresh. Everyone in this band knows how to show off, but they also know when to step back and let someone else have a turn. This really highlights the unusual sound of Asakusa Jinta since all the players have different styles – if they tried to play over each other the album would be a mess, but instead it’s a constantly changing party album.

By taking in so many influences, and mixing them together with such a sense of joy and wonder, Asakusa Jinta have created a sound that has a broad appeal while still being completely one of a kind. I can’t think of another band like them, and believe me, I wish there were more people doing what they do. Beyond just having a unique sound, they write great songs and are amazing performers. Recommended for everyone, Asakusa Jinta are one of the best bands I’ve ever seen and ‘Setsuna’ is their best album.

Asakusa Jinta MySpace

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