2016/06/22 17:32

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA : beautifully constructed record

On 22nd June 2016, one of the hottest music acts in Japan, WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA, released their new EP UMA from Warner Music Japan(Atlantic Japan). Campanella's sound is largely based on elements of electronic and bass music and quirky Japanese lyrics, with their new-mixture style receiving considerable support from Japanese music fans. UMA is WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA's first proper world-wide release, so we invited London-based broadcaster and DJ Nick Luscombe to chat with KOM_I from the band.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA's 6th ALBUM

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / UMA(24bit/96kHz)
【Download Format】
WAV、ALAC、FLAC(24bit/96kHz) / AAC
>>What is High-res?

【Price】
a song 205yen / ALBUM 1,800yen(tax in)

【Track List】
1. Chupacabra
2. Tsuchinoko
3. Yeti
4. Unico
5. Phoenix
6. Baku
7. Kraken

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / Chupacabra
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / Chupacabra

Review : UMA-WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA

Tokyo based pop/electronic group WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA (Suiyoubi no Campanella in Japanese) have rapidly built a large following across Japan since posting their first tracks on YouTube in 2012, and their subsequent mini albums and releases on the independent record label Tsubasa Records.

KOM_I is the vocalist and face of the group. She performs live and also appears in the videos. The music is expertly arranged and produced by Kenmochi Hidefumi, and Dir.F. - mysterious back-room figures who’ve yet to appear on stage.

Forging a sound that fuses club beats, rap, dreamy vocals and innovative electronics, the three piece’s approach makes for a dynamic and refreshing formula - all delivered with heaps of cool melodic pop.

To appreciate the sound of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA more fully it’s perhaps interesting to note that KOM_I’s early musical influences include the incredibly talented (and much missed) Kyoto-born producer Rei Harakami, whose detailed instrumental electronic pieces she enjoyed on her long commute to high school in her youth. She later developed a fondness for synthpop innovators Denki Groove, alternative rock band the Flaming Lips as well as the experimental Japanese music maker Oorutaichi.

Although it’s fair to say that they draw from many disparate sonic elements, WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA are more than mere musical magpies. They’ve honed a sound of their own which is no more evident than on their Zipangu album, released at the end of 2015. The record helped grow the Japanese fanbase and also created a larger awareness internationally, resulting in an invitation to perform at the prestigious SXSW2016 in Texas. Kicking off with the unique Shakushain, (which playfully pays homage to the northern city of Sapporo), the record incorporates many different takes on modern electronic music, while keeping an overall aesthetic that never strays too far from the unique WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA sound.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / LIVE at SXSW2016
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / LIVE at SXSW2016

Their brand new EP UMA (their first for a major label) retains all the freshness and energy of their previous releases - but with an additional sheen and confidence that’s sure to win them even more fans around the world. (Incidentally the title UMA is taken from the initials of Unidentified Mysterious Animal an idea which KOM_I became fascinated by, which in turn lead to her to think about her music from a fresh perspective.)

Production contributions on the record include LA’s Matthewdavid, Paris based Myd, and German trio Brandt Brauer Frick, all adding their own original spins on the material, and adding to the outer-national appeal to WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s sound.

The album kicks off with the dance-floor friendly Chupacabra. With a mix of Euro high-tempo big room production, highly tuned and detailed production and the gliding rap of KOM_I, it’s an irresistible way into the record.

Another efficient and immaculate pop/dance production Tsuchinoko quickly follows with quick-fire vocals and a great synth line.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / Tsuchinoko
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA / Tsuchinoko

Yeti takes the music in a different direction with a slower tempo, laid back rap, and floating vocals, and Phoenix picks up the energy with a samba - fused house beat and a lot of quirky sound detail courtesy of Myd, the French DJ, producer and founding member of Club cheval. (There’s even an unexpected and really enjoyable school playground sing-a-long at the end.)

Unico is perhaps the most musically traditional in approach with piano, guitar and string accompaniment providing an organic backdrop to KOM_I’s strong melodic performance.

The penultimate track Baku, produced by Matthewdavid, is the most experimental on the album - building a submerged drum & bass rhythm through a dense soundtrack of vocals and electronics. UMA winds up with a collaboration with highly regarded German three piece Brandt Brauer Frick who close the album with Kraken. It’s an unhurried and evolving track initially built around a simple low slung disco bass-line and KOM-I’s vocals - mutating along the way and dissolving into electric keyboard and soundscapes.

UMA is a beautifully constructed record - equally at ease with musical experimentation as it is with pure pop. Unfettered by any sense of cynical commercialism UMA is right up there with some of most complete Japanese electronic/pop albums from recent times with wonderful moments of musical clarity and interplay. It’s a record that will undoubtedly enable WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA to reach many more new fans in Japan and around the world.

text by Nick Luscombe

KOM_I / Nick Luscombe

Nick Luscombe

Broadcaster and DJ Nick Luscombe presents BBC Radio 3's Sony Award Winning Late Junction programme, as well as the syndicated Flomotion radio show for Resonance FM and British Airways.

Nick's previous roles include Director of Music at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), as well as Chief Music Editor at iTunes.

He is the founder and director of Musicity, an international location-based digital and live event platform that explores the intersection of music, space, memory and experience.

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA archive

PROFILE

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA is a pop house unit formed by KOM_I (Front Act), Kenmochi Hidefumi (Composer), and Dir.F (All the rest).

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA gives an extraordinary experience with their mysterious mixture of House, Techno, Chill Out style music and the one and only Kom I’s rhythmic vocals. The artist is mostly recognized for their comical & sensational music videos and for Kom I’s very unique and very original character. WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA has always been challenging activities other artists have never done before.

They are offered to perform for numerous music festivals and shows. Kom I appeared in major festivals in Japan such as SUMMER SONIC 2015, RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2015, ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2015, and ARABAKI ROCK FEST.15

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA has climbed their path to stardom very quickly within the past 3 years. They have achieved a unique position in Japan and they are on their way to be a true iconic artist.

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