(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): ATSUKO CHIBA

Thursday, 14 April 2016

ATSUKO CHIBA

Band: ATSUKO CHIBA

Genres: Post-Punk / Post-Rock / Alternative / Ambient / Experimental / Instrumental / Prog / Psychedelic Rock
Related artists: ?.
Country: Montreal, Quebec CANADA
Years Active: 2011-present
Song: "Tidings"
Album: "Figure and Ground"
Year: 2016
For fans of: The Mars Volta, Mogwai, Godspeed, You! Black Emperor, Hella, The Advantage, The Sound Of Animals Fighting, Sacrifice Poles, Radiohead, For The Mathematics, Daft Punk, Ahleuchatistas and At The Drive In.

Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the March 2016 Mix. This is track #5.

You can download: the March Mix#4 right here or get the new April 2016 Mix#5 here.

I first saw ATSUKO CHIBA in Toronto because they were touring with Nous Étions whom I am friends with. I filmed two songs from the set (here) because it was so engaging and unique, not to mention awesome and have made a point to see them whenever they come through Hamilton. The blend of a self-made movie via video projector that coincides with the music and a light show can be pretty spectacular at points, so be sure to pay a visit should they come through, which seems quite likely because the band tours a lot and also lives together in Montreal. Oh, and they are also amazing people.

The new 2016 cassette EP 'Figures and Ground' opens with "Barren Land", which is a rocking number that isn't far removed from later The Mars Volta territory, minus the vocals (because they are none until the very end). At 6:52 it weaves through a few different paths, including ambient stuff, keyboards, isolated instrumentation (bass), straight up jams and multiple/yelling vocalists at the close of the song. "Infared" is slotted in the middle and also eclipses the six-minute mark, which is much more on the eerie, atmospheric and psychedelic side. After three minutes the song begins to pick up but that's pretty relative as I'm really only comparing it to the first half of the song although the last minute is, dare I say, heavy. "Tidings" ties the EP up in a nice bow as it doesn't even hit the four-minute mark and is relatively straightforward in its approach, although it does display a wide variety of influences and styles, including hip hop and sassy math rock.

From the band's previous release which is a cdLP titled 'Jinn' (available for purchase from ZBR here) is a great album that suffers from recording/mixing/mastering that subdues almost all that is powerful and great about ATSUKO CHIBA. It turns out to be a good album, but seeing the same thing live is much better. Two songs in particular manage to come across more than decent (one might even say really fucking good) are "QVOX", the mathy/playful third song with definite At The Drive In leanings, and "One Big Happy Family" which is a huuuuuuge 21-minute closer that has over 15 minutes of excellent material including the first 10 minutes which I've included in a condensed version of the song linked earlier in this sentence. I would also recommend watching the video of that song below in the embedded youtube links below. Seriously this song is epic as all hell and a fucking killer jam that includes a part from four to five minutes that sounds like it was pulled from an old James Bond film.

Older ATSUKO CHIBA is okay but truly pales in comparison to the newer material, although this is kind of the case with most bands. All future material is expected to be excellent and I'm pumped to see them again soon, whenever that might be. A truly original and overlooked band.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - Animalia: Several States of Being digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)
2012 - Oui, Non, Merci! digital single (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Jinn cdLP (stream/buy here) (purchase the cd here)

2015 - Live Studio Session digitalEP (stream/buy here)

2016 - Figure and Ground cassetteEP (stream/buy here)

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(2016) ATSUKO CHIBA - "Tidings" (from 'Figure and Ground')