Afrirampo - WE ARE UCHU NO KO (Rock Action)

Noise rock, garage rock, Japanoise; call them what it what you want but you would have to be a corpse not to enjoy it. It is the genre of music that was made for the manufacturing of chaotic live performance and there are few bands in the business that encapsulate the spirit that this type of sound demonstrates.

Yes folks, we have recently been handed a new offering from that crazy cauldron of Japanese chaotic musicality that is Afrirampo. However, let us get the sad news out of the way first. Whilst this may be a welcome addition to this groups great repertoire, it may ultimately be their last. As of June, both Oni and Pikachu have decided to hang up their microphones until a ‘higher power’ calls upon them to reunite and blast the crowds away with their psycho-garage antics.

But let us not dwell on this solemn point and turn our attention to the quite fantastic ‘We Are Uchu No Ko’. From the helter-skelter opening track of ‘Miracle Lucky Girls’, you know you have been launched headlong into that crazy world that only Japanese bands of this ilk seem to encapsulate. As a music lover you will know instinctively that this track will be a force to be reckoned with if opening a gig with it. One of the things about Afrirampo’s albums is that you get the live experience in recorded album form, you won’t get to much production, this is raw music and energy.

The beginning to ‘Sore Ga Afrirampo’ may be construed as a nod to The Clash but soon revels in a myriad of sounds and psychobilly melody but it is, like all of the album, very infectious. ‘Tou Zai Nan Boku’ is what it is; an extremely fun balls-out Japanese rock tune meant to be sung along with and would certainly be a staple for any live performance.

‘Umi’ can certainly be construed as a nod to the rock epics of the past. It is a very interesting change of direction in the album as it shows the diversity of the band. They aren’t just willing to get their rocks off with a random cacophony of sound but can also produce something that flows extremely well with special notice taken to the chord structure and beat.

This thoughtfulness is carried on in ‘Egolo Island’ which continues the tuneful direction that Afrirampo seem to meandering with this album. Just like it’s predecessor, it is fairly lengthly and rather than letting the track go stale, the song has a rocky middle and finishes in the mellow way it began. ‘Whyto’ is wonderful quaint track which one can describe as cute, it acts more as a intermission allowing you time to relax before Afrirampo proceed to ply you with more of their unique energy.

‘Yah Yah Yeah’ does just as the title would suggest and bring a positive and happy feeling after listening to it. It is another one of those ‘chant-a-long’ tracks that would be completely at home at the end of a gig.

Did I mention that this is a double album? The guessing is that the girls wanted a long goodbye and it certainly is a welcome one. The first track on disc two, ‘Sunwave Dance’ just gives you a distinctly warm feeling when listening to it. Call it clichéd if you must but it is definitely a feel-good track. However, you can detect that bittersweet nuance underlying the album as the band knows that this may be their last album and they are both savouring and lamenting this fact to the last note.

The album concludes with what one can only describe as an grand curtain call. ‘Hoshi No Uta’ is separated into 5 parts. The atmosphere that is detected with these tracks is Afrirampo shaking off their shrieking, howling and chaotic image to create something really provoking and sweet to end on.

For those who thought Japanese girls bands like Afrirampo were linear one trick pony’s please, reconsider, and indulge yourself in this album, it certainly brought a smile to me.

Words : Barclay Quarton

Rock Action Confirms New releases from Afrirampo and envy

Two of the noisiest bands to come out of Japan over the last few years have both announced new albums via Rock Action in September.


First up is noise rock girl duo Afrirampo, who will be releasing WE ARE UCHU NO KO on the 13th as a double disc.


Next up is Envy who were the final band on the bill at the Explosions in the Sky curated ATP a few years ago and totally took the stage by storm with their brand of post rock influenced metal. Expect new album RECITATION out on the 20th

Errors – Come Down With Me (Rock Action)

After their acclaimed debut in 2008 the Glasgow four piece return with ‘Come Down With Me’ a sarcastic pun that suggests the ‘Post Rock’ shackles of the first album are left firmly at the door. This is certainly the case, after nearly two years since the release of ‘It's Not Something But It Is Like Whatever’ things have changed most definitely for the better.

After gaining huge amounts of press to the point where songs were featured on American TV shows and on the Topman playlist sandwiched in between some god awful electro pop nonsense and the latest ‘indie’ hit it could probably be all too easy for these guys to sit back and have a go at writing the next big money spinner, the fact that they haven’t shows the passion and love for their art. (Although I’m sure they could have a fair attempt if they put their minds to it) Instead choosing to go down a much more Krautrock influenced road has certainly helped them evade such pigeon-holing as ‘Post Rock Electro’ or Math Rock and in doing so they have created a niche that along with a confidence in song writing that can only be gained by the success of their previous attempt has made sure that their second album is a benchmark and one that showcases the growth of a very exciting band.

The recording of this album took place over a six month period in their self made studio known as ‘The Freezer’ and you only need to listen to the first song ‘Bridge Or Cloud?’ to see how wisely they have spent their time. Bouncy synths and a much more upbeat tempo really allow the listener to plough through the album with a lot more ease than it’s predecessor whilst their first single ‘A Rumour In Africa’ is a bit more of a hark back to the début with more of a concentration on the jangly guitars but with big beats it delivers a punch that captures your attention straight away and has already had people dancing at their recent gigs rather than standing still and staring.

We are allowed breathing space between such high energy tracks and given a reminder that Errors aren’t just about one single genre or influence with the two back to back tracks ‘Antipode’ and ‘The Erskine Bridge’ which slow things right down giving the listener a bit of a chance for the woozy synths and ambiance to wash over them with the latter reminiscent of Rock Action label mates Remember Remember (to which drummer James Hamilton also plays with.) These two tracks are a welcome break before the tempo is upped somewhat by one of the favourites ‘Sorry About The Mess’ a song which some of you may recognise if you had seen these guys play any of their festival dates over the summer.

The thing that really makes this album stand out is the fact that they have actually solidified a sound that not many others have, there is also a consistency that allows the album to flow so much more easily than before. They have come a long way in a short space of time and with an emphatic live show to boot. Errors are a force to be reckoned with.