Koenjihyakkei 高円寺百景 – Live At Club Goodman (SkinGraft Records) – There are bits that go off and things like squalor is all alive and bees be flying around heads, there are bits that sound like a manic classical orchestra who’s heads might be on fire or at least falling down the stairs in a very very seemingly out of control very controlled and consider manner, now and again you could waltz to it and it might sound like they’re all over the shop but this is pinpoint precise and alive and orchestrally vital, excitingly so. I have fond memories of watching this show at it was being broadcast live from their homelands of Japan during the Covid Lockdown, it was signs of life in a very real unreal world, we haven’t really recovered since (not from the performance, from the mess of Covid, the performance itself gave us fuel). We did preview this release and give you all the details and few weeks back, I guess it does need reviewing now? Or does it? Is there any point in reviewing records these days? Oh there’s another bit that sounds very much like Cardiacs, not that anyone has copied anyone, it is just naturally there in the way it all fits together and of course Koenjihyakkei are unique. Actually that bit there sounded like early IQ, they often sound like wild (almost feral) jazz, they never stop, it is relentless, it isn’t easy listening, it is glorious. They’ve gone all operatic now, almost menacing as the drama builds yet again during Fettim Paillu, big slices of Magma constantly flying by in the rush of it all of course – Tatsuya Yoshida of Ruins’ lifelong love of Magma lead him to form Koenjihyakkei and (literally) using the same language to eventually go toe to toe with them and that was a great big lump of classic 70s prog rock again just then distracting my train of thought. It isn’t so much that their colours are different, more the way they put them together, the way they paint it all in their very own relentless full on maximalist way, the way they move their brush, the way every moment as a point to it and none of it is clutter.  

“Following the release of their album Dhorimviskha and during the height of the Covid pandemic, Japan’s Koenjihyakkei played a rousing set to an empty Club Goodman and live-streamed their performance around the world. Now, vocalist / composer / drummer extraordinaire Tatsuya Yoshida has returned to the original recordings, and has meticulously mixed and mastered the concert for a 2025 release.  Live at Club Goodmandelivers over 100 minutes of truly unclassifiable music that blends progressive rock, jazz fusion, symphonic rock and neoclassicism with the energy of hardcore punk, the volume of metal and the attitude of rock in opposition…”    

There are millions of bands in the world, thousands of rather good ones, hundred of brilliant bands, there are very few that are utterly vital, a small handful, Koenjihyakkei  are one of those vital handful bands and here in this live state there are so so many colours flowing, mixing, colliding in that fluid way their music always does flow. They have groove, they have soul, live albums, even by the the best of bands can often be a little throwaway, records of something you had to be at in person to really get, recording that just sit redundant in your collection next to those studio albums you always reach for, this is not one of those album, this, even if you have studio versions of these tracks already, is an album you need (it would also serve well as an introduction if their music is not familiar to you). It is something you have to limit, you can’t be listening to things like this on repeat for days on end, you will go crazy if you do try it, they are for special moments. Put simply, Koenjihyakkei are different and this is a highly recommended live album  (sw)     

Find the all details you need including details of the visual element and the live footage via Bandcamp / SkinGraftRecords.com

KOENJIHYAKKEI – Live at Club Goodman -2xLP / 2xCD / Digital
Street Date: May 23rd, 2025

Previous Koenjihyakkei coverage on these pages

KOENJIHYAKKEI – Tour of Europe 2025 and yes I know those dates are back to front and American, I haven’t got time to fix it, there’s paint to throw…

5/22 Vienna / club1019 club1019
5/24 Brno / Ponava Festival www.facebook.com/ponavafest
5/25 Praha / Punctum punctum.cz
5/26 Berlin / Neue Zukunft neue-zukunft.org
5/27 Hamburg / Stubnitz stubnitz.com
5/28 Würzburg / Immerhrin immerhin-wuerzburg.de
5/29 Brussels / Archiduc archiduc.net
5/30 Paris / Le Triton letriton.com
5/31 London / Cafe OTO cafeoto.co.uk
6/01 Genova / Villa Rossi 

Our work is done for the day, well no, there’s a million more head pecking things landing here by the hour, our work is never done.