Tags
2019, band, Experimental, Group, Japan, jazz, Mouse on the Keys, Music, Musicians, Review, Single, Tokyo, Topshelf Records
Today mouse on the keys dropped a stand alone single called Circle.
Their new song “Circle” takes an eager turn toward a heavier, climactic post-rock style of composition. Written by drummer Akira Kawasaki and guest guitarist Yuri Kamo, “Circle” draws inspiration from influential artists like Pat Metheny, And So I Watch You From Afar, and The Mercury Program.
The standalone single begins with a syncopated, almost incalculable riff over which the rest of the song is progressively revealed. Warm and light synths pad the space between staccato plucks to set a backdrop for resonant, emotionally devastating piano chords and groove-inclined drumming. All instruments but the plucked lead abruptly cut out before a swell of feedback lurches into a cinematic punkscape of wailed, siren-like guitars and distorted ephemera. An arpeggiated bridge ensues, leading the listener into a drawn out breakdown coda which fades out into the opening motif, effectively closing the circle.
Although a seemingly uncharacteristic direction for the prolific group, their execution is on par with the rest of their work. “Circle” is deliberate compositional risk-taking meets classically-informed jazz whose anthemic passages burst with filmic awe and intrigue.
Circle gets:
/10
