In this issue: Mono, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Sarah Blasko, Yves Klein Blue, Reverend & the Makers, Sasha Grey
Konichiwa bitches! Music Feeds is turning Japanese in tribute to the gods of post rock Mono releasing their sixth studio album Hymn To The Immortal Wind. You may have noticed all the Japanese text on the cover. We translated all the English on the cover into Japanese using an Internet translator so as to make things a bit more authentic.
Then we thought, ‘wait a minute, that means all 15 seconds of hard work we put into writing those catch lines will go to waste!’ So we came up with the solution of printing a double cover with English on it. By then however we’d forgotten what we’d written so we had no choice other than to translate them back from Japanese with an internet translator and the results are… well just turn to the back to check it out.
Anyway Mono and how they inspired this issue. When we first got the interview I was overjoyed. In my ensuing enthusiasm I packed the feeds crew off to Ding Dong Lounge near central for some karaoke, binge drinking and dangerously unrehearsed re-enactments of my favourite samurai movie scenes. Ending up alone in Kings Cross looking everywhere for a Japanese massage with a happy ending and settling for Thai instead I was struck in a moment of pre-orgasm ire with the inspiration to dedicate an entire issue to Japan.
Why you ask? Why not. No, why specifically did a rub n tug inspire this you correct? Oh, well I can’t really explain but my mind is at it’s best when my loins are in the firm grasp of a South East Asian woman.
However no more details about my ‘creative process’ let’s talk about why Japan is by far the coolest country in the world. Think of all it’s given us; Playstations, Samurai, Sushi, Bukake, Ninjas, Harajuku girls, Taiko drumming, Nintendo. I mean Nintendo alone… strike that, Super Mario and Zelda alone in my eyes qualify at least that Japanese culture has much higher levels of awesomefacation than western culture.
When you then add on top of that anime, Ramen noodles and geishas let alone the endless stream of other awesome things this wonderland has given us, it soon becomes apparent that not only are the Japanese earth bound gods, but that as gods they should be allowed to re-shape the world as they see fit, if not at least Australia. Let’s face it, they’d be fucking way better than Nathan Rees or Kevin Rudd.
I mean you can buy a pair of panties soiled by a twelve-year-old girl over there. That may be one of the most disgusting things about their culture – that there is market for that sort of perversion (as if there isn’t a black market for them here as well.) The fact that their government looks at that and sees a moral issue rather than a legal one and then, and here’s the kicker, decides to butt the fuck out, that proves that Japan is a truer example of democracy that Australia, the United States or The UK put together. You can even buy alcohol and cigarettes on the street from vending machines thanks to the fact that the country hasn’t been hijacked by a bunch of fun hating sodomites walking around in faggotty robes masquerading as the voice of God.
New art forms such as anime and manga are embraced and pursued to their creative limits. Compare Spirited Away to The Sponge Bob Movie. Akira to The Little Mermaid. Their music, which while in the mainstream more resembles a twisted parody of our own demented pop stars than anything else, in the underground is pushed forward by the scene with fans demanding innovation and creativity instead of familiarity and danceability. What other country could produce the percussive bedlam that is Boredoms, who else but the Japanese would give us Afrirampo.
But putting aside my own cultural bias toward the Japanese for a moment (however brief), comparing Japan’s level of infrastructure to our own hammers home our ant like stature next to them. While cars are Japan’s main means of transportation, in terms of usage they are the lowest of all G8 countries, and while new and used cars are inexpensive and efficient their government uses car ownership fees and fuel levies to promote energy efficiency.
And their trains. Oh God the trains. With a number of different train companies competing for market share, Japan’s trains, while being technologically advanced with stations centrally located, are also notoriously punctual. Let’s not get started with how far ahead they are in the fields of technology, machinery, medicine and robotic research and theory.
I could go on and on listing the almost infinite reasons that I feel irrevocably prove Japan should be in charge of the world but really there’s only one thing left I need to say.
Look at Japan’s history. It would be difficult to find another nation more steeped in history or with more ties to its old ways and traditions. Now consider how forward thinking and innovative they manage to be in spite of this. They marry a respect for their culture and the customs of their ancestors with an open view of the future and an understanding that to survive and thrive humans must constantly re-evaluate their morals and practices in regard to where they stand in time, and that to stand in the way of progress is to fight a battle that cannot be won, only dragged out for generations.
But that’s enough of me ranting. Let’s get down to business and check out what we have in store for you this issue.
As mentioned, the cover story this issue and running editorial muse is Japanese band Mono. Having miraculously managed to record an album which features a 24-piece orchestra live to tape in 12 days (including orchestral mixing), I catch up with guitarist Taka to discuss the bands’ superhuman prowess.
Also keeping on topic for The Japan Issue we have a selection of photographs of Japan appearing courtesy of MFTV D.O.P. and jack-of-all-trades Hugh Allen. Check out some of the panoramas he got for us and tell me you don’t want to move to Japan.
Leaving the Japan inspired content behind, The Reverend himself Jon McClure caught up with us, instigating debates and smoking a few spliffs at the same time, Porn Star turned actress Sasha Grey left me feeling sexually intimidated, while Fat Freddy’s Drop, Sarah Blasko, Yves Klein Blue, The Jezabels and Augie March all dropped in for a bit of sushi and sake.
We also caught up with Jager Uprising Finalists The Winter People and uncharted finalists Foxx On Fire and Hot Little Hands for a bout of liver crippling binge drinking in some deranged attempt to curry favour with the sponsors before Aleks & The Ramps came to the rescue with some kebabs and a pack of Stuyvos.
Chicks On Speed stopped by to steal our radio for more speed. The Galvatrons left a bunch of lemurs in the office and Brendan Welch has been hanging around on his own all week. Hey at least he fucking woke up unlike Jordie Lane who slept in.
We also have a story on the upcoming Internet TV series Sharehouse Zombie Apocalypse, Psytrance artist Sienis, and more.
We’ve just launched MusicFeeds.TV, MFTV for short too so log on and check out or new interviews, short films, video clips and other assorted oddities of interest.
Mikey
Music Feeds! Better Than A Mango Even
