Friday 26 September 2014

Firefly (Bellaphon, 1987)

Here you are a Japanese band from the '80s, one of my favourite acts from Far East. Their sound is surely reminiscent of the contemporary British bands (and of Camel, too), but there's something unpredictable in some of their musical patterns and sounds. Take this "Firefly", for example, the title track of Bellaphon debut CD. You'll immediately observe the flushing collection of keyboard sounds, ranging from the vintage Hammond to the most unusual samples. And what about Taiqui Tomiie's drums? How many rythmic solutions, and how gentle his touch can be!

One of the best istrumental albums of the '80s, IMHO.

There are so many changes in this instrumental epic and so many different moods... but each one is graced by a different solo by Toshihiro Tanaka's electric guitar. Here, of course, you'll recognize the influence of some of the greatest instrument masters, but Bellaphon are perfect when it comes to choose the right effect for each passage and each interplay. Yes, this is maybe their greatest virtue: a very good taste. And this is not common, is it?

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