Kenjihyakkei- Viva Koenji (1997)

So where to start with Kenjihyakkei? Well they are Japanese, classified as RIO-Rock In Opposition and Zeuhl, but that's just the beginning. This is truly one band that you just have to hear for yourself, honestly.  If I was to attempt to begin a description of this group, I would start with rock, then throw in some metal, add male/female vocals, mix in multiple effects on multiple different instruments all surrounded by off-beat time signatures, leads, rhythms and mix that in a pot, cook it on high, then take it off the stove and let it cool.  So that sounds crazy, right? Actually it's not that crazy at all, if you are acquainted with RIO.  Koenjihyakkei is just one of many RIO projects, yet one of the better.

Viva Koenji is the 2nd release by Kenjijyakkei and, out of the ones that I have heard, probably my favorite.  The production is really good, even though the average user might just consider it crazy unstructured noise, it is actually really well put together and has a great flow to it.  10 tracks with a running time of a little under an hour, this can be trying to complete, in one fell swoop, but if you're a fan of this style, it'll be really easy to digest.  I will say that even within their unconventional style, the tracks end up running together when you listen to them; which is good and bad at the same time, so let me explain.  When the tracks all run together, I have a tendency to not be able to see the differences in what they are pushing across the table to me as a listener, but on the other side of the coin, having them run together shows a stream-lined approach to the release; so pick your poison.  

With at least 5 solid members, and others that show up throughout this album and others, I would suggest this to someone who is adventurous and likes new things.  Kenjihyakkei throws everything at you, most of the time all at once, and with so many things going on as you listen to the album, this is a really good place to test the waters. If you use a file sharing program, or you have a certain site that shares music, you might start there; due to this not being readily available in a lot of areas, but if you can score it used, get it!

Official Score-3.5/5