Fujiya & Miyagi
Ventriloquizzing

THE REVIEW

A dark room, shades of blue light, the silhouettes of a few other people can be distinguished, "Ventriloquizzing" begins, the balding David Best whispers as the electronic metropolis comes to life behind him. David Best, yes, English, and besides his vocal cords and guitar, there are also the synthesizers of founding partner Steve Lewis, Matt Hainsby’s bass, and Lee Adams’ drums. Four and not two, English from Brighton and not Japanese. After making their quiet entry into the music world in 2003 with "Electro Karaoke In The Negative Style," after piquing the interest of audiences on something in 2006 with "Transparent Things" and confirming themselves in 2008 with "Lightbulbs," the time comes, in 2011, to rely on partial external production by Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Au Revoir Simone, Papercuts, etc.) and produce a record with a blue and psychedelic cover.

In "Ventriloquizzing," Fujiya & Miyagi copy themselves, self-celebrate, re-present the same formula of the three previous records but the result is more massive, compact, digs deeper. The acid that emerged on the cover becomes stronger as soon as the music begins, the opening entrusted to the title track paints all four walls, the ceiling, the floor, and the lowered shutters with electrotinted midnight blue. Don’t even think about listening to it outdoors; this is an album to be listened to indoors, closed, sealed. "Sixteen Shades Of Black And Blue" summarizes the spirit of the album, Best has no intention of showing his voice and always whispers, speaks into the ear in a confidential tone, and it’s the dark and claustrophobic background that raises the volume, a synthesis of the characteristic contrast of the Krautrock soul between the underlying darkness and the strong colors of the surroundings, Best who has never hidden the influences of Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk and company since the beginning. It is in tracks like the following "Cat Got Your Tongue" or "Pills" that all the minimalism that has always characterized Fujiya & Miyagi's music emerges, the dryness of the singing and the dryness of the melodies, essential pick strokes on the strings, electronic palpitations like the instruments of an operating room, drums that leave you thirsty. More interesting "Taiwanese Root" with electric piano embellishments, "Yoyo" hypnotic enough with that melody going up and down, like a yo-yo indeed, and "Minestrone" where even the Hammond - or something that imitates it very well - carves out a good role, while the closing "Universe" perhaps arrives too late, when boredom has already taken over. Because Fujiya & Miyagi eventually become boring. "Universe" however opens worlds between spectral choirs and dreamlike and icy atmospheres à la "Blade Runner," the piece has a growing development that mixes all the good reasons that should make the four silent English nerds interesting, in the end, it leaves you satisfied and almost makes you want to listen to everything from the beginning again. But that would be excessive, better to remember "Ventriloquizzing" after just one listen.

The band’s name derives from the combination of the Karate Kid master (Miyagi) and a brand of tape recorders (Fujiya), which in itself is interesting, but David Best himself has said he’s tired of constantly discussing this. Much better live, anyway.