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A reason to smile
Most descriptions of Special Others, the mostly instrumental music quartet that opened the day’s festivities on the main stage, refer to it as Japan’s premiere postrock ensemble. A few say they lean more toward jazz. “Postrock” is one of those neologisms, like world music, that’s so general it means almost nothing. Usually, postrock outfits eschew vocals for instrumental compositions built around repetitive phrases, so why not just call them jam bands?
Special Others is centered on the hollow-body guitar talents of Dayo Yanagishita, whose got all the jam band tricks down: building tension through long arpeggio or trill patterns, slowing things down so as to build enough momentum for a big finish. Their songs have immediately recognizable melodies that don’t morph into anything distracting. The songs ebb and flow, and if the development of an idea seems to lean more toward the mellow, they know how to galvanize their audience with a climax or two. With the midday sun bearing down directly on a pretty big crowd, those climaxes were often accompanies with 21-gun salutes of water pistols.
Apropos their elastic take on musical style, the members all sported facial hair that gave them that extra Bohemian edge (no tattoos, though), so when they launched into what, up to that point, was an uncharacteristicaly funky piece, my conclusions were thrown for a loop. That’s more like jazz, I thought, and then they gave the drummer a solo. Definitely jam band, I thought. Of course, the audience didn’t care a fig. They were too busy grooving.
photo: Yuji Kitamura
