Art punk band Tsushimamire have released parallel new music videos for their songs “Tokyo Jellyfish” and “Tsushimageru”.
After 17 years, the Chiba rock trio Tsushimamire have had their first lineup change, with drummer Mizue leaving the band to pursue other adventures.
To fill the big shoes left by Mizue’s departure, remaining members bassist Yayoi and guitarist/singer Mari have decided to reincarnate the band into two simultaneous projects: Tsushimamire and Tsushimageru.
Tsushimamire features new drummer Maiko in their video Tokyo Jellyfish. The music video is a playful commentary on our physical disconnect yet endless obsession with smartphones. With a headless band playing instruments, the audience is fixated on the body parts interjecting the screen on iphones. Clever and entertaining, the music video is done in the style of Tsushimamire’s forever glittery colourful world of beguiling cuteness.
The song itself strips down the heavy distortion and raucous cacophany of rock and roll riffs that’s usually the chaotic signature of the Japanese trio’s punk sound. Instead Tokyo Jellyfish pares it back to a minimalist arpeggiating melody of synchronised guitar, bass, drums, and synths, with Mari’s addictive, fast paced lyrics scattered across the top.
Tsushimageru, on the other hand, is the side-project with drummer Shigeru from Usotsuki Barbie . The band continues their exploration of insanely catchy melody through basal hand claps and the minimum of instrumentation. An entire minute goes by with just metronomic hand claps, a funk-tilted bassline and Mari’s vocals telling us to “dance all night!”, before the guitar enters the track into an epic fuzzed up disco party.
The infectious song is represented visually by an equally enthralling music video. Like an adorable narrative of Stranger Things, Tsushimageru invites you to let loose in their psychedelic universe of the upside down, where big things are small and small things are big.
Looking ahead to their dual album release at the end of October, the world looks like it’s in for some serious boogie times with Tsushimamire and Tsushimageru.