De par son style et son instrumentation, Interpose+ est un groupe hybride qui rappelle a la fois KBB ou Kenso pour ses sympathies symphoniques et Side Steps pour les clins d’oeil appuyes au jazz fusion des annees 80 (et oui encore un...). Selon les morceaux, c’est l’un ou l’autre des deux styles qui prend le dessus, avec quelques respirations inspirees comme sur l’ambitieux Dayflower et son joli passage de musique de chambre. Le chant est tres plaisant, caracteristique du style des meilleures vocalistes japonaises (rien a voir avec la chanteuse de Peterroom !). L’incontournable Akihisa Tsuboi (KBB) est toujours au violon. La musique est agreable, parfaitement interpretee, mais ce style pourtant prise par les Japonais n’aura certainement qu’un tres faible impact sur le public etranger qui, malgre le foisonnement de groupes ≪ retro-prog ≫, est habitue a plus de nouveaute. Interpose+ tentera neanmoins de s’exporter en se produisant cette annee au BajaProg mexicain.
Interpose+ first came together in 1986 when Tanaka Kenji (guitar) and Sato Katsu (drums), both from the band Libido, decided that they wanted to perform something that was musically different to what they had been doing before. They got a band together, but by 1990 they had broken up. They started over again in 1991 only for that line-up to fold the following year. Eventually Tanaka and Sato met in 2001 and decided to give it another try and although they still seem fraught with line-up problems (both the keyboard player and bassist have left since the album was recorded) they do at least now have an album to show for all of their efforts over the last 20 years. Singer Sayuri Aruga has a wonderfully clear voice, and she certainly rises above all that is going on beneath her. It is also noticeable that a key part of the sound on the opening number “Aircon” is my favourite Japanese violinist, Akihisa Tsuboy of KBB who certainly adds an extra facet. But the band are more than capable of standing on their own and even though the vocals are in Japanese this in no way detracts from what is a very fine debut. Just five songs (with two of them instrumentals), spread over 47 minutes, the band have enough room to be able to spread out yet also stay focussed on the task in hand. Musically they are a classically based prog band, but also bringing in elements of RIO and even Renaissance. All of the guys are strong musicians, with the bass particularly important in underpinning the whole sound, and Sayuri is a real find. This release which is one of the best Japanese prog albums around. www.interpose.jp is the band site, or www.musicterm.jp/poseidon
長いのでinterpose+の所のみ転載。
It was worth the rushed meal to catch Interpose+. Spot on sound from this fairly typical Japanese symphonic outfit. They played their debut album pretty much note perfect. The female singer was again better than on the studio version and had an engaging character, bursting out in a fit of giggles every time she had to make an announcement in English, which had everyone else laughing with her of course. Great guitar work and keyboards. No Tsuboy on violin (who guests on the album) but his bass player Dani was as smooth as always.