Fujiya & Miyagi teach School of Seven Bells how to give a grade-A performance in Chicago

February 12, 2009 at The Bottom Lounge

By Selena Fragassi
Published: February 15th, 2009 | 2:50pm

It’s not surprising that Fujiya & Miyagi drink Smart Water, as they had a case full of bottles on stage with them at their February gig in Chicago. The Brighton, England, quartet is a shining example of the company’s belief that drinking this elite brand of bottled water can actually increase your brainpower. If not evident in their intelligent synergy of ’70s krautrock meets ’60s American funk by way of early ’90s electronica, then definitely in the way they make their audience ponder the possibilities during their thrilling live set.

Started in 2000 by singer David Best and programmer-keyboardist Steve Lewis over a reported love of Karate Kid, Japanese heavyweights, and a Japanese-style record player (the theme is evident), the band’s time together has produced three acclaimed records, the best of which they brought to Chicago, most notably 2008’s Lightbulbs (Deaf, Dumb & Blind) – the first with new member, drummer Lee Adams, who came out of nowhere during the third song to achieve the band’s full powerhouse sound.

In their hour-plus set, Best gave his best breathy Michael Hutchence impression as he sang in a surprisingly interesting monotone and alluring whisper that made everyone perk their ears on tracks like “Sore Thumb” and “Pickpocket.” The great thing about Fujiya & Miyagi may be that their words often don’t make much sense or are abstract genius, whichever way you look at it, with oft-heard comparisons as foreign as their name like combining ice cream flavors with clothing styles and New York pride on “Knickerbocker” or ripping a relationship as “prickly as two porcupines” on “Uh.”

Sometimes it felt as exclusive as watching a caveman coming into his own language as Best, in krautrock style, repeated words over and over, whispering as if he was embarrassed people could hear him, and blurting out such primal words as “takka, takka, takka” and “uh”.

On “Hundreds and Thousands,” the only track without lyrics, the song proved the band has methods to its madness in that the beats are contagious enough to make one forget any lyrical mystery and, instead, just dance.

Although not talking much or cracking a smile, it may have been because the quartet was so focused. For as much as they are experimental pioneers, they are trained musicians as they showcased on a variety of jam sessions and solos that begged the question of how low can Best go on the fret board as he limboed the line of sonic crucification and musical epiphany.

Just like they started off the night, the four ended it by repeating their name over and over again with subliminal messaging in a marketing ploy as brilliant as their water, because even after they were done, it had everyone remembering them.

It’s a tactic that unfortunately was lost on School of Seven Bells. Although all hopes were high for this threesome after hearing their debut Alpinisms (Ghostly International), the performance quickly flat-lined as the members’ unenthusiastic stage presence had the audience looking for any sign of life. Like Fujiya & Miyagi, the School followed the teachings of repetition in their eight-song set, but in the unfortunate way that most songs sounded the same.

Although they, too, used abstract words, a credit to their method of writing lyrics first and music as a secondary accompaniment, the ritual was lost on the crowd. It often felt like one eternal song even though it sounded pretty and ethereal, in a new age dimension with the angelic voices of twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza.

The distracting part may have been the third member, guitarist Benjamin Curtis. His lackluster style made you wonder, if they could replace the drummer with machines, why not this former Secret Machine, too, who stood out like a complete monkey in the middle as he plucked at his fret board like he was playing Guitar Hero and looking from one sister to another like he was watching the ball fly over his head.

The music itself deserves credit, and would make great atmosphere with tracks like “Iamundernodisguise,” “White Elephant Coat,” “Chain” and “Connjur,” but on this night, they unfortunately just got schooled.

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For more photos from this show visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page
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Review of Fujiya & Miyagi’s Lightbulbs
Review of Fujiya & Miyagi’s Transparent Things
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School of Seven Bells feature