Sakanaction -- Shinshiro

On Friday after a session with my chiropractor I went to a music shop at Express Bus Terminal to see if I can find Sakanaction’s latest album “Shinshiro.” I went to the J-Pop/Rock (Japanese Pop/Rock), but couldn’t find it. Then I asked one of the staff: “Sakanaction issoyo?” He had me repeat the name again, then walked over to the section where I was and immediately picked it up, asking if this was what I was looking for. I felt a bit silly for not seeing it, as the moment he gave the album to me I could clearly read the Korean: 사카낙션 신시로 – “Sakanaction Shishiro” and recognized their fish-logo. The band's name is a combination of two words: “Sakana” (which means “fish” in Japanese) and “action,” hence “Sakanaction.” Apparently it depicts their wish for their sound to move quickly and lightly, like the motions of a fish.


My initial emotion of feeling a little silly at not being able to find the album, although it was right in front of me, subsided very quickly and was replaced with excitement at having found the exact album I was looking for.

I only listened to it for the first time Saturday evening, and now again on Sunday, and must say that I am very happy with my purchase. The impression their live performance (at the Ssamzie Sound Festival) left with me was not lessened by listening to their recorded sound. Their music is a mixture of house / dance, electronic music and alternative rock. The electronic sounds causes the music density not to feel overbearing; indeed light and quick. At the same time, while the melodies are easy to follow and the orchestration is never overly complicated, their sound is simultaneously unique and intriguing enough to keep one listening. In fact the tonal density (heavyness of the music) goes through phases of very low density (for instance only the lead vocalist and an easy keyboard accompaniment) to high density with all the instruments pushing hard. This oscillation between high and low density helps me not to get irritated. What I also like about their sound is how they play around with interesting sound-sampling as background noises, for instance the sound of a busy office, people talking, a telephone ringing. The electronic sounds create a futuristic atmosphere, without sounding like those 90s remix albums.

The only bad thing about the album is that the more I listen to it the more I wish I could understand Japanese -- or at least, know what the lyrics are about.