reviews / 2008

FUJIYA & MIYAGI - Lightbulbs

Name: FUJIYA & MIYAGI – Lightbulbs
Item: Lightbulbs
Rating: 6
Author: Gianfranco Marmoro

2008 (Groenland)

kraut-pop

by Gianfranco Marmoro

The Brighton band's second album, “Transparent Things”, hinted at some pleasing ideas, with compositions that enriched the dance scene with soft, refined vocal inflections, unfolding over musical solutions of noble lineage, from Can to Kraftwerk by way of Japanese pop.

Fujiya & Miyagi try to repeat the feat that, a year later, led to the European and US reissue of their two albums, riding the spontaneous success of a handful of excellent songs.

“Lightbulbs” confirms their class and taste, but it's also an album that settles any doubt about the band's real stature. The kraut-rock influences fade in favor of a pop-funk sound with electronic colours recalling that post-punk strain veering toward funk and the avant-garde, to the point that the best moments sound like outtakes from Fall.

Perfect music for London parties, with euro-disco touches devoted to the German lesson, but the shadow of Human League looms over songs like "Knickerbocker", "Uh" and "Hundred & Thousands", while indie veins enrich the best episodes. "Pickpocket" is a refined piece of soft-funk-disco in the manner of Momus, "Goosebumps" shines with striking harmonic and melodic solutions, "Dishwasher" offers excellent minimalist funk worthy of Gang Of Four.

The rest flows by without infamy or praise, while still retaining an elaborate, refined sound. Fujiya & Miyagi display an excessive self-awareness that places limits on their creativity.

Ride the wave of great music

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08/10/2008

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This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Gianfranco Marmoro, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition