Bondage Fruit

If Zeuhl is any indication, it's not only a French phenomena. This great Japanese group, well-known in the Japanese underground, proves that. Their work, which spans from rock to fusion to experimental to ethnic and draws more from the European school (Magma) than the Japanese new music movement, concentrates on avant-garde jazz structures, loud, blaring rock 'n roll, and occasionally all-out discord. They make extensive use of the violin, contrebass, and vibraphone in addition to the standard rock arsenal. With no real lyrics, the singing is performed by two female jazz vocalists and is seen as an extra instrument, giving the band's sound a very intimate touch. Bondage Fruits alternates between these types of hard driving sonic assaults and a more refined middle-eastern ethnic style, which might even recall hints of bands like Aktuala, Popol Vuh, or Embryo.