Water Fai are a Japanese psychedelic-pop band, formed in Osaka in 2002. These four women dynamically contrast intricate melodies and soft harmonies with violent guitar-noise and electronic effects. They bring a much needed feminine approach to the post-rock genre that is so often dominated by male artists (and their biggest influences) like Mogwai and Tortoise. They bring their own translation of the sentimentality captured best by The Album Leaf and Yo La Tengo.

The band is closely aligned with fellow Osaka-based artists Afrirampo, Jenny on the Planet, Jew's Ear, Middle 9, Suquimaoto..etc. They performed their debut performance in 2002 as the background music for a live painting event.


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Formed in 2007, Brooklyn, New York, United States duo Talk Normal have already been compared to 1970s no wave. Indeed, the scratchy guitars of their debut mini-album Secret Cog evoke the mangled bursts of DNA's Arto Lindsay, and their spilling songs reach the structured abstraction of No Wave's most unclassifiable group, Ut.

A lot of other rock history comes into play. The clipped tension that connects Sonic Youth, Pylon and Erase Errata comes through in the chiming chords and sharp rhythms of "Eureka" and "Lemonade". Unlike with those groups, there's not much to dance to here. Their grinding, ghostly music lurches more than it swings and churns more that it grooves. But guitarist Sarah Register and drummer Andrya Ambro continually build tension, imbuing cacophonous climaxes and quiet interludes with equal momentum.

Ultimately, Talk Normal belong to the Brooklyn Noise-rock circle inhabited by groups like Mouthus, Religious Knives and Sightings. The latter's Richard Hoffman plays bass on standout track "33", trading call and response notes with Ambro, then spitting out a signature bass loop under rolling drums and disembodied moans. Despite its taut energy, the piece has a spacious, soothing quality, suggesting that Register and Ambro might eventually explore more openly melodic territory. But hopefully the duo won't lose the devotion to hypnotic repetition that makes Secret Cog worth returning to.

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Afrirampo (??????) was a band from Osaka, Japan that was active from 2002 to 2010. They are Oni (guitar, vocals) and Pikachu (drums, vocals). Since forming in 2002 they have toured with Sonic Youth and Lightning Bolt, collaborated with Acid Mothers Temple and released several CDs on various labels. In 2005 they performed at All Tomorrow's Parties, the avant-garde music festival curated by Vincent Gallo, and joined performance artist Yoko Ono on stage for her closing piece.

Afrirampo, like fellow Osakans Boredoms, are fond of free noise, improvisation and nonsensical call and response vocals. Unlike Boredoms however, they demonstrate an affection for catchy melodies, and during live performances often alternate between manic, distorted pop and extended, abstract, improvised noise pieces composed of looping fret noise, droning feedback, guttural barks and impromptu squealing.

The period 2002-2005 saw Afrirampo's visibility within the ranks of contemporary noise rock increasing in a manner that Matthew Murphy of Pitchforkmedia.com described as "meteoric". This might be attributed to their powerful stage presence, and hyper-energized live performances which have generated considerable interest within the alternative music press.

Early in June of 2010, Afirampo announced that they would be disbanding after their final show in Osaka on June 26th.

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All female band of Japanese ex-pats now residing in Brooklyn, New York. Released a self-titled EP in December 2010.

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