- Koenji Hyakkei
, also known as Koenjihyakkei, is a Japanese
Zeuhl band led byYoshida Tatsuya of Ruins fame. The band released their first (self-titled) album in 1994 withAki Kubota fromBondage Fruit on vocals and keyboard. Though rhythmically not as complex as Ruins, Koenji Hyakkei still evokes a feeling of unfamiliarity due to non-standard modes and chanting in a nonsensical language.Although Yoshida is the only consistent member of the band, Sakamoto Kengo has been on bass from their second album onwards. With new members, the band changes sounds completely, shifting from folky
Prog rock to minimalism toJazz fusion with the inclusion of Komori Keiko on reeds (usuallysoprano saxophone ) on their album Angherr Shisspa.Koenji Hyakkei performed for
NEARfest X on June 21, 2008.History
Very little is known about the history of Koenji Hyakkei. Some have speculated that Yoshida keeps biographical information to a minimum in order to sustain a mystique. Former vocalist
Kubota Aki (who has returned to the band in 2007) is originally from the Koenji area ofTokyo , which is the only real lead on the origin of the name.Language
It is not clear what language Koenji Hyakkei songs are sung in. For the most part, lyrics are reminiscent of Christian Vander's Kobaïan language (a notable exception is the song Zoltan from their self-titled album, a
Kyrie ). It is unlikely, though, that there is any meaning in the words. There are few words shorter than four letters, and almost no instances of words repeated in more than one phrase. Additionally, spelling conventions and pronunciation vary between albums and songs, making it unlikely that the lyrics represent a single language.There is no standard way of romanizing the name 高円寺百景. Official sources write it as Koenji Hyakkei or Koenjihyakkei and less commonly KoenjiHyakkei, Koenji-Hyakkei, and others.
Discography
*1994: 高円寺百景 (reissued in 2008)
*1997: 弐(II)
*2001:Nivraym
*2005:Angherr Shisspa Videography
*2002: Live at Star Pine's Cafe (DVD)
*2006: Live at Doors (DVD)
*2008: 070531 (DVD)References
* [http://www.skingraftrecords.com/bandhtmlpages/koenjipg.html KOENJI HYAKKEI @ Skin Graft Records]
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