8 Tracks: Of Minimal Music With Nisennenmondai

Minimal sequence, rhythm, only a few but very sinister sounds draw us into the music when we listen to it. I got to know about Sähkö Recordings in Finland through Ø’s album called Metri. I was digging some music on the label on YouTube and found this track randomly. I fell in love with it with the very first listen. I felt thrilled for the first time in a long time. (Takada)

Every time I listen, the high pitch sound that appears towards the end gets me.
It just makes me so excited every time. What an amazing track. (Himeno)

I listened to the album which features this track at Sayaka’s house. We wanted to listen to this because Holly Herndon was referring to the influence of this album in some interview. At the first listen I wasn’t really amazed or impressed but I was like “what sort of music is this?” and it just stuck in my mind. The unique approach is interesting and I like the way this track makes me feel like I’m physically in the space created by the music. I also like Twin Bleebs and Hornitus on the same record. (Tanaka)

The way it captures both popes and surreal feel at the same time always impresses me. The music video is great too (Tanaka)

Quite a while ago, in the event we did in Japan, we had a mannequin dressed up and carrying bass on stage instead of me. And when the room gets dark in the middle of the performance, I switched with the mannequin. This video somehow reminds me of that. (Zaikawa)

The way the track gradually builds up makes us so excited. We love the arrange of the track. Especially when the distorted handclap sound kicks in, it’s just amazing.
I knew the name of the artist but I got to listen to it through Philus. Then I discover the fact that Ø, philus, panasonic and Pan Sonic were all Mika Vainio, I was so impressed and moved. (Tanaka)

I generally love the minimal music that Mika Vainio does but also love this noize type of music too. The noise running over the track is really cool. (Tanaka)

I think I discovered minimal music and contemporary music through Steve Reich. Probably it was Different Trains. I never known this type of music before so it was shocking. I felt that music is really open and free. I believe this is one of the longest tracks by Steve Reich and I feel like I can listen to this forever. It’s so amazing that this track is performed live by musicians. (Himeno)

We listened to this track over andover when we started the band. It was something that we never heard before at the time so I remember I got so excited and impressed. Love the weirdness that the sound contains and the combination of the vocal and backing track works perfect. (Tanaka)

The unstable incantationish vocal reminds me of a Japanese singer, Akihiroo Miwa.
The visual of them being surrounded by self-produced Oscillator drum machine looks very distinctive too. I’ve been listening to this track since when I was a student. (Zaikawa)

The sound is just very cool. Love the way the music almost reveal shape but never does. (Takada)

I saw them played in Taico Club festival and they performed in the darkness. No light on stage and even in merch shops and food court while they were on stage. You can barely see their faces with the light coming from computers but other than that it was all in darkness. That was really cool. (Himeno)