JAPONICA: INTO THE KALEIDOSCOPE

Having waited for Japonica’s debut LP ‘Into the Kaleidoscope’ since August 2018, when I first interviewed the man behind the mystique Jamie Farnell-Warren (JFW), my long-suffering sonic appetite has been whet and wonder-filled for far too long! However, my wanting and waiting is now over and instantly I’m overwhelmed.

The first question that comes to my mind is this: is JFW simply obsessive engineer Paul A. Rothchild reincarnate? There’s enough gratification for a thousand waterboarded senses to be satisfied, throughout an enticing album that’s awash with both fears and familiarities, so listen up fans of obsessively crafted masterpieces. 
 

JFW wears his heart on his sleeve and influences such as David Bowie, Radiohead and The Beatles are open but infrequently at the forefront; obvious comparisons will also be made with Elbow and Sigur Ros, but fans of Amiina, The Cinematic Orchestra, Leaves and Olafur Arnalds will surely succumb to this emotive heavyweight.

So, enough yakking, ‘Into the Kaleidoscope’ we go...

MUDLARK AT DAWN echoes quieter Trent Reznor-borne moments of enticement, drawing us unawares into a drum and facehole-driven intro that would have Thom Yorke wetting himself with (obviously suppressed) delight; like coming up, it’s gentle, urgent undertow holds you down and slowly pulls you under it’s spell. 
 

THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS & INTO THE LAKE rests it’s sumptuous, ethereal laurels some, before upping the ante and sinking it’s hooks firmly into the psyche; it’s here where the production levels really start to register, as composure, patience and poise steal the spotlight with sheer disregard for it’s beguiling guts and backbone.

BARN BURNER instils a sense of loss from the outset, encompassing our every insecurity, as it’s gravity cradles us and keeps us close without so much a second thought for what follows… free-falling further into a melancholic chasm, as inescapable thoughts of Guy Garvey glisten and illuminate dark and distant outskirts.

HYGGE might best illustrate the understated power, presence and sentiment that underpin this glacial-rock goliath. After absorbing this patiently delivered composition, suspicion that doom and darkness will prevail are barely contained; the yearning is real and hopeful hearts are left bedevilled and heavy.

ABANDONED ABBEY does noting to alleviate the continual gut-punch we’re being subjected to; anticipation trumps our inner reluctance to relax and we’re caught somewhere between anguish and appreciation as the escalating ominous tones encompass all... unnerving as it is endearing, it conflicts as it entices.

JUST TO PROTECT HER touches down on the same unsettling path that pulled us deep within this soundscape; amidst the heavily populated bars and sullen verses, choruses hover just above irresistible tar pits we’re too afraid to fully discover, as definite percussion and driven vocals see us lose our grounding.

DALISAY injects some overdue optimism, with its lyrical content lifting the weight from the lungs and allowing time for a breather; with lower intensity levels, this is a welcome lull amidst the condensed, compact emotion and often oppressive and overbearing compositions… each obviously a burden of the most blessed kind.

IT FADES sparks intrigue with a short-lived narrative from the good twin of Resident Evil’s Alice! Aimless and harmlessly meandering, it goes some way in further settling our nerves, diluting the auditory

barrage and denying us the true depths of despair we’ve been treading in to stay afloat throughout.

RESFEBER unashamedly echoes ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ to such great effect that being anything other than forgiving and fascinated, from the outset is fanciful… as we scratch away at the multi-layered surface, we intermittently stray from the familiar, before coming back full circle to our newest chip off the old Beatles-borne block.

Have visceral emotion and ethereal nuance ever complimented each other so completely? There’s so much foreboding to be processed, so much hope and aspiration illuminated within, that in order to access the album’s full emotive spectrum and to establish a greater appreciation of it’s excellence, headphones are essential.

I really hope JFW considers collaborating with an array of guest vocalists, to produce something of a more visceral, multi-faceted version (perhaps akin to UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction LP); it would be a fantastic way to fill the surely arduous months of pining that now separate us from his next delight and despair-rich album.

When you decide to buy the album (and you will), buy it here!