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Sparta Locals | |
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Abe Kousei Itou Shinichi Abe Mitsuhiro Nakayama Akihito |
Vocals/Guitar Guitar Bass Drums (through 9/2006) |
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Profile | |
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A young band that receives rave reviews from Quruli, gains the respect of hometown heroes the likes of Number Girl's Mukai Shuutoku, and whose concertgoers "entrust rock's future" to them faces tremendous pressure from such high expectations. But that doesn't slow down Sparta Locals, the latest talented act to emerge from the fertile Fukuoka music scene that produced Number Girl and Shiina Ringo. Sparta Locals formed in Fukuoka city in December of 1998, but for their first two years of existence only played private gigs. Once they started booking their own events, word of their gripping live shows quickly spread across Japan's southernmost island of Kyushu. By Janurary of 2002, the band had recorded their debut album Kanashii Miminari, which showcased their heavy post-punk influences. The tight ryhthmic interplay of their guitars is somewhat simiar to the band apart's, but the Locals' riffs are more demarcated and jagged in style, owing much to Gang of Four. Together with the drums and bass, the band develops a very danceable groove in most of their songs, while Abe's nasally (but memorable) whine rises above the menagerie to deliver the melodic punchline. Following the release of their debut album in April, Sparta Locals hit the road with their soon-to-be notorious live show, and performed a 16-stop nationwide tour, finishing off in Fukuoka to a crowd of 150. Later, in July, the Locals performed at the Fuji Rock Festival's Rookie A Go Go stage, and blasted the audience with a performance involving passers-by, concert officials, and even a well-known musician from Fukuoka in a wild spectacle that earned the band exposure across Japan. Two months later they earned the honor of performing on Mukai Shutoku's stage at Fukuoka's Music City Tenjin festival, sharing the spotlight with Number Girl, DRY&HEAVY and 54-71. The band capped off the year in December opening for Quruli, giving a performance that Quruli's frontman Kishida Shigeru described as "so cool it made my nose bleed." 2003 turned out to be the Locals' breakthrough year. They started recording their second album Second Fanfare in March and by May had uprooted themselves from Fukuoka, moved to Tokyo, and signed with Universal Japan. Second Fanfare, featuring a more polished and expanded style over their debut, was relased in July. The band toured through the end of the year and into 2004, playing with acts including YO-KING and Zazen Boys while releasing their first live DVD in November, bundled with their single Peace. In February of 2004 the band reentered the studio. While frontman Abe admitted to feeling the crunch of a major label's tight schedules, the band was confident in their own musicianship to put out a solid follow-up to Second Fanfare and expand upon their current style. In under six months the Locals released the appropriately named Sun Sun Sun in July. The album indeed had a broader style, and featured more hooks and brighter melodies than before. Sparta Locals continued with a fast pace through 2005, with two more singles in the first half of the year and their fourth album Dreamer in July. The new album brought out a more pensive side of the band, who took a slight detour from their usual bounciness. In 2006 Sparta Locals moved to the Tokuma Japan label, cutting a self-titled album in September. Hot on the heels of this release, drummer Nakayama Akihito suddenly announced his departure from the group, citing a lack of confidence in his abilities which had also drawn discontent from his bandmates. Sparta Locals is currently touring with a temporary replacement for Nakayama. - James Route (published 2005.01.31, updated 2006.09.20) |
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Artist homepage Universal Japan Samples |
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Review - Sun Sun Sun Review - Second Fanfare Review - Dreamer Review - Sparta Locals Features - interview |
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