Spangle call Lilli line Fujieda Ken Otsubo Kana Sasahara Kiyoaki Guitar Vocals, Keyboard Guitar Profile Tokyo's Shimokitazawa district has continually been one of the hot spots for indie rock action, and over the past several years, numerous groups sporting a laid-back style have come to the forefront of the scene. Amongst these musicians (loosely grouped under downtempo), Spangle call Lilli line has arisen as one of the flagship bands. In keeping with Spangle call's standard rock instrumentation, their style reaches well beyond downtempo, a relaxed and heavily electronic genre. While the band is often described as post-rock, their sound is more of a compromise between the two. Songs are not bound by verse-chorus convention, but drift lazily, guided by a light melody. The guitars and varied percussion together with numerous (and frequently spacey) electronic additions weave a sound that, while complex, flows very evenly. Otsuba Kana's wispy vocals contribute an organic piece to the melody as well, while adding to the relaxed atmosphere. Spangle call Lilli line's beginnings trace back to Otsubo and Fujieda, friends from art school, who began playing together in December of 1998. Sasahara and drummer Kabasawa, also friends from university, joined in 1999 and 2000, respectively. The band was christened "Spangle call" (the "Lilli Line" to come later), derived from a Japanese pronunciation of "spangle" ("supankooru," chosen for its sound), while the "call" was a continuation from the "kooru" of "supankooru." Their self-titled debut was issued in March of 2001 on P-Vine, a label known for electronic and jazz units including Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden and Otomo Yoshihide. The band continued their trademark style through their third album, 2003's or, in which they aimed to consummate their established sound. The trying studio work leading up to or proved to be the band's breaking point, causing mental breakdowns in Otsubo and the February 2003 departure of their drummer, who had provided much of the creative direction for the album. With Kabasawa gone from the lineup, Spangle call was free to indulge in influences such as R&B, soul, and Motown that their drummer, who had an affinity for lo-fi and post-rock, did not favor. These changes surfaced in Spangle call's April 2005 album Trace, which was nearly two years in the making (excluding their live release 68SCLL). With Trace, the members recount that they were looking to remove the excess from their music and sound like a new band, as if the album was their debut. The new release was indeed different from its predecessors, with a poppier, R&B style and tracks that were, on the whole, shorter than the usual Spangle call fare. Shortly after Trace, the release of For Installation, more in tune with the band's classic style, ensued in June. The tracks are mostly comprised of studio outtakes, but according to Fujieda, "the feeling of the album will be clearly different" from that of Trace. Though nothing has been formally announced, the enterprising trio is gearing up for another release in the future. - James Route (published 2005.06.01, updated 2005.12.20) Links Artist homepage Felicity Samples Keikaku Content Review - Trace Features - interview Discography list Albums PCD-4133 Spangle call Lilli line MFJ-1010 WS PCD-5682 Nanae MTCD-1015 or MTCD-1049 Trace MTCD-1053 For Installation Singles MTCD-1012 nano Compilations KSGR-01 Kougousei KYTHM-075DA Joint Adventure DLCP-2001 Groove Rock Compilation Vol.1 CHUK-008 Squash MTCD-1023 SP-Tsunagari KSCL-646 FINE TIMES ～A Tribute to NEW WAVE~ MTCD-1036 C.A.P.S.1 - Beat Of The Moment 03 ~A Felicity Sample~ DVDs MTCD-9002 68 SCLL		nano (Single) Released: 2003.04.12 (MTCD-1012) Label: Felicity Tracklist 1. nano (single version) 2. IRIE (Remixed by Masuko Tatsuki) 3. E (remaster) Nanae (Album) Released: 2002.11.10 (PCD-5682) Label: P-Vine Tracklist 1. intro 2. E 3. Lilli Disco 4. Veek 5. Circle 6. Crawl 7. Set Me 8. Low Light 9. B.P. 10. Asphalt Groove Rock Compilation Vol.1 (Compilation) Released: 2002.10.17 (DLCP-2001) Label: Picture Music Tracklist 8. veek Joint Adventure (Compilation) Released: 2002.07.13 (KYTHM-075DA) Label: Crue-L Tracklist 3. One More Bourbon Kougousei (Compilation) Released: 2001.08.12 (KSGR-01) Label: Speed Star Tracklist 1. kate WS (Album) Released: 2001.07.20 (MFJ-1010) Label: Minty Fresh Japan Tracklist (split release with Windy Hill) 2. Super Star 4. 39.4 5. Mukakurai (Windy Hill with Otsubo Kana) Spangle call Lilli line (Album) Released: 2001.03.25 (PCD-4133) Label: P-Vine Tracklist 1. normal star 2. IRIE 3. normal crawl 4. under north sour 5. error slow 6. August (8) 7. (untitled) 8. U.F. « 1 2 Organise Select type All Album Single EP Compilation Demo DVD Order by release date title type back to profiles
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