The Mad Capsule Markets - London ULU - 22/5/02
5/5
By: Toby L
Over the last six months specifically, Japan's The Mad Capsule Markets have had their sights set on conquering territories outside of their already adoring home-country. With the UK, although they have been greeted with favourable press, plentiful plays of videos on the alternative music-channels that matter, they've still yet to tap into the mainstream. But this surely can't be the case for much longer.
Following a sold out debut London appearance in December at the Mean Fiddler, the Capsules are back - this time gracing the stage in the capital's intimate ULU venue. A myriad of MCM T-shirt adorning metal-enthusiasts mix with journos possessive of constantly-arched eyebrows, and the response as the headline act trundle onstage is nothing short of riotous. And this is how the evening is set to continue.
Whereas acts such as Radiohead have earnt the accolade of their credibility off the back of experimentation and sheer messing around with the concept of what denotes a successful British 'guitar'-rock group, The Mad Capsule Markets share a similar eye for creating new genres, fusing heavy doses of relentless dance-loops, techno-rhythms and machine-gun drumming alongside painstakingly heavy six-string riffs, massive bass and the most fitting of frontmen in Kyono, who arrives in view following an introductory instrumental number to warm up the masses. His consistent arm-gestures, gazes into the dark mass of band-followers in front and energetic vocal-performance makes for thrilling viewing, and creates an unusual rapport between the act and audience.
Song-wise, the group are faultless; melodic, infectious, yet simultaneously louder than Armageddon, tracks such as current-single, the rampant thrashing of 'Tribe', and stunning singalong pace of the mid-tempo 'Island' provide arms-aloft, savage beasts of tunes - enough to assure possible widespread accessibility. Only the 'Kerrang TV'-hogging happy-angst of 'Pulse' and 'All The Time In Sunny Beach' provide such further highlights, but - boy - are these highlights. The language-barrier doesn't prove too much of a, well, barrier, either following such a result by the time the show closes; Kyono has spent time learning English phrases on their current British jaunt, and makes full effort in proclaiming to the audience that the whole night has been, indeed, 'wicked'. Surreal, but affectionately received by the attendees.
From what was observed on this mid-week performance, it's a fact that The Mad Capsule Markets can't be confined to Western venues this small forever - that'd the same as trying to lock up a tornado. You see, whether people are ready and willing to accept it or not, this is the sound of the future - in all its manic beauty.
Artists in this article: The Mad Capsule Markets
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