Gaijin Blues II

Musicians and gaming nerds Gaijin Blues (Naphta and Playstation Yoga Music) continue to leave their controllers aside and pay respects to the greatest video games ever made...but this time they're going one step further into the adventure..with a full-length 8 track concept LP.

Inspired by Japanese Role Playing Games and a love of all things Super Nintendo and of course Japanese pop culture, Gaijin Blues brought you their debut EP in early 2019. After touring in the Far East and some serious hours playing games such as Dragon Quest V, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, VII and IX, the Shin Megami Tensei series and Phantasy Star IV, the boys concocted an EP of samples, live instrumentation and programming as a love note that you'd never find inside a game box...until now.

Gaijin Blues II takes you a step further. With this LP the guys have created their own fictional JRPG and then devised an end to end narrative with the music weaved around it all. You can buy the disk but what you don't get is a controller...you'll need to use your ears instead.

In the words of the creators themselves: "This is a sequel to a story you've never experienced. You are the protagonist who is coming back home to see his world completely changed by seemingly harmless technology. Each track is a chapter in this tale. Collect the items, gather a party and use your wit and imagination to find out the truth. Because technology usually comes at a price…"

This about as conceptual as it gets: where a brand new story matched with an audio narrative meet together in a fictional world. In terms of electronic music that doesn't happen often. Gaijin Blues II is a truly unique record whether you've ever owned a console or not.

Revealed earlier this year Professor Tatsuru Kensu is one of the LP's upbeat groovers that will appeal to club DJs with catchy vocal hooks, electric bassline and synth leads and hard-hitting drum workout.Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music) loved this one so much he gave it a world premiere.

Bahamut (the town provider) also features heavy percussion, but leads with Japanese Koto lines mixed with traditional Japanese vocal chats all wrapped up in a style that is a direct nod to classic Dubstep of the mid-2000s.

Puff-puff is a truly epic progressive five minute journey weaving uplifting Japanese pop samples and live instrumentation. It is unmistakably Gaijin Blues II's most joyous and standout track.

Mementos (prison) is the LP's ambient moment of reflection, summing up the thoughts and fears of our character as imagined in the narrative. Synthesized pads, textures and flutes drift across the mix.

The LP is resolved with Grief, the aftermath and a faint hope. In classic epic end credits style this is an eight minute balearic final journey with a steady beat, a hypnotic marimba melody and features soaring synth solos.