The Japanese House @ o2 Institute , 13th May, 2017
Some careers take forever to build and develop; The Japanese House is not one of these. Only two years old, The Japanese House has established a unique sound that has opened the doors for multiple shows and rising success. With new music slotted to arrive in June and with a summer full of solo dates and festival shows, The Japanese House took to the O2 Institute for a short but intoxicating set.
While The Japanese House may seem like the name for a massive genre-splicing band, it is in fact the name attributed to a solo singer who fuses indie pop with electronic undertones. Solo artist Amber Bain is the focus and artist of The Japanese House. While she now travels with three other band mates, every ounce of The Japanese House comes from Bain. Bain writes and produces, often playing the majority of the instruments on the record. With a little help from The 1975’s George Daniel, Bain has created a sound that is haunting and mysterious, current and yet nostalgic. This style was on perfect display as she and the band took the stage on Saturday night.
The Japanese House opened with “Clean.” Under the blue tinged stage the mystically moody tune was sedated but rhythmic, the perfected compilation of indie structure and electronic undertones. As the fans swayed peacefully the sound wafted around creating a pleasant and peaceful aura. Overcoming a few sound issues the band launched into up-tempo “Teeth” and harmony laden “Cool Blue.” “Pools To Bathe In” and “Good Side In,” club like dance tunes, brought up the energy that was dipping low with the lull of the indie sound. The Japanese House have very little fan interaction; instead it is a single playlist of types with one song following the other. This style of playing gives the show a fluidity that is often disrupted by song shifts, and gives the songs an extra piece of power that can be lost in the similarities of the tunes.
After a good little dance “Swim Against the Tide” and the methodical “Sugar Pill” brought back strong indie vibes. Fan favourites “Leon” and “Saw You In A Dream” brought about a bit of excitement from the crowd, and certainly where highlights for the people by the bar. The night ended with “Letter By the Water,” “Still,” and “Face Like Thunder.” The ending was the perfect culmination of sound that has come to personify The Japanese House. A mixture of soothing indie and a bit more upbeat electronic vibes created a final mixture of loveliness that topped off a short but well processed set.
The Japanese House may be young, but the sound is established and continuative. While the set was shorter than the average headlining set, it did display a maturity of sound that will no doubt mark their next album.
Reviewer: Kylie McCormick
Photographer: Arta Gailuma