REVIEW: Japanese Television at Yellow Arch

Written by James Lawson

It’s hard to turn down a Monday night treat, and that’s exactly what was on offer at Yellow Arch on Monday 6^th November, with London’s finest psychedelic space surfers, Japanese Television.

Up first though, Sheffield’s own FlatStanley. It’s a cold Monday night, and guitar maestro Ben Lilley is pessimistic about the turnout ahead of their opening slot. But sure enough, by the time they take to the stage, the room is filling out very healthily! The eager crowd receive a delicious treat in the form of a dynamic, exciting set that makes it hard to pigeon-hole this group.

Their debut single ‘Paint’ offers a glimpse of the band’s psych abilities, with a 6-minute marathon that travels various terrains; you never know what’s around the corner. It starts as a dreamy, indie track, but it’s around the 1-minute mark when you start to question what’s going on… and before you know it, a tasty bassline hits you outta nowhere before some haunting soprano sax adds a whole new layer of intrigue. The 2^nd half of this track is pure madness; feedback frenzy, bassline masterclass, and some serious whammy bar action.

Towards the end of the set, they play what has become my song of the month, ‘Arthur’. It’s swingy, it’s silly, it’s totally different to the aforementioned ‘Paint’, but even more impressive. It’s quite cinematic; parts of it remind me of a 50s movie soundtrack, and other parts are giving 70s cowboy blockbuster. It’s only fitting that vocalist Jacob is sporting his granddad’s shirt and tie (confirmed true).

Next up, we have a band who’ve made the holy journey across the Pennines, DEAFDEAFDEAF. The Manchester outfit have had a busy year, playing on some great line-ups, including another one I attended, a support slot for America’s Death Valley Girls at a show in a skatepark under the Mancunian Way on a bloody Baltic February night. They also appeared in Sheffield a couple months ago at Float Along Festival, as well as their local Manchester Psych Fest three weeks prior.

It’s clear to see why this band are on the up, as they delivered a confident, in-your-face set, led by volcanic drumming and a fiery bassist. Their sophomore single, ‘Nothingness’, summarises the band’s talents in a nutshell, with a clear yet daunting bassline bringing an air of horror, before the more mellow, Smiths-esque guitar riff informs the chorus, as the vocalist howls “nothingness is bliss” is true Mark E. Smith fashion.

Time for Japanese Television, and WOW, this group really live up to their ‘space surf’ label, playing a mesmerising set that very much paints the wonderous picture of a journey to and through the cosmos, with nothing but a trusty surfboard to whizz around.

Steadily easing us into the set with bass-driven groove ‘Ghoul Rules’, guitarist Tim Jones is starting to sway whilst bassist Elea struts around, getting a feel for the stage. This track is slower in tempo than many of their others, and effectively sets the scene; a leisurely journey to outer space, taking the scenic route to observe neighbouring planets, waving at the friendly aliens passing by. What’s usually thought of as a daunting journey beyond our native Earth, the shimmery organ and playful bassline make it seem like the easiest and most relaxing expedition of your life!

Or so it seems… Up until ‘Lizard Moon’ kicks in, the final song from their self-titled 2018 EP, which perfectly depicts the intergalactic shores becoming somewhat rocky, as the band navigate their way through a reptile-infested galaxy on their cosmic surfboard. The curious bassline creates an ominous feeling, before everything suddenly gets louder and we’re hurled into a hurricane of psych chaos, led by energetic and explosive drumming.

The band show no mercy, as they launch into their most-streamed track, ‘Bee Cage’. The pace flies up a notch as they switch on the surfboard’s turbo boost, dodging and deflecting all sorts of space debris with Riko’s ghostly organ part. As the song reaches its climax, Jones is fully charged and rockin’ out with their euphoric 60s garage-style guitar riffs, frantically swinging side-to-side like a weathered sailor who didn’t really need that extra half tab.

Towards the end of the set, the London quartet make a beeline for the enemy spaceship with the punchy, mind-bending banger ‘Bumble Rumble’. Somehow played in sub-2 minutes, that much goes on in this track that it feels like you’ve listened to a 10-minute sonic adventure. The spooky organ is reminiscent of some Ray Manzarek work and the eccentrically vigorous guitar is akin to that of Aussie psych gods, King Gizzard.

Japanese Television wrapped up their set and extra-terrestrial journey with their brand-new single, ‘Tabadaboum’, ahead of their next record. This glimpse into the next era of the band is fascinating, and suggests a slightly heavier approach. But worry not, space surfers, they’re still very much riding the gnarly waves of the galaxies. In fact, this track does a perfect job of finishing the set in true cosmic style, completing one final fleeting lap of the universe, weaving between whizzing meteors with a whirlwind of a guitar solo at the song’s summit, whilst cymbals crash ferociously as stars combust around them.

So yeah, all in all, an extremely pleasant Monday night! Make sure you catch Japanese Television before you die.