FLAT 122

A Japanese jazz / progressive trio, Flat 122 consists of Takao Kawasaki (piano, keyboards), Satoshi Hirata (guitar) and Kiyotaka Tanabe (drums & percussions) with Kagerou marking their second album to date, the first being The Wave back in 2007. The press release accompanying this album describes it as being "progressive jazz rock somewhere between Gong, Side Steps, Erik Satie, Pat Metheny, The Enid and King Crimson" which is pretty much as accurate as you could ask for. Laid back and funky jazz prog, and at times seemingly discordant in approach, the compositions are largely instrumental albeit with the occasional ambient vocal interlude ("Sterra Lee Jones"). The absence of a bassist seems a strange choice and would potentially add more depth to the material which is complex in approach and both atmospheric and adventurous in nature. In addition to the new material, Kagerou adds an eleven minute live version of the read more...