The final rookie band for the Friday night session just might be the weirdest of the 3 day competition, they also might win the whole thing and be playing next year on the Red Marquee.

The band is made up of what appears to be a group of university music students playing a variety of instruments ranging from keys, to guitars, a variety of drums, as well as a horns section. The band reads sheet music as they play and are lead by one of the two male keyboard players. The musical style ebbs and flows. It is highly influenced from trance music and progressive rock. Throw in a touch of avant-garde and experimental structure and you have a rough idea of our band.

Each member is quite skilled at what they do and our keyboard leader seems to be firmly in charge of the sound that the group plays. He is confident with this sound but I get the impression at times it may be a bit abstract for many in the audience. As the band neared the end of the 30 minute set, they brought out a guest female singer to join them for a couple tracks. She did sing technically well but only made tonal noises, uttered abstract words in both English and Japanese that didn’t make much sense when put together. However I’m sure that is the point.

For all my qualms of the avant-garde qualities of the group, keeping things a bit weird may just be the thing that got this group accepted to the rookie stage and may be the very thing that continues to allow them to stand out in the future. There is something special about Tokyo Shiokouji. Recommended for the curious and jaded music fans among us. This is a sound you haven’t heard before.