Song of the Day - December 20, 2006

First off, things are not always what they seem; Fujiya & Miyagi are not Japanese. They are not even a duo, rather they a trio of lads from Brighton, England, who have taken their moniker from Pat Morita's character in The Karate Kid and the name of a record player. They play a funky, sometimes minimalist style of techno, reminding me of German bands like DAF intermixed with vintage Talking Heads. Their latest release Transparent Things, takes its tiles from a book by the legendary author Vladimir Nabokov. The album on a whole is quite addictive, I am particularly enamored of the track "Collarbone." However, it is the opening track "Ankle Injuries," with its repeated chorus of "Fujiya Miyagi" that has me locked in a sonic prison of no escape, a pleasant incarceration none the less. Click here to listen.