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Silent Way, Waiting For The Fall, Stellar Sea, White Dots On Blue, Goin' out of my head, Rollercoaster, Strange Day, Psychedelic Breakfast, Rainy Morning, Endless Word |
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Q Magazine
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"One for the mature Mid-western psychedelic visionary in your life.
Wayne Coyne's favourite Japanese band, Color Filter, should really be a troupe of karate-kicking teddy bears all singing songs from The Sound Of Music. Actually, they're not that strange, but they are pretty sweet. This third album centres again on the vocals of Yuki Nishimura and falls between Saint Etienne's dappled Gallic pop and Flaming Lips' own percussive chunkiness, while Ryuji Tsuneyoshi's quaint, dreamy soundscapes usually sit happily in the corner. Psychedelic Breakfast would be better called Slightly Sleepy And Meandering Breakfast, but more assertive moments such as the deliciously trembling White Dots On Blue are sugar-coated gold."
3/5
Steve Lowe |
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The Independent
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"This "electronic pop co-operative" from Tokyo are based around the myriad talents of guitarist, composer (and, apparently, award-winning nuclear physicist) Ryuji Tsuneyoshi. Having worked in Japan since 1996, the band is about to step on to a wider stage with Silent Way, which comes garlanded with praise from Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, who considers it a fount of psychedelic feeling. Others may consider its bliss-rock textures closer in mood and content to the Cocteau Twins: vocalist Yuki Nishimura may not have the range or daring of Liz Fraser but there's a comparable depth and slow momentum in the band's layered guitars and keyboards. "Rollercoaster" is something of a misnomer, the track's limid piano and guitar arrayed with a calm, unhurried grace behind Nishimura's breathy billing and cooing; but "Strange Day" is exactly that, its understated vibrato guitar and wistful organ washed with a gentle shower of rain, to magical effect. The gossamer charm of the Color Filter sound is most readily discernible on the album's only cover, a version of the ballad "Goin' Out of My Head" that's the musical equivalent of being caressed by a thousand feathers. Apart from the brief jazz-rock flourish of the climatic "Endless Word", Silent Way sounds like the chill-out album of the year."
3/5
Andy Gill |
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Losing Today
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"Those still mourning the vacated throne once home to the elegant Dubstar before some of their number went on to form Client may well be wise to tune into the delights that await on Color Filter's mighty fine Silent Way.
In essence Color Filter is Ryuji Tsuneyoshi a guitarist, composer of TV commercials and award winning nuclear physicist (don't ask us) who heads up this electronic collective from his Tokyo base camp and who were recently given the thumbs up from none other than, man of the moment, Kevin Coyne of Flaming Lips fame, who cited the band when asked what did psychedelia mean to him.
Well not quite. Silent Way, seductively moulds together the sweet nimbleness and naivety of J-Pop and marries it to down tempo arrangements (Waiting for the Fall), ten tracks of well rounded happy kitsch-ville candy pop that softly crosses the borders between indie and dance and has, into the bargain, the same alluring air about them as does the London based duo Ninochtka with the strains of the quite perfect St Etienne fluttering captivatingly in the ether. What makes the release so complete is the addition of Yuki Nishimura's sensual vocals that seem to float about almost as though she is dreamily murmuring rather than singing acting as a perfect foil for the teasing textures found unveiling themselves within.
White dots on blue is probably the first point at which to seek out as it smartly splices all of the above with elements of Stereolab's infatuation with bossa nova / Francophile pop, throw in the loose baggy strains of the Happy Mondays at their laziest and a sly riff reminiscent of Chic and your away and dancing contently. Goin out of my head just oozes sex and will more than likely cause you to get Goosebumps were you never thought Goosebumps could or would ever appear, Nishimura's soft swept whispers reminiscent of Sadier / Sinatra gently caressing the spiralling late night cosmic arrangements beneath. The frail slow burning Strange Day has that same lonely bitter sweet cast of regret that has become the trademark of Melys of late and makes for the albums only lump in throat moment while almost acting in complete contrast Psychedelic Breakfast is thoughtfully introspective and daintily cinematic while the parting Endless Word will see to that your packed off to sleep with a glow in the heart not before allowing the CD to run for a minute or so for one of those secret track moments for a spot of quick fire freak out. Quite sweet really." |
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www.ireallylovemusic.co.uk
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"A japanese outfit spelling color the american way releasing an album in uk on pointy records, 'tis a beautifully messed up world we live in
opening with a mbv style of quietness and backwards loops and falls into the simply gorgeous 'waiting for the fall' old fashioned synthesisers do their jean michel jarre thing in the background while the band create their otherworldly electro infused pop music with to die for delicate female vocals by yuki ... sweetness and harmony embedded within. very impressive. hazy sunday afternoons and 60 french pop music. st etienne comes to mind. the album is a lovely soundtrack to the start of the day .. 'rollercoaster' is supreme pop music with its fine use of mellotrons, flutes, polite harmonies, reverb, piano's. special stuff.
having read reviews for about broadcast over the years this is exactly how i expected them to sound when i eventually caught up with their music and had them all wrong as i found their music to be quite cold and uninvolving to those who dont study their art, whereas color filters seems to be far more welcoming and subsequently more enjoyable.
so for some alt.pop music done with a style and attention to detail then this is indeed nice pleasant stuff." |
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www.soundsxp.com
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"Wayne Coyne claims that Japanese band Color Filter are a psychedelic band and has used their music at the start of Flaming Lips concerts. The jury's still out on that claim; certainly the track Psychedelic Breakfast has its share of melodic bleeping and rushing synth sounds but elsewhere the album is dreamy mood music and occasionally European electro-pop.
Musically, the most relevant comparisons are Broadcast, the Cocteau Twins and Stereolab, with Yuki Nishimura's voice coming across like Harriet Wheeler from the Sundays and occasionally like Trish Kennan. Waiting for the Fall is atmospheric midnight music accompanying a gentle and pure voice; like Elizabeth Frazer, it's impossible to tell what Yuki is singing or what language she's singing in. Stella Sea is hypnotic and compulsive while Endless Word is a bit like breathy French pop. It's occasionally too contemplative, perhaps reflecting the background of group leader Ryuji Tsuneyoshi who is guitarist, composer and an award-winning nuclear physicist! in composing for commercials. Amid the general ambient tones, White Dots on Blue comes as a pleasant surprise with its quick Stereolab beats and jangly guitars.
Most surprising is their cover of Goin Out of My Head, originally done by Little Anthony and the Imperials but perhaps best known as a Zombies single. This is blissful space pop, the heavily accented vocals and gentle, otherworldly effects producing a feeling that's both soothing and sexy. Maybe the record isn't as consistently innovative as, say Broadcast or Stereolab but it has a weird, ethereal charm that's only highlighted by its oriental origins."
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COLOR FILTER
Website
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Color Filter is an electronic pop cooperative from Tokyo headed by Ryuji Tsuneyoshi, a guitarist, composer, and award-winning nuclear physicist.
Tsuneyoshi started Color Filter in 1996 after discovering the possibilities of making music with an AKAI sampler and a Macintosh. He also writes music for TV commercials (one of his works can be heard regularly on ESPN during the X-Games).
For Tsuneyoshi, the ability to produce music on his own, without the aid of others, held much more promise than his then-current position as a guitarist in a band with influences in U.K. post-punk music.
Indeed, the blissful drum and bass-oriented electro pop of their new album 'Silent Way' features 11 new tracks and vocals from Yuki Nishimura, her voice has drawn comparisons to Saint Etienne, Cocteau Twins, Stereolab and Broadcast.
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