“Nantokanaru is a post-modern rock mishmash. It's all mixed up, but done well: they work skillfully with rhythm, with melody... you just need to tune in and listen”
MusicServer.cz
So wrote MusicServer.cz about Nantokanaru's debut, drawing comparisons with acts such as A Perfect Circle and Alice In Chains. With a cathartic sound and provocative live show, they were hailed as one of the most interesting up-and-coming alternative rock acts in the their native Czech Republic. Flash forward a decade later, the Prague-based quintet returns with a new lineup, video clip, and EP released ahead of their forthcoming 2nd album.
A NEW SINGLE
Entitled Emotional Damage Wreckage, it reflects upon the despondency of an emotionaly torn individual facing solitude within the urban jungle of Tokyo. Inspired by the intercultural struggles of guitarist Igor Prusa during his 10 years spent in Japan, the story is conveyed through both melancholic, introspective vocals and primal outbursts, laid over a backdrop of syncopated grooves, classical guitar lines, and unorthodox textures.
Emotional Damage Wreckage is the title track of the Nantokanaru's eponymous new EP, bookended between the crushing, yet flippant Japanese-lyriced opener Omatsuri, and In The Light, an anthemic semi-acoustic tune featuring members of the Czech Philharmonic on strings. The Emotional Damage Wreckage EP is the first in a series of new material exploring the unique perspective on society, culture, and interpersonal relationships gained after principle songwriters Igor Prusa and Derek Saxenmeyer lived for more than a decade outside of their home countries.
NANTOKANARU
Is a Czech alternative rock band formed in 2007 by Japanologist Igor Prusa. Mixing business attire, Japanese children's songs, and Gogo dancers, the band's spectacular stage shows quickly catapulted them from obscurity to the forefront of the Czech alternative rock scene. Their first album, He Who Dances with Swans was selected by the prominent MusicServer.cz as the best debut album of 2008, and that same year they went on to win the national Jack Daniels Music contest. Subsequently, the band flew to Nashville, Tennessee to record new material with producer David Barbe (Deerhunter, R.E.M.). In 2012, the band released their sophomore effort, She Who Plays With Shadows before going on hiatus as Igor relocated to Tokyo, Japan to pursue his doctorate degree.
A decade later, Nantokanaru has reformed, with guitarists Igor Prusa and Derek Saxenmeyer co-writing music and lyrics. Bassist Vit Kravacek and drummer Michal Grepl drive the rhythm section, while Filip Vlcek channels the story through his multifaceted vocals. The new lineup continues to develop the band's unorthodox style, which blends raw emotion, musical experimentation, and Japanese symbolism.
Genre:
Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock, Post-Metal
For Fans Of:
Korn, A Perfect Circle, Faith No More, Dir En Grey