The band that proceeded The Back Horn at COUNTDOWN JAPAN on December 30th, put on one of the most interesting and entertaining shows that I’ve ever seen. After a 20-minute or so break to do sound checks and all, ULTRA BRAiN hit the stage. I had no clue what is was in for, but I was ready to have an open-minded good time.

Of all the bands that I saw at COUNTDOWN JAPAN, ULTRA BRAiN was the only one that I didn’t know anything about previous to their performance. After watching them I can comfortably say that ULTRA BRAiN is very strange. But if you know me or the things I like, “strange” pretty much equals “good”!

While presented on-stage in a band-form, ULTRA BRAiN is essentially the work of one person, TYÜNK BRAiN (aka Akihiro Namba). Namba is most famous from his days as the vocalist/bassist of the punk band, Hi-STANDARD (you may also know of his former Hi-STANDARD bandmate Ken Yokoyama and his solo project). ULTRA BRAiN is the latest project and essentially is a “collective” of performers headed by Namba. Their music incorporates elements of punk with electronic and the like. The title of ULTRA BRAiN’s only full-length album describes their music well, it’s “NEO PUNK”.

  An official shot of ULTRA BRAiN performing, courtesy of the COUNTDOWN JAPAN quick report

The show that ULTRA BRAiN put on was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen. TYÜNK stood out the most with his bright red hair, white-rimmed sunglasses, and spike-studded jacket. His headset microphone allowed him to travel around anywhere on the stage. Behind him was a member who followed the rhythm of the music as he colored on a giant sheet of paper. There was a member on a drumset and another playing a conga drum. The programmer/dj caught the much of my attention. He was dressed in a full monkey suit, complete with a adorable giant head piece (think Super Monkey Ball style). The band later switched things up a bit when they sported their signature “brain helmets”.

Depending on the song, dancers in different costumes appeared. From a Speedo-sporting swimmer, to a ninja, to a gun-toting soldier, the costumers were diverse, strange, and symbolic. The soldier came out for “NEW WORLD IMAGINATION”, an intelligent and politically-charged song. My favorite performance was probably for the song “DOLPHIN” which the crowd was enlisted for to help sing the simple vocal line. The group’s hit “ghost busterz” were amazingly performed as well.

At the time of ULTRA BRAiN’s performance I had no idea who was who or which songs were which. Following the show, I was intruiged enough that I made a trip to the official CD stand and picked up a copy of their NEO PUNK album. I was able to remember which songs the band performed as I listened to the LP.

ULTRA BRAiN isn’t for everybody, that’s for sure. Chances are you’ll either be captivated by their seemingly abstract sound and signature look, or you’ll be turned off scratching your head. While their influences may be distinguisable, ULTRA BRAiN sounds completly unique, unlike any band I’ve ever heard.

ULTRA BRAiN’s amazing performance was one of the most engaging live shows I’ve ever seen. Similarly their music is intruiging with its illusion of simplicity though it is anything but. I look forward to a new release by ULTRA BRAiN and they surely made a fan out of me at COUNTDOWN JAPAN 06/07.

COUNTDOWN JAPAN 06/07 official site, rockin’ on Japan
ULTRA BRAiN official site, “ghost busterz” PV

Tomorrow’s live report: OVERGROUND ACOUSTIC UNDERGROUND