Photo by Tedd Henn
The latest incarnation of Big In Japan made its way to Mobtown Studios to take part in the soon to be legendary, Mobtown Microshow Series recently. Historically the band consisted of three members of the acclaimed Baltimore band Lake Trout and the current lineup includes additional Lake Trout members and Katrina Ford from Celebration. Big In Japan, Lake Trout, and Katrina Ford have had such an impact on the music scene in Baltimore that this show held the promise of presenting a truly transcendent experience for the audience. Toss in a particularly intimate and arguably reverent setting into the mix and the result is an opportunity to be a part of a truly rare performance.
The new music is a dramatic departure from the bass driven rhythms we’ve come to expect from live, improvised Big In Japan shows and it differs from Lake Trout in that the sound is stripped down by comparison, though it still retains much of the atmosphere that set the band apart from other indie bands from that period. This sound, while retaining a few of the elements of previous offerings, represents a new direction for this group and fans of their previous work won’t be disappointed. If anything, as a musician and a fan I’m excited to see them grow as artists while exploring new territory. Katrina Ford’s ethereal vocals ease into the mix seamlessly and the resulting recording is a gorgeous collection of music that you should already be figuring out how to download. The fact that it’s free, like all of the other Microshows on Mobtown’s website, makes not downloading it down right nonsensical.
-Justin Allen
Photo by Tedd Henn
Photo by Tedd Henn
Photo by Tedd Henn
Photo by Tedd Henn
Photo by Tedd Henn
