Rating: NNN
Their name might suggest a sensitively strumming Japanese freak-folk duo, but Fujiya & Miyagi are actually the stage names of Brighton’s Steve Lewis (Fujiya is the name of a turntable manufacturer) and David Best (Miyagi was Pat Morita’s character in the Karate Kid), who’ve been hailed in the British press as the saviours of Krautrock. Sound confusing? Well, if you check out the just-issued North American release of their critically acclaimed Transparent Things disc, you’ll find their synth-backed jams sound much more like mid-period Talking Heads filtered through LCD Soundsystem than anything released by frequently cited influences Neu! and Can. There are worse artists to jack than David Byrne and company, but after all the breathless hype, you’d expect something a little more innovative.
Fujiya & Miyagi open for Peter Björn & John at the Phoenix Sunday (May 6).
