Sotaisei Riron melds metropolitan pop sensibilities with wistful, cleverly-worded lyrics to create their own unique atmosphere. Fronted by whispery vocalist Etsuko Yakushimaru, the band's sound is fleshed out by 80s influenced guitar (think Andy Summers or Johnny Marr with the reverb pedal to the metal) and a nimble, creative rhythm section. Formed in late 2006, the band released Chiffon Shugi in May of 2008 on the indie label Mirai Records. While it was a solid indie record that garnered...

Sotaisei Riron melds metropolitan pop sensibilities with wistful, cleverly-worded lyrics to create their own unique atmosphere. Fronted by whispery vocalist Etsuko Yakushimaru, the band's sound is fleshed out by 80s influenced guitar (think Andy Summers or Johnny Marr with the reverb pedal to the metal) and a nimble, creative rhythm section. Formed in late 2006, the band released Chiffon Shugi in May of 2008 on the indie label Mirai Records. While it was a solid indie record that garnered the band a strong cult following, it gave no hint of the sublime set that followed in 2009, Hi-Fi Shinsho, also on Mirai Records. More varied in tempo, but uniformly strong, the songs on Hi-Fi Shinsho rang true with the larger Japanese music public, hitting #7 on the Oricon charts. While the band's profile has certainly grown, and they are rumored to be on the verge of a major label contract, they tend to stay out of the spotlight, rarely granting photo opportunities or interviews.