myspace cadets: nakatomi towers0

I love press releases. I hate writing them, but they’re always hilarious to read because of some of the phrases and soundbites used. Bands always proclaim that they’re fresh, original, and exciting: half of the time I think they’re actually advertising a new McDonalds product instead of their music. You occasionally get a few memorable lines though that sum up bands to a tee.

Nakatomi Towers declare they are “the musical equivalent of a hug on the dancefloor” and I’d be inclined to agree. I’d even go one further and describe them as the musical equivalent of getting a sneaky kiss from the pretty girl you’ve been dancing with in the Stiff Kitten for the past hour. Synthesisers, boy girl harmonies (with sultry vocals from Julianne Shawe and able support from Dave Frecknall of Jane Bradfords fame ) and an unabashed desire to make awesome electro pop dance music are the foundations of Nakatomi.

Sure, the lyrics are hardly incisive (a chorus of do do do do doesn’t do much for me in “Cut Me Out”) but we’re not expecting Dylan or Waits moments of literary magic. Simplicity seems to be the goal of Julianne and Dave. You won’t get crazy over the top symphonies and you won’t get 20 minute instrumental tracks with more peaks than a mountain range from Nakatomi Towers, but what you do get is rather good electro dance music that will please the girl that just wants to dance, the musical snob and the guy that just likes his electro music. With undercurrents of M83 and Friendly Fires running through their music Nakatomi’s debut EP isn’t half bad.

“Cut Me Out” is a cracking wee track and you can download it exclusively from Secret Fireworks. While I’ve already made my comments about the chorus, it’s imaginative in other ways. The funky bassline and Julianne’s vocals in the first verse are a decent intro as the layers fall in one by one. I’ve never been a fan of drum machines and if I was being super critical I’d prefer a little bit more variety in the drumline but it’s not a big deal. With a nice little guitar solo and overlapping synth parts I can’t shake off the feeling that the song is going to ask me to take them to Funkytown. That, by the way, is a good thing. “What You See” is equally danceworthy and follows the same sort of formula as the first track, applying layer upon layer as time goes on. It’s a little bit more relaxed than “Cut Me Out” but it’s arguably the best track from the EP. There’s more musicianship on show for this track, with a decent chorus and a great outro after a synth solo and a keyboard part that Kraftwerk would be proud of is added to the mix. It’s good stuff, not the most original music in the world but it’s hard to be cutting edge all the time.

Of course, an act like this band are more at home upon a stage instead of a recording studio. NT recently supported Moon Unit at the Stiff Kitten in mid July and are set to support Pocket Promise at Mandela Hall’s Radar night on the 24th September: go ahead and check them out!

Check out: “Cut Me Out” and “What You See”

MySpace

Download “Cut Me Out” (right click, save as)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download