Tricot's guitarist Motoko Kida has twice credited Mukai Shutoku’s highly influential band Number Girl, which split in 2002, as being a major inspiration on the Kyoto trio.
Stylistically, though, their music takes after his current experimental project Zazen Boys a lot more, and you can hear it on tracks like “Niwa” and “E” with the off-kilter arrangements and the way vocalist/guitarist Ikkyu Nakajima spits verses at sonic speed, much like Shutoku himself.
But Tricot aren’t imitators. They’re proven alchemists in their own right, adept at weaving their individual influences – which range from emo to classic rock – with intricate melodies that have earned them the math rock label, though it’s stated on their bio that they’re not conscious of the genre. Still, there’s no denying their prowess as technicians who effortlessly pull off atypical rhythms and time signatures that are often frenetic and unpredictable.
On “Setsuyakuka,” the first single from new EP KABUKU, the guitars are as capricious as ever, with variations of cascading licks and manic strums running rampant, while bassist Hiromi Sagane sweeps the fretboard like she’s determined to outdo her bandmates.
The song is brought to a simmer in the bridge, but it retains its kick from a snappy drum beat that eventually builds to a gallop once Nakajima’s meandering croons turn to powerful belts, triggering a crescendo leading to the final chorus. tricot has always been a group filled with spirit, but on "Setsuyakuka" their exuberance is at its peak.
Who says technical music can’t be fun?
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