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KBB: Lost and Found (CD, 64:37)









 Musea, 2000
CYBERHOME: http://tsuboy.internet.ne.jp/kbb

So. you say you like wacky time signatures?  Like lots of keyboard runs and
some serious musical virtuosity? Like CDs where all the songs clock in at
over six minutes?  Well, that's good because there's a hot item from Musea
Records that should be on your "to buy" list courtesy of four incredibly
talented musicians from Japan known as KBB.  The name of the album is
Lost and Found, and as far as fusion/prog bands go they don't get
much more tighter than this.

With the opener "Hatenaki Shoudou", these boys waste NO time in making sure
you're aware that you're in for a wild ride - the Gregory Suzuki's keyboard
leads and the great melodies of Akihisa Tsuboy's guitars are in full force
right from the word go.  The rhythm duo of bassist Dani (donations to the
Last Name Foundation are being accepted) and drummer Shirou Sugano are a
more than formidable tag team that handle the shifting rhythm of the band's
frantic fusion without missing a beat.  By kicking off the CD with such a
strong number, KBB establishes they definitely write and perform a classic
rock tune without even breaking a sweat.  And then the fun begins.

About halfway through the opener, the sounds of the violin begin to creep
into the music and the song shifts gears into a style that is quite
reminiscent of The Mahavishnu Orchestra's classic track "Meeting of the
Spirits". The violin remains the focal instrument (along with Suzuki's
keyboard) for most of the remaining tracks on Lost and Found, and let
me tell you that's a good thing because Tsuboy can absolutely SHRED on the
violin!  I've heard plenty of folks with "good chops" come and go in the
fusion/prog arena, but I've NEVER heard a fellow who plays the violin with
such speed AND melody - it is truly a joy to sit down and pay full attention
to Akihisa and his talent.  And praising violin technique is in no way
suggesting that he's a slouch on the six-string - one listen to "The Desert
of Desires" will tell you that this guy knows his way around a guitar as
well.  I tell you, it's just not fair the amount of talent some folks have!

Anyways, KBB's instrumental prowess is evident throughout Lost and
Found, and for the most part their compositional skills are also very
high as well.  The track "Nessa no Kioku" is an excellent example of this,
as Suzuki and Tsuboy combine to create an incredibly disturbing melody while
the rhythm guys keep things grooving with some great bass and drum work. It
is with pieces like "Nessa no Kioku" and "Catastrophe" where KBB demands
(and warrants) your full attention.  However, there are some bits on the
album where the music (especially some of the keyboard bits) become a bit
clichéd and predictable.  The perfect example of this is the 13-minute plus
"Antarctica", a song that starts out with an almost Disney-friendly piano
lick and never really gets moving at full speed - not a good thing for a
track so long.  Fortunately, these mundane moments are few and far between
on Lost and Found, and the incredibly musicianship displayed more
than makes up for the few shortcomings on the album.

In the end, the thing that impressed me the most was the fact that this is
the band's FIRST album!  Trust me - when you hear Lost and Found it
sounds like these guys have been together for ages.  KBB is definitely a
band that I will keep an interest in, and I would suggest that any lover of
good fusion do the same.  If their follow-ups are half as good as the
original, they should enjoy a good amount of success in their careers.

More information on KBB can be found at http://tsuboy.internet.ne.jp/kbb.

- Michael Askounes (michael@gscyclone.com)

CREDITS:
Akihisa Tsuboy: Violins, Guitars
Gregory Suzuki: Keyboard, Theremin
Dani: Bass
Shirou Sugano: Drums

TRACKLIST:
1. Hatenaki Shoudou (6:25)
2. Catastrophe (9:32)
3. Antarctica (13:28)
4. The Desert of Desires (7:38)
5. Another Episode (8:28)
6. Nessa no Kioku (9:41)
7. Divine Design (9:26)




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