As a first tentative step into the difficult-to-enter world of Japanese indie there could be few venues less intimidating than the Penguin House. A place that re-defines "intimate", a place that, before you've even heard a note, creates an atmosphere in which music began in 1969 with the third Velvet Underground album and ended abruptly in 1972 with "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake. A place which seals the audience into a time-warp which renders words like "retro" passe and where the only intrusion from the outside world comes in the sound of running water through the pipes above our heads every time someone in the room above flushes the toilet.

Worth watching for the drummer alone are Clover Records' very own Pervenche. Hiding behind a pair of shades, casually sipping from a glass of chardonnay and occasionally hitting a drum with one of his little pompom sticks he steals the show. Not to downplay the rest of the band though, dressed like a Pringle October catalogue they seem about to burst into "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo at any moment. It doesn't happen but, even better, what does happen is that they play a tight set of sexy disinterested vocals under a layer of droning, semi-acoustic rhythm guitar and classily out of tune 50s styled lead. Music to hold hands to.

Next up is multi-talented Antipodean pop impresario Guy Blackman playing a selection of songs from his own solo collection as well as from his past career with Sleepy Township. He wins great kudos on the strength of sheer melody alone. When coupled with his sometimes heart-wrenching lyrics and fragile vocal delivery it would be a feat of criminal genius to escape unmoved.

My Pal Foot Foot, assisted by renaissance man Mr. Blackman on piano, crowd the stage to a point verging on the uncomfortable and there are inevitable technical difficulties resulting from being unable to stand up properly. Nevertheless, their melodic, largely acoustic brand of folk pop, recalling latterday efforts by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, benefits from the rich multi-layered musical accompaniment and they turn up a winner.

The lights go down and two candles are lit as Kyoto boy/girl duo Night Teller, possibly the two most beautiful human beings in the world, take the stage. The mixture of acoustic guitar and violin creates music as sparse and nocturnal as their name suggests and as beautiful as their appearance demands it be. They chuck in a cover of The Velvet Underground's "After Hours" which in this even more stripped down form manages to improve on the original and as they exit, the audience realises that it has been holding its breath for the last twenty minutes and lets it all out in a round of well deserved applause.

Place Called Space close off proceedings with a better lit but even more low-key acoustic set mixing the pretty much compulsory Nick Drake influences with some impressive fretwork which recalls John Fahey or Leo Kottke. If you were to criticise it then you would call it gentle to a fault but if you were to say that then I'd want to know why you stayed this long in the first place.

As the floor empties, time begins to return and it becomes clear how small the place in the world is that this music occupies. The voice of these bands is a whisper in a raging hurricane of chatter and babble which is a shame because there are kids out there in the suburbs whose lives would be saved if they could only hear it. Spread the word. -Ian Martin, Jan.06.04

Night Teller
Pervenche(Clover records)
Place Called Space (Ame records)
My Pal Foot Foot (Majikick/Flange House)
Guy Blackman (Chapter Music)