"Zuno-Hotel 6 Part 2" is the most immediate of these two tracks and serves as a well-produced example of the poppier, new-wavier side of Randy And The Pyramids oeuvre. The "Whoohoohoo" backing vocals nod towards XTC although the harder rocking, stuttering guitars have an exhilarating dash of Gang Of Four to them. Nevertheless, what makes this track something all of its own is in the way that these elements, along with some neat chord changes, are woven together under the supervision of Futoshi Sakamoto's cynical vocals.

"Yume wa Itsumo Chigau-keredo Dokoka Onaji" is a more laid back affair, with the gently snaking, out-of tune guitar line hinting at their more psychedelic tendencies. It's nothing that wouldn't sit comfortably on a Quruli album, which in this day and age is no bad thing at all.

Randy And The Pyramids can be found on the web at www.ismusic.ne.jp/randyandthepyramids/. At their gig on the June 14th they were giving away these CDs the way hostess bar talent scouts give out free tissues, but if you sneak a look on their web site, you can get these songs for free anyway. Happy hunting. -Ian Martin, Jun.20.04

Zuno-Hotel 6 Part 3