Music: "Bump Of Chicken"
"Counterattack from the Weak Man"
Our friend, Jourdan, recommended my husband and I check out, “Delicious In Dungeon,” an odd new animé series on Netflix. Apart from being a delightful romp, the name of the band who wrote and performed the catchy main title track caught my eye…
“Bump Of Chicken” - “Sleep Walking Orchestra”
But which was the band name and which was the song title? Was it just a random collection of words? Inquiring minds wanna know!
So began a deep dive into everything about one of the most successful alternative rock bands in Japanese history…
It turns out the band name is “Bump Of Chicken” or Banpu Obu Chikin, which loosely translates to “Counterattack from the Weak Man.” Over their 30 years together - since the four principle members were still in high school - they have released 10 albums and 27 singles, all but three of which charted in the top 10 in Japan, most peaking at 1, 2, or 3.
Three things grabbed me immediately about their music:
The lead singer, Motoo Fujiwara, seems to not need oxygen the way the rest of us humans do. How does this man breathe? His vocal control, breath support, technique, and range are subtly impressive. The fact that he writes all the songs and does most of the cover art pushes him into the stratosphere of cool.
Bump Of Chicken’s songs are deceptively proggy, with surprising key, meter, and tempo shifts that put me in mind of Danish prog-rock band, Mew. But at the same time, every track of their’s sounds like a perfect animé theme song - melodic, punchy, fun, and emotive.
Bump Of Chicken - Souvenir (Live)
These guys are incredibly tight in their live performances, with every member of the quartet - guitarist Hiroaki Masukawa, bassist Yoshifumi Naoi, and drummer Hideo Masu - providing backing vocals, as well.
Bump Of Chicken - Acacia (Live)
Their songs have been featured in TV series’, films, and video games, including “One Piece: The Movie,” “Final Fantasy Type-0,” and “Pokemon” among others.
Don’t let the silly name fool you. Check them out on Apple Music today (and - if you’re into animé - check out “Delicious In Dungeon” on Netflix)!
