An intriguing music project, u crack irigaru, existing for many years, from around 2013, but only active from time to time which makes for a great surprise effect when something is released out of the blue by this music unit.
While maybe the exact intent of the project is not that well known, the result is that there is an enigma surrounding the project members and the music they produce. The project is run by MIYOKEN, who is better known for his work in THE MORTAL (BUCK-TICK’s Atsushi Sakurai solo project) and the post-rock instrumental band Bolt from the Blue (青天の霹靂) and is also the arranger of the musical compositions for Kiyoharu (Kuroyume, SADS). His music career is much longer than that, but this already gives a good impression of who we are dealing with.
So, not much mystery around this musician, but from kate, the vocalist, not much can be found of her which makes it all much more intriguing, because where did these two meet each other and how did they start u crack irigaru? Just keep in mind that the musical world is small, especially in the Tokyo scene. The mystery is a good method for fueling the interest in this music project. When can we expect more of it?
u crack irigaru released a couple of singles in 2017 before releasing a self-titled album in May 2019 through Vodka Records. After that release, it became silent again around the project. Although, there was just that one performance in 2019 to celebrate the release of the album and that was it. Or is it? It seems that behind the scenes the musicians are working on new work. but perhaps we should not hold on to this and let ourselves in for a surprise. This music project might be more likely focused on irregular performances and releases, whenever both musicians have time to collaborate on new work.
The slow tempo of u crack irigaru’s music invites the listener to experience a gentle flow of time as it is easy on the ears, separated from reality. The music is serene, dark, heavy and thick at the same time. The misty atmosphere makes it complete. It is like stepping into the depths of a very deep forest -which is a good reference looking at the band photos- where there are no people but only yourself and there are signs of life all around – but you don’t really see it.
The self-titled album and singles of u crack irigaru can be found on the major streaming services, such as Spotify. Linked below is the full-fledged album of the music project consisting of 13 songs and 49 minutes in total.
