FRYING DUTCHMAN - Kamonohashi - Japan CD

Credits:

Frying Dutchman

Description:

FRYINGDUTCHMAN carves out rock ’n’ roll that will be sung for another 1,000 years. Their new album *Kamonohashi*, featuring a modern take on the traditional Kyoto counting song “Kamono-bashi,” is being released simultaneously on CD and LP! Kyoto-based FRYINGDUTCHMAN will simultaneously release their new album *Kamonohashi* on CD and LP on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The album’s centerpiece, “Kamo-no-Hashi,” is a modern take on a traditional Kyoto counting song that passes down the story of a bridge spanning the Kamo River in Kyoto. Embracing the concept of “rock ’n’ roll sung for 1,000 years to come,” which connects Kyoto’s culture and the city’s memories to the future, this masterpiece—the culmination of the band’s 10-year run in its current lineup—has been born! In Kyoto, a city with over 1,200 years of history, the culture of counting songs—represented by “Marutake-Yamabushi”—still thrives today. “Kamo no Hashi,” featured on the album *Kamono Hashi*, carries on this tradition as a modern-day Kyoto counting song that takes listeners on a journey from south to north, counting the bridges spanning the Kamo River in Kyoto. It embodies the desire to preserve Kyoto’s culture and scenery for 100, 200, and even 1,000 years to come as a “protective song”—one that is sung as people walk through the city, commit the scenery to memory, and pass it down from one person to the next. The recording features LeeTabasco at the helm, alongside a lineup of talented musicians including Tetsuya Kajiwara (ex-THE BLUE HEARTS), Eiji Suzuki (Dachambo), Kazutoki Umezu, COTA, and Marron. Makoto Kubota handled production, mixing, and mastering, and the album also includes a powerful remix by Psykovsky. The five tracks—a blend of rock, psychedelic, festival music, and folklore—are an ambitious work that vividly fuses locally rooted culture with contemporary sounds. Furthermore, manga artist Tetsuhide created the cover art. Drawing inspiration from a session with LeeTabasco, he produced original artwork featuring distinctive line art and a psychedelic aesthetic, powerfully conveying the album’s world through visual art. Carrying Kyoto’s culture and memories on a rock ’n’ roll ride and singing them into the future—an album brimming with the signature grandeur of FRYINGDUTCHMAN has been completed. There was still hidden musical treasure to be found in Japan. It was FRYINGDUTCHMAN who struck this massive gold mine. Riding a groove so dense it’s almost suffocating, they sing as if laying a thick carpet across the entire room. The theme is all about bridges. “Kamo-no-Hashi” is a traditional handball song that counts the bridges spanning the Kamo River in Kyoto. As the song unfolds, it gradually builds in intensity, lulling the listener into a state of ecstasy and whisking them away to a demon-infested metropolis where all manner of monsters roam. Is this the return of the *Aho-dara Sutra*, or a *DeLorean* ritual chant? Other tracks include “ahoaho Tensai,” a dance tune guaranteed to twist your guts; “88 Boogie,” where slide guitar and saxophone clash with raw, unbridled ferocity; and “Chimpu na Uta,” which feels like it’s gathered all the tenderness in the world. Given the range and polish of this album, you’ll find yourself wanting to shout, “Where have you been hiding these masterpieces all this time?” This is an album that squeezes every last drop of FRYINGDUTCHMAN’s potential. And the final track, “kamonohashiremix,” is practically classified as hazardous material—a masterpiece that requires extreme caution when handled. Music Critic Shinichi Ogawa