Zainichi Funk -- Mi ni Okoru（身に起こる）

 

A few years ago, I wrote about the funk band Zainichi Funk（在日ファンク）, led by vocalist Kenta Hamano（浜野謙太）because some of their songs have been able to be heard on television shows provided by NHK. Having been around since 2007, there is a definite James Brown flavour coming out of his performance.

Their first and only (for now) digital single came out in November 2022. "Mi ni Okoru" (Happens to Me), which was written and composed by Hamano with band saxophonist KIDS Hashimoto（橋本“KIDS”剛秀）also helping out on the music, is a bit more of a slow burn with a tropical flavour thanks to that steel pan drum. As well, there are points during the chorus when I feel that things are going toward a more collaborative Gospellers sound, but then by the end, the funk starts brewing once more with even a Brown-esque grunt bursting forth.

Speaking of collaborations, their website recently noted that Zainichi Funk worked with The God of Love Songs himself, Masayuki Suzuki（鈴木雅之）, on the NHK music show "SONGS" back in April.

Zainichi Funk -- Bakudan Kowai（爆弾こわい）

In late February, I'd been discovering all sorts of new bands for this decade that had popped in my eyes and ears. For instance, I found out about this Big Band jazz band called Gentle Forest Jazz Band led by the flamboyant but congenial trombonist Gentle Kubota（ジェントル久保田）, and now I'm pretty interested in getting at least one of the band's albums.

Well, at about the same time I found out about Gentle Forest Jazz Band, I also found out about this funk group called Zainichi Funk（在日ファンク）which can be translated as Funk in Japan. And strangely enough, it just so happens that Gentle Kubota is also one of the 7 members of this unit led by another flamboyant trombonist by the name of Kenta Hamano（浜野謙太）who is also the vocalist.

And the song here tonight is the title track from their 2nd album "Bakudan Kowai" (Bombs Scary) from September 2011. James Brown is absolutely pouring from Hamano although looking at the music video, there is a sense that these guys aren't so serious about the art that they can't poke a bit of fun at themselves.

Hamano is showing more of his funk moves in concert. Zainichi Funk has been around since 2007 but their first album didn't come out until 2010. The album "Bakudan Kowai" peaked at No. 54 while a single version remixed by Yasuyuki Okamura（岡村靖幸）was released in January 2012. That got as high as No. 66.

Not as much of a funk fan as I am into jazz but perhaps I may be enticed to pick up the album "Bakudan Kowai" depending on how much I rake in over the next couple of months. Of course, an annual income tax bill is also pending. Now that is scary!