Nisennenmondai
Destination Tokyo (Smalltown Supersound)

Nisennenmondai are three women from Tokyo, Sayaka Himeno (drums), Yuri Zaikawa (bass) and Masako Takada (guitar), who have been playing instrumental music together since they met over ten years ago in college. Discovered after being lauded by members of groups including Battles and No Age, and most recently Gang Gang Dance, Prefuse 73, and Hella, Nisennenmondai were first officially introduced to an audience outside of Japan when Smalltown Supersound released their two EPs, “Neji” and “Tori” as one release last year. Their follow-up, Destination Tokyo, will be released worldwide on Smalltown Supersound this summer.

Destination Tokyo, Nisenennmondai’s new album, was recorded in one take at Peace Music in Japan in the fall of 2007. Compared to “Neji/Tori”, Destination Tokyo sounds more clean, and more minimal and repetitive than the EP collection, leading to a truly intense, brain-melting, hi-fi experience. The repetitive nature of the album also helps the band reach their goal with this record, which is to make people dance. Destination Tokyo could be described as a mix of the groovy krautrock of Neu! and New York 1980’s no wave/disco created by bands such as Sonic Youth, DNA, and ESG, infused with elements of the instrumental Black Flag of The Process Of Weeding Out and the avant/post-punk of This Heat.

The album was released on Nisennenmondai’s own label, Bijin, in Japan last year. The Smalltown Supersound world-wide release is complete with new Kim Hiorthoy designed artwork. The first 12” single from Destination Tokyo includes remix treatment from Norwegian disco master Prins Thomas, who became so enamored with the band after seeing them perform, that he reached out to the label about creating a remix. Prins Thomas’ remix takes the band into an 11 minutes long hypnotic trip of kraut, psychedelia and folk.

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