Fujiya & Miyagi

Ventriloquizzing Full Time Hobby**

Five years ago, Fujiya & Miyagi played a brilliant gig in The Tap, a tiny Dublin pub. Back then the Brighton boys peddled music directly descended from Krautrock, all Can stylings and dark electro- currents. Their sound has marched steadily, drawing in wider influences, notably funk. So while Ventriloquizzingslides a few degrees in a different direction (a notably slower, more downtempo one), it's not necessarily a move forward. The vim of their debut, Transparent Things, is dialled down and there's a plodding feel to songs that aim for retro, but land on dated. David Best's whispered vocals and clever story-telling are a highlight, as is Sixteen Shades of Black and Blue, a dirty-glam rock stomp, but it's not enough, and a potentially intriguing album bows out as an uneven, unsatisfying listen. See fujiya-miyagi.co.uk

Download Tracks: Sixteen Shades of Black and Blue, Spilt Milk