Credit: Bespa Kumamero

We’ve babbled about It Came From Japan before, with their launch tour last May and Bo-Peep’s tour in November, but the hyperactive sods have lined up yet another yummy jaunt in February – so here we go again.

Simply put, the agency stuffs Japanese bands onto aeroplanes bound for Britain, staging week-long tours to give cool artists a shot at our fair isle (because, in their words, “no one else does”). So far the bands have all been stupendously excellent, and this next batch is no exception.

Bespa Kumamero, Tokyo Pinsalocks and Sonic Dragolgo are threaded by an electronic approach, but all sound radically different – not only from one another, but also from everything else. You can hear them at www.myspace.com/icfj, where you’ll also find tour dates. In the meantime, let’s hear what the artists have to say for themselves! 

Hailing from Yamanashi, Bespa Kumamero offer a ludicrously exciting live show, with vocalist Azumi Kuwadate belting out her lyrics over Monkichi Irikura’s sweaty techno beats. The music carries an upfront house sound but is unmistakably Eastern, and their stage antics – swordplay, acrobatics, electronic rice bowls – are guaranteed to thrill.

How did Bespa Kumamero get together? 

Azumi: “I read an article written by Monkichi in the local paper, about music, photography, books, poetry and his homemade music equipment. I had an impression that his sense and my sense were the same.” <i>[Makes several impossibly cute noises, mimes with her hands, and then laughs for ages.]</i>

Did you hit it off right away? 

Monkichi: “The first time we met, we were curious about each other’s personality. We were talking and we realised that we each had the exact same hat with bear’s ears. We were so surprised by that coincidence! We didn’t know each other at all before that, and not many people have a hat like that.”

What are your influences? 

Monkcihi: “Roots, punk, hardcore punk, house, techno, club jazz, hip hop... I love loads of stuff. It’s all mixed up. I might like one song by a band and hate the rest. But I love electronic music the most.”