Until recently, their ensemble has consisted of drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and female vocals (Nami Sagara, ex-The Eccentric Opera). With their latest album, Angherr Shisspa, they have replaced the guitar with reed player Komori Keiko (mainly on soprano sax). With this change in instrumentation, their style has veered into a new direction to match the change in tone color.
Through their evolution of style, their rhythmic and formal complexity have expanded greatly, incorporating polyrhythms, asymmetrical time signatures (i.e. not all beats are the same length), as well as more complex and varied sections, often containing polyphony and counterpoint. However, through all these impressive technical feats, they have managed to keep the overall feel very simple and melodic, to the extent that most other music feels hideously normal after listening to Koenji Hyakkei.
Formed in Tokyo, Kantô, Japan in 1991. Note that there is no official way to romanise the band's name, which accounts in part for the wide variety of tags across last.fm. Koenji Hyakkei and Koenjihyakkei have been used most commonly by official sources, but KoenjiHyakkei, Koenji-Hyakkei, and others have also been seen. 高円寺百景 is the Japanese tag for the artist, and a more accurate romanisation for the name would be Kōenji Hyakkei or Kōenjihyakkei, although these are rarely seen.
Studio discography:
1994 - 高円寺百景 (Hundred Sights of Koenji)
1998 - 弐(II) (Viva Koenji!)
2001 - Nivraym
2005 - Angherr Shisspa
Live discography:
2002 - Live at Star Pine's Cafe
2006 - Live at Doors
2008 - 070531
2010 - Live at Koenji High
Angherr Shisspa
Koenjihyakkei Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Griezh Inabb Kohftaille Angherr Shisspa
Griezh Inabb Kohftaille Angherr Shisspa
Griezh Inabb Kohftaille Angherr Shisspa
Ginzhem Konbhe Reffkam Kassporrdam
Ginzhem Konbhe Reffkam Kassporrdam
Ginzhem Konbhe Reffkam Kassporrdam
The lyrics to Koenjihyakkei's song Angherr Shisspa are in an invented language and do not have a clear meaning or interpretation. However, the intensity and repetition of the chanting create a sense of urgency and power. The song is characterized by its complex rhythms and rapid time signature changes, showcasing the band's virtuosic musicianship.
The title "Angherr Shisspa" is derived from a science fiction novel by Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui, which tells the story of a scientist who invents a machine that can extract and record human consciousness. The novel's themes of identity, consciousness, and reality align with Koenjihyakkei's exploration of musical complexity and innovation.
Line by Line Meaning
Griezh Inabb Kohftaille Angherr Shisspa
The title of the song, possibly a made-up or fictional phrase
Ginzhem Konbhe Reffkam Kassporrdam
Another repeated phrase or chant with unclear meaning
Griezh Inabb Kohftaille Angherr Shisspa
Repeating the title to emphasize its importance or significance
Ginzhem Konbhe Reffkam Kassporrdam
Repeating the other phrase for effect, without any clear meaning conveyed
Contributed by Adrian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lady Darth Gaga
I was thinking no band could reach Magma's awesomeness. I was damn wrong.
Louise Salome
For me a long time Captain Beefheart was the most weired music. But this comes at least up to him and his Magic Band ... I wonder what he would say to this ...
Julien Niquet
Lady Darth Gaga Magma ils an awsome band, i love it since i was young, but i went to one of there concert, recently and i was really disapointed: since Klaus blasquies suit thé band, they have some difficulties to fond a good choriste...
Lady Darth Gaga
@VoltismProductions That's normal, I love this kind of music.
Voltism
@Lady Darth Gaga this is the second zeuhl album ive seen you on
Joseph Rhinewine
Extraordinary. Koenjihyakkei take off where Soft Machine, King Crimson and especially Frank Zappa left off.
Augusto Konrad
After listining this for 50 minutes, I need a moment to stop and analyse what I've heard.
This is magical.
Snupps Synth channel
Pictures is perhaps the most Complex rock related album of all time. Its Absolutely stunning, but its still so layed back. Its one of the 5 albums in my life that i have listened the most to.
Snupps Synth channel
COOL! sorry that i havent replied before. I just saw your comment!!! I have listened to that album over 120 times!
Droning Machine
Pictures is arguably my favorite album of all time!!!!!!!!! Island are godlike- It's utterly genius music, just like Koenjihyakkei~
I'm intensely gratified that someone knows about Island.