Recently, we covered a single by Jizue, where we discussed the sense of humor in their music. With the same cheerfulness, Jizue releases a monumental new album, featuring 30 diverse tracks, under a long japanese name that can be translated and simplified as  “Drama of the fridays, border 9”

In this new installment from the group, we see more of what Jizue is celebrated for: math-rock virtuosity and intricate licks that often compose classical-like music, sometimes directly quoting classical pieces. The harmonic choices are kitschy and sentimental, flavored with jazz and occasionally even cinematic elements.

Noteworthy aspects of this new album include tracks that more “rawly” exhibit the characteristics and peculiarities of math-rock, such as "Anxiety," alongside explorations of other sounds like the Latin jazz influence in "Success" and more conventional pop songs with math-rock arrangements such as in “My border”.

Another fascinating aspect worth noting about this album is that it serves as a consumer/album version of an original soundtrack for a Japanese melodrama known in English as “Border 9”. This confirms my theory that this group is completely kitsch, diabetic, and melodramatic, and someone has found a perfect use for the powerful sound characteristics of this band.

If you want to have lots of fun and encounter interesting intersections between pop, jazz, math-rock, and classical music, this group is definitely for you!

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.