Fujiya & Miyagi have a Japanese name, sound distinctly Parisien but actually hail from Brighton. Coming across like a Krautrock version of Daft Punk (with a touch of LCD Soundsystem) they eschew synth-led exuberance in favour of mesmerising, considered basslines, hushed understated vocals and a certain British sardonicness (you won’t find the political depth James Murphy is capable of here.) It’s a formula that should work live. It doesn’t. Bush Hall isn’t the best venue for this sort of thing; the sound isn’t loud enough, the relatively cultured environs don’t encourage the throwing of crazy shapes and it seems to attract the worst kind of blathering idiots who seem to think they’re in some god-forsaken Hoxton drinking hole rather than a gig venue. But the band are also to fault- they’re very static performers, and although the Lego-based projections are a cute touch there needs to be a more prominent visual side to hold one’s attention, especially as the newer tracks don’t do anything to progress the established F&M formula leading to a sense of déjà vu after a while. Not nearly as enjoyable as it should have been; let’s hope they’re more engaging supporting Jamie Lidell in December.(Photo: Lonely Mushroom (Flickr))
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