With a whispering-like voice, Etsuko Yakushimaru sings she is fighting with something that’s been leading our world to ruin, in the latest single off her band’s 5th album, “Tensei Jingle” (“天声ジングル”), released on Mirai Records.
The Tokyo-based pop project Sōtaisei Riron (相対性理論), which means Theory of Relativity, is now a quintet. It is led by the singer vocalist and composer Etsuko Yakushimaru (who recently released a solo effort as Yakushimaru Experiment), guitarist Seiichi Nagai, bassist Masaru Yoshida from Open Reel Ensemble, drummer Motoki Yamaguchi, and keyboard player itoken who also plays in Shugo Tokumaru band.
While you could sense some hip-hop inspirations in “Flashback”, it also might be an homage of “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees. Accompanied by a video directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the song seems to relate to Etsuko’s battle against something which has been destroying us, as she often adds secret messages in her songs.
Sōtaisei Riron’s original bassist and founder Shuichi Mabe and drummer Kensuke Nishiura left the group in 2012. Currently, they play in Shinkou-houkou-betsu-tsukou-kubun, they’ve produced some female idols, and Mabe also joined Vampillia as guitarist and synth player.
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