LIVE REPORT ~ Juno Reactor feat. SUGIZO: September 25, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
Picture, if you will, men in tribal outfits prancing across stage. If you happen to move your eye just slightly to the right you see SUGIZO, the all too well known guitarist of LUNA SEA, prancing from side to side with his signature guitar in hand. What a spectacle to behold.
For the SUGIZO fans in the audience, most had no idea what to expect. For JUNO REACTOR veterans, most had no idea what to expect from SUGIZO. The room was brimming with wonderment even before the artists took to the stage.
JUNO REACTOR is a cinematic fusion of various styles of music ranging from tribal, funk, rock, electronic and orchestral. Somehow all these styles of music get gathered into one song, and those are typically the songs of JUNO REACTOR. None of the songs have an overwhelming amount of one genre in comparison with another. The music has the presence of thoughtful experimentations with sound designed to activate and energize the audience.
Israeli artist Yasmin Levy performed most of the vocals during the live. Her hypnotic essence set the stage for the live so to speak, drawing in the audience from the start. With angelic vocals soaring from high to low and no clear words to be distinguished, she only intensified the mystery of JUNO REACTOR. Suddenly the dimly lit stage came alive and the other members who were previously still as stone sprang to life. A fusion of rock and techno accompanied Yasmin's vocals.
The stage was never the same after that. It was always bounding with unflappable energy. I have never been to a live where five drummers shared the stage, but this was one of many attributes of JUNO REACTOR that make it unique. SUGIZO was one of three guitarists, the other two being JUNO REACTOR founder Ben Watkins and Steve Stevens. Steve Stevens blew me away. He was not the liveliest or the most charismatic of the members, but he had a total rock star vibe. His precision on the guitar is an absolute art and when he and SUGIZO squared off in friendly "Rouse the audience up" fashion, I was mesmerized. For the guitarists out there, JUNO REACTOR is worth attending because it can be a sensory experience and a learning experience.
JUNO REACTOR certainly isn't a substance experience but it can have that affect. Often times there was so much going on onstage that I had trouble following. It is loud and a variety of instruments are somewhat competing with each other, so occasionally the sound can come across as more mixed than balanced. While there are five drummers and three guitarists on stage, vocalist, emcee, and dancers are also sharing the stage along with them. It's a lot for the eye to take in as well.
The tribal dancers are as much a part of the JUNO REACTOR experience as the sound producers but they add an extra layer of performance often times doing crazy stunts on stage, flips, and acrobatic dance moves when the show needs a jolt of energy. It was pleasant to see SUGIZO fully engaged in the JUNO REACTOR atmosphere. For those LUNA SEA veterans who know so much about SUGIZO this was a very different a side, a more playful side, unbeknownst to most until this live took place.
The sound certainly shook the walls with its volume, but with a hip attitude, a sort of tropical rock fusion. The audience gets a small share of the participation, the standard "Are you there? Are you awake?" approach, but mostly this is a live show that is meant to behold, not participate in. JUNO REACTOR certainly achieves the merit for energy and uniqueness but it can be a bit too much to take in. For those who prefer a simpler set up, JUNO REACTOR is the exact opposite. It is complicated and oftentimes overwhelming in its complexity. Basically it can only have two affects in the end. It can either be a complete eyesore and the lead in to a monstrous headache, OR it can revitalize the human spirit and create a spellbinding feeling of awe and wonderment. It purely depends on how open the mind is.
report by Sarah; photos by Elffys
Thank you to Juno Reactor and EINSOF Marketing Group for making this possible.
links
Juno Reactor Official Website
Juno Reactor Official USA MySpace
SUGIZO Official Website
SUGIZO Official MySpace
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