Chiyoda Ku – Bread And Circuses

Chiyoda Ku are a Devon-based duo that bill themselves as instrumental math-rock, and their first EP has been available on Bandcamp for the last fortnight or so. As you might expect from a recently formed band, their sound is in fledgling stage, meaning Bread And Circuses is by no means approaching the finished article. There are tangible sparks of promise, especially in second track Firefly Squid, however at times, it feels like their sound requires more development before they can be considered alongside the other bright lights of the local circuit.

The EP weighs in at around 13 minutes, comprising of 4 tracks. Opener, Without A Question… is extremely short, and it judders along in a staccato structure reminiscent of Octopus by Bloc Party. Firefly Squid is the strongest track on the list, with a familiar opening riff that shifts into a nicely composed instrumental. Still, I can’t help feel that this track would benefit from a vocalist, or additional texturing. I wasn’t a particular fan of Stop Watching TV… as I felt it lacked cohesion. However, I appreciated some decent fretwork by the guitarist in some of the riffs. The following piece, Lion Supremacy is in a similar vein to its predecessor, yet it serves well as the EP’s finale, slowing tempo at its tail end and which bringing Bread And Circuses to an effective close.

At this stage, Chiyoda Ku’s sound is rather undeveloped, yet one can expect this from a band’s first effort. To continue to progress, they need to augment their sound, whether that be with vocals, additional instrumental lines or production effects. If the focus of the band shifts in this manner it should see a subsequent increase in notoriety on the local circuit in the near future.