aaamusic | On 21, Sep 2011

Influential Japanese Group Set to Rock
London’s Raindance Film Festival 2011

 

 

Hokkaido’s hottest new talent, Galileo Galilei, prepares for success in Britain as a film inspired by their music gets its European premier at London’s Raindance Film Festival 2011 on 9 October.

The four-piece indie-rock group blasted into the mainstream after dominating Japan’s ‘Senkou Riot’ teenage talent festival. Since then, their debut single has surpassed one million download sales and their first major label album gained top five success in the country’s Weekly Oricon Album chart.

Now, a film named after the first song they ever wrote, ‘Control Tower (Kanseitou)’, sets to capture the emotion behind the chords and translate the lyrics’ message in a medium that transcends the language barrier. Upon first hearing the song live in concert, director Takahiro Miki knew that he wanted to make a film from it.

“We were surprised and thrilled when we first heard about the project,” says vocalist Yuuki Ozaki. “Kanseitou was about those feelings we had as teenagers, battling against an overwhelming sense of hopelessness as time inevitably ticks on.”

The film, screening on 9 October, tells how two alienated, directionless youths find their place in life through music and uses the band’s quaint hometown of Wakkanai in northern Japan as its setting.

‘Parade’, Galileo Galilei’s critically acclaimed debut album is available now in the UK from major digital outlets and includes ‘Kanseitou’, their breakthrough debut single ‘Hanamasu no Hana’ and nine other tracks that demonstrate why these Hokkaido boys are setting the standard for Japan’s teenage rock movement.