Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

You’ve got to admire the spine of the bands that lay all their cards on the table with their name, even if you’re not a fan of the music. Gentlemen’s Dub Club. The Skatalites. One OK Rock. All bands with the confidence to say, this is us, take it or leave it in their very title. The Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra is a similar case, you know what you’re getting into the moment you read their name, but don’t take that to mean that they can’t surprise you, or be worth looking further into for that matter. Formed in 1988 by percussionist Asa-Chang, the Skapara (as their fans call them) basically created the Japanese Ska scene out of thin air. Well, thin air and a hell of a lot of jazz performers. Since then, they’ve released twenty one studio albums, contributed to film and video game soundtracks, collaborated with a host of different vocalists and toured the world over; playing truly astounding live shows every chance they get. Truly they’re one of the world’s premier instrumental artists, each member able to lead the band by playing their respective instrument lyrically and fluidly. Orchestra is the key word here, the main reason for their longevity is their ability to flit between straight up party ska, darker rock influences and atmospheric jazz sequences, cycling through each one with ease, aplomb and an absolute abundance of hard earned skill. It’s an astonishing sight and an even better sound, one that any fan of world music would do very well to catch as soon as possible!