Before that though, are the local heroes Sennen, who, show just how impossibly small the 250 capacity Norwich Arts Centre is with their blend of airy, progressive indie rock and how to blast it right through the venue. Sold out on the night, along with bands playing in the bar next door (included in the £6 price) there was quite a competition for attention tonight, but Sennen continue regardless and give a very ardour set, capturing the collected emotion, which people were literally breathing out on this cold winter’s night, and their imaginations perfectly, as they play with such effort it leaves people able to just close their eyes and listen. Their set comprises of lush soundscapes, played incredibly tightly and sound like; 65 days of static, explosions in the sky, Mogwai and even elements of Isis. Opener ‘I couldn’t tell you’ is an absolutely stunning performance to witness, and is probably the biggest highlight of the set, with alluring guitar sounds, fragile vocal harmonies and a frantic building sensation which slowly grows as the song progresses, amazing stuff. It is this that proves that this is a band, and a genre of music for that matter, that has to be captured live, rather than on record. Releases by said genre can be brilliant, but lack substance, and when sat next to live performances, is average at best. It’s not all perfect though, despite the recent, well deserved attention Sennen have been receiving, it is clear that they are still a band with a lot to learn. Their set comprising of their debut album ‘Widows’, which at times loses a lot of pace and at times feel a little unfocused. A couple songs right in the middle of their set are quite clearly the lesser part of their set in quality, most notably, the lack of variation in the bands vocals, which, although in some songs create the mood perfectly, in others sound whiney and annoying. But they are still a young, learning band who seem very eager to progress and learn from their mistakes, which means, by the time they get around to their next release, they should have something potentially life-changing.

So next up is possibly one of the most obscure musical performances I have ever seen, and also continues to argue my aforementioned point that “Japan can do no wrong.” World’s End Girlfriend, the tour support for Mono, is Katsuhiko Maeda, a man who bravely gets on stage, by himself, with an Apple Mac laptop, a fender guitar, a massive mixing board and many, many FX pedals, and plays to indifferent indie kids (in the UK anyway.) It takes nearly 5 minutes for anyone to even notice he has begun performing, (note performing rather than playing,) and even once he does catch the crowd’s attention, it doesn’t take long for their minds to wonder off. Which is a shame, because the amount of effort Maeda has put into this project is immeasurable, however, it is possible to sympathise with those of the crowd who don’t stick with it, as this is a hard, ambitious experience, which proves too much for some. Still, his music has been written to try and keep interest for the listener, as his style is to not let them get too comfortable. He uses a combination of classical music, piano loops, trip-hop drums and charming sounds from his guitar which make for a fantastic treat for all who stick with his set. Sounding like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, DJ Shadow and Martin Grech colliding, this is an epic 30 minutes in which Maeda does not stop from one end until the other, and creates a truly stunning performance, and at the end of gets massive rapture from the audience (worth it in the end then.) Score one in the argument for Japan!

And hoping to continue that are the epic, now cult heroes, Mono, and their beautiful blend of soundscapes, indie music which can quite easily turn into powerful post-rock which challenges the likes of Isis. They play for over one hour but condense that into about 5 songs, which zoom by for fast that at the end of their set, you wonder where it went. This is certainly not a bad thing though, as it shows just how enjoyable their set was. They are a band who are so tight, and so powerful that it almost seems unbelievable; this is a truly moving set of music. Mono is the band Sennen aspire, and hopefully will become just as powerful as, their set is faultless, and impossible not to enjoy, the way the guitarists Yoda and Taka flail about the stage, the way the bassist Tamaki passionately make sure she never misses a single note, and the way the drummer Yasunori keeps everything in time, is stunning to watch, to feel. What’s more to add to their flawless performance and music, is the way they incorporate lighting into their stage show. Having a blank white back-drop as their canvas, they would project colours onto it depending on the mood and the movement of the music, which adds to the whole experience perfectly and leaves a massive euphoric feeling; when you witness Mono live, everything, for an hour at least, is in its right place.

So, in all, I am proven right. Of course there will be exceptions, but there is absolutely denying, the music scene in Japan is currently one of the most exciting in the world at the moment, and for the rest of us, we can only hope it stays that way.

Adam Turner-Heffer