In what has to be one of the most entertaining EPs I’ve heard in a really long time, I present to you the Tokyo Two Step. Japan’s I Hate Smoke Records and North America’s Ska Punk International came together to put out a split EP featuring 2 songs from Japan’s The Sensations, and two songs from Hans Gruber and the Die Hards out of Texas, USA.
Both of these bands have a lot in common, and the combination is absolutely perfect. Both bands are primarily labeled as ska bands, but both of them take inspirations from a broad range of less traditional sources to make their music extremely unique and interesting. In addition, both bands are primarily known for high energy live performances and incredible stage presence that commands a room and makes their shows unforgettable- and while I’ve never seen either band live, I know countless people that attest for this with Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, and the stories from The Sensations seem to sound equally as convincing.
On this album, both bands released one new original song and one cover song. The Sensations song begins with something almost reminiscent of Skankin Pickle with the backing vocals and fun danceable ska hooks, but then, halfway through the song goes into a country rock guitar riff that completely melts my brain. I have no idea where it came from or why it works so perfectly, but holy shit am I ready to get down with the rest of this track.
They follow this up with a cover of The Muffs “On and On”. It’s fun and energetic and the group vocals work perfect, and the guitar work reminds me of a little 1950s rock and roll for a minute. Everything is just a little unexpected and fun and it’s hard to not enjoy everything that’s going on.
When we get to Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, it’s always a mystery of what to expect. Their influences range from thrash metal to cumbia to sea shanties. My favorite song is about the paleontological bone wars, but they also write very serious political songs and sea shanties, so you REALLY never know what you’re going to get. In “Trepanation” we get a medical history lesson in a somewhat aggressive but catchy ska-core track. The end is a nice catchy hey-hey ho-ho gang vocal chorus that bores into your brain with the accuracy of a surgical procedure.
The album closes with a shocking take on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, classic I put a spell on you that is far more serious than I would expect from any ska band that had the audacity to try and cover it- and they do it so well. This song is definitely the introduction to spooky season we all needed in 2024. This is the least campy version of this song I’ve ever heard, and it’s fitting that it comes from a band that is so willing to engage in campiness for a bit.
This is the second album that Ska Punk International has put out this year in collaboration with a Japanese band as earlier in the year they put out the Mutiny album that was 4 songs in English, and then the same 4 songs were put out in Japanese by the Japanese sco-core band Frail (it also came with a manga written for the album). While the songs by The Sensations are in English, it’s exciting to get more exposure to the Japanese ska music scene in these releases and I look forward to continued collaboration regardless of whether the songs are in English or Japanese. The language of music is universal and the message needs to be heard everywhere.
Written by Gimp Leg
