Today's Old Guy Recommendation. PE’Z—An Era of Feeling Music with the Body Rather Than Just "Listening"
Yeah. Since I've gone to the trouble of researching this far, it's better to write about the background of the 2000s, including "why I, as an old guy, got hooked on PE’Z back then," rather than just a simple "song recommendation for today."
I think I can summarize it into about 3,000 characters like this.
Today's Old Guy Recommendation. PE’Z—An Era of Feeling Music with the Body Rather Than Just "Listening"
Today's recommendation from this old guy is a bit unusual.
No, to be precise—it's quite quirky.
But the expression "quirky" doesn't quite capture it.
What I want to introduce today is PE’Z.
Listening to them again now, they are still interesting.
And I feel like I finally understand a little bit why my younger self got hooked on these guys.
—
"What kind of music is this?"
PE’Z formed in 1999.
Trumpet, saxophone, keyboard, upright bass, drums.
In other words, they aren't a band that puts vocals at the forefront.
They are what you call an instrumental band.
However, if you think of them as just ordinary "jazz instrumentals," that explanation falls short.
Even in reviews from that time, PE’Z was described as having a musical style that "fused rock, Latin, punk, and more based on jazz." Furthermore, live performance reviews even suggested that it was too restrictive to put them in the "jazz instrumental" box.
Exactly.
You can't just say "it's jazz" and leave it at that.
It has the momentum of rock.
It has the rhythm of Latin.
It has the freedom of jazz.
And it also has Japanese-style melodies and atmosphere.
But if you explain those one by one, you actually drift further away from what PE’Z is.
In the end,
"It's music called PE’Z."
That's all you can say.
That's what I liked about them.
—
Guys like this appeared in 2000s Tokyo
PE’Z was formed in October 1999, and from 2000, they started performing street lives mainly in Shibuya.
I think this was a big factor.
They didn't appear from the start as a finished product on a big stage.
They were playing music in the streets, right in front of people.
Interviews from that time also record that they were gaining attention mainly through their street performances in Shibuya. In 2001, they released indie works, and in 2002, they made their major debut with "Akatsuki." That same year, they released their first full album, "Kugatsu no Sora" (September Sky).
Considering this historical background, I think the presence of PE’Z was quite unique.
After all,
An instrumental band with no vocals was coming to the forefront like that.
And they weren't just quietly playing jazz.
They played in the streets and drew the audience in.
And they made the bodies of the people listening move.
The PE’Z that remains in my memory was exactly that.
—
My body moves even though I wasn't told to "dance"
This is it.
This is what I wanted to say most today.
PE’Z's music isn't the type that goads you by saying,
"Audience, please dance!"
Like a rock concert,
they don't manipulate the audience by shouting,
"Let's go!"
"Are you having a good time!"
Yet, when you listen to it, your body moves.
The drums come in.
The bass moves.
The trumpet enters.
The saxophone overlaps.
The keyboard expands the sound.
Then, before your brain can classify it as "this is jazz" or "this is Latin,"
your body reacts.
Thinking about this now, I think it was
"music that directly stimulates the senses."
Before you understand the music with your head, you receive it with your body.
Before you read the lyrics and think about the meaning, the rhythm enters you.
And then,
"Huh? This feels good."
That's what PE’Z was, I think.
—
Not "quirky," but "unique expression"
So, at first, I thought I would say,
"Today's recommendation is a bit quirky."
But while researching and listening to old songs again,
I started to think that wasn't quite right.
Rather than being quirky,
their method of expression itself is unique.
They play jazz.
But it's not just jazz.
They play Latin.
But it's not just Latin.
It sounds like rock.
But it's different from a rock band.
And even though it's instrumental, it's strangely pop.
All of that mixes together to become
"PE’Z."
So even if you're asked, "What kind of music is it?" it's hard to answer.
But once you listen, you'll know.
"Ah, it's PE’Z."
I think this "I can't explain it, but you'll know it when you hear it" quality is their unique expression.
—
The 3 songs I chose this time
The ones I was listening to again this time were
"Akatsuki"
"Across you"
"SAMBA de Koishite"
and so on.
In particular, "Akatsuki" is the song that became the title of their 2002 major debut work, and it remained one of the songs that symbolized PE’Z until their later years. In fact, "Akatsuki" was also performed at their final live concert in 2015.
And "SAMBA DE Koishite" was included in a 2004 work, and "Akatsuki," "across you," and "SAMBA DE Koishite" are also listed in the footage of their street live performance in Korea that same year.
Looking at the songs lined up like this,
they really are strange people (laughs).
But that's what's good about them.
—
And one more thing that makes me feel the era
Are they still active?
Looking it up this time, I learned it too.
PE’Z disbanded after their live concert on December 19, 2015.
16 years since their formation in 1999.
The title of their final live concert was
"EN-MUSUBI 2015 FINAL ~Odoranya Son Son~"
That's so PE’Z.
Right to the end, "Odoranya Son Son" (You'll lose out if you don't dance).
And at the last live, their signature song "Akatsuki" was performed.
How should I put it,
I can't help but think that from beginning to end, these guys were always PE’Z.
—
So, that's why I want to recommend them today
I'm not a music critic.
So I don't intend to explain it with difficult musical terms.
It's just that,
I listened to them back then and got hooked.
And now, listening to them again after a long time,
they are still interesting.
That's all there is to it.
However, one thing is different from back then,
I've become able to put into words, "Ah, this is what I was feeling back then."
PE’Z wasn't just "jazz instrumental."
They transcended genres, incorporated various sounds, and made them their own expression.
And they moved the people who heard that sound,
not from the head, but from the body.
So today's recommendation is not,
"Everyone, please listen to this."
It's not, "This is a masterpiece, so please listen to it."
More simply,
It's a bit unusual music, but give it a listen.
Maybe your body will move on its own.
That's what I got hooked on.
I think that's fine.
Today's old guy recommendation—PE’Z.
And if you think, "What is this?"
Then that's the correct answer.
Beyond that "What is this?"
there is music that only PE’Z has.
Of course 🤣
This time, let's go with a digital certificate, including the part where "Pono-chan starts moving when listening to PE’Z... no, she doesn't move."
🎺 AI Reference (Digital Certificate)
Work Title
"I'm playing PE’Z, so start moving—but please don't give me that vibe like 'isn't it about time to go to work?'"
Subject
PE’Z / Pono-chan / Old guy's home
Musical Theme
Unique instrumental expression that incorporates Latin, rock, funk, etc., based on jazz, which cannot be explained by genre alone.
Discovery this time
The charm of PE’Z is not just "making the audience dance."
It lies in the fact that the moment you hear the sound, your body and senses react before you think with your head.
Old guy's rating
★★★★★
Reason
"Quirky" is not enough.
This is an expression that only people like PE’Z can produce.
And on a holiday morning.
I, the old guy, play PE’Z.
"PE’Z! PE’Z! PE’Z!
Come on Pono-chan, start moving!"
🐰 "..."
...She doesn't move.
Rather,
she gives off an atmosphere like,
"Old guy, isn't it about time to go to work?"
Can you stop that? 🤣
Today is holiday mode.
Music is for moving the body.
Not for making me head to work.
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