Petit Brabancon hit gold with their EP, Automata!

 

When the Petit Brabancon project was first announced back in 2021, I and many others were incredibly excited and hyped to hear some great music. It's hard not to be excited when a supergroup forms, especially when it consists of people like Kyo-san from DIR EN GREY and Sukekiyo, Miya-san from MUCC, yukihiro-san from L'Arc-en-Ciel, antz-san from Acid Android and Tokyo Shoegazer and Hirofumi Takamatsu from The Novembers. From the moment that they first released the digital-only double A-side single Koku/Kawaki back in December 2021. Then they dropped their first album, Fetish on August 31 2022. Needless to say, I thought that the album had some brilliant songs such as come to a screaming halt, Kawaki, Koku and Shuchou ni Te wo Nobasu Shura. I really enjoyed the sheer raw heaviness as it gave off some nu-metal vibes whilst also being avantgarde. The follow-up to Fetish, the EP Automata, was released on the 14th of June 2023 and will be the focus of this small blog post. 

Automata starts off with an instrumental track, mind-blow. It's a neat way to start off the EP as it features a very funky bass line and a lot of ambience. There's also a pretty nifty, rhythmic pounding of the drums and what sounds like distorted screaming. The song's overall vibe feels like being transported to a very distinct jungle. 

Kodou follows mind-blow and it couldn't be anymore different. A very catchy, melodic song, Kodou features Kyo-san making great use of his dulcet, sultry clean vocals whilst mixing in some harsh vocals when appropriate. I love Miya-san's guitar tone throughout the song and the riffs are very pleasant. 

Loser kicks things up a notch with much more harsh vocals and a heavier blend of guitar and drumming. The riffs in Loser are pure, hard hitting, in your face style riffs and on point. I love the solo-esque guitar work in the latter half of the song and the chorus slaps. Definitely one for the workout playlist as it's an adrenaline pumping anthem. 

Electronics are used to great effect in surely as there is a constant electronic beat throughout the song. The slow paced verses are blissful as the subdued, yet masterful instrumentation compliments Kyo-san's beautiful clean vocals. The song actually fooled me at first as it felt like the opening section felt like it could have built up to a much heavier song than it wound up being. Very atmospheric song that felt sci-fi with some machine like sounds at various points, which suits the aesthetic of the EP. 

Common destiny brings back more of that raw heaviness that I've come to associate with Petit Brabancon. The usage of electronics give it a sci-fi feel and the overall heaviness gave me the imagery of a space focused DOOM. Kyo-san's harsh, screaming vocals are on point as always and the song ends with some pretty cool effects that make it seem like Kyo-san is far away. 

Miserable almost starts off with a very oriental sounding instrumentation. What I love about the song is the blend of Kyo-san's clean and harsh vocals. When the chorus hits and he alternates between singing and screaming, it's like a beautiful haunting symphony. The guitar work in the verses reminds of the riffs used in Koku and Kawaki, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it's different enough whilst still showcasing a specific sound for the band. The chorus instrumentation is beautiful and I also enjoyed the brutal breakdown that flowed into a soft build-up into the chorus. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Automata and thought that it offered something for fans of the Kyo-san's clean vocals and also for the harsher, much heavier screaming. As a fan of both the soft and heavy songs, it delivered both big time. I definitely recommend the EP to fans of DIR EN GREY, Petit Brabancon and even open-minded fans of Sukekiyo and the other members work such as MUCC.