Ykiki Beat - F O R E V E R and Nobuki Akiyama's "British" Flavor

When you first hear the staccato guitar and dreamy beat of  Ykiki Beat's Forever you feel a shot of 80's adrenaline. When Nobuki Akiyama's impassioned (British meets Scottish accented) vocals cut into you the song has the power to carry you away. It is a stunning, stirring sound fueled by post punk, new wave, new romantic flavors of bands like Joy Division and Big Country and more. Ykiki Beat's sound feels both comforting and inspirational at the same time. Akiyama who is influenced by 50's and 60's rock bands as well as The Smiths and Belle and Sebastian listened to a lot of Western Bands to help him with his English pronunciation and through it all he naturally gravitated to singing in something that resembles a British accent.  He also cites poetry especially from the Victorian and Romantic eras for improving his language skills. There is something in Ykiki Beats total sound that brings you back (or forward) to high school loves and heartbreaks scattered with a million sparkling lights from that spinning disco ball. I look so forward to hearing anything Akiyama and the boys put out and Forever is my current addiction.
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Robb Donker