I have listened to a fair share of Japanese rock in my life, but recently I have been obsessed with this song, titled “Koe (trans: voice)” by the Back Horn. The song is pure genius, with very heavy, catchy riffs, melodic leads and coal-truck-driving dynamics. While the music scene in the West has been sucked dry by trance-pop and rap (with exceptions to bands like Wolfmother and the Tragically Hip), it is great to see Asia getting back into the bare-bones rock ‘n’ roll in the 21st century. Bands like Jang Giha and the Faces (funk/folk) in Korea and Tokyo Jihen (jazz-influenced heavy rock) in Japan have gained immense popularity, keeping me in my Asian music phase a little too long this time. So come on, you originators of rock ‘n’ roll, let’s go back to the good old days of unprocessed music.