Twelve years is a long time to go between albums. It's long enough for entire careers in the music industry to rise and fall — The Beatles' recording career lasted eight years, while blues guitarist Robert Johnson was only around for one before his soul was reclaimed by the devil. Apparently it's not long enough, however, to be forgotten by Japanese fans, as demonstrated by The Cinematic Orchestra's standing-ovation, sell-out show at the 2,000-seater Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo last Friday.
The Cinematic Orchestra burst onto the U.K. music scene in 1999 with the critically acclaimed album "Motion." Signed to Ninja Tune, the band was well-kept in the company of artists such as Bonobo, Amon Tobin and Coldcut on a label known for its eclectic curation of U.K.-based downtempo and experimental music. "To Believe," released in March, is the group's fourth studio album and first since 2007's "Ma Fleur." That album featured the band's best-known single "To Build a Home," which gained a following after being featured in the television shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "This Is Us."
Though the touring band consists of eight members, The Cinematic Orchestra has mostly been the project of one man: Jason Swinscoe, 47, decidedly British, well-dressed and with a nostalgia for the physical format.
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