Uncle G’s FUN Music Reviews: Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles (2015)

As Seen On…Classic Rock Radio (UK)
First Published: 28 June 2016

Uncle G’s FUN Music Reviews
Spotlight: Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles (2015 Cherry Red Records)

By Gary “Uncle G” Brown
Twitter @GBrown0816

One of the best decisions that I so far made this new year was to open the Yuka & Chronoship CD that arrived with a stack of other CDs one day in snail mail. Not a return address on the package. Postmark from London. Yuka & Chronoship are from Japan. I was born in Florida, but that doesn’t matter or pertain to what’s happening here.

Whoever in the U.K. stuffed that padded envelope, and sent it my way, hit the nail on the head, at least with Yuka & Chronoship. I now have a favorite new modern progressive rock band out of Japan, and a CD that I seemed to have fallen into. Nice when that happens. A shame I didn’t learn about Yuka & Chronoship then before this. Founded in 2009, what I’m listening to now from them is actually their third studio release which is entitled; Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles. A wonderful album. Let me explain why.

First off, the band is a four-piece that centers around a very talented woman keyboardist, whose name is; Yuka Funakoshi. The story goes, Yuka who already has over a decade’s experience in recorded music, wanting to expand on her musical ideas, created a band. Three gentlemen, all experienced studio musicians, answered the call, and thus Yuka & Chronoship was born. Online reviews rave about their first two studio releases. A fan base was developed that’s strong enough to help support money-wise with the making of this release. Those people who help fund, their names inside the CD booklet. I might have given a few bucks myself if I had heard of them by that time.

Let me introduce everyone in the band.

Yuka & Chronoship

Yuka Funakoshi: Piano, Keyboards, and vocals. Music composed on The 3rd Planetary Chronoship by Yuka Funakoshi.

Takashi Miyazawa: Guitars. The 3rd Planetary Chronicles mix / sound producer; Takashi Miyazawa.

Shun Taguchi: Bass & Chorus. All lyrics on The 3rd Planetary Chronoship written by Shun Taguchi – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles produced by Shun Taguchi.

Ikko Tanaka: Drums

All songs on The 3rd Planetary Chronicles are arranged by Yuka & Chronoship. 

“Uncle G” Review: Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles

A concept album that’s all about the planet we human beings call home; Earth. Told more in song, than in words, which works perfectly for this reviewer.

The opening track, Birth Of The Earth – Collision, did its job and caught my attention. Haunting piano, and a melody that gets revisited, and built on throughout the album. The entire album clocks in just under an hour. Twelve tracks that play best when listening to it as one solid piece of music.

The second track called Stone Age, is where the rest of the band comes in. The opening track is only a little over a minute long. By the end of the second track which clocks in at eight and a half minutes, I was hooked. Keyboards, electric guitar, accompanied by drums and bass that make you take notice. The other three musicians joined and complimented Yuka’s playing to a tee. Yuka’s playing a mash-up of several styles, and on this album, a perfect mix of piano, and keyboards. Over all her skills as a player and composer, just blow me away. Several melodies of several songs throughout the album end up being earworm material. Frankly, every track on 3rd Planetary Chronicles has something going for it.

If not Yuka’s playing, in which the music created primarily centers around the piano/keyboards, it’s Takashi Miyazawa’s guitar skills that will draw you in. At first, his playing reminded me of Spock’s Beard Alan Morse. A little deeper into The 3rd Planetary Chronicles, I can hear traces of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. Takashi’s playing comes across as precise, and masterful. Easy to understand why Yuka would want him in her band.

Shun and Ikko make a fantastic rhythm section. Like Takashi, they compliment Yuka’s playing, and more importantly, help her bring out the best in her compositions.

Uncle G’s Top 3 Standout Tracks on The 3rd Planetary Chronicles

Very hard to pick three out of the twelve. Played from start to finish, I find the album, on the whole, to be a masterpiece. Occasionally a person or persons do something extraordinary. In the musical world, it’s all really a matter of taste. The kids would label this neo-prog. It’s a direction I like to swing. Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles is everything I want in a prog-rock album. Most of all, it really rocks. In my mind, it’s hard to get any better than this. The music flows naturally. All twelve songs play as one.

I would luv to hear an isolated piano/keyboard track for track four; Galileo II – Copernican Theory. The rest of the band does a great job, in highlighting Yuka’s playing. I try following her note for note. Almost six minutes, a demonstration of Yuka’s playing skills that leaves me in awe, each and every time I hear it. So impressive!

Track ten on The 3rd Planetary Chronicles is called; E = c#m … an instrumental rocker that showcases not only Yuka but the whole rest of the band as well. The first song I gave a repeat play to when playing The 3rd Planetary Chronicles for the first time. The song is high energy, has a cool vibe, and displays superior musicianship all throughout. A fun song, and a given to be performed during live shows. Neo-Prog … check! Turn up the volume! Crowds should really get into it, as they should the whole new album. Again, it’s hard to pick the Top 3. For example, I think the four ‘Birth Of The Earth’ segments deserve their own award. In the same ballpark as Pink Floyd’s Shine On You Crazy Diamond (all parts). Any serious prog-rock fan, can’t not LIKE this.

Age Of Steam: From mellowness to rocker, this song has it all. Including lush vocals compliments of Yuka.

“Uncle G” RATES…Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles

Using the one to five-star rating system, whereas one star means it’s horrible, to five stars meaning it’s OK to spend your hard-earned Yen on it, Uncle G rates Yuka & Chronoship – The 3rd Planetary Chronicles … 5 stars! How could I not? My advice would be to not only acquire the album but any back catalog Yuka & Chronicles albums as well, that are not already in your collection. Sorry, it took this long for me to find out about Yuka & Chronoship. In a way, it just goes to prove that good solid rock (prog-rock especially), no matter where it originates on this planet Earth, can’t totally escape me. Sooner or later, if that outstanding, I’ll find it, or it will find me.

Helpful Weblinks

Cherry Red Records – https://www.cherryred.co.uk/

Promotion: Glass Onyon PR – www.glassonyonpr.com 

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