Gaijin Sounds LIVE Profile: The Clockwork Flowers

By Japanzine Staff

They're the first Gaijin Sounds band on the bill of the LIVE event at Sam & Dave 5 on Friday, Sept. 18th - they'll be on stage from 9.35pm - and we think they're bloody brilliant. A Shibuya-based English couple by the name of John & Anthea Bliss running their own vegetarian delivery service... they are The Clockwork Flowers! 

Track review: "Autumn Afternoon" (download free MP3 here)

Arriving in Tokyo after a decade spent meditating in the Himalayas, Londoners John and Anthea Bliss have returned to civilization with a bang. The White Stripes would kill to be as cool, or as English, as The Clockwork Flowers. Okay, there are obvious signs of this duo's unabashed tendency for Beatles homage here - a structurally critical hook lifted from "And I Love Her", cryptic "Fool On The Hill" allusions and even a Revolver-drawn backwards guitar solo - yet "Autumn Afternoon" is not just a cap doffed in memory of the Fab Four. There's more to it than that. There's an odd, kinetic breeziness throughout "Autumn Afternoon", and lead singer John Bliss delivers his unpredictable, brilliant lines on an even weirder level of otherworldliness than was achieved by Lennon when, during his solo period, he infamously demanded of producers that they excessively alter his voice with effects. At times it sounds as though he's singing underwater. J.P. and I were of the opinion that "Autumn Afternoon" could do with being remastered, but the raw materials and composition are simply awesome. Bongos, real handclaps (!), organ, strings. This song makes me very happy. So thanks, Clockwork Flowers.  - Jonti

Q&A with The Clockwork Flowers

Greetings, Clockwork Flowers! How was your summer?

John & Anthea: Yeah, we enjoyed a rather depressing rainy season like summer in Tokyo.

You're playing at the first ever Gaijin Sounds Live event. How does that feel? (You're not obliged to use the term "great honor and privilege" in your response, but we'll love you even more if you do!)

John & Anthea: Absolutely fabulous! Great honor. We mean it!

What can we expect from your live set?

John & Anthea: Bliss! Yeah, bliss!

Haha - nice pun-work, Mr. and Mrs. Bliss! And this will be your first time in Osaka, right?

John & Anthea: Yeah, never been there! So it's a nice excuse for us to go there.

What do you think about the shape of the international music community in Japan?

John & Anthea: We're always hoping to get more support from gaijins. We mean, honest and positive support from them. We consider the international music scene in Japan as a very unique alternative music scene with a variety of genres. This is where we belong to and we're proud of it. Of course, we believe that we should get more recognition from the Japanese media but we know that they have always followed the Western media, so we definitely need more support from gaijins.

Clockwork Flowers Official Website

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