MR. SIRIUS is in fact a trio masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake; the trio is completed by female vocalist/keyboardist Hiroka Nagai (ex-singer of PAGEANT) and drummer Chihiro Fujioka. Their music is a mixture of symphonic and Canterbury styles with a strong classical feel. The dominant mood may be very soft and pastoral, mostly brought on by the piano, soft acoustic guitar and flute play; however, the music gets quite energetic and jazzy when the organ, Mellotron and Emerson-like synths come in.
Of the two studio albums they have released todate, their latest (“Dirge”) probably best succeeds at merging the Cantebury style with the lush, almost Italian symphonic prog sound. Worth mentioning also are the beautiful and powerful vocals of Hiroka Nagai who sings in both Japanese and (mostly) English. If you ever thought Japanese vocals weren’t always up to par when it comes prog, you’ll be pleasantly surprised here. All in all, the best way to describe these albums would be to try and imagine a cross between The ENID’s “Aerie Faerie Nonsense” and CAMEL’s “Snow Goose” with female vocals.
Recommended to fans of melodic Japanese prog bands such as TERU’S SYMPHONIA, OUTER LIMITS, PAGEANT and PALE ACUTE MOON, but also to fans of early CAMEL and The ENID. .