Typhoon Ministers / タイフーン・ミニスターズ

Once upon a time, music-school grad and pianist Shiraishi was moved after seeing sheet music for a full orchestral arrangement played only on a piano. Inspired, she had a wild idea - a new genre of music that boils the three- or four-person arrangement of a traditional rock band down into a single piano. Later, this idea took a slightly different form as the Typhoon Ministers, when in 2004 Shiraishi met Masaco, a songwriter and drummer who by day makes a living handcrafting traditional Japanese lacquerware. The two share a wide range of influences from famed piano rockers such as the Ben Folds Five, Yoeko Kurahashi, and Carole King, to classical music, Sparks, Queen, Unicorn, the Beatles, XTC, 60s rock, 70s soul, and R&B. In their live concerts, the Typhoon Ministers are known for positioning the drums and keyboard next to each other in the front of the stage, and for their breathless, thrilling performances of fast-paced, harmony-filled original songs. You might think the combination of drums and piano makes the Typhoon Ministers acoustic unit - but in fact, the two have created a unique punkish new wave sound that must be heard to be believed!

Press Reviews:

Tower Records
"WORLD STANDARD" is the first album from the Typhoon Ministers, a female piano-and-drums duo that has recently attracted the attention of the legendary pop-rockers Sparks. Their clever, coquettish lyrics and up-tempo melodies skip along with a childlike energy. The band's sound, heavy on percussive piano with just a few other instruments, is deceptively simple - each song is jam-packed with ideas. A great pop record that strikes just the right balance between alternative and mainstream influences. Very appropriate title!
Writer: Yangu Kakaricho. Appeared in April 2009 issue of bounce, a Japanese monthly magazine published by Tower Records. 　
"WORLD STANDARD" can be purchased here.

MySpace From JP.
There's a reason the two-member female group Typhoon Ministers insists on being known as a "band": "If you call us a duo or a unit or something like that, it sounds as if we play folk music at cafes. We're way more hardcore than that." It's true, their songs are punkish and dramatic. The boldness of their sound leaves quite an impression. "Using MySpace has shown our music is very well-received overseas," they explain. "It was surprising to get some passionate fanmail from as far off as Sweden. We would love to go out in the world, to these people's neighborhoods if possible, and break down traditional barriers."

■Typhoon Web http://typhoon-mini.com/
■Pod cast (JAPANESE)「タイフーン・レイディオ！」
■mixiタイフーン・ミニスターズコミュ
■mixi　マイミク募集中→マサコ★タイフーン