Videos (1) Tandem. Directed by Hideyuki Tanaka

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After sitting down for hours in front of Space Shower TV and trawling through endless ho hum promos advertising endless ho hum bands, Tandem came on. Now then, the video is great in and of itself. Placed in the context of the drivel that constituted mainstream Japanese pop circa 2002 though, and it becomes kind of monumental. Seriously, it does. Can you think of another video that encapsulates all the elements of the band its promoting so well? Or another that features such a stylish mash up of ideas, homages and parodies? Yes, Halcali exist in an ugly framework of overgrounds commercial necessity, but they'll demonstrate that there's still enough potential, and enough excitment here to warrant our interest in it.