Makunouchi Bento

The Makunouchi Bento, or traditional japanese lunchbox, is a highly lacquered wooden box divided into quadrants, each of which contains different delicacies. It is also one of the most familiar images of Japan's domestic environment. Reading the box as both an object and a metaphor, Felix Petrescu (Waka X) and Valentin Toma (Qewza) founded this experimental / electronica project back in 2001. Founding members of the TMbase organization (known for probably the biggest alternative electronic music festival in Romania) and some of the first producers to approach the IDM sound in this country, Felix and Valentin have tried since they can remember to promote their music for free all over the Internet. With the first album, Himette, as a demo (available in 2001 as a gift CD-R and free download on their Besonic profile), and Waka X (with his dance-oriented project Urban Experience) already deeply involved in the demoscene and online music groups, Makunouchi Bento’s music got to be released by prestigious netlabels straight away. During the following years, numerous EPs and singles came out on netlabels such as Eerik Inpuj Sound, Miasmah, Ogredung, Metempsychosis, Enough Records, One, Camomille Music, Kikapu Net.Label, Digitalbiotope, Petite&Jolie and Romania's own aRhiva7. Their songs were also featured on compilations published by labels like Miasmah Records, Databloem, Apegenine, No Sides, Rackham Records, Local Records (2) or Roton. The second album, Trcutu, released in 2005, was a special project consisting of electronic reorchestrations of classical music. By this time, they have played live at most of the important experimental music events across Romania. Since 2005, Valentin and Felix have slowly slided towards a more cinematic, electro-acoustic, ambient sound, which led to a couple of short movies scoring ("6", "Poupée Mia", and Vali Chincișan's "Urban Tree", which has won the best Romanian animation award at Animest 2009 and was included in the Stash DVD), plus some live film and documentary rescoring ("Walt Disney's Tomorrowland: Man in Space", "The Call of Cthulhu", "Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed"). Their third, and most complex album to date, 2537127, out on Eerik Inpuj Sound in 2010, has earned them more attention and reviews, even live performances abroad (Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, Spain). Collaborations and remix work include artists such as Ben Mono, Autorotation (FKA Bleep (2)), The ME Band, Selfmademusic (AKA Lemmy Caution), Daniel Dorobanţu, Sillyconductor, Sabi, Norzeatic & Khidja, Silent Strike and scene veterans Tao (4) (AKA Julien Neto), Kaneel, Nagz and Adapt (5) (AKA Rosu Bogdan). Oh, and beware of the Jebel Chamber Orchestra: an odd, highly disturbing one-EP collabo with John Fisher (AKA Ricemutt), Patrick Sheng and Justin Lazarus. 2012 has meant a new EP called 3489060, sort of a follow-up to 2537127 and joined by a remix EP featuring musicians like Selfmademusic, Sloum, Nagz, Zgomot, DavidF, Melton and Anitone, plus a lot of remix work. Now they’ve found their rhythm again, Makunouchi Bento are embarking on a trip to album number 4, in search of higher tempos.