Fujiya & Miyagi

No, they're not Japanese, but they don't exactly sound like they're from Fatboy Slim's home town either. Brighton's David Best, Matt Hainsby and Steve Lewis have taken their love of Krautrock (they supported Can's Damo Suzuki three times in 2006), Air and Talking Heads, and combined them all into something resembling a witty Stereolab. Their name comes from the Fujiya record player and Miyagi -- the martial arts master in The Karate Kid. Describing their sound as "whisper electro," they occupy similar territory to Ultra Vivid Scene, Hot Chip and Junior boys, but David Best's unique lyrics definitely separate them from the pack, particularly on "Ankle Injuries," where he sings of "pixellated scraps of jazz mags in your head" and the delights of finding a discarded porn magazine on the way to school. So, not Japanese (and they admit as much on "Photocopier"), but chic and sophisticated none the less.