Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!

Jitsuroku eiga ("true record films") is a gritty strain of Japanese crime cinema that blossomed in the early–mid 1970s. Although fundamentally a film subgenre, it carries a distinct musical identity in its scores: lean, documentary‑like underscore punctuated by tough, streetwise cues. Musically, jitsuroku eiga soundtracks fuse jazz and funk rhythm sections (dry drums, prominent bass, wah‑wah guitar) with sharp brass stabs, suspense strings, and occasional traditional colors (shakuhachi, taiko). Themes tend to be terse and motif‑driven rather than lushly melodic, reinforcing the genre’s semi‑documentary realism and moral ambiguity. The overall sound is tense, hard‑edged, and urban—ideal for chronicles of clan conflicts, police corruption, and post‑war social fracture.