2016 release. Japanther is the music and art project of Matt Reilly and Ian Vanek, who joined forces in 2001 and have taken on multitude of creative endeavors since. Known for their unconventional live performances, the band has appeared alongside synchronized swimmers, atop the Williamsburg Bridge, with giant puppets and marionettes, in the back of a moving truck in Soho, and at shows with giant dinosaurs and BMX bikers flying off the walls, all while creating layers of buzzing guitar, shimmering synth and regimental percussion, and the occasional sing-along chorus.s.