Boredoms
Seadrum/House of Sun

Writing reviews of the Boredoms is fun because you can reserve more than half of it to list interesting little facts about the band. What kind of facts? Hmm, for example, their birth from the ashes of the Hanatarash, a band led by the singer Yamatsuka Eye (a central figure of the Boredoms), who made a name for themselves in Japan by bulldozing to the ground the live clubs where they played. Or the initial discographic phase of the Boredoms, the weird-maximalist-antimusical one, with "Pop Tatari" that even ends up on a major label (!), or the series of EPs "Super Roots" (eleven of which have been released so far). But ten years have now passed since the discographic duo of "Super æ" (1998) and "Vision Creation Newsun" (1999) "rebirthed" the band in a noise-psychedelic key, with a renovated quartet formation (Eye on vocals and electronics, Yoshimi P-We, Atari, and EDA on drums and percussion), with a parallel reduction in the group's record production in favor of a more live focus.

Over the past ten years, our guys have been playing everywhere. The ultra-trash glory days of the first Boredoms are forgotten; the band is now reborn (they also call themselves V∞redoms), but many are still waiting for a discographic release of this new-old creature. And finally, five years after Vision Creation Newsun, in 2004, this album, "Seadrum/House of Sun," makes its appearance. The cover says "Boredoms" (mystery). As the title suggests, we have two tracks. Or rather, we have two monoliths: 23 minutes and more for "Seadrum" and just over 20 for "House of Sun".

We are dealing with a two-headed beast. Let's start with "Seadrum", introduced by a fascinating and crystalline female vocalization (by Yoshimi P-We). Those who loved the psychedelic journey tendency that had manifested in the latest Boredoms cannot help but be fascinated (initially) and satisfied (eventually). The track is entirely supported by the incredible rhythmic intricacies of the three drummers who truly create a colorful array (even if they tend towards blue). As Eye himself said in an interview, in this new phase of the band, they tried to explore the less "rhythmic" side of percussion: he mentioned trying to "play the drums like a guitar" and indeed what they conjure up in "Seadrum" manages to engage and amaze with full force. Eye adds an extra touch by showcasing a sense of restraint we never expected from him, intervening with class by expertly mixing in a delicate, impalpable, "aquatic," I daresay, piano along with his usual almost-noise manipulations, which here really become a great foundation for weaving our best ultra-psychedelic trips diveinbrother. The track is lengthy, but it manages to hold us by the hand without too many problems. Adding further charm is the anecdote that the drums were supposedly recorded on a beach while the tide was rising: as the track progresses, the drum kits gradually submerge in the water. I don't know how true this is, but if it were true, it would be awesome.

Let's move on to track no.2, "House of Sun". Here things get a bit more complicated. Abandoning the percussive element, House of Sun unfolds over twenty minutes on an incessant and monolithic drone (in Italian it would be bordone, but it's a truly ugly word) constructed with sitar (or are they synths? Or guitars? Dunno), ultra-layered, yet ultra-monotonous as well. The track undoubtedly has its appeal and a notable quality for ultra-trips, etc., yet even I, a fan of drone and textural music (I listen to AMMMusic for breakfast), found it somewhat challenging to grasp. Surely, in any case, the track shows its value as a backdrop for mind-altering moments. To corroborate this idea of mine - that the track is sort of "halfway," incomplete - comes the (unfortunately unconfirmed here as well) rumor that House of Sun was recorded as a base for live electronic works by Yamatsuka Eye on the subsequent project 77 Boa Drum (of which a review is forthcoming).

In short, this album shows that Boredoms, or V∞redoms, if you will, still have a lot to say and do. They are still growing, which is also the thing they do best. They can still amaze and fascinate. Phew, I’m terrible with conclusions. Better to close with a nice impactful bold. Take and listen, all of you.