•
Rating: I thought Peyote didn't grow in Japan, but I was probably wrong, or perhaps these Japanese have made a good supply of it.
"In Stormy Nights" is indeed a clear result of minds not entirely sane, not entirely bound by the rhetoric of the market. Not entirely folk, not entirely electronic, not entirely jazz. We could elevate the "not entirely" to a generating rule of their melody, now evolved and mature after years of hard work (they were already playing in 1984). The initial acid-folk of "Motherly Bluster" throws us into an oneiric and introspective world. The acoustic guitar, the voice, an undergrowth of placid and atmospheric sounds, all contributing to the marvel. But I said "not entirely" a little while ago and, to confirm my thesis, I call into question "Hemicyclic Anthelion"; 28 minutes and more of electronics and... (thesis confirmed) not only! This track is the pivot on which the whole work revolves, an undefined set of obsessive psychedelia and folk reminiscences mixed with jazz flavors. Listening to it, Tadao Ando's words come to mind, the famous Japanese architect who in an interview says: "you Westerners, when you write, you are used to observing the writing itself, we, the white of the paper." Well! here in "Hemicyclic Anthelion" the white of the paper becomes the protagonist. Forget about electronic solos, forget about the egocentrism of any instrument and dedicate yourself to listening where the context comes to life.
And now? Scrambled just right? No, my dear ones! You have not yet faced the funereal march of "Water Door Yellow Gate" nor the madness of "Gareki No Toshi" (which kicks ass!) and not even the punkest "Caledonia" and what about the finale? The sad and mystical ballad of "Grisaille". It almost feels like experiencing their moods, their colors.
A private music and, ultimately, an album to have if only to be able to say: these Japanese are really crazy!
Label: Drag City, 2007
Tracklist
1 - Motherly Bluster
2 - Hemicyclic Anthelion
3 - Water Door Yellow Gate
4 - Gareki No Toshi
5 - Caledonia
6 - Grisaille
Tracklist
Loading comments slowly
