Microcosmos
Pilgrimage

Don't be fooled by the delicate name of the Japanese project and the "pilgrimage" suggested by the title because the music offered by the sampler sprite Otomo Yoshihide and the underground singer Tenko is anything but meditative. It is true that on the back cover and in the internal photos you will find brief photographic glimpses of the 1001 statues of the Buddhist goddess of mercy Kannon, but on the front stands the rather unsettling figure of the god of thunder, and it is this latter clue that more than any will make you understand what awaits you.

The CD opens with "Renge," an a cappella song (or rather two overlapping songs) quite bothersome for Western ears, interpreted by Tenko in a style that combines avant-garde and Japanese tradition. A repetitive pattern of electronic drums runs through the long (perhaps too long) "Ashura," accompanying atonal electric guitar riffs and distant cries that seem to come from another dimension. "Kaenko" and "Hiten" are the episodes that test the listener the most due to the sinister and heavy electronic rhythms woven by Yoshihide and especially for the eardrum-piercing litanies of a Tenko who seems possessed. With the ambient and minimal "Jouman," the listener will believe they have found an oasis of peace to catch their breath: in reality, the background of frequencies and atmospheric sounds is anything but reassuring, but at least here they are spared the aforementioned singing/nightmare. Yoshihide handles everything on his own even in the merzbowian "Gouma," an impressive assault of distortions, while when one expects the coup de grace at any moment, the irony of "Henge" surprisingly arrives, the only melodic episode (but very quirky), built around a Brazilian rhythm accompanying a warble from a twenties diva. It's just an episode though, because the last three tracks are a new tour-de-force for the eardrums, especially "thanks" to the pounding orgy of Japanese drums present in "Rinne."

It's an album that is euphemistically defined as challenging but will certainly appeal to those seeking new experiences, even if the success of the work seems more due to the excellent professionalism of the duo rather than true genius. The rating is a 3, 5 rounded down.
P.S. (if you happen to pass through Kyoto, make a detour to the Sanjusangen-do temple, you will find the wonders illustrated on the cover, it's worth it).