LSD March
LSD March is named after one of the most stoned, overloaded and distorted tracks krautrock improvisers (or perhaps any 70s German group) Guru Guru ever recorded. This track must have been an example of some sort, because the first track of the double CD, an entire CD long track of over 40 minutes tries to come to a comparable psychedelic effect, but in a more typical Japanese way : some sort of sonic breed must come to life !! In this case they have created a distorted, growing beast with at first, hardly-recognisable-where-it-comes-from, sonic material produced by distorted guitars, and cymbals. After a while one guitar comes out more recognisable, stoned in its distortions and oscillating bass, it produces some cat-like sounds, and while the percussion slowly moves into slumber, there is created one big smoky stoned pot of machinery. The drums get an upbeat rhythm, distorted vocals are added, the machinery is like a sound crushing sonic machine, which speeds up like a motor and then finds its sonic boom, the psychedelic liberation in madness. Time to calm down in a variety of sonics.
It is a very slow piece, not too complicated as elements, but it achieves well its intended goals.
The second CD is something completely different, and explores sounds on stage, and is at its best like a child reinventing a form of stage/opera with sound and vocal mumblings, inventive and brilliantly discovering but it can also be a bit more futile and infantile at its most loosely chosen moment. The first track starts with a vocal mumbling improvisation during temple bells sounds. The second track produces animalistic/animistic droning sounds with strangely tuned strings, like dynamics from another world. Toypiano and toy handrums are participating with the voice, a rather minimal sound-ritualistic evocation. Also the third track with found instruments invents like a child discovers sounds, and it is this track which is like a new form of minimal, nightmarish-dark, slightly demented form of Japanese underground opera. The fourth track improvises on sax, where shaking rhythms stand for the environment, and the sax sounds like its living entity and visitor to the scene. The fifth track is different, with playful bubbling and breathing electro, and an additional sequenced sound, with a distorted voice and some drum rhythm hanging on. On track 6, the singing is improvised during industrial sounds of cymbals and iron. More iron is bowed on the next track, as if tuning in and with cow-like sounds, and this combined with rustling thin plastic bag sounds, and ticking percussion while another voice contribution improvises again. The last track is built from harmonica with drums only.
This second CD really has its moments and ideas, but still is, while being very improvised a bit random and not very worked out with its focus, despite some great moments.
