Ruins / Koenjihyakkei, Magaibutsu / Daimonji / Ruinzhatova / Korekyojinn
Radioshow "Psyche van het Folk": 2003-08-27 :
Genius works of Yoshida Tatsuya and its post Zeuhl elements :
Ruins and its side projects (Koenjihyakkei, Magaibutsu).
"Mid nineties the Japanese group Ruins came more and more inspired by Magma, but had and still have their own individual style. At first basically bass and drums, the addition of extra vocals, and sometimes keyboards made them more comparable as follow ups with lots of energy and in their own individual way, with complexity and intelligence."
* My favourite Ruins album still is this one :
Magaibutsu Ruins : Tzomvorgha (JAP,2002)*****
Tracks I gave airplay to : " Tr.2, "Skhanddraviza" 4 min : "Very odd vocals. Ruins sound a bit like on"Hydero.." but even much more advanced. With the incredible bass of Sashaki, electric guitars and drums. Splendid electric guitar too. Good production in sound." Tr.3, "Mennovuoght" 5 min : "Nicely fitting track, similar, with double vocals. With heavy complex bass, and wild drums, original electricguitar." Tr.4, "Messiaen" 3 min : "Acclaimed to be based upon (the contemporary classical composer) Messiaen ? Fits perfectly too." Tr.5, "Wanzhemvergg" 6 min : "Strangely enough this track has also some trance electric guitar and vocals arrangements with modern beats on drums part, beside the usual complex composing." Tr.9, "Muoljimbog" 3 min, Tr.10, "Gurthemvhail" 3 min, Tr.11, "Pachtseills" 3 min : "In track 10 are some funky and other themes and tempo changes mixed perfectly and very fast to a sold whole."
"This is an incredible release. Incredible tempo changes, inventive vocals,.. with perfect production. Not played in the show but also worth to mention is a great version of an Indian tune: Tr.12, "Chtittam Irangaayo" (6 min). Funny is also the véry quick medley of Black Sabbath tunes in Ruins versions followed by a similar Mahavishnu Orchestra medley. Possibly one of the best, and most consistent of the Ruins releases, under their own name, with a fantastic "full" sound."
* The Koenjihyakkei albums :
God MountainKoenji Hyakkei : Hunderd Lights of Koenji (JAP, 1995?)***
"Less Magma references as in next release. The second track is definitely in post Zeuhl style. With large? band."
God MountainKoenjihyakkei : Koenjihyakkei (II)(viva Koenji !!), (JAP, rec.1996)****°
"Here this group became a bit "the Japanese version / interpretation of Magma", pretty heavy and with various ideas and tempo changes, "song" orientated, performed by with male / (operatic and crazy) female vocals (in their own invented "magical vocals"- language), drums, electric bass and keyboards. "Brahgggo" has tabla and an odd pipe like instrument. Unique. Highly recommended release. Extremely difficult to choose tracks. Incredible fast accompanying and leading drum and bass work with operatic vocals, electric guitars and keyboards at 9th track. Unique."
Infinite Rec.Koenjihyakkei : Nivryam : (JAP, 2000)***°°
"5 piece group with Yoshida, in symphonic RIO style with progressive rock elements. An album with more attention to keyboards (improvisations and outbursts). Only instrumentally at some moments a bit like Deus Ex Machina on speed, but again (-I always have to say this when compairing to any other group-) with much more tempo changes, and vocal arrangements and even a lot more musical ideas. At track 6 I was very much reminded with the mellotron passage with heavy band sound at some track of Anekdoten. This is another remarkable release. For special interest of progressive rock lovers. Highly recommended."
"Ruins drummer here turns into a skilful jazzdrummer) with a keyboardplayer & bass player into improvised & avant-prog jazzfusion. Here and there with Magma/.Ruins like singing. Although it sounds like a studiorecording it seems to have been recorded live. I especially like the last 3 tracks of 4. Recommended to jazzfusion lovers with a (avant-)progressive edge."
I was really interested to hear Yoshida Tatsuya’s interpretation of prog/psych classics and around it. Sometimes Ruins goes so much over the top their music becomes chaotic, and not energetically constructive. That’s a bit the case here. “Trans Europe Express” becomes a destructive diesel locomotive, but still makes some sense. The tracks are fucked up, with some deliberate nonsense and John Zorn like humour, with garbage-like constructions of structures (“FTVR”). The Yoshida composition “DNA” (or here) gives it some sense and shows which kind of construction is used. It surely is complex and almost double-rhythmic, like the helix of the DNA. Work of a genius, I wonder ? “Sex Machine (right side)/Larks tongues in aspic part II (left side)” starts as another fucked up punk-metal version of the James Brown original, with a recognizable funky guitar, overloaded bass, overdrive complex drumming and electric guitar, with each layer melted in each other making it difficult but interesting (stereo) music. Also here two ideas (the other one was King Crimson) were exposed at the same time. “Joe” is a kind of blues-metal-punk thing, with slow outsider blues voice. “Relayer” is hardly recognizable fast and deconstructed heavy avant-RIO, with avant-guitar constructions. The voice lead on top of it sounds like a speeded up ethnofolk inspiration run so fast the mind is completely lost in it. The end of this composition is an even more crazed tyed up structural composition. Even more experiments with voices are used in an experimental theatrical sound-inventive way based upon the word “wa” on “Wa”. With the same strangeness but a bit more relaxed and acoustic is “DSFC”, until we get more fast over-the-top RIO-punkprog. "Love" is switchmixed mismatch avant-garde where melody and rhythm are dissolved into the odd button switch mix. Last track is a so called interpretation of Yes' "Close to the edge". This track starts very loaded, almost mad, though still recognisable as if run through a fleshmill, but thoroughly finds its own spaces and edges. Perhaps not completely succesful in the singing part, in the one take recording, but with various good ideas to it to make it work for me.
Incredible to know but the album was recorded live. Not for Ruins starters !
Ruinzhatova is Tatsuya Yoshida and Hisashi Sasaki (Ruins) teaming up with Seiichi Yamamoto (guitarist from Bordedoms) and Atsushi Tsuyama (Acid Mother's Temple) (both of weirdo noise-pop-jazz combo Omoide Hatoba ). Yoshida and Tsuvama both also have another side-project called Akaten.
* Magaibitsu Korekyojinn : Arabesque (JAP,2004)***°'
Tr.3, “Rambling” 2 min, Tr.5, “Counterpoint” 5 min,
Tr.13, (untitled) 4 min, Tr.16, (untitled) 5 min 16
Trio with rather improvisational or fastly played composed, structural ideas. Hard-RIO. First chosen track is mostly avant-acoustic guitar with handpercussion. Inventive. Second chosen track is a well thought over complex composition. Members are from Ruins, Altered States and Bondage Fruits. This the 2nd album by this trio.
* Tzadik Korekyojinn : Isotope (JAP,2005)***°°
Tr.1, “Hash” 5 min, Tr.2, “Arabesque” 6 min, Tr.3, “Betwixt” 6 min,
Tr.7, “Doldrum” 6 min, Tr.10,“Counterpoint” 5 min, Tr.11,“Poet and Peasant” 7 min
Instrumental trio project of Yoshida Tatsuya (drums), Nasuno Mitsuru (bass) & Kido Natsuku (guitar). With ‘Hard’ and ‘somewhat hard’ or ‘fast’ compositions mostly, but not the hole way through. First half of tracks mostly have very good contradicting/then contributing and then varying rhythmic-melodic, with mathematical variations on complex rhythmical variations. Many tracks have something of a kind of ‘Ramones live’ thing of a quick playing of compositions. It was difficult to choose tracks from this album. First track has an almost psychedelic interacting effect. Third track has an almost mathematical-funky structure. “Doldrum” has a variety on a similar idea. In some way most tracks seems like a variation and evolution on the previous one. Last chosen track is the most “progressive rock” track, with electric guitar improvisation and broody bass. All in all this is progressive music for the future.
* Magaibutsu Koenjihyakkei : Angherr Shisspa (JAP,2005)*****
Tr.1, “Tziidall Raszhisst” 8 min, Tr.2, “Rattims Friezz” 8 min,
Tr.3, “Grahbem Joprgazz” 5 min, Tr.6, “Mbingvahre” 5 min
Perhaps best conception of the group so far. The album starts in a wonderful “operatic”-progressive Zeuhl (or Magmaesque) style, but thoroughly adds also some elements of jazzfusion (sax) to it. (I had to add the third track for the drumming and reeds). On “Mibingvahre” I recognise even African elements (mbira, singing) an avant-jazzfusion with Zeuhl mix style. Again a brilliant release.
* God Mountain Daimonji : Into a blind alley (JAP,2004)***°
Tr.2, “Lunaria” 14 min
Second album with a kind of improvised jazzrock-progressive. Trio with Hoppy Kamiyama (keyboards, vocals), Tatsuya Yoshida (drums, vocals), Mitsuru Nasuno (bass).
* Magaibutsu Uchihashi Kazuhisa & Yoshida Tatsuya : improvisations (JAP,2004)**°
CD1, Tr.6, (improvisation) 6 min, CD2
Improvisations on guitar/drums, with some vocal sounds.
