Geinoh Yamashirogumi

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Feb 16 13:36:21 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залит GeinohYamashirogumi/(1976)_Osorezan__Dou_noKenbai

"Японский авангард 70-х" - как много в этом звуке... А Гейно - знаменитые и экстремальные представители этого авангарда.
Две "композиции" по 20 минут. Тут даже нет вот этого, европейского - "а ещё мы можем вот так выпендриться", нет - тут всё в крайности и по-японски сурово. Европа нервно курит всторонке.
Слушать только истинным ценителям жанра или тем, кто хочет раз-и-навсегда убить своих соседей!

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Geinoh Yamashirogumi is a Japanese collective that was founded in 1974 by Tsutomu Ohashi, also known as Shoji Yamashiro, his pseudonym. While this collective is classified as avant-progressive, it makes a unique blend of avant-gardism and of traditional and folk music from Asian and European countries, notably. It is also very progressive, but probably different from what the usual listener is habituated to.

A particularity of this band is that many people are involved in it - and most of them are not musicians. In fact, they come from various backgrounds; some businessmen, doctors, engineers, journalists and students are (or have been) part of this band.

Over the years, the released many albums, but they are well known in Japan for they have written and performed the soundtrack of Akira, a movie that was directed by Katsuhiro Ōtomo. Even if this original soundtrack is probably their best known album, they have made plenty of excellent ones, exploring many styles and genres while always staying good. I suggest the album Osorezan / Dou no Kenbai to any lover of original, unique and (a bit) rewarding music; it is a chef-deoeuvre of the genre.

(c) Gabriel Rivest (Tsevir Leirbag), PA
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(c) Review by SaltyJon, PA

I've received many recommendations from many forum regulars, many of which I've liked quite a lot. One poster in particular, though, a certain Logan, has let me know about many many obscure gems which I otherwise very probably wouldn't have ever heard of. This album is one of those gems. The collective really got started off with a bang here, creating a truly bizarre, truly wonderful, avant-garde psychedelic masterpiece.

Side one starts things off with a spine-tingling scream, which in itself may be enough to send some listeners packing. It really fits the song's title though, which translates to Mountain of Fear. The track has its more lush moments, with fuller instrumentation and busier sounds in general, then it's got its quieter, more eerie moments. They blend together pretty seamlessly, though, and this track is quite a gem if you're willing to give it a listen.

Side two is the track Copper Sword Dance. Again, we start off with a scream, but not quite as blood-curdling as the first side's. The track continues on with a bit of some religious sounding chanting vocals, though more in the eerie manner than the cheerful manner of some religions. It continues on in a call-and-response manner for a good while, nearly five minutes in fact, before the style changes up and we're presented with some female vocals and the male vocalists in the background providing a rhythmic backdrop. I haven't mentioned yet, this second song has barely any instrumentation that I can notice - just vocals and some sparse percussion late in the song. After a while, the male vocalists take over again. The textures created by the various combinations of vocalists are really great in this song. The all-vocal thing here would be explored more (in a very different variety of styles, I might add) on the group's album Chi no Нibiki Нigashi Yuroppu wo Utau from the same year, though on that album the mood is very much less avant-garde/psychedelic (rock in general is completely gone from it, in fact). Back to this one, though - this track could be either more or less difficult for some listeners, as it's no less avant than the first and it lacks instruments (well, about 14.5 minutes in we get some sparse percussion which I mentioned earlier). Still a very worthwhile listen, though.

For anyone who wants a unique, challenging album, I definitely recommend checking this out. It may be uneasy listening for some, but it's worth the effort of getting to know it.
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Инджой!
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WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido