BATOH, MASAKI Kikaokubeshi (The Now Sound) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
1996 recordings by Batoh, leader of Japan's epic psychedelic folk-kings Ghost. Solo, he emits beautiful, dark, drone-folk, ambient with nocturnal nature whisperings around the blurry edges of his instruments. This lp is a follow-up to his previous solo lp...both of which are available on one compact disc, as well. Side A concludes with "Death Star," making for another timely tie-in. Strictly limited to 700 vinyl copies.

BIANCHI, MAURIZIO, NOBU KASAHARA & HITOSHI KOJO The Epidemic Symphony No. 9 (Octpia) cd 17.98
BACK IN STOCK!!! We've long championed the work of Maurizio Bianchi, the grim electronic sculptor whose work in the early '80s paralleled the likes of Whitehouse, Ramleh, and Matthew Bower's early power electronics project Total. As much as we would like to ramble on about Bianchi's intriguing musical and existential history in reference to this record, it's almost a moot point as it's really hard to discern any sounds that bear the signature of Mr. Bianchi. Don't let that caveat scare you off from checking out this thoroughly amazing blur of noise, drone, acoustic tumult and electronics; but we have to be completely honest. No, it doesn't sound much like a Bianchi record; instead, the real author of the final mix of The Epidemic Symphony No. 9 is the little known Japanese sound artist Hitosji Kojo (who also records as Spiracle). If there's any justice, Hitoshi / Spiracle shouldn't be "little known" for very long. In fact, he should be heralded as the viable contender to replace David Jackman / Organum as the king of the droning acoustics. And no, none of the guttural drone expressionists who splatter cd-rs with quickly rendered cosmic exasperations come close to the power that Jackman was capable of in the '80s. But Hitoshi Kojo does.
Like Jackman, Hitoshi's work is a dense compounding of layered acoustic textures, each of which are impeccably recorded and carefully positioned within the stereo field. In working with the source material presented by Bianchi and Nobu Kasahara (another obscure Japanese sound artist who has collaborated once before with The New Blockaders, giving some clue as the cacophony he's capable of), Hitoshi continues this strategy of precisely placed sounds which are then given plenty of opportunity to growl, rumble, vibrate, and bristle however they see fit. Where the first lengthy track steadily builds up to a crashing crescendo that abruptly cuts to silence, the second track exhibits some of what may be Bianchi's sounds -- a return to the Sacher Pelz techniques of varispeed tape and crushed turntable clatter which Hitoshi compounds into rippled acoustic shimmer. For the finale, Hitoshi blurs the source material into an industrial chorale marked by a surprisingly elegant two-note melody. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "First Day"
MPEG Stream: "Second Day"
MPEG Stream: "Flaming Rose"

BIRDS, THE Birds Birds Birds In The World (Important) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Many folks were disappointed when Cotton Casino decided to drop out of the Acid Mothers Temple. And it wasn't just lecherous psych rock nerds who would no longer be able to ogle the tiny chain smoking, perpetually scowling waif, stationed stoically behind her synthesizers. No, she also happened to contribute some of AMT's most appealing elements with her burbling blooping bleeping space rock synths and her angelic ethereal otherworldly vocals. This is only her second proper, non cd-r release, post AMT, and her first release as Birds, with her musical partner Per Gisele Galaen who had previously played in the groups Sloburn and Del. And damn if this isn't the lovliest AMT related record we've yet heard. As one might imagine, the focus here is Cotton Casino's voice, at once totally delicate and tentative, but at the same time dreamy and haunting. However, it's the surrounding sounds that really make this record special. The record opens acapella, with Casino's quavering vocals sounding like a timid girlish singer in some sort of creepy opera, which only gets creepier once the music comes in, hauntingly strummed guitars that blur into a shimmering minor key backdrop, while tiny electrical impulses whoosh to and fro in the background. After that the record drifts like an unmoored ship, down a dark stream through a dark and ominous forest, the sounds throughout moody and melancholy, with slow motion strings swooping in morose minor key arcs, Casino gurgling like a baby, her bandmate Galaen singing in a barely audible deadpan over swirls of space-y sound effects, the sounds of running water, delicate melodies playing on a heavily reverbed piano far in the distance, the buzz of steel strings ringing out like an electric sitar, dizzying synth melodies careening from speaker to speaker interrupted by wild squalls of full on ultra distorted Japanoise guitar skree, gorgeous folky acoustic guitars beneath Casino's hypnotic sing song vocals, extended stretches of warm droning rumbles, playful Moog melodies and more of that Casino bloopy space synth, sounding almost like Perrey And Kingsley, and finally the whole record finishes off with a six minute blast of full on wall of guitar meltdown, noisy and punishing, but at the same time completely hypnotic, like getting buried in warm wet sound, feeling it fill your ears and your eyes and your mouth, so all you can see or hear or taste is GUITAR, roiling and swirling and pulsing, slowly fading and drifting into space, leaving only a battered old piano, playing a simple melody, accompanied by Casino's barely there angelic purr.
Gorgeously packaged with original Pete Fowler artwork (Andee sports several Fowler tattoos in fact!), an image of a pink smoke breathing, wooden helmeted, long stripey armed, black bearded demon, surrounded by birds and squirrels and hairy horses, all rendered in blurred out 3-D on one of those cool three dimensional stereo lenticular cards. Wow!
MPEG Stream: "Green To Me"
MPEG Stream: "Beethoven's Women"

BIRUSHANAH Akai Yama (Level Plane) cd 10.98
We've got pretty much an AQ-fave shoo-in here, this strange Japanese band combining crusty, doooooomy heaviness with wyrd folk ritual, like Corrupted (with whom they have some membership connection) combined with Ghost. This 40 minute album, featuring three tracks (a two minute into and then two much longer pieces), starts by building up the ancient, Asian folky ambience, adorned with mysterious Scooby Doo meets Ol' Dirty Bastard kung fu mumble, all of it very much darkly psychedelic, before it gets HEAVY at about 5 minutes into the 20+ minute track two, Birushanah suddenly kicking out the lurching, kinetic riffs/rhythms along with much more wretched, raspy vokills in the Khanate vein. Tricky tribalistic percussion conspires with sinuous, strangled guitars, stopping and starting and coming down hard, on the bizarre bulk of this creepy and crushing album. One whose eerie eccentricities, rooted in traditional Japanese music, we figure should appeal to a lot of you who dug that Quest For Blood release we made Record Of The Week recently!
MPEG Stream: "Akai Yama [excerpt 1]"
MPEG Stream: "Akai Yama [excerpt 2]"

BISK Moonstruck Parade (Quatermass) cd 16.98
Poppy and bright electronica from this Japanese artist. Low-attention span stuff (but not frenzied) cutting from one thing/loop and back again...like having a tv playing old reruns on in one room, a ballroom dancing class in the other, and a dj in the middle mixing the two, whilst adding beats from her crate of contemporary trip hop and whatnot. Nice (if inexplicable) Levi's Red Tab reference in the artwork, by the way.

BJECT Object 4 (Locust) cd 14.98

BLACK STAGE Black Stage (Maborishi No Sekai) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A Japanese improv trio featuring the prolific Keiji Haino (vocals, 6 & 12 string electric guitars, flute , Harp), Yuji Katsui (electric violin), and Natsuki Kido (acoustic guitar). Along with the likes of Painkiller and Melt Banana, this group appeared on the excellent Maborishi No Sekai Samples collection (which we still have in stock and look how inexpensive it is!). There are three long tracks; the first establishes an often delicate and complex mode of group playing, perfect for a night-time listen. The second continues in this vein, adding Haino's trademark anguished vocals to the mix, while the final and shortest track (at 9 min+) gets a lot heavier. Really impressive and gorgeous stuff, even if you're suffering from Haino-glut this is worth it. Import.

BLUES CREATION Demon & Eleven Children (Calamares Productions) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Unfortunately not the much nicer (but out of print) Japanese cd edition, this is a European cd pressing of this ESSENTIAL early '70s heavy rock proto-metal record. The lead off track, "Atomic Bombs Away" proves Blues Creation to be Japan's version of Black Sabbath.
MPEG Stream: "Nightmare"
MPEG Stream: "Tobacco Road"

BLUES CREATION Live! (Black Rose) cd 22.00
Japan's Blues Creation started off as standard late '60s traditional blues-rock band but quickly got all heavy and freaky and proto-metallic and sort of became their country's riffy acid-blues answer to Black Sabbath (well, along with a few others like Flied Egg and of course AQ faves the Flower Travellin' Band, who covered Sabbath on their first album). We really wish we could still get a hold of the Japanese import cd version of Blues Creation's classic 1971 album Demon & Eleven Children. But at least, at last, we have a few recently obtained copies of this, a reissue of a live album that originally came out (or was recorded at any rate) 'round the same time. It's got the title track from Demon & Eleven Children, along with a couple of Blue Creation originals not found on Demon, one called "Nightmare" being as good and metal as anything on that album. Plus there's a few covers -- "Understand" with guest vocalist Carmen Maki, who was kind of a Japanese Janis Joplin/Robert Plant hybrid, and extended-length versions of ol' nuggets like "Rolling Stone" and "Tobacco Road" (a mean version of that song for sure!). This is definitely not for those who hate the blues -- a lot of this is real bluesy -- but it's also pretty much always heavy and/or frantic. And the guitar work is KILLER, Iommi-worthy leads ripping out of yr speakers all the time. A live recording is just perfect for these guys. They have a super electric sound and that early '70s jamming aesthetic like the Sabs themselves.
MPEG Stream: "Nightmare"
MPEG Stream: "Tobacco Road"

BONDAGE FRUIT IV (Maboroshi No Sekai/Musea) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Japanese prog-rock band Bondage Fruit, starring guitarist Kido Natsuki and violinist Katsu Yuji (as well as folks on drums, bass, and...vibraphone). Less hyper-grand and Magma-like than some of their earlier efforts, "IV" is more focused on the instrumental heroics of the aforementioned duo.

BOREDOMS Chocolate Synthesizer (Very Friendly) cd 14.98
These three Boredoms cds were last available in the States as Warner/Reprise releases -- yep, major label product! -- but they've been out of print for a few years now, not surprising considering that they are probably some of the most bizarre and fucked up sonic artifacts ever to come out on a US major. We can thank for that our pal Dave Katznelson, former Warners A&R, current Birdman bigwig. We can only imagine that his bosses at Warners were gripped by Lollapalooza fever in order to sign off on the signing of a crazy band like Japan's Boredoms! Anyway, those days are long gone. Fortunately for fans, the British label Very Friendly has at last licensed these three titles for reissue outside of Japan. (Now someone needs also to reissue their early masterpiece Soul Discharge and all will be right in the world.) So, here's one fan's assessment of these three examples of vintage Boredoms insanity, back when they were basically the Butthole Surfers of Japan.
Boasting their ugliest cover (tho the colours are better on this reissue than they were on the previous US version) Chocolate Synthesizer may have been a bit overlooked on its release in 1994 (well, I know I found it to be kind of a 'more of the same' album and didn't really grow to really appreciate it until just recently). But it's a solid example of the Boredoms doing what they were/are best at: confounding the listener and rocking the heck out of the recording studio too. This has got all the tradmark Bore-moves. It's a take-no-prisoners onslaught of trumpet, surreal song structures, wacked-out electronic noises, and lots of gargly, nasal vocals. There's slow starts to most of the songs, always building into crescendos of chaos. This was the last hurrah of the 'classic' period Boredoms, before they made a left turn into the realm of Super Ae and reinvented themselves as a freaking amazing, sorta hippified "trance" outfit of massive proportions. Edwin Pouncey got it wrong in The Wire when he said this record foreshadowed that change, when it was really their Super Roots series which lead to the dense, krautrocky wonders of Super Ae and Vision Creation Newsun. Anyway, this one is way better than we remembered, a blast from the past that seems fresher now than it did then.
MPEG Stream: "Acid Police"
MPEG Stream: "Tomato Synthesizer"

BOREDOMS Live At Sun Flancisco May 2005 (Commons) cd + dvd 56.00
Yeah, we know that this Japanese import dvd+cd set isn't cheap, unfortunately. But we also know that a few of you are died-in-the-wool Boredoms fans who are gonna want it regardless. And it IS pretty cool of course. The dvd portion (NTSC, all-region, 65 minutes) features a full show filmed live in San Francisco, we mean Sun Flancisco, at The Independent back in May of 2005. Several of us here attended that show and this DVD lives up to our cherished memories of that night, a fantastic display of the Boredoms' current psychedelic, rhythmic power. If you haven't seen 'em lately, the lineup here is bandleader/vocalist Eye Yamataka on various electronics and weirdness, alongside not one, not two, but three drummers (ATR, Yoshimi, and Yochan), pounding away. Andee, who participated in the Boredom's 77 drummer Boredrum extravaganza in Brooklyn last summer, says this is a similar piece to the one they played then, minus 74 drummers, but still pretty much the bomb.
The DVD starts off backstage, actually, with the Boredoms, friends, and kids hanging out, then moves to the show itself. At first it's all dark but for some blurry, colorful, moving light-spots and initially we wondered, is this what the whole thing is gonna look like? We wouldn't put it past 'em. But after about five minutes the scene comes into focus, the show having begun with Eye doing a bizarre ritualistic dance with intense sound-making electric "lighting balls" held in each hand. And then it's off to the races, as the drummers attack their kits and do their best to send the Boredoms' special vibrations to the far ends of the cosmos.
The other disc found in this lavishly designed, bright orange package is an audio cd. It's only about twelve minutes long, but what a great 12 minutes (11:40 to be precise)!! Billed as "Yamataka Eye Original Breakbeats" there's two new tracks here, "U-bus" and "Relerer" and both are definite percussive party-pleasers... if your party digs the freaky Bore-tronics, that is!
MPEG Stream: "Relerer"

BOREDOMS Onanie Bomb Meets The Sex Pistols (Very Friendly) cd 14.98
These three Boredoms cds were last available in the States as Warner/Reprise releases -- yep, major label product! -- but they've been out of print for a few years now, not surprising considering that they are probably some of the most bizarre and fucked up sonic artifacts ever to come out on a US major. We can thank for that our pal Dave Katznelson, former Warners A&R, current Birdman bigwig. We can only imagine that his bosses at Warners were gripped by Lollapalooza fever in order to sign off on the signing of a crazy band like Japan's Boredoms! Anyway, those days are long gone. Fortunately for fans, the British label Very Friendly has at last licensed these three titles for reissue outside of Japan. (Now someone needs also to reissue their early masterpiece Soul Discharge and all will be right in the world.) So, here's one fan's assessment of these three examples of vintage Boredoms insanity, back when they were basically the Butthole Surfers of Japan.
Onanie Bomb Meets The Sex Pistols is the one that's been going for the most $$$ on eBay, probably 'cause it's simply the hardest to find and contains some of their earliest material circa 1986-1988 -- including not only their debut LP originally entitled Osozeran No Stooges Kyo but also their first single Anal By Anal, one aggravating slice of noise-punk fuckery for sure. This disc represents a formative step in the career of Eye and co., and is perhaps the Boredoms disc best used as a lease-breaker. And that's saying a lot. If yr in the mood for some Japanese noise that's punk rock too, here's the ticket. Fun, juvenile Bore-carnage. Definitely some songs on here that rank with their best...Andee says that this sounds like wild geese skronkery billowing cramtappery. I don't know what the heck he means exactly, but his description still seems appropriate. Essential to any true Boredoms fan.
MPEG Stream: "Boredom, vs, SDI"
MPEG Stream: "God From Anal"

BOREDOMS Pop Tatari (Very Friendly) cd 14.98
These three Boredoms cds were last available in the States as Warner/Reprise releases -- yep, major label product! -- but they've been out of print for a few years now, not surprising considering that they are probably some of the most bizarre and fucked up sonic artifacts ever to come out on a US major. We can thank for that our pal Dave Katznelson, former Warners A&R, current Birdman bigwig. We can only imagine that his bosses at Warners were gripped by Lollapalooza fever in order to sign off on the signing of a crazy band like Japan's Boredoms! Anyway, those days are long gone. Fortunately for fans, the British label Very Friendly has at last licensed these three titles for reissue outside of Japan. (Now someone needs also to reissue their early masterpiece Soul Discharge and all will be right in the world.) So, here's one fan's (Allan's) assessment of these three examples of vintage Boredoms insanity, back when they were basically the Butthole Surfers of Japan.
1993's Pop Tatari has always been one of my favorites, following up their astonishing Soul Discharge and Wow2 releases (and thereby the third Boredoms record I ever heard, one that was eagerly anticipated as I recall...I believe I mail-ordered an import copy from Japan when it came out). And it was very nearly as good as Soul Discharge. It's classic Boredoms at their best, mashing up genres from punk to funk to reggae to metal to noise -- there's references in the songtitles to both the Ramones and the Grateful Dead (and to themselves, of course). Yet Pop Tatari is far from a chaotic mess. Applied listening to this record will really reveal that there's a method to their madness. It's kinda like the same way if you saw them play live more than once, you'd realize that their seemingly improvised, acrobatic, spazzed-out stage act was actually carefully, amazingly choreographed! Mayhem that's totally retarded and totally advanced at the same time. Yamamoto's guitar skronk is lashed to the massive groove of the band's two drummers, while the crashing waves of distorted riffola that anchor many of these 18 tracks are surfed by the unique, extreme vocals of Eye and cohorts. Every detour into whatever sort of weirdness is perfectly timed, these ADD arrangements are the work of pros. Definitely a Boredoms album not to be without, my personal pick of the three Very Friendly reissues (though all are worthy). Very Friendly has reinstated the original song titles and tracklist that were altered for the US edition.
MPEG Stream: "I Am Cola"
MPEG Stream: "Poy (Mockin' Fuzz 1)"

BOREDOMS R.E.B.O.R.E. Vol. 1: Compiled & DJ Mixed by UNKLE (WEA Japan) cd 34.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
AKA UNKLE meets the Boredoms "Dysfunctional Monster Jam". This is a one track continuous megamix by James Lavelle and Richard File of UK Mo'Wax electronica act UNKLE, with scratching by the Nextmen (?). Due to the high import cost, perhaps not entirely necessary for anyone but the Boredoms completist, as UNKLE simply dips their hands into the Boredoms' back catalogue, speeds it up, slows it down, and ring modulates it. (Yeah, I bought one!) Actually it's a pretty great mix, especially for fans of the "new" Boredoms style. Rebore Vol. 2 is apparently in the works, don't know who's doing the remixing on that one...

BOREDOMS Rebore Vol. 0 (WEA Japan) cd 34.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
AKA "Vision Recreation by EYE". The fourth installment in the R.E.B.O.R.E. series of remixes isn't necessarily a "remix" of Boredoms material, but a reconstruction, or recreation as the title suggests. Contained are seven wonderful tracks of blissed out electronic trance, psychedelic tribal drum assaults, babbling babies and minimalist vocal chants. Any recognisable source material is largely culled from post "Super AE" Boredoms, namely "Jungle Tatei" and "Vision Creation Newsun". Fans of the DJ Pica Pica Pica disc as well as the Shock City Shockers compilation will definitely love this, and Boredoms fans should certainly pick this one up as the material contained within only *faintly* resembles anything found on prior releases. Highly recommended.
RealAudio clip: "777"

BOREDOMS Rebore Vol. 0 (WEA Japan) lp 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl, packaged in a heavy duty gatefold jacket. AKA "Vision Recreation by EYE". The fourth installment in the R.E.B.O.R.E. series of remixes isn't necessarily a "remix" of Boredoms material, but a reconstruction, or recreation as the title suggests. Contained are seven wonderful tracks of blissed out electronic trance, psychedelic tribal drum assaults, babbling babies and minimalist vocal chants. Any recognisable source material is largely culled from post "Super AE" Boredoms, namely "Jungle Tatei" and "Vision Creation Newsun". Fans of the DJ Pica Pica Pica disc as well as the Shock City Shockers compilation will definitely love this, and Boredoms fans should certainly pick this one up as the material contained within only *faintly* resembles anything found on prior releases. Highly recommended.

BOREDOMS Rebore Vol. 3 (Wea Japan) cd 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"1-2-3-4!" That same intro which kicked off 1989's "Onanie Bomb Meets the Sex Pistols" also kicks off this, the third volume in the Boredoms' series of megamixes, this time by the mighty DJ Krush. Subtitled "DJ Krush Gigamix (44:51 Non-Stop DJ Mix)", and it's definitely the cream of the crop! Most interesting this time around is the fact that in addition to Krush's addition of his signature bass heavy stoned out beats, he completely turns the Boredoms' back catalogue inside out, chops it up and seamlessly pastes it together again! A dynamic blend of cosmic minimalism and hyper hardcore freakout. Quite impressive is the fact that most of the material used is either the subtle, quiet moments of past records (mostly 1995's Chocloate Synthesizer) or material that is somewhat familiar, yet completely unlike anything on their proper records. Most notable moments are the minimal tabla workout midway through the disc as well as the beautiful coda of shimmering electronics weaving through the sounds of a tropical rainforest at the end. Wonderful artwork once again by Ausgang, "remixed" by Naohiro Ukawa.

BOREDOMS Rebore Vol.2 (mixed by Ken Ishii) (WEA Japan) cd 34.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is volume 2 in the Boredoms remix series, and continues in much the same manner as volume one (which was an an U.N.K.L.E. mix), with a crazy, seamless 40 or so minute continuous mix of Boredoms mania. This mix is by Ken Ishii, and is quite nice, though it basically sounds like a Boredoms mixtape, which is not a bad thing. Can't wait to hear volume three though, mixed by DJ Krush!

BOREDOMS Seadrum / House Of Sun (Warner Bros. Japan) cd 37.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The long awaited new Boredoms cd!! No foolin', it's here -- in the form of an admittedly expensive Japanese import. But we know of no plans for a domestic US release (no, wait, we just were told that there may be a Vice label release sometime early 2005), so if you're a fan of Eye and the Bore-tribe, you're gonna have to count your pennies. We thought they'd changed their name to Voordoms, as they were (sort of) billed last time they brought their psychedelic drum circle show on the road to San Francisco, but this says Boredoms right on it. Regardless, they've continued on with the hippie, rhythmic trance-drone sounds of their live shows, something also established on their last album, Vision Creation Newsun (and before that, too). As the title indicates, you get two 'songs' here -- "Seadrum" and "House Of Sun". Both of course are quite long! This is Boredoms in what we call their full 'Alice Coltrane' mode, with piano and female vocals and cosmic vibes galore. Lovely stuff. Reminds us of AQ-faves The Necks somewhat as well! Packaged in an opaque sparkly blue jewel case with title and artwork printed directly on the front.
MPEG Stream: "House Of Sun"

BOREDOMS Seadrum / House Of Sun (Vice / Atlantic) cd 16.98
The new (latest) Boredoms album, previously only available last year as a verrrry expensive (but worthwhile) Japanese import, now is unleashed domestically by the good folks at Vice Recordings. Yay!
Our impressions from when we got the import: We thought they'd changed their name to Voordoms, as they were (sort of) billed last time they brought their psychedelic drum circle show on the road to San Francisco, but this says Boredoms right on it. Regardless, they've continued on with the hippie, rhythmic trance-drone sounds of their live shows, something also established on their last album, Vision Creation Newsun (and before that, too). As the title indicates, you get two 'songs' here -- "Seadrum" and "House Of Sun". Both of course are quite long! This is Boredoms in what we call their full 'Alice Coltrane' mode, with piano and female vocals and cosmic vibes galore. Lovely stuff. Reminds us of AQ-faves The Necks somewhat as well!
Vice has even duplicated the packaging of the Japanese version, an opaque sparkly blue jewel case with title and artwork printed directly on the front.
MPEG Stream: "House Of Sun"

BOREDOMS Super AE (Birdman) cd 13.98
The domestic version of this kick ass Boredoms album finally sees the light of day! Far less manic than their previous spazzcore albums you loved in the past, the Boredoms' new focus on studio manipulations is intense and artistically successful. Layers of bombastic guitar noises swell and give way to insane bursts of tape manipulation along with the wax and wane of desperate screams and urgent percussion. Super AE is a rancid psychedelic experience that could be a chance meeting on the dissecting table between Amon Duul and Nurse With Wound.
If you've seen the Boredoms live and don't think you could sit through a disc of it, know that this album builds on the studio experiments of their recent SuperRoots series; it's not Yamantaka Eye jumping around anymore -- he's sitting in the cock-pit, entering your earholes with intents to purple-shag-carpet-bomb your sense of reality. Mad Jack became mad scientist.
Although Japanese import version came packaged in an elaborate day-glo oversized plastic box, don't worry: the artwork on this domestic cd is pretty damn cool complete with nifty Eye Yamantaka magic marker art!
MPEG Stream: "Super Are You"
MPEG Stream: "Super Good"

BOREDOMS Super Go!!!!!-Shine In*Shine On (WEA) dvd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
20 minutes on two tracks from the Boredoms. Neither of these tracks appear anywhere on the latest album (Super Are). Surprisingly beautiful psych-rock grooves that continue on their noisy Amon Duul kick.

BOREDOMS Super Roots (Vice) cd 12.98
Vice magazine may be most (in)famous for their magazine, especially the always enjoyable Do's & Don't's, but you've also got to hand it to their record label arm for championing the one and only Boredoms on this side of the Pacific. First they brought us the US edition of the Boredom's latest album Seadrum/House Of Sun, now they're reissuing the semi-legendary Super Roots series! So far, installments 1, 3 and 5. Eventually 6 and beyond (we hear tell that SR 9 is currently in the works, over in Japan). Er, what about 2 and 4 you're wondering? Well, Super Roots 2 was a limited edition promotional 3" cd ep only available with purchase of the Japanese release of Chocolate Synthesizer, and for the life of us we can't recall what the deal was (or wasn't) with Super Roots 4, actually we don't think it ever existed!
Confused? Well if you're not a hardcore Bore-fan, you might not even know what the heck the Super Roots discs are all about. Well, they were (are) sort of a series of between-album experiments wherein the Bore-crew goes off to explore some weird tangents... as hard as it is to imagine anything MORE experimental and weird than "regular" Boredoms albums themselves!!
And only Super Roots 1 and 6 were ever previously released in the USA, back when the Boredoms were still, in some Lollapalooza related hangover, seen by major label Reprise as being a reasonable investment! So 3 and 5, having only been available before as expensive Japanese imports, are going to be new to a lot of folks... and it's about time you heard 'em!! Seriously, if you're into any sort of psychedelic drone excess from the underground bands that we're constantly freaking on and on about some limited edition cd-r by, or love love love you some Boris, not to mention the likes of the Boredom's own kraut-drone masterpiece Super Ae and subsequent albums, you're gonna NEED to hear Super Roots 3 and Super Roots 5, they'll make you feel GOOD.
Oh and what about Super Roots 1? SR1 first came out in 1993. It's pretty short, just over 19 minutes, and features 14 brief tracks, in the spastic, chaotic style of "old" Boredoms, before they got all tranced-out and cosmic (a change we feel the Super Roots series was the catalyst for). But this was at the beginning (Super Roots wasn't a series yet, this is actually titled Super Roots, without the 1), and it really did sound like their "roots" -- lots of percussive bashing, fits of screaming and yelping, ridiculous horn tooting, and suchlike craziness. The Boredoms we knew and loved, but had heard plenty at the time. So listening to it now, without Soul Discharge, Pop Tatari, or Chocolate Synthesizer as fresh in our minds, it's sounding pretty nifty! A nice reminder of the variety of wacky pleasures the Boredoms used to bring in their "youth".
MPEG Stream: "Budokan Tape Try (500 Tapes High)"
MPEG Stream: "Monster Rex & S*und 'A' R*undus"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 3 (Vice) cd 12.98
Vice magazine may be most (in)famous for their magazine, especially the always enjoyable Do's & Don't's, but you've also got to hand it to their record label arm for championing the one and only Boredoms on this side of the Pacific. First they brought us the US edition of the Boredom's latest album Seadrum/House Of Sun, now they're reissuing the semi-legendary Super Roots series! So far, installments 1, 3 and 5. Eventually 6 and beyond (we hear tell that SR 9 is currently in the works, over in Japan). Er, what about 2 and 4 you're wondering? Well, Super Roots 2 was a limited edition promotional 3" cd ep only available with purchase of the Japanese release of Chocolate Synthesizer, and for the life of us we can't recall what the deal was (or wasn't) with Super Roots 4, actually we don't think it ever existed!
Confused? Well if you're not a hardcore Bore-fan, you might not even know what the heck the Super Roots discs are all about. Well, they were (are) sort of a series of between-album experiments wherein the Bore-crew goes off to explore some weird tangents... as hard as it is to imagine anything MORE experimental and weird than "regular" Boredoms albums themselves!!
And only Super Roots 1 and 6 were ever previously released in the USA, back when the Boredoms were still, in some Lollapalooza related hangover, seen by major label Reprise as being a reasonable investment! So 3 and 5, having only been available before as expensive Japanese imports, are going to be new to a lot of folks... and it's about time you heard 'em!! Seriously, if you're into any sort of psychedelic drone excess from the underground bands that we're constantly freaking on and on about some limited edition cd-r by, or love love love you some Boris, not to mention the likes of the Boredom's own kraut-drone masterpiece Super Ae and subsequent albums, you're gonna NEED to hear Super Roots 3 and Super Roots 5, they'll make you feel GOOD.
Super Roots 3, specifically: some, uh, "hard bore", um, "bore core" here from 1994!! It's just one track, that might be titled "Hard Trance Away (Karaoke Of Cosmos)". Or maybe that's just a random slogan on the sleeve, it's hard to tell. In any case, the track is a doozy! Slightly over a half hour of raging, relentless, rhythmic chug, followed by a few minutes of silence. It's pretty amazing, the monomaniacal, minimalist, thrashing energy of this all-instrumental punk-metal gallop, you can imagine that the floor of the studio was shin-deep in sweat by the time they were done recording. Ultimately psychedelic in its repetitiousness, this piece seems always to be striving to attain some higher level, that eventually you realize they (and you, the listener) have reached long ago. Definitely the sort of thing (in a similar but different way as Super Roots 5 as well) that fans of Boris at their most extreme would dig... and thus quite recommended!!
MPEG Stream: "Hard Trance Away [excerpt 1]"
MPEG Stream: "Hard Trance Away [excerpt 2]"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 5 (Vice) cd 15.98
Vice magazine may be most (in)famous for their magazine, especially the always enjoyable Do's & Don't's, but you've also got to hand it to their record label arm for championing the one and only Boredoms on this side of the Pacific. First they brought us the US edition of the Boredom's latest album Seadrum/House Of Sun, now they're reissuing the semi-legendary Super Roots series! So far, installments 1, 3 and 5. Eventually 6 and beyond (we hear tell that SR 9 is currently in the works, over in Japan). Er, what about 2 and 4 you're wondering? Well, Super Roots 2 was a limited edition promotional 3" cd ep only available with purchase of the Japanese release of Chocolate Synthesizer, and for the life of us we can't recall what the deal was (or wasn't) with Super Roots 4, actually we don't think it ever existed!
Confused? Well if you're not a hardcore Bore-fan, you might not even know what the heck the Super Roots discs are all about. Well, they were (are) sort of a series of between-album experiments wherein the Bore-crew goes off to explore some weird tangents... as hard as it is to imagine anything MORE experimental and weird than "regular" Boredoms albums themselves!!
And only Super Roots 1 and 6 were ever previously released in the USA, back when the Boredoms were still, in some Lollapalooza related hangover, seen by major label Reprise as being a reasonable investment! So 3 and 5, having only been available before as expensive Japanese imports, are going to be new to a lot of folks... and it's about time you heard 'em!! Seriously, if you're into any sort of psychedelic drone excess from the underground bands that we're constantly freaking on and on about some limited edition cd-r by, or love love love you some Boris, not to mention the likes of the Boredom's own kraut-drone masterpiece Super Ae and subsequent albums, you're gonna NEED to hear Super Roots 3 and Super Roots 5, they'll make you feel GOOD.
Here's the lowdown on Super Roots 5... Like Super Roots 3, this is also just one track. But it's about twice as long -- over an hour! Originally released in 1995, Super Roots 5 begins with one of those soft-loud potential heart attacks (at about five minutes in, when Eye shouts "Go!" and the volume EXPLODES) that Boris and Corrupted have also utilized to good effect. From then on, it's a MASSIVE sea of sonic waves, crashing and crossing, surging and rarely slacking. Foreshadowing the heavily percussive attack of later "Voordoms" efforts, a big part of this seems to be cymbals, excited into a constant, shifting, shimmering drone... It's GORGEOUS. And mesmerizing. Something to surrender to, something that if it lasted hours, rather than "just" an hour, would elicit no complaints from us at all! Y'know how some of the Boredoms' recent output, and particularly their "Voordoms" live shows, have drawn comparisons to some sort of "extreme" drum circle? Well how 'bout with Super Roots 5, it's not a circle, but an infinitely heavy and dense dot?
Pretty much a Boredoms ESSENTIAL, this one, 'specially now that it's more affordable/available!
MPEG Stream: "Super Roots 5 [excerpt 1]"
MPEG Stream: "Super Roots 5 [excerpt 2]"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 6 (Vice) cd 15.98
Boredoms bonanza! Vice follows up their Stateside re-issuance of Super Roots 1, 3, and 5 with Super Roots 6, 7, and 8! For those who missed our reviews of the first batch, on list 258, let's recap: Japanese band the Boredoms, whose "regular" albums are pretty darn wacked-out to begin with (kitchen sink craziness inspired by everything from the Butthole Surfers to Faust to the Ramones to Lee "Scratch" Perry to Alice Coltrane), started a series of even more experimental, mostly ep-length discs in the mid '90s that we think had a lot to do with the eventual evolution of their signature sound from their earlier, chaotic noise-punk surf-metal madness to the psychedelic, trance-out sounds heard on more recent records like Seadrum / House Of Sun. Most of these Super Roots cds were import-only items, until now. So fans who couldn't find or afford the expensive Japanese editions before should offer thanks to Vice!
Super Roots 6, from 1996, is one that Warner Reprise did at one point issue domestically in the USA, as bizarre as that seems now. It's been out of print for a long time, and it's one of our faves in the Super Roots series, so if you missed it back when, we'd suggest picking it up now. Unlike Super Roots 3 and 5, this isn't one long track. And it's not the sound of a live band either. Super Roots 6 is more of a studio project, 17 very rhythmic, mostly instrumental tracks (66 minutes total)... it's the Boredoms' "electronica" album, almost. Or certainly the closest a Boredoms disc has come to one of Eye's DJ mixes. There's certainly bits of noisy weirdness on here (naturally) but the dubby, droning, shuffling beats of a lot of this record are rather more soothing and laid back than (up to this point) we'd come to expect from the Bore-tribe. Mesmerizing like SR 5, but in more varied, less extreme ways. Some of this reminds us a bit of a mellower Christine 23 Onna, with all the synth and groove goin' on. Like the best of the Boredoms, ultimately unique, confounding, and utterly wonderful.
PS. the booklet features a photo of the Boredoms all wearing those red Devo dome hats -- all right!
MPEG Stream: "2"
MPEG Stream: "5"
MPEG Stream: "13"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 7 (WEA Japan) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This seventh installment in their series of between-album-projects is a kind of obtuse and convoluted (like a Boredoms record could be anything but) tribute to the Mekons. Ostensibly a 33 minute Mekons cover, but I'll be a monkeys uncle if a chunk of this here cd doesn't sound a whole lot like Stereolab circa Dots and Loops!

BOREDOMS Super Roots 7 (Vice) cd 13.98
Who but the Boredoms could do a cover of a song by veteran UK punk rockers The Mekons and turn it into an extended, summery cosmic trance-out? First released in 1998, the 33 minute Super Roots 7 ep remakes a Mekons number called "Where Were You?" into something completely different and very Boredoms indeed, three times over.
Track one sounds like if you had to play the Beach Boys on a pocket calculator. Then track two energetically takes off into something more like Super AE album, krauty spaceship noises mixed with field recordings and broken-down drones. Percussive, swooshy, videogamey. This twenty minute long (!) track eventually settles into a Neu!-ish groove that sounds more like Circle than the Mekons wethinks. This version, "7--> (Boriginal)" is a true Bore-classic that no fan of the band should miss out on hearing, which is perhaps why the third track is an abbreviated Eye remix of the same.
Again, big ups to Vice for making this out of print and previously import-only gem available once again! This Vice edition replaces the original mini-LP sleeve style packaging with a conventional digipak, but keeps the graphics more or less intact.
MPEG Stream: "7--> (Boriginal)"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 8 (Vice) cd 12.98
From 1999, SR8 is a three track ep just like its predecessor. It's centered on a cover of a classic anime theme song by Isao Tomita, "Jungle Taitei". They do it up in total Bore-mode, sounding like a cross between something off of Vision Creation Newsun and some Martin Denny or Arthur Lyman exotica. There's also two remixes, a percussively damaged one by Eye and a seriously lovely and spaced-out one by cult electronic composer Yann Tomita (no relation to Isao), which takes up over half this disc's 14+ minute run-time. Nice.
Vice has repackaged this in a jewel case, and unlike the rest of their Super Roots reissues, these have no obi.
Now Vice just needs to get the rights to put out the Rebore series too...
MPEG Stream: "Jungle Taitei"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 9 (Commons) cd 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super Roots craziness!! As if to capitalize upon the recent Stateside reissues via Vice of volumes 1 through 8 of their classic Super Roots series, Japan's major exporters of psychedelic, trance-inducing, rhythmic throb the Boredoms have turned on their blinding sonic sun rays and turned out a NEW Super Roots volume, number 9, number 9, number 9... their first in eight years! We just got this import in and it's been blasting in heavy rotation at the store, we're mesmerized.
In the past, the Super Roots series was very much UNLIKE the, um, "regular" albums produced by the Boredoms. For instance, back when they were more of a Buttholesy noise-rock spazzrock outfit, the Super Roots were where their now trademark krauty drone rave moves first seeped into thee higher Bore-consciousness. Now that their output of late has come so much closer to the sounds previously pioneered in the Super Roots series, we were wondering if this new installment would either a) sound like "old" Boredoms or b) introduce some entirely new approach of Bore-music. Well, instead it's c) a lot like recent Boredoms albums Seadrum / House Of Sun and Vision Creation Newsun. In fact, if you've had the chance to see Boredoms (aka Voordoms) lately, this is similar to what you've seen/heard, and the single 40+ minute piece documented here was in fact recorded live in concert on Christmas Eve of 2004. A super-charged minimalist rhythmic symphony built from wordless vocal samples manipulated on Bore-leader Eye Yamantaka's turntable, and the efforts of three hard-working drummers (Yoshimi, ATR, and Yojiro). It drones and churns and builds and bursts and keeps on going and going and going, very choral (it appears that Eye's usual samples are here reproduced and/or augmented by an actual 24 person choir!), each plateau of shining beauty that's reached, each level of energetic ecstasy that's achieved, soon left behind and bettered before it's over... wow. WOW. We hear that they're soon planning on trying to top this with a concert in New York on 7/7/07 featuring 77 drummers! (And our own Andee just might be one of the 77... ) You can't say the Boredoms aren't ambitious, but it's all so totally worshipful of the cosmos at the same time.
Adorned with the usual colorful EYE-artwork, this comes in Japanese oversized jewelcase, with plenty of room for the admittedly thick cd booklet -- 40 pages thick, containing all the musical notation for singing this piece in case your local church choir wants to get together to do a karaoke version.
MPEG Stream: "Livwe (excerpt 1)"
MPEG Stream: "Livwe (excerpt 2)"

BOREDOMS Super Roots 9 (Thrill Jockey) cd 16.98
Really dedicated Boredoms fans (who are legion) probably already picked up the expensive Japanese import version of this amazing, latest Super Roots installment that we listed last year. But if you didn't have the yen to pay for it, or just didn't get around to it, you can thank Thrill Jockey for this long awaited domestic reissue. The music and artwork's the same, but instead of the non-standard oversized Japanese jewel box of the import edition, they've packaged it in a nice gatefold mini-lp style sleeve. Now here's our review from before:
Super Roots craziness!! As if to capitalize upon the recent Stateside reissues via Vice of volumes 1 through 8 of their classic Super Roots series, Japan's major exporters of psychedelic, trance-inducing, rhythmic throb the Boredoms have turned on their blinding sonic sun rays and turned out a NEW Super Roots volume, number 9, number 9, number 9... their first in eight years! We just got this import in and it's been blasting in heavy rotation at the store, we're mesmerized.
In the past, the Super Roots series was very much UNLIKE the, um, "regular" albums produced by the Boredoms. For instance, back when they were more of a Buttholesy noise-rock spazzrock outfit, the Super Roots were where their now trademark krauty drone rave moves first seeped into thee higher Bore-consciousness. Now that their output of late has come so much closer to the sounds previously pioneered in the Super Roots series, we were wondering if this new installment would either a) sound like "old" Boredoms or b) introduce some entirely new approach of Bore-music. Well, instead it's c) a lot like recent Boredoms albums Seadrum / House Of Sun and Vision Creation Newsun. In fact, if you've had the chance to see Boredoms (aka Voordoms) lately, this is similar to what you've seen/heard, and the single 40+ minute piece documented here was in fact recorded live in concert on Christmas Eve of 2004. A super-charged minimalist rhythmic symphony built from wordless vocal samples manipulated on Bore-leader Eye Yamantaka's turntable, and the efforts of three hard-working drummers (Yoshimi, ATR, and Yojiro). It drones and churns and builds and bursts and keeps on going and going and going, very choral (it appears that Eye's usual samples are here reproduced and/or augmented by an actual 24 person choir!), each plateau of shining beauty that's reached, each level of energetic ecstasy that's achieved, soon left behind and bettered before it's over... wow. WOW. We hear that they're soon planning on trying to top this with a concert in New York on 7/7/07 featuring 77 drummers! (And our own Andee just might be one of the 77... ) [which indeed he was!!]
You can't say the Boredoms aren't ambitious, but it's all so totally worshipful of the cosmos at the same time.
MPEG Stream: "Livwe (excerpt 1)"
MPEG Stream: "Livwe (excerpt 2)"

BOREDOMS Vision Creation Newsun (WEA Japan) cd 33.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's still an expensive Japanese import, but not as expensive as the double cd boxed version we used to have. This, the new Boredoms album, is a worthy follow-up to their amazing, universally-lauded "Super Ae" disc, venturing even further into (to some, dangerously hippie) trance realms. Handsomely housed in a miniature gatefold LP-sleeve. This is to be released, in different packaging, by Birdman in the US at some unknown future date...

BOREDOMS Vision Creation Newsun (Birdman) cd 13.98
Yeeeah! This, the new Boredoms album (now a domestic release, good for those whose pocketbooks were unable to handle the $90 import boxed version!), is a worthy follow-up to their amazing, universally-lauded "Super Ae" disc of 1999. It finds the Boredoms venturing even further into "trance" realms (for some of us, this is dangerously hippie; Andee calls Vision Creation "drum circle Boredoms"). This record may actually appeal more to fans of stuff like No Neck Blues Band or Iran than lovers of Japanese craziness. But hell, it's still the Boredoms!
RealAudio clip: "Vision Creation Newsun"

BOREDOMS Vision Creation Newsun EP (WEA Japan) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not to be confused with their new album of the same name, this ep takes the title track from that disc and adds a remix by Moochy (?) of "Mooncidal Sendencies" as well as lengthy (24 minutes) live track by what appears to be Boredoms variant called the "Uoredoms". Yeah, I'm confused too. But all anyone needs to know is that all three tracks are great, the live one especially: massive, spacey, LOUD. (FYI it's NOT the same as the live track found on the bonus disc that came in the boxed verison of the new album, and in fact, it's better.) Over 43 minutes total, not bad for an "ep", or at least ok for a $22 one.

BOREDOMS Wow2 (Avant) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This crew of Japanese crazies second domestically available cd release (on John Zorn's Japanese imprint Avant). Recorded live, it seems, and you know the Boredoms were/are one of the ultimate live bands!

BORIS A Bao A Qu (SuperFi) 7" picture disc 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Boris really frustrate us. We love them. A LOT. They are one of our favorite bands around. Masters of sludge / psych / doom / dirge / drone. Yet they insist on releasing records in tiny editions that do nothing but piss off the people who love their band. Thus we are constantly faced with the problem of never being able to get enough copies for everyone who wants one. So now we have this new picture disc single. We ordered 50 copies. And ended up with six copies to list. So we wracked our brains to try and figure out the best way to sell these six copies and we decided to do it by lottery. I know, it sucks, but what else can we do? At least this way everyone has a chance. So if you want one, go ahead and order it like normal (locals, you gotta email too). On Monday, we'll take all the names of folks who ordered 'em and draw six at random to sell 'em to. Best we can do. Oh, and it's a pretty great single too!

BORIS Absolutego (Super Low Frequency Version) (Southern Lord) cd 14.98
Hey, they wised up and put this back on cd! Sorry if you got stuck with a cdr, please direct your complaints to the Southern Lord. But be nice, 'cause I guess they didn't really realize it was a big deal....here's our review from before:
Ok, here's one for all the AQ customers who we know are always hankering for the state-of-the-art in "drone-metal" (i.e. those who can't get enough of the likes of Earth, Melvins "Lysol", Sunn 0))), Corrupted, Esoteric, etc.). Thanks to noted label-of-doom Southern Lord, we've got the new domestic reissue of the 1996 full-length debut from this amazing Japanese band. We actually used to stock the import version back when it first came out, but never were able to get very many and it's been unavailable for a long long time. Southern Lord's new "Super Low Frequency Version" (a nod to Earth 2) features new artwork and (doubtless much to the annoyance of the three or four people who manged to get the original import) a seven minute appropriately named bonus track, "Dronevil2". That makes this a 73 minute, two-track disc, as the title track itself is one of those rare, slow motion, maximum riff glacial drone songs that stretches out over (previously) the entire length of the cd! Heavy duty stuff indeed. It makes sense that the name Boris comes from a Melvins song. And also that one of their other albums is a collaboration with Japan's king of dark psych guitar, Keiji Haino. Recommended, doom freaks.
MPEG Stream: "Dronevil2"

BORIS Absolutego (Super Low Frequency Version) (Southern Lord) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Back in stock! Except... it's a cd-r now. Perhaps Southern Lord will press more actual cds in the future, but for now they're trying to meet the demand of all you Boris fanatics by at least making this available again as a professional cd-r pressing, with artwork and everything very similar to their original edition. And if you don't have it and consider yourself a connoisseur of 'heavy music' and don't already have this already, be glad for the chance even on cd-r. Here's our write-up from before:
Ok, here's one for all the AQ customers who we know are always hankering for the state-of-the-art in "drone-metal" (i.e. those who can't get enough of the likes of Earth, Melvins "Lysol", Sunn 0))), Corrupted, Esoteric, etc.). Thanks to noted label-of-doom Southern Lord, we've got the new domestic reissue of the 1996 full-length debut from this amazing Japanese band. We actually used to stock the import version back when it first came out, but never were able to get very many and it's been unavailable for a long long time. Southern Lord's new "Super Low Frequency Version" features new artwork and (doubtless much to the annoyance of the three or four people who manged to get the original import) a seven minute appropriately named bonus track, "Dronevil2". That makes this a 73 minute, two-track disc, as the title track itself is one of those rare, slow motion, maximum riff glacial drone songs that stretches out over (previously) the entire length of the cd! Heavy duty stuff indeed. It makes sense that the name Boris comes from a Melvins song. And also that one of their other albums is a collaboration with Japan's king of dark psych guitar, Keiji Haino. Recommended, doom freaks.
MPEG Stream: "Dronevil2"

BORIS Akuma No Uta (DIWPhalanx) cd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fans of the band that began as Japan's answer to the Melvins, and then took a wayback machine ride into the '70s, Boris, can start rejoicing now. After a long while, we've finally got a whole bunch of Boris back in stock. AND, we've got a whole brand new recording as well! Whoo-hoo. Akuma No Uta is a 32 minute, six song mini-album that offers up a smorgasbord of styles from past Boris albums, drawing from the heavier-than-thou rumble of Absolutego, the exquisite beauty of Flood, and the sheer jams-out-kickin' of Heavy Rocks. Starting off with a two and half minute Earth-esque drone-metal intro (although for some reason unknown to us, the intro track on the vinyl version is seven minutes longer than that on the cd, so drone freaks may have to get the lp, or what the heck, get both!), the record then slams into the riffed-out, noisy stormer "Ibitsu". Distorted, manic, tear-shit-up stuff. After another song in the same Hendrix meets the Stooges style psych-punk rawk vein, Boris switch gears again, for the album's centerpiece, a twelve-minute opus entitled "Naki Kyoku" that begins all super languid, quiet and pretty before building into a soaring psychedelic jam. The jams continue on the next track, another stoner rockin' blow-out. Finally, title track "Akuma No Uta" winds things up with a return to the immense sludge grind of track one, melded into a headbanging groove, ending the disc on an adrenaline high. I'm sure there's mulleted, pot-smoking high-schoolers in Japan scribbling Boris logos on their binders...or so we'd like to think.
You'll note from the price that the yen isn't doing us Americans any favors right now. Ah well. Boris is worth a few extra bucks, as fans will no doubt agree. Worth their weight in yen for sure, and well, you know they're heavy. The vinyl version is even pricier, but it's perhaps got the cooler artwork (yes, they're different) with a cover that perfectly re-creates Nick Drake's Bryter Layter! Except with double neck electric guitar-bass instead of acoustic guitar... Real nice.
And be aware (beware?), for soon to come is another Boris, the bottom-heavy full-length known as Boris At Last aka Feedbacker. We should have that as soon as it's out, we'll keep you informed!
MPEG Stream: "Furi"
MPEG Stream: "Akuma No Uta"

BORIS Akuma No Uta (Southern Lord) cd 14.98
Following heavy and hard on the heels of Southern Lord's now-deleted domestic picture disc vinyl version of this Boris album, comes the promised domestic cd release. If you resisted the lure of the limited edition vinyl (or plain ol' missed out) now you can grab the same music in the not-so-limited digipack cd format. It's quite a bit cheaper too than the Japanese import cd version we used to stock, and to add insult to injury also boasts a longer running time (now the same as the vinyl versions, restoring the full nine and half minute intro that was inexplicably shortened to two and a half on the Japanese compact disc) and has got the cool homage-to-Nick-Drake cover art that you had to get the vinyl for, before.
As we said when listing Southern Lord's vinyl version not long ago, for those reading the above with more curiousity than comprehension, here's some of what we wrote about Akuma No Uta when first released: Fans of the band that began as Japan's answer to the Melvins, and then took a wayback machine ride into the '70s, Boris, can start rejoicing now. Akuma No Uta's six songs offer up a smorgasbord of styles from past Boris albums, drawing from the heavier-than-thou rumble of Absolutego, the exquisite beauty of Flood, and the sheer jams-out-kickin' of Heavy Rocks. Starting off with an Earth-esque drone-metal intro, the record then slams into the riffed-out, noisy stormer "Ibitsu". Distorted, manic, tear-shit-up stuff. After another song in the same Hendrix meets the Stooges style psych-punk rawk vein, Boris switch gears again, for the album's centerpiece, a twelve-minute opus entitled "Naki Kyoku" that begins all super languid, quiet and pretty before building into a soaring psychedelic jam. The jams continue on the next track, another stoner rockin' blow-out. Finally, title track "Akuma No Uta" winds things up with a return to the immense sludge grind of track one, melded into a headbanging groove, ending the disc on an adrenaline high. I'm sure there's mulleted, pot-smoking high-schoolers in Japan scribbling Boris logos on their binders...or so we'd like to think. Now some American kids might get a chance to do the same (do Southern Lord releases make it into Wal Mart? dunno).
MPEG Stream: "Furi"
MPEG Stream: "Akuma No Uta"

BORIS Akuma No Uta (DIWPhalanx) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fans of the band that began as Japan's answer to the Melvins, and then took a wayback machine ride into the '70s, Boris, can start rejoicing now. After a long while, we've finally got a whole bunch of Boris back in stock. AND, we've got a whole brand new recording as well! Whoo-hoo. Akuma No Uta is a 32 minute, six song mini-album that offers up a smorgasbord of styles from past Boris albums, drawing from the heavier-than-thou rumble of Absolutego, the exquisite beauty of Flood, and the sheer jams-out-kickin' of Heavy Rocks. Starting off with a two and half minute Earth-esque drone-metal intro (although for some reason unknown to us, the intro track on the vinyl version is seven minutes longer than that on the cd, so drone freaks may have to get the lp, or what the heck, get both!), the record then slams into the riffed-out, noisy stormer "Ibitsu". Distorted, manic, tear-shit-up stuff. After another song in the same Hendrix meets the Stooges style psych-punk rawk vein, Boris switch gears again, for the album's centerpiece, a twelve-minute opus entitled "Naki Kyoku" that begins all super languid, quiet and pretty before building into a soaring psychedelic jam. The jams continue on the next track, another stoner rockin' blow-out. Finally, title track "Akuma No Uta" winds things up with a return to the immense sludge grind of track one, melded into a headbanging groove, ending the disc on an adrenaline high. I'm sure there's mulleted, pot-smoking high-schoolers in Japan scribbling Boris logos on their binders...or so we'd like to think.
You'll note from the price that the yen isn't doing us Americans any favors right now. Ah well. Boris is worth a few extra bucks, as fans will no doubt agree. Worth their weight in yen for sure, and well, you know they're heavy. The vinyl version is even pricier, but it's perhaps got the cooler artwork (yes, they're different) with a cover that perfectly re-creates Nick Drake's Bryter Layter! Except with double neck electric guitar-bass instead of acoustic guitar... Real nice.
And be aware (beware?), for soon to come is another Boris, the bottom-heavy full-length known as Boris At Last aka Feedbacker. We should have that as soon as it's out, we'll keep you informed!
MPEG Stream: "Furi"
MPEG Stream: "Akuma No Uta"

BORIS Akuma No Uta (Southern Lord) picture disc 12" 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What is it about sheer heaviness and limited-edition vinyl pressings that combine to make certain people (you know who you are) just freakin' salivate with l-u-s-t? Whatever it is, it's not hurting business for our friends at Southern Lord, not to mention certain eBay sellers! Well, the Lord has allocated us enough of this new domestic picture disc vinyl version of Boris' Akuma No Uta to save maybe at least thirty of y'all from the rigors of the auction process. Of course, we've had Akuma No Uta on vinyl before, but the previous Japanese import version wasn't a picture disc and also was way more expensive. So if you didn't get it then (or are a true Boris obsessive, and why shouldn't you be?) here's your doubtless brief chance to nab this pic disc edition.
For those reading the above with more curiousity than comprehension, here's some of what we wrote about Akuma No Uta when first released: Akuma No Uta's six songs offer up a smorgasbord of styles from past Boris albums, drawing from the heavier-than-thou rumble of Absolutego, the exquisite beauty of Flood, and the sheer jams-out-kickin' of Heavy Rocks. Starting off with an Earth-esque drone-metal intro, the record then slams into the riffed-out, noisy stormer "Ibitsu". Distorted, manic, tear-shit-up stuff. After another song in the same Hendrix meets the Stooges style psych-punk rawk vein, Boris switch gears again, for the album's centerpiece, a twelve-minute opus entitled "Naki Kyoku" that begins all super languid, quiet and pretty before building into a soaring psychedelic jam. The jams continue on the next track, another stoner rockin' blow-out. Finally, title track "Akuma No Uta" winds things up with a return to the immense sludge grind of track one, melded into a headbanging groove, ending the disc on an adrenaline high. I'm sure there's mulleted, pot-smoking high-schoolers in Japan scribbling Boris logos on their binders...or so we'd like to think.
A couple of notes: we're told that Southern Lord will also soon be issuing a domestic digipack cd version as well, with the same Nick Drake homage cover photo and all the music found on the vinyl (which means it should have the full nine and half minute intro that was inexplicably shortened to two and a half on the Japanese compact disc). Also, there exists another Southern Lord issued, mail-order only picture disc version of Akuma No Uta with black and white alternate artwork -- Boris's take-off on the black metal band Venom's logo instead of the cover to Drake's Bryter Layter. But you'll have to check eBay for that one, sorry!
MPEG Stream: "Furi"
MPEG Stream: "Akuma No Uta"

BORIS Amplifier Worship (Southern Lord) cd 14.98
Second (or maybe third or fourth at this point?) Southern Lord repress. So, no gummi worm in the spine this time. Ok, here's what we said about the mighty Amplifier Worship the last time we listed it:
Good news, Boris fans. Thanks to Southern Lord, we now finally have stock again AGAIN of this masterpiece of heaviosity and former AQ-record-of-the-week by the amazing Japanese band Boris, who have become big AQ-faves over the past few years. The more-than-aptly-titled "Amplifier Worship" was their 2nd full-length release (after their mighty one-song drone-slab "Absolutego" but before the mind-blowing, semi-acoustic "Flood" and the stoner-rockin' genius of "Heavy Rocks"); it originally came out in 1998 and has been, on and off, pretty much unavailable in the US. Man's Ruin was going to release it domestically a while back, actually, but that fell through because of that label's sudden, unfortunate demise. Now our friends at Southern Lord, who made "Absolutego" available over here, have gotten around to releasing "Amplifier Worship" in the States. A happy day indeed. It's cheaper than the import, we should be able to keep it in stock for more than just a week, and, of course, it still rules!!
A good shorthand description of "Amplifier Worship" would be to say that it sounds like a cross between the low-end riffage of Boris' obvious heroes the Melvins, and the more recent, rhythmic trance experiments of their countrymen the Boredoms. Psychedelic punk metal, utterly crushing. Pretty much essential to anyone who is into "heavy"! If you like the dirgey sludge of Corrupted and Earth, as well as the more rocked-out sludge of Sleep and Melvins (circa "Ozma" and "Bullhead"), you'll love Boris! Recommended!!
MPEG Stream: "Huge"
MPEG Stream: "Hama "
MPEG Stream: "Vomitself"

BORIS Amplifier Worship (gummi worm edition) (Southern Lord) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Good news, Boris fans. Thanks to Southern Lord, we now finally have stock again AGAIN of this masterpiece of heaviosity and former AQ-record-of-the-week by the amazing Japanese band Boris, who have become big AQ-faves over the past few years. The more-than-aptly-titled "Amplifier Worship" was their 2nd full-length release (after their mighty one-song drone-slab "Absolutego" but before the mind-blowing, semi-acoustic "Flood" and the stoner-rockin' genius of "Heavy Rocks"); it originally came out in 1998 and has been, on and off, pretty much unavailable in the US. Man's Ruin was going to release it domestically a while back, actually, but that fell through because of that label's sudden, unfortunate demise. Now our friends at Southern Lord, who made "Absolutego" available over here, have gotten around to releasing "Amplifier Worship" in the States. A happy day indeed. It's cheaper than the import, we should be able to keep it in stock for more than just a week, and, of course, it still rules!!
A good shorthand description of "Amplifier Worship" would be to say that it sounds like a cross between the low-end riffage of Boris' obvious heroes the Melvins, and the more recent, rhythmic trance experiments of their countrymen the Boredoms. Psychedelic punk metal, utterly crushing. Pretty much essential to anyone who is into "heavy"! If you like the dirgey sludge of Corrupted and Earth, as well as the more rocked-out sludge of Sleep and Melvins (circa "Ozma" and "Bullhead"), you'll love Boris! Recommended!!
And don't feel too bad if you already bought the more expensive Japanese import version. First off, you're that much cooler. Secondly, there's no bonus tracks or anything on this edition to make it any better. Thirdly, the redesigned, green-tinted package, while striking, happens to incorporate a GUMMI WORM in the spine of the jewel case. I'm sorry, that's just not a good idea... But if you don't already have the import, this is a must-have and a bargain even with the gummi worm, which should still be edible when you get your copy and so thus is easily dealt with.
RealAudio clip: "Huge"
RealAudio clip: "Hama "
RealAudio clip: "Vomitself"

BORIS Boris At Last -Feedbacker- (DIWPhalanx) cd 28.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's that time again. When AQ regulars start coming in every day like junkies looking for a fix, "Do you have it yet? C'mon man, when are you gonna get it?" And in fact, they are junkies, only they're looking for their HEAVINESS fix. That fix that only Japanese sludge/doom gods Boris can provide. We were pretty into Boris' recent Akuma No Uta cd ep, that added all sorts of sonic weirdness to their new found super-charged Stooges, stoner rock sound (a la Heavy Rocks). But some of us were still longing for a return to the glacial, slow motion doom/drone days of old: Amplifier Worship, Absolutego (sadly now out of print) even the comparatively serene Flood (Allan's favorite). And while we can't tell you this is entirely that return, it's darn close, and we'd say it's easily one of their best records yet. At Last (aka Feedbacker) is a breathtaking, 50 minute epic, split into five movements. Things start with a slow slow build, drones and rumbles and huge sheets of distorted guitars, weaving a heaving tapestry of sonic unrest, a static buzz that towers over you like an ancient stone wall, threatening to heave forward, bricks of sonic sludge crushing you beneath their suffocating weight. The big surprise though comes in the second movement as the wall of sludge dissipates into the ether, leaving a smoky hazy gauze, through which Boris emerge, as an almost-pop band, simple spare drumming, heavily reverbed shimmery chords, subtle muted wah guitar with a distant swirling backdrop of wind tunnel effects and howling feedback. Then vocalist Takeshi joins the fray with mumbled, keening sad boy vocals reminding us of Greg Dulli in his Afghan Whigs days, and then drums get all dubbed out, and suddenly everything is druggy and trippy, like the whole record was soaked in cough syrup. All the while Boris' guitar goddess Wata spits out super distorted leads, all melancholy and emotional, strings bending, feedback threatening to overwhelm the notes. The mellow parts definitely remind us of Codeine, which is a VERY good thing. Also, Windy and Carl, the Wipers a little, and even that eighties Homestead records sound. But it wouldn't be Boris if things didn't get HEAVY. And they do. Really heavy. The rest of the record is an aural tug of war between Boris' Earth/Sunn 0))) doom tendencies and their gorgeous, shimmery, druggy psychedelia. Imagine Godspeed You Black Emperor, raised on doom metal and seventies psych, and fronted by a female Hendrix! It's that fucking amazing.
MPEG Stream: "At Last Pt. 1"
MPEG Stream: "At Last Pt. 2"

BORIS Boris At Last -Feedbacker- (Conspiracy) cd 16.98
This all time AQ favorite is now available from Conspiracy Records in Belgium. Same cool packaging as the previous Japanese edition, but at a way cheaper price ($10 less), so those of you who were pinching pennies and holding out, or those of you who just plain missed this first time around, now's the time. Here's how much we love this record:
It's that time again. When AQ regulars start coming in every day like junkies looking for a fix, "Do you have it yet? C'mon man, when are you gonna get it?" And in fact, they are junkies, only they're looking for their HEAVINESS fix. That fix that only Japanese sludge/doom gods Boris can provide. We were pretty into Boris' recent Akuma No Uta cd ep, that added all sorts of sonic weirdness to their new found super-charged Stooges, stoner rock sound (a la Heavy Rocks). But some of us were still longing for a return to the glacial, slow motion doom/drone days of old: Amplifier Worship, Absolutego (sadly now out of print) even the comparatively serene Flood (Allan's favorite). And while we can't tell you this is entirely that return, it's darn close, and we'd say it's easily one of their best records yet. At Last (aka Feedbacker) is a breathtaking, 50 minute epic, split into five movements. Things start with a slow slow build, drones and rumbles and huge sheets of distorted guitars, weaving a heaving tapestry of sonic unrest, a static buzz that towers over you like an ancient stone wall, threatening to heave forward, bricks of sonic sludge crushing you beneath their suffocating weight. The big surprise though comes in the second movement as the wall of sludge dissipates into the ether, leaving a smoky hazy gauze, through which Boris emerge, as an almost-pop band, simple spare drumming, heavily reverbed shimmery chords, subtle muted wah guitar with a distant swirling backdrop of wind tunnel effects and howling feedback. Then vocalist Takeshi joins the fray with mumbled, keening sad boy vocals reminding us of Greg Dulli in his Afghan Whigs days, and then drums get all dubbed out, and suddenly everything is druggy and trippy, like the whole record was soaked in cough syrup. All the while Boris' guitar goddess Wata spits out super distorted leads, all melancholy and emotional, strings bending, feedback threatening to overwhelm the notes. The mellow parts definitely remind us of Codeine, which is a VERY good thing. Also, Windy and Carl, the Wipers a little, and even that eighties Homestead records sound. But it wouldn't be Boris if things didn't get HEAVY. And they do. Really heavy. The rest of the record is an aural tug of war between Boris' Earth/Sunn 0))) doom tendencies and their gorgeous, shimmery, druggy psychedelia. Imagine Godspeed You Black Emperor, raised on doom metal and seventies psych, and fronted by a female Hendrix! It's that fucking amazing.
MPEG Stream: "At Last Pt. 1"
MPEG Stream: "At Last Pt. 2"

BORIS Boris At Last -Feedbacker- (DIWPhalanx) lp 30.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON VINYL!!! No extra music, but it's a lovely package, complete with a big poster of the cover.
Here's what we said about the cd: It's that time again. When AQ regulars start coming in every day like junkies looking for a fix, "Do you have it yet? C'mon man, when are you gonna get it?" And in fact, they are junkies, only they're looking for their HEAVINESS fix. That fix that only Japanese sludge/doom gods Boris can provide. We were pretty into Boris' recent Akuma No Uta cd ep, that added all sorts of sonic weirdness to their new found super-charged Stooges, stoner rock sound (a la Heavy Rocks). But some of us were still longing for a return to the glacial, slow motion doom/drone days of old: Amplifier Worship, Absolutego (sadly now out of print) even the comparatively serene Flood (Allan's favorite). And while we can't tell you this is entirely that return, it's darn close, and we'd say it's easily one of their best records yet. At Last (aka Feedbacker) is a breathtaking, 50 minute epic, split into five movements. Things start with a slow slow build, drones and rumbles and huge sheets of distorted guitars, weaving a heaving tapestry of sonic unrest, a static buzz that towers over you like an ancient stone wall, threatening to heave forward, bricks of sonic sludge crushing you beneath their suffocating weight. The big surprise though comes in the second movement as the wall of sludge dissipates into the ether, leaving a smoky hazy gauze, through which Boris emerge, as an almost-pop band, simple spare drumming, heavily reverbed shimmery chords, subtle muted wah guitar with a distant swirling backdrop of wind tunnel effects and howling feedback. Then vocalist Takeshi joins the fray with mumbled, keening sad boy vocals reminding us of Greg Dulli in his Afghan Whigs days, and then drums get all dubbed out, and suddenly everything is druggy and trippy, like the whole record was soaked in cough syrup. All the while Boris' guitar goddess Wata spits out super distorted leads, all melancholy and emotional, strings bending, feedback threatening to overwhelm the notes. The mellow parts definitely remind us of Codeine, which is a VERY good thing. Also, Windy and Carl, the Wipers a little, and even that eighties Homestead records sound. But it wouldn't be Boris if things didn't get HEAVY. And they do. Really heavy. The rest of the record is an aural tug of war between Boris' Earth/Sunn 0))) doom tendencies and their gorgeous, shimmery, druggy psychedelia. Imagine Godspeed You Black Emperor, raised on doom metal and seventies psych, and fronted by a female Hendrix! It's that fucking amazing.
MPEG Stream: "At Last Pt. 1"
MPEG Stream: "At Last Pt. 2"

BORIS Dronevil Final (Inoxia) 2cd 25.00
It seems like every Boris release is more anxiously anticipated than the last. But somehow this is the one everybody's been waiting for. A double cd reissue of the previously vinyl only Dronevil. And just to ensure that Boris obsessives who already have the lp don't get off easy, the cd version adds two lengthy tracks to each disc and eliminates the pressing defect that plagued the lp release.
Dronevil is like the Japanese doom sludge version of the Flaming Lips' Zaireeka! Two discs, one drone, one heavy, intended to be played simultaneously on two separate stereos, but both equally listenable on their own.
The 'drone' disc is gorgeous, the first track is a shimmering swirl of sizzling cymbals, thick clouds of reverberating metal, sounding almost like some lost Organum track. Warm metallic swells, that undulate and subtly swing, layer upon layer of gorgeous high end sound. The second is a lugubrious trawl through some dimly lit cavernous underworld, thick tones swirl and drift, super minimal, like the slowed down sound of tolling bells, a slow motion ringing that shimmers and hums, like some distant soundscape viewed through thick panes of fogged up glass. The final drone track is another high end excursion, this time it's a whirl of densely layered tones, like sheets of feedback, played back at different speeds, creating strange tonal clusters and causing the various sounds to beat against each other producing subtle rhythms and streaks of upper register melody. Like a much more minimal Sunroof! or a Phil Niblock piece using Total outtakes as source material.
The sludgier disc (or the 'Evil' disc of the Dronevil pair) starts off with the 21 minute "Red", which starts off with some rumbling low end swells, mirroring the shimmering cymbals of it's ambient corollary on disc 1, then some abstract clean guitar, lots of space, about halfway through in come the keening distorted guitar feedback, streaks of psychedelic skree above the spacious abstract soundscape, finally about 15 minutes in the drums kick in, a simple post rock skitter, the clean guitars coalesce into a sort of Morricone-ish spaghetti western twang, above which some spare soulful leads drift and delicately soar, a slow loping groove like some strange slowcore hybrid of Codeine and Low. Dreamy and so good. The second track is where it actually gets heavy, a super distorted slow motion riff builds and builds until Boris are lurching along like some monstrous space rock behemoth, a sludgy trudge, thick walls of distorted guitar, simple pounding drums, all beneath wild psychedelic leads. Very Hawkwindy for sure. A brief near silent interlude sets us up for the hammer to fall, and it does, huge crumbling riffs dripping with filthy distortion, a sludgy black hole riff, and the wild psychedelic leads just keep getting more tangled and freaked out. So totally intense and heavy and super spaced out. The final track is another massive space doom workout. Heavy and thick and dense, but still somehow spacious and epic. Guitars grind and crunch but they also drift and hover weightless, the drums pound one second, and skitter jazzily the next, everything a huge swirling mass of psychedelic spaciness wrapped in massively thick guitars, ending in a barely there acoustic steel string coda.
Now when you play the two discs together it all makes sense. The heavy disc is so spare and spacey, because the first disc introduces all of these extra layers of sound, and the first disc is so abstract and minimal, because it's main purpose is to fill out the doom drenched space rock on disc two. But it barely matters. Together, the two discs perfectly meld into a killer postspacerock doom sludge record, heavy and dense and layered. Apart, you've got two amazing records, one super abstract free drone record, and one post slow core psychedelic spacerock record. You can't really lose either way.
And as always the packaging is absolutely breathtaking: a Japanese style mini gatefold, printed inside and out, black and light blue ink on thick textured brown cardstock, along the bottom a black and grey printed vellum obi, each disc in its own pocket and beautifully packaged with three circular plastic printed transparencies, all of the images combining with the printed image on the disc. WOW.
MPEG Stream: "The Evil One Which Sobs"
MPEG Stream: "Interference Demon"

BORIS Flood (MIDI Creative) cd 24.00
BACK IN STOCK! Allan's favorite Boris release... As you may know, Boris are perhaps Japan's number one Melvins worshippers! But that's not to say they're unoriginal, rather the opposite, since the Melvins themselves are so unpredictable and eccentric. But in terms of heaviness, Boris measure up. Though they thew us for a loop with this, their third full-length album. Yep, it's not cheap, but there's no US release planned anytime soon or ever as far as we know. And anyway, as we'll explain, it's well worth the money. Like their drone-behemoth debut Absolutego, Flood is just one long song (broken into tracks on the cd for convenience, we suppose). But unlike Absolutego (or any other Boris stuff we've heard), the heaviness is kept in reserve. Instead, this starts off with a very pretty, repeating guitar figure that gradually starts to layer and loop in upon itself. It's quite mellow and meditative. As the disc progresses, momentary echoes of doom emerge from the sonic background, like thunder in the distance, or waves crashing on shore. Meanwhile, the guitars, joined by drums, spin a quiet, gorgeous, dreamlike hypnosis sounding like something somewhere between Gastr del Sol and kosmische krautrock (Agitation Free, Gunter Schickert). Or Eddie Hazel's Funkadelic solo psych guitar masterpiece "Maggot Brain" stretched into infinity. Flood is a minimalist, psychedelic, post-rock masterpiece that can only be compared to the Melvins the way something like Bohren & Der Club of Gore can -- with an understanding that heaviness isn't always all about loudness and riffage. (And, well, even if it did get Melvins heavy at some point, we wouldn't tell you, 'cause you need to hear this unfold for yourself.) Brilliant. (And although this is great, fans of Boris' more usual heaviness needn't despair that they won't return to the rock -- we've heard some new Boris demos that make the Stooges sound mild!)
MPEG Stream: "excerpt 1"
MPEG Stream: "excerpt 2"