First LP from Japanese free improvising duo MAI MAO. Consisting of Shizuo Uchida of Hasegawa-Shizuo, Albedo Gravitas, archeus, Kito Muzukumi Rouber, TERROR SHIT, UH, etc. on bass, and Kyosuke Terada, of HUH (who have their own release due on An’archives soon), TERROR SHIT, Bay City Rolaz, Praymate, The Obey Unit, etc. on guitar, they’ve previously released two wild cassettes, Curvature Improvement Plan (Haang niap, 2020) and Folk Dope Rally (2021), both documenting one-take improvisations from live gigs. Ricshari was recorded by Nobuki Nishiyama in January 2021, and is proof, if any was needed, that this duo is one of the most fiercely unique, out-there units currently extant – in Japan, or anywhere, for that matter.
The music of MAI MAO seems to proceed by opposites and juxtaposition, shifting from frantic, hectic runs of splattering note spray to moments of granular stasis, where Uchida and Terada coax their instruments into and out of deep wells of silence, or rest, temporarily, in a lagoon of fermenting fuzz. Spiralling kinetics are largely the order of the day, though – the opener, “Chew a flying flash prayer”, skitters here and there, guitar and bass jumping over one another in games of leapfrog and Twister, finding new ways to perplex and puzzle the listener, and perhaps each other in the process, Uchida and Terada fully committed to the short-circuiting spirit of the moment.
The energy here is hyperactive, but it also speaks of a curious and committed attention to improvisatory responsiveness, one that’s just as likely to fork off into different directions in a split second – it’s real edge-of-the-seat stuff, as though the hands are moving too fast for the mind to follow. That’s all the better, then, to let the gush of genuinely free-thinking, devoted duo improvisation to fly at its most playful and intelligent. File next to the likes of Davey Williams & LaDonna Smith and their TransMuseq companions, or the wickedly perplexing bass-synth/trombone duets of Dave Dove Paul Duo, and you’ve some idea of what’s going on here, provisionally at least, ‘cos this one’s an enthralling, yet welcoming, head-scratcher of the highest calibre.
credits
released September 16, 2022
Mai Mao :
Kyosuke Terada plays 6 strings
Shizuo Uchida plays 4 strings
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Nobuki Nishiyama, Jan 2021
Definitely different from his more recent collaboratively ethereal and leisurely LP's, this is a crepitating, sparsely textured album that sounds like a peregrine mixture of Whitehouse eeriness, Diamanda Galas, and the first Sonic Youth LP if it was played by Jandek. A fascinating LP that is best played at very loud volumes lying on the sofa after a few Fernet Branca's. brantly
Riff-heavy, blown-out garage-punk from the UK's Dez Dare with lyrics aimed at the political forces of division and isolation. Bandcamp New & Notable May 18, 2021
Post-punk in the Sonic Youth mold—melody covered by creeping fuzz, anchored by architectural rhythms, with lyrics both abstract and direct. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 5, 2019
Someone once asked: “I wonder how far out we can take this rock n’ roll thing? How close can guitars bring us to God?”
High Rise answers that question here, on their masterpiece Adam Lehrer/Safety Propganda
Old school Japanese fuzzed out psych from the classic P.S.F. label. Of the same cloth and time as similar Japanese monster bands Fushitsusha & High Rise, these tracks are less avant-garde than those bands and more focused on the songs and melody. Of course when discussing "Out" the stupendous playing of guitar master Michio Kurihara (later of the Japanese band Ghost) must be stated which sets the album on fire. I have been wanting to score this on vinyl for over a decade, totally worth the wait! bcb723