 Boris,
much like the Tokyo underground they are simultaneously outside and
part of, dove headfirst into the idea of collaboration.
They find their friends and stick with them, often releasing several
works with whatever unofficial fourth member they choose: Keiji Haino,
Merzbow, American band Sunn O))) and its guitarist Stephen O'Malley
have all shared studio space with the Tokyo threesome. Most recently,
they've hooked up with White Heaven/Stars members You Ishihara (who
produced the Japanese version of "Smile") and Michio Kurihara (also in
Ghost.)
Past joint efforts showed varying logic and potential, but the Kurihara
connection was possibly the most inspired. His buzzing, acid drenched
tone and spiky attack has pushed Boris into less dense, more
straightforward territory, ironically allowing them to push previously
untouched envelopes, expanding their sonic palate in ways that would
have fallen flat on their more noise based partnerships. The band
certainly seems to enjoy his company: unlike previous, more sporadic
alliances, Kurihara has been on every major studio release (and the
live version of "Smile") since their debut effort together, 2006's
"Rainbow."
When "Rainbow" came out, it was Boris' first song based album since
their breakthrough "Pink" (although the prolific group released no
fewer than five instrumental, drone based efforts in the 13 months
between the two.) It was therefore viewed by many as "Pink's" followup,
and while it's got a very different heart, it didn't disappoint.
It's certainly more laid back. There's no ass shaking deluge of
adrenaline on the order of "Woman On The Screen" or "Pink," instead
offering a sometimes placid, sometimes shoegazery sound that seems like
an obvious fit in retrospect. Six of the nine tracks are downright
quiet, in stark opposition to just about every release that surrounds
"Rainbow" in the band's catalog. The huge, almost Jesu like slow pummel
of "Raffesia" (live video here)
sets the scene, a cloudy, unhurried trudge. Halfway through, guitarist
Wata and Kurihara play off each other in slow, twisting spirals of
sound, Kurihara's sharp, serrated tone creating bright sparks as it
collides with Wata's typically heavier tone. From these dizzy heights,
we're sent back down to Earth with the hushed, smoky title track,
as Wata delivers a rare vocal that's simultaneously seductive and ice
cold. Kurihara's solo cuts through the peace like a scalpel, a
scalding rebuke. It brings to mind his equally jaw dropping take on
White Heaven's "Blind Promise:" he charges in, takes the song by the
throat, and shakes it like a rag doll.
One striking thing about "Rainbow" is the instrumental interludes. "My
Rain," "Fuzzy Reactor" and "...And I Want" come off as gentle, bright
soundtrack music, refreshing counterpoints to the looming darkness of
the album. Then there's the gloomy vocal of "Shine," which sounds like
a standoff in an old Western, meditative acoustic guitar plucking out a
simple three note riff as Wata quietly soars in the background, like
birds of prey circling overhead. You can almost see the tumbleweeds
blowing by. "Sweet No. 1"
is a rude awakening, it's sub Bo Diddley lurch giving Kurihara and Wata
plenty of space to trade licks. It's as close as "Rainbow" gets to
straight up rock 'n' roll, but even so, it's pretty out there, bringing
The Flower Travellin' Band's epic (and epically bizarre) masterpiece
"Satori" to mind.
This may well be the best Boris matchup to date, and it's
still going: at this point, Kurihara seems like a real fourth member, even
touring with them in the US. Late December 2008 will see the release
"Cloud Chamber," and it remains to be seen whether Kurihara's sizzling
fretwork will continue to pull Boris into more traditionally focused directions, or
whether Boris' malicious, disorienting sound will pull him in. Either
way, it's good to see the match bear so much fruit. It could well lead
to artistic peaks for all.
---
Available at Amazon US as a CD and a download. It features different artwork, as shown here.
|
