Both available at | Marble Sheep - Green/Purple |
| It's
easy to forget that the term "psychedelic" used to always be followed
by "rock." Brilliant as it often is, the Tokyo psychedelic underground
has to shoulder much of the responsibility, making much of its name
with dark, introspective, often inaccessible works that demand a
contemplative stillness. It wasn't always this way. PSF Records, arguably the unofficial label of the movement, kicked off with High Rise, a band that's every bit as physical and Rock with a capital R as any band in history. And since 1987, Marble Sheep have kept the volume blasting and the sweat dripping, taking the psychedelic ideal and turning it outwards, in sharp contrast with the band's more introspective peers. Maybe it's because Marble Sheep leader (and long time Tokyo underground veteran) Ken Matsutani's label, Captain Trip, has released as much from outside the scene as inside, providing a home for everyone from Tokyo straight up rock 'n' rollers Zi:LiE-Ya to Sweden's utterly whacked Parson Sound. Psychedelia from every stripe infuses Marble Sheep's two newest efforts, Green and Purple. To be released simultaneously on November 15th (although those who attend a show on their upcoming American tour can snag both before then,) each CD is intended to display a different side to the band. There is a noticeable difference in approach between the two discs, but they have more in common than not: this is Psychedelic Rock, with emphasis on both words. Purple, the "rock" album, is naturally the more accessible of the two, and it's a monster. "Snake Girl" is arena rock with psychedelic flourishes, but only flourishes: the foot on the monitor riffage and chunky, locomotive rhythm is more Pink Faries than Pink Floyd, building up to a frenzied climax and collapsing well within it's traditionally structured six minutes. "September's Rain" is as melancholy as its title suggests, as a gently cascading riff travels alongside harmony vocals between Matsutani and new bassist Baby, inside a blissed out, hazy vibe. "Planet X" sounds like Hawkwind if Lemmy had stuck around, and final track "Always Trips Over" even brings in handclaps and an off kilter trumpet solo. It's definitely more rock than psych, even with lyrics like "a silver rabbit jumped in my room." If Purple is a rock album with psych touches, then Green is a psych album with a rock spine, taking the same building blocks and using them to different ends. "New Horizon (Horizon)" is the album's obvious centerpiece, taking driving, chiming guitars and hitting one endless chord in an ecstatic, transcendent 22 minute mantra. "Through The Window" takes the slow burn of Led Zeppelin's early work (think "Since I've Been Loving You," or "Dazed And Confused") and smears it across the sky in a dark haze. Instrumental track "Perfect Ocean" merits a continued Zep comparison, this time with more of a "Tangerine" vibe. Green concludes with the absolutely huge "Rabbit In The Moon," as a slow, stumbling beat clomps along inside a tsunami of feedback. By pulling back on the verse-chorus-verse of Purple, Marble Sheep take on a looser but overall heavier feel, one that lets the band's raw power as a unit take precedence. While the two albums were clearly made together, they nonetheless cohere as two distinct entities. When asked in an upcoming Jrawk interview why the band made the decision to split the sessions into two distinct albums, Matsutani explained that while mixing jams with more traditional rock tracks worked well on a vinyl, double album format, putting them together as one CD came off as unfocused. He has a point: vinyl wasn't just a great format because of better album art and sound, but the physical division between sides (and discs) acted as a kind of mental breather, one which allowed for a shift in mindset that just wouldn't work with the "push play once and walk away" setup of CDs. Besides, the combined running time of Green and Purple overshoots a single CDs capacity, and I'd be hard pressed to say what could have been left off. Those just getting into Marble Sheep would be best served by witnessing the band's powerful, ecstatic live shows. In terms of recorded works, though, Purple and Green work well as separate introductions to both sides of this long running band's remarkable whole. |