Boredoms - Super Roots 9Commmons, 2007I know there isn't much a man can say that will convince an average so-and-so to order a CD on import. So unless you're impulsive like that, or unless you're an out-of-the-loop Boredoms fan, or unless you're in Japan, treat this as a reminder to get your hands on this release in any reasonable fashion when you can (and I'm a modern gentleman, so "reasonable" has a broad definition in my book, if you know what I'm getting at).For those who are new to these Japanese godsends, here is some history, as relevant to
Super Roots 9 (the 8th entry in the
Super Roots series - there is no 4 - and by the way, all the
Super Roots were just reissued in America aside from this one). Boredoms were, at their peak in the late '90s, a six-piece with a guitarist, bassist, three drummers (one of whom is Yoshimi of OOIOO, who also sings), and a wizard named Eye Yamataka on vocals and concept. Eye has been the mastermind of Boredoms since their inception in the late '80s, and they transformed from deceptively-sloppy rock-funk noise pranksters to a tight trance-rock beast. I've never found the best way to describe them at their late '90s peak, but the effect is akin to hearing the most blissful Krautrock turned up all the way into the red, overlaid with tribal percussion, and then remixed by a genius 10-year-old. These releases are perfect in this way:
Super Roots 7,
Super ae (my favorite), and
Vision Creation Newsun. All of them should be available at your local super-record-store (and I mean Amoeba, not Walmart). You can add
Super Roots 9 to this list; more on that in just a moment.Then around 2000, the guitarist and the bassist promptly left the band, thereby effectively putting an end to Boredoms. The remaining members soldier on as a four-piece called Vooredoms (the "oo" is an infinity symbol, technically). They've put out CDs as Boredoms since the transformation, but this is likely to be purely for the purpose of sales and name-recognition.Their live shows in this decade as Vooredoms have been the stuff of legend, and I've been lucky enough to see them twice; if you haven't already made the calculations, the lack of guitarist and bassist means that this group consists entirely of three drummers - that's on THREE drum kits - with Eye on vocals, electronics and a turntable. With few exceptions, I can't think of anyone in my life that wouldn't get off on their performances. They play one long song that has evolved over the years, and it's based largely on a three-drummer groove, in fact a specific beat they created that first debuted on one of their late '90s releases (the song "Super Go!!!!!-->Shine In Shine On" specifically) and has showed up on all of their subsequent recordings. It's a syncopated monster and it's my favorite thing that's ever come out of the idea of the drumset. No joking. I call it the Super Beat.
Super Roots 9 is the latest Boredoms/Vooredoms release, recorded in Roppongi, Tokyo on December 24, 2004. It is essentially an outstanding live recording of the show you'll get if you go see them live (complete with rapturous crowd sounds), except with one key difference: a 24-piece choir. It's only out in Japan, like I said, and I don't know when it's coming out in the U.S., but it is likely to be among my top 5 of 2007, and I'd be sort of shocked if it didn't come out on top. This is as much minimalist art-music as transcendental trance music as rock band hefty. It's not as much for everyone as the live show, because no disc (especially not a single 40-minute track) could ever command attention quite the way a concert does. Nonetheless, it's as good at capturing the show on a recording as one could ever hope for, and since the Vooredoms are making the most exciting music that exists today, in my humble opinion, then I can't help but recommend this just about as highly as possible.Yep, going into further details would be pointless. Simply put, it's a breathtakingly gorgeous stop on the route of their double-decade progression as cosmic warriors. It's probably the most accessible thing they've ever put out. Buy it at any Japanese import site, or wait for the overseas release, or whatever you have to do, but if this seems in any, any, any way up your alley, listen to it. Thanks!-Spencer Owen
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