Physical Reviews: ØXN and Ikue Mori
Every once in a while, for no logical or prescribed reason, I will buy a physical release (as opposed to digital). Sometimes it the price of the digital file, some weird innate desire to own the artifact or the artist means something personally to me (and so on).
And so begins a new series of posts that will alternate with the Bandcamp posts.
CYRM by ØXN
I discovered this release because of the review I did of One Leg One Eye. Members from both bands are the in the Irish folk group Lankum (who I have no experience with but probably should). Anyhow, I really liked One Leg One Eye and when I found out there might be some shared DNA in ØXN, I sought CYRM out.
At its heart, the album utilizes what I call the traditional Irish lyrical lament and it is recognizable regardless of who is singing or what genre the music represents. Musically, CYRM is a tour de force though sonic landscapes comprised of psychedelia, post rock, drone, electronics, freak outs, hard rock and of course, the lament.
The album succeeds on all fronts but the lyrics and the delivery push the album to heights unknown. Some of the material is traditional, some is original and some is not. Regardless, ØXN makes it their own.
Essential.
Of Ghosts and Goblins by Ikue Mori
Quick digression about preconceived notions and not knowing your history. Sometime in the 90s, I stumbled across Ikue Mori and by extension, John Zorn's label Tzadik (which I also did not get at the time – but definitely do now). At the point, I was in my mid 20s and was firmly into electronic music by the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre etc. So Ikue Mori's music was way outside of any music zone I had inhabited. I didn't realize the important of her work and how foundational Ikue Mori was to the no wave scene (in fact, I didn't really know what no wave was). The only thing I did know was that she was a solo drummer (of both "real drums" and drum machines) and that was difficult listening – so it was not for me.
People grow and change – the important thing is that when this change occurs, you reapply it to what came before. As things that didn't make sense or click then, might now. IE when you change, you have to re-examine some of your pre-conceived notions.
Recently I got into a Jazz mood (again) and saw a release by Tim Daisy and Ikue Mori entitled "Light and Shade" (and because of my familiarity with Tim Daisy I went for it). I am aware of Tim Daisy because of my love of the Chicago Jazz sound and from my time of living in Chicago. And of course, I knew who Ikue Mori was (but did I?)
Light and Shade was released by Jazz label but its only Jazz in the loosest terms and this is a strength. By not boxing a genre in, it can expand and evolve beyond what it once was. However, I had to check my biases – as I expected Ikue Mori to deliver academic solo drum work – as that was what sounded like to me in my mid 20s. I never had once considered that was my perspective then and that parts of my musical past are worth revisiting. Needless to say, I was blown away by "Light and Shade" and especially Ikue Mori's contributions (which was a lot more than just drums)
Following that, I got a stock update from Squidco and two Tzadik releases caught my eye: Chaos Magick : Through The Looking Glass and Ikue Mori: Of Ghosts and Goblins. The former because of the Chaos Symbol (a re-occurring important motif in my life) and the latter because of Ikue Mori. This is because of the co-release she did with Tim Daisy. What else had my former beliefs kept me from enjoying?
Digression over – review time. In a word, this album is hallucinatory. It is filled with impossible psychedelic electronic landscapes (seems like this is a theme this week) that nourish the soul. Yes, there are drums but this isn't a drum record – nor it is no wave. It is a wholly original work that is the audio equivalent of a psychedelic ambient experimental mirage. So damn good.
Essential.
Photo by Daniel De Los Santos, Galveston TX