OOIOO - Nijimusi (Thrill Jockey)
Progressive psyche rock (guitars, bass, drum) from Japanese band. Formed in 1995, Nijimusi marks OOIOO’s return from a six-year hiatus. Some lyrics in English, others in Japanese (I think). No FCCs detected. Faves: 3, 4, 6, 7 ~eme o

1. nijimusi (0:49) - Noise. Calm vacuum sounds to start, the gentle sweep of an upright across carpet. Then chaotic vacuum sounds, the hose you use for crevices and corners, punctuated by banging drums and inarticulate shrieks.

2. nijimu (4:19) - Starts with fast drumming, almost a spaghetti western sound. Talk-singing (in Japanese, I think?). Switches to a more psych sound maybe a minute in, guitars playing the role of keyboard. Switch to midtempo ~2:25, vocals return, more sung than spoken (“time to soar”). Abrupt end.

3. jibun (6:16) - Midtempo kind of funk/free jazz beginning. Vocals have a soothing flow (soothing in a PJ Harvey sense). Brief pause and things get rocking ~3:00, then back to the slightly quieter / more soothing / more ghostly sound. Strong prog flavor.

4. tisou (6:33) - Midtempo. Guitar leads, drum follows in mismatched rhythm. Percussive vocals, then talk-singing. Whistles, bird sound, echo. Tribal rhythm. Sounds like words are propelled out of the singer’s mouth via the force of their abs. Stumble-drunk ending (and the drunk person took control of the cymbals).

5. asozan5 (5:14) - Mid-slow. Noise to start, some high-pitched like a squeaky balloon. Singing like monkey sounds, or like Yoko Ono sounds, arty. The feeling of a car honking through traffic, like someone stuck in place acting out their frustration.

6. bulun (8:34) - Quiet start, then drumming to get the heart going. Not dance music, but definitely danceable. Rhythm change, slightly jazzy undercurrent. “Thinking, doubting, showing(?) so loud.” Pause and rhythm change ~6:45. Propulsive drumming, calm singing. Chanting to silence.

7. walk for “345” minutes, while saying “Ah Yeah!” with a “Mountain Book” in one hand, until a shower of light pours down (11:16) - Slow, proggy, jazzy start. Opening steps of a journey. Faster steps ~3:40, making one’s way at almost running speed. Then back to a calmer pace, evening stroll through an urban landscape. Vocals start ~6:00. Now we see where the title comes from. The shower of light seems to be sparkles. Noise ~10:00, the aliens have arrived. Sloooooow fade ~11:00 to end.

8. kawasemi Ah (8:23) - Midtempo. Bass and what could be a hand drill to start. Flowing but calm. Repetitive vocals. Trumpet(?) enters ~3:40 adding a bit of Spanish flavor. Vocals “wow” out ~6:00. Back to the bass and drill. Silence ~7:30, then a capella voices in chorus.