The Experiment: June 2010
Welcome to the return of the spiky, intense, madcap, musical world of The Experiment and with this return we bring you a brand new format of country vs country where we explore the sounds of two countries per podcast.
This will, we hope, show the contrasts and blends of musical diversity that is out in the world and also say something about their similarities and cultural influences. To start off this new format, we will explore the musical landscapes of Japan and Scotland.
Starting with Scotland, we have the marvelous Bluesabbathblackfiji. They offer of music which combines the meaner sounds of some 2001 cut-up post-Wolf Eyes/Black Dice noise mash up hybrid. With its intense energy and sprawling hip hop diy mess'd beats to boot, it would make the downtown L.A. noise kids very happy.
Next is Dan Mantle, formerly known as Animals and War. They describe themselves as "slinky hip hop" but should rather be described as noise without the noise but coming from the same methods and ways of composing and producing sounds. They really have their fingers on the pulse and are putting together some groundbreaking music.
The lo-fi Factory Kids from Glasgow produce a fresh angled look on Sonny and Cher meets Buddy Holly with a wah-wah super fuzz pedal. They have similar sounds to Cold Cave and an amazing gift for turning simple compositions and songs into huge mammoths wandering across the ice plains of distortion and lush lo-fi bliss.
So the other country that we are focusing on is the mighty Japan and listening in to what is happening over on that side of the world, 1000's of miles away from Bonnie, Scotland.
First up we have Kumio Kurachi who is a multi-talented - dare I say - David Burns type. His music is multi-faceted which stretches and twists in fun, angled stop/start areas.
Next from our Oriental cousins we have Gnawnose who are offering a new 23 secs blitzing slamming hitters version of Meltbanana with similar jaw breaking paced tracks. Think speed metal on speed and you are nearly catching up.
Semi are another Japanese rock outfit who might seem to copy Amrican sounds but it definitely doesn’t sound American. There is a freer form of playing with a Japanese intensity that you can't get anywhere else in the world.
Finally is Ishiatamajizo who have songs that are either 20mins long in 1971 or less than 3mins in 1976/7, therefore covering both ends of 70's guitar. There is a soft romantic and Japanese lullaby stance that reminds of the fantastic Acid Mothers Temple.
The Experiment is a monthly podcast commissioned by the ICA and presented and produced by Kevin Quigley.
Factory Kids - (www.myspace.com/factorykids)
Dam Mantle - (http://www.myspace.com/porcelainpoems)
Bluesabbathblackfiji -(www.myspace.com/bluesabbathblackfiji)
Kumio Kurachi - (www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEoNTliAKew)
Gnawnose - (www.myspace.com/gnawnose)
Semi - (www.myspace.com/psemi)
Ishiatamajizo - (www.myspace.com/ishiatamazizo)