Bo Ningen

Artist: 
Album Title: 
III
Release Date: 
Monday, April 7, 2014
Distribution: 
Review Type: 

Weird band, this Bo Ningen: all members are Japan-born, but the band itself is based in London!

Back in early 2007, lead singer/ bassist Taigen Kawabe was apparently studying at London's LCC Sound Art Faculty, and occasionally playing gigs with his Post-Rock band. At one of these gigs his band shared the bill with the outfit which included guitarist Kohhei Matsuda, and the two finding kindred spirits and the mutual need to step out of the 'rigid' box of their individual Post-Rock acts, immediately got together for rehearsals at Taigen's faculty...effectively dropping the bands they were in. The fucked-up sounds the new two-piece were soon spotted by guitarist Yuki Tsujii and drummer Mon-Chan Monna, both spontaneously asking to join in. The quartet booked themselves into a studio on Hackney Road, and following continuous 12-hour rehearsals, played their debut show at Wilmington Arms during that same summer. They then set up their own monthly Far East Electric Psychedelic night at Cross Kings in Kings Cross, and have since played shows and festivals throughout the UK, Europe, and Japan. Most notably, they played at the 2011 Biennale in Venice (in collaboration with artists Sue Webster and Tim Noble), which was re-created for Yoko Ono's Meltdown Festival at the Royal Festival Hall, and they were invited to perform at The Victoria And Albert Musuem's Yohji Yamamoto Friday Late event. Besides the shows with Noble & Webster, the band did collaborative performances with the likes of Damo Suzuki, Faust, and Savages.

Stylistically, Bo Ningen is categorized under the “Acid Punk” monicker, but there's definitely more goin' on, as proven by the band's output so far: singed to Stolen Recordings, the band started out with the 2009 release of the EP Koroshitai Kimochi, and released their self-titled debut full-length in 2010 (the album was licensed to Japan's Knew Noise Recordings and Australia's Black Night Crash Records, assuring a wider spread of the material). A 2011 single for the tracks “Henkan” and “Jinsei Ichido Kiri” was followed up by the limited edition (only 200 copies made) silk-screened 10-inch live recording Live At St. Leonard's Church in 2012, and 2013 saw the release of the band's sophomore album Line The Wall (same license in Australia, in Japan the license was switched to major label Sony Music Associated Records). In 2014, recorded proceedings were opened with the release of the 7-inch single Nichijyou/ Henkan (featuring a collaboration with Savages singer Jehnny Beth on the first track), and now... there's the band's third album!

And so there we are. You may have understood (from the titles), that this band has the oddity of bringing major parts of complete songs in their own language, and in many ways this gives the band its very exotic flavouring. A more confusing aura is given to the material through Taigen's occasional feminine singing style, and the fact that he's also a cross-dresser (many of the promotional photos show him wearing a gown). Musically, the band goes from more “straight-forward” Acid Punk (as displayed in the new album's opening song “DaDaDa”), to hints of atmospheric Ambient, and down-tuned stuff best described perhaps as “in the style of Black Sabbath”, but with an extra amphetamine-enhanced psychedelic touch, perhaps? A very varied bunch of songs, really, and an album worth while spending time on reconnoitering the material. I personally put off reviewing the album for a couple of days, doin' all kinds of little chores around the home, just to allow myself some extra listening sessions...but of course eventually the inevitable was due to happen! For your personal acquaintance with the band's music, check out what's posted in the “BandPage” section at (www.) facebook.com/pages/Bo-Ningen-official (I was unable to check it, possibly due to using an older browser?), and for some videos, scroll down the main page of that same site. Alternatively, you should be able to find the album's page on one of your trusted online sales sites, which should provide you with 30-second samples of all 10 songs on the album.

But, by all means, the album only comes to its strength when listened to in its completeness, and even after the so-many sessions I gave it, I cannot seem to get bored with the offering. True, at first listen the less seasoned listener may find this a wacky release, to say the least, but on the other hand any music lover into stuff which is indeed “out of the box”, may fall in love with the offering immediately. And I can say that with certitude, because it happened to me. Damn...the review isn't done yet, and I already hate the fact of having to divert my attention to the next-to-be-reviewed album/band! So: essential album, “Best Albums Of 2014”-lists nomination, and all that!

98/100