COSEY FANNI TUTTI - ART SEX MUSIC (Faber & Faber 2017)

This is the autobiography of Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Newby in Hull U.K in 1951). Music fans will probably only know her as being the guitarist in Throbbing Gristle (the original 'industrial' band, active from 1976- 81). Perhaps those with more knowledge of obscure music will be aware that, with her partner Chris Carter, she has released a wealth of recordings over the last few decades that are seen as groundbreaking in the field of electronic music. Those who have researched further might also know that from 1969 - 1976 she was a key member of the performance art group Coum Transmissions.

However, not being very aware of her career since TG, I was astonished to learn from this book that she has produced an incredible amount of art in so many mediums (installation, performances, actions, lectures, paintings, collages etc), & is highly regarded in the art world, regularly receiving invites to exhibit in prestigious galleries & art spaces all over the world. She has had no formal art training, but has got to the point she's at through total devotion to being creative, constant hard work, genuine talent & original ideas.

This book is the story of someone with a real artist's spirit & passion. She has produced such an immense body of quality work that reviewing this book is a daunting task. There's just so much ground covered in the story, unlike many other art & music biographies where entire chapters are just taken up with people loafing about,getting off their face on drugs, or doing next to nothing. Cosey has been constantly creative since 1969 (with only a few short breaks due to illness), & the narrative moves at a fast pace in order to keep up with all the projects she's working on at any one point. Every page is full of her creative projects. As well as all that, she also manages to write about her feelings, ideas, relationships, key points in her life etc. I have read dozens of artist's biographies, but I have never come across one that just has so much in it as this one.

As all good biographies should, it starts with childhood (earliest memories etc), & works comprehensively through that in a well-ordered chronological way. This was the only part of the book that I found slow-going, as it seems she had a very uneventful childhood (normal working class background) & showed no signs of the incredible outpouring of creativity that would happen later. What this part of this book does establish though is the fraught relationship she had with her strict & domineering father (after Coum Transmissions notorious 'Prostitution' exhibition at The ICA in 1976, & the resulting tabloid furore, Cosey's father cut her out of his life, & she lost all contact with her parents).

Her late teenage years were probably typical of many young people of that era (going to see bands, some experiments with LSD etc). Then in 1969, she met Genesis P-Orridge, moved into a commune with him, & started the Coum Transmissions project. The story of Coum Transmissions is worthy of an entire book in itself (read Simon Ford's 'Wreckers Of Civilisation' book for a comprehensive history of Coum Transmissions & TG). Active from 1969 -1976, they started as a witty, bohemian, hippy street theatre & improvised music group, then moved into getting Arts Council grants, becoming 'accepted' in the performance art world, and even representing Britain in international arts events all round the world.

What's notable in Coum's early commune days is how much old-fashioned sexism still existed, no matter how 'liberal' & 'progressive' the hippies claimed to be. Cosey went out & worked at a full time job to fund their activities, then came home & did all the cooking & cleaning. Meanwhile, the menfolk sat on their backsides all day, pontificating & being 'artists'.

Most journalists who write about Coum Transmissions focus only on their final few years, when their performances had become really 'transgressive' (& at that point I do have to wonder, despite the intellectual rationalisations, if it was really just shock for the sake of shock). However, in the early 1970s Coum Transmissions were producing some wonderful pieces of performance art, that must have been amazing to witness.

The true story of Coum Transmissions is difficult to unpick now, as Genesis P-Orridge (being the shameless self-publicist that he is) now wants to claim that everything about Coum was his idea. However, Coum Transmissions was a collective, involving many people, & despite all the meticulous research Simon Ford put into his 'Wreckers Of Civilisation' book, many key members of Coum don't get mentioned & weren't interviewed (some research. I have done revealed that many ideas that GPO claimed as his own actually came from other members).

Though not overtly stated in her book, I end up feeling that Cosey was a far more important figure in the development of Coum than GPO is prepared to give her credit for. I think she provided that essentially female / instinctive approach that came to characterise a lot of Coum's performances.

From the beginning of Coum Transmissions, Cosey starts keeping a diary, & has written a daily diary ever since. From that point, the diary forms the basis of this book's format. Every few pages there's a brief excerpt from her diary, followed by her extrapolating on the events mentioned. The fact that she has scrupulously written everything down means that her memory is untainted, and isn't subject to the historical 'revision' that other players in this story are guilty of.

After Coum, the book moves on to the original incarnation of Throbbing Gristle. This only takes up a small section of the book, and I commend it for that. Cashing in on the corpse of TG always guarantees an audience & big money, & it's to her credit that Cosey hasn't taken this easy route, & made TG the major selling point of her book. TG have been written about, discussed, analysed & intellectualised to death now, and after Simon Ford's 'Wreckers Of Civiisation' book, no more pretentious waffle is necessary.

What Cosey does provide (that's severely lacking in other versions of the TG tale) is a very human & personal account.

At this point, one needs to mention Cosey & GPO's relationship, as despite the nonsense GPO regurgitates about the 'reasons' why TG split up, the real reason was Cosey leaving him to start a relationship with Chris Carter, on top of which were all the tantrums & insufferable behaviour that GPO inflicted on the other band members until they could stand it no more.

What is striking right from the start of their relationship is how it bears all the hallmarks of an abusive relationship. A lot of it is more subtle in the beginning - psychological manipulation, guilt-tripping, tantrums, & mental bullying. It's only at the very end of their relationship (after she's told GPO that she's leaving him) that the violence starts, but when it does it's very extreme - trying to strangle her, coming at her with a knife (thankfully he was disarmed by a member of Coum Transmissions), & at one point even throwing a concrete block at her head.
As is symptomatic of many abusive relationships, Cosey (in her original diary excerpts) feels guilty & blames herself for his terrible outbursts.

Throughout the TG years (& for some years following) Cosey worked as a porn model & striptease artist. Her reasons for this were not just financial, but also to challenge herself, and to use her magazine photos as a basis for her art. Some people have been cynical about the artistic 'rationalisation' for her porn work, but she has always been thoroughly consistent & coherent in her explanations of this, & has since used these magazine photos as the basis for many art exhibitions throughout the world. Back in the 1970s, doing this kind of work was seen by feminists as 'colluding with the enemy', whereas today's third wave 'sex positive' feminists have embraced Cosey's work.
The sections in which she writes about her work as a porn model & stripper are a fascinating insight into the behind the scenes world of the 1970s British porn industry. It was run on a much smaller scale (& seems much more innocent) than the global hyper-corporate porn industry of today.

After the 1981 TG breakup, Cosey continued to be creative, either solo or in collaboration with Chris Carter. The amount of musical, visual & performance projects she was involved in is astonishing.

Finally, we have the reformed TG (active from 2003 -2010). This wasn't a full time project, as the members were living in different parts of the world & had their own projects going. However, they did sporadically get together to play gigs, record albums, make installations etc.
This section of the story is infuriating, as GPO consistently screws everybody about, breaking contracts, cancelling gigs, making outrageous demands at the last minute, throwing tantrums, not turning up at recording sessions etc. It's all very 'Spinal Tap', except it isn't funny. Unlike the first incarnation of TG when they were a self-managed cottage industry, this time round they're having to deal with big business & 'proper' management, where these kind of childish actions can result in lawsuits for breach of contract.

You are left wondering why the other three put up with him (after all, he certainly wasn't the 'talent' in the band). At times, you wonder if his only intention in getting involved was to sabotage it for the other three members (due to some petty vendetta he's never got over).

Actually, it seems GPO's only motivation was money. He wasn't prepared to put any work into the project, but just wanted to collect the cheque at the end (& was constantly conniving to demand more money). All the workload fell on the other three members. They would work in the studio for months & Gen would hardly ever turn up. At one point, a TG project was instigated, involving building a huge interactive sound sculpture. Chris, Cosey & Sleazy worked on this for months. Gen's 'contribution' took only 5 minutes of his time (reading out a lyric written by somebody else). As TG work as a democratic collective, this meant that he got an equal share of the profits, for doing next to nothing.

On the eve of some European gigs, Gen throws one final tantrum & leaves TG. dumping all the contractual obligations (& resulting financial losses) on the remaining three members. Cosey, Chris & Sleazy carry on as X-TG, but this comes to a halt later in the year after Sleazy's death.
Cosey & Chris work to create a memorial album for him by continuing a recording project the three of them had started as X-TG. It was Sleazy's idea to cover Nico's 'Desertshore' album, with different guest vocalists on all the tracks. Despite their overwhelming sadness at the loss of a loved friend, Cosey & Chris work to finish the project, as a tribute to Sleazy. As it nears completion, Gen then tries to sabotage it's release, making all sorts of false claims, & getting solicitors involved.

The only thing that's positive throughout the whole infuriating reformed TG saga is to read of the warmth & friendship between Cosey, Chris & Sleazy. There's a real love & ability to create together between these three people, sadly ruined so many times by GPO's selfish & destructive behaviour.

However, what shines through in this book is that, despite whatever hardships & frustrations, Cosey is always creating, always coming up with new ideas, & never resting on her laurels. It's rare to read of somebody who is such a pure artist.

Her writing style is clear, straightforward & engaging. When writing of the motivations behind her art, it's refreshingly simple & doesn't require a degree in 'art bollocks' to understand it. She never references highbrow theories or name-checks obscure artists that only the 'learned' have heard of. What she creates is based simply on instinct, emotion, & personal experience, & explanations are given succinctly in plain english.

This is an amazing book that has been a joy to read (& leaves my head buzzing with creative ideas & possibilities).





  

KAWABATA MAKOTO - INUI 3 (C.D) (VHF, 2000)

I have fallen in love with this C.D. How did this happen ? There is no simple answer. Music & love contain elements of mystery that we can never explain. The process of falling in love is always an enigma. Sometimes it occurs instantaneously. At other times, it blossoms slowly & imperceptibly, before eventually coming to conscious awareness. In the case of this C.D, it was the latter. It took a number of listens till it worked it began to work its magic on me & I could really feel the power of this music. The more I listened, the more it resonated with something deep in me.

On the first few plays, it came across only as pleasant, albeit very strange, 'background music'. As I had yet to tune in to it's structures, the music seemed formless & undemanding (perfectly matching the idea of 'ambient music') -  something I could have on whilst reading a book or doing some household task. The music didn't grab my attention. Instead, it was just 'there', & was hard even to focus my attention on. However, after each play, I would find myself wanting to play it once more straight away. There was something in me that desired to keep listening to it over & over again.

After a few more listens, I began to 'get' it, & start to feel the astonishing magic of this music. It slowly changed from being mere 'background sound' to being something that I could immerse myself in, & be transported by. With each subsequent listen, the music felt more & more powerful.

I have sometimes wondered why I didn't fully 'get' it on the first few listens. Of course, that doesn't really matter, as many music lovers will have had the experience of growing to love an album that didn't fully register with them on the first few plays, or that somehow sounded or felt 'different' at first.

Perhaps there were a number of surprises I had to get over before I could really feel the power of this music. The first surprise was the length of this C.D. When I stuck it in my player, I was gobsmacked it was only 39 minutes (about the length of an old fashioned vinyl L.P), as Kawabata usually utilises the maximum length afforded by C.D technology, every other C.D I've heard from him being about 70 minutes long.

On playing, time itself seemed to be going at a different rate. The 4th track especially, at 14 minutes, never seemed to be as long as that. This is of course, a testament to the power of the music. Nothing drags, or gets boring, and even a long piece can appear to go by quickly, as you are transported into some eternal present time & the normal passage of minutes & seconds ceases to exist.

The second surprise was the variety of musical textures. Even though I'm familiar with Kawabata's recordings, there is a lot of sounds on this that I haven't heard on any of his other recordings, such as kemenje (a traditional turkish bowed instrument), zurna (a wind instrument from Eurasia), bowed sitar, & even 'water'. One track features a striking use of space & silence (as counterpoint to the instrumental sounds) - space & silence being two elements that I haven't come across on any other Kawabata release.

Even the two tracks that were underpinned by drones (drones being a common musical tool Kawabata uses) seemed very different to other tracks I've heard by him. After a few more listens, those two tracks seemed less strange (& fitted more neatly into Kawabata's overall musical output), but at first they sounded remarkably different to anything else I'd heard by him.

The first track - 'Mou' (9.56) is built atop a simple electronic drone, which subtly changes in timbre, tone, & emphasis. Violin, kerenje & zurna are added. Whilst the playing of each of these instruments is very rudimentary, I see this piece as an exploration of different musical textures. Each of these instruments has a very different sound, and the contrast between them results in none of them clashing, or fighting for the same sonic 'space'. Instead, each instrument can be focused on individually by the listener. This awareness of musical 'colour' is one of Kawabata's great skills, & this can be compared to a great piece of abstract painting in which, even though there may be no obvious 'form', the interplay of the various elements (in terms of colour & shape) is very complimentary & satisfying.

The second track - 'Meii' (11.02) features sarangi, percussive drum & gong sounds, some occasional faint electronic tones, & apparently 'water' (though I can't hear it, but I presume it's being used somehow). The use of space & silence in this track is masterful, reminding me of both Japanese painting, & also a few pieces by Nurse With Wound (who are also masters of the use of space & silence). Even though this track is very freeform. that incredible use of space & silence really marks this out as a musical masterpiece.

The third track - 'Shi' (3.46) just consists of a simple plucked bouzouki motif (apparently backed by cello, organ & vibe, but all so faint you can hardly hear them). Despite it's simplicity & brevity, this is a gorgeous piece, that feels profoundly emotional & heartfelt.

Finally, the fourth track - Kan' (14.09). Even though I love the last three tracks, this final track takes the music to an even higher level. This is an astonishing piece which feels to me like some kind of musical nirvana.
The track starts with a very pleasant buzzing noise, with occasional faint 'chirpings' in the background. This continues confidently for a few minutes, then atop of it sweeps in a beautiful multi harmonic wall of bowed sitar tones. There are so many harmonic layers to this that the mind can't simultaneously take them all in. There even appears to be a deep bass layer that sounds a bit like bagpipes. Despite this being more or less one constant tone / note, these different harmonic layers seem to gently change in individual emphasis. Whether this is down to mixing, or down to just the inevitable results of trying to hold a constant tone on an acoustic instrument, I don't know. However, those with an ear for subtleties of tone will notice these very gentle shifts.
Despite this track being 14 minutes long, it just seems to fly by. This is a truly astonishing piece of music, and is the best solo piece I've heard from Kawabata so far. Listening to this, I am taken out of my everyday existence, and transported to some beautiful other world. It feels very earthy & primal, yet when I listen my mind conjures up images of distant nebulas & the vastness of space.

Overall, this is an amazing album, on which I can't fault a single second or single note. This is as close to musical 'perfection' as perhaps it's possible to get.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE COSMIC INFERNO - JUST ANOTHER BAND FROM THE COSMIC INFERNO (Important 2005)

Taking account of the diversity of styles that AMT can play in (& that many of their albums contain a number of different styles, varying from track to track), this c.d is remarkably straightforward to categorise, being essentially two very long 'hard rock' pieces.

Of course, AMT's version of hard rock still sounds significantly different from the rock bands that have obviously influenced them. Even when the individual elements of a track all sound familiar (such as the first track here, which is a built on a 'classic' sounding blues-rock riff ). many things about their playing, their approach, & their recording techniques end up giving their 'rock' tracks a unique edge.

First of all, there's the production & mixing, which is odd in that drums & bass are often very low in the mix, whereas guitars are extra loud. (if there's a good rhythm guitar track, you pick up the rhythm more from that than you do from the drums & bass). Sometimes I wonder if this peculiar mixing is just bad recording practice &/or the limitations of lo-fi home recording technology (perhaps they don't have enough microphones to mike up a drum kit properly ?), but after hearing so many albums by them, I'm more convinced that this is actually the sound that they want to get.

Then there's all the synth splashes & whooshes. When they play 'spacerock' (in a Hawkwind style) synthesiser noises are to be expected, & are par for the course. However, hearing these spacerock style synth sounds on other kinds of numbers (such as Black Sabbath style 'rocking out') is very unusual, & again contributes them their unique sound.

Finally, what makes AMT very different from other 'rock' bands is their approach to structure. In the case of this c.d, it's not just the sheer length of these tracks (none of the rock bands that have influenced them ever made tracks this long). It's also the relentlessness of everybody's playing that creates a different kind of structure.
The two tracks here don't 'build' or go through any changes. Instruments neither drop out nor drop back, & nobody 'takes a solo'.(in fact, as regards Makoto, he's effectively playing a 'solo' through the entire length of each track).
Tracks just start with everybody playing, & they carry on in that groove till the end, with really no variation in texture (the only thing that really differentiates any point in a track from any other point is just what the lead guitar happens to  be doing at that point). As such, the two tracks really are just unrelenting blocks of sound (though there are simple melodies, repeated riffs & distinct rhythm, so this is still clearly 'rock' music & not just 'noise').

This relentless approach is obviously the one they want to take, & is very much their signature style here. It's not an approach that I have any problems with per se. This is often how they play at gigs, & there are many great AMT albums where they're  playing like this.
The only issue for any track with that approach is is the question of whether or not it's a good track. Results are all that matter.

The first track - 'Trigger In Trigger Out' (20.17) starts with about 30 seconds of ambient sounds, then a fantastic blues rock riff kicks in, & straight away the whole band are up & running on a fast number, locking into a groove & not letting go of it. Makoto's lead guitar is there right from the start, & is fantastic throughout the whole track. The drumming is great on this track, never losing the rhythm, but peppered with a lot of interesting fills. The bass is doing some really good melodic runs, and it's just a shame that both the bass & the drums aren't a bit more clear & louder in the mix (though I've certainly heard many other AMT recordings on which drums & bass are a lot more submerged & muddy than this).

Despite the relative quietness of the bass & drums, this track still hits you viscerally as much as any great rock track (especially due to that great rhythm guitar riff). It sounds exciting & makes you want to bang your head.

The track never goes off the rails or into 'noise freakout' territory, & only slightly speeds up in the last few minutes, to head for the big climax. I'm amazed at the intensity of everybody's playing over such a long track  (especially the drummer who is fantastic from start to finish).

The only thing I don't like on this track are the very occasional burst of vocals (through a lot of echo & reverb). Thankfully though, there's not much of them. Maybe they add a bit of variety to the track, but due to  everybody's relentless playing, there just doesn't see to be any 'space' for them to fit in.
However, apart from that, this is a great track, with really impressive & inspired playing from everybody.

The second track - 'They're Coming From The Cosmic Inferno' (43.50) I found disappointing. It's more or less doing what the first track did, but just doesn't sound as good (& goes on far too long). Breaking it down to it's individual elements, it consists of all the same things (again with a short ambient start) but lacking the great blues rock rhythm guitar.

I don't know if the tracks were recorded in the order they are on this c.d. If so, I wonder if perhaps they just exhausted themselves after the first track, Apart from Makoto's lead guitar, none of the rest of the band's playing sounds nearly as inspired as the first track. There's something lacking from this performance. It sounds like they needed a 40 minute track, & knocked one out, but didn't have anything good to build it from.

Everything just becomes monotonous & repetitive. While the drumming on the first track was great, with some interesting & intricate fills, here it's just a relentless 'thud ... thud ... thud' (albeit perfectly in time). However, that dull as dishwater drumming just starts to become headache inducing after ten minutes (1). The drums are louder on this track than they were on the first track, and I really wish it was the other way round.

Generally on albums, the pacing of tracks follows a general principle. If the first track is great, that's still just an 'opener', and the next track should be even better. Perhaps a different dynamic might have to apply to an album that's just two very long tracks.

However, this album's problem is after a great opening track, the second (& significantly longer) track is just a let down, especially as it comes across as just a very third rate version of the preceding track. Perhaps if there had been a differently style of track at this point, it would have made for a better album.

Of course, all this is just my opinion. I'm sure that there are people who love this album, and I'm sure there will be glowing reviews of it elsewhere on the internet. I am a huge AMT fan, and I hate to give them a bad review, but I have to be honest. Despite loving the majority of what I've heard by them, occasionally I will hear an album by them that disappoints me, and this is one of them.


Notes

(1) I had to laugh when I saw some reviewer referring to the monotonous thud on this track as a 'krautrock rhythm'. Given the vast diversity of bands & musics that  are now grouped together under the retroactive umbrella term 'krautrock', the notion that there is some singular & definitive 'krautrock rhythm' is absurd. (of course, if that reviewer had been even more  hip, he could called that awful thumping 'motorik').
Far too often, I see  the term 'krautrock'  used as cliche (& usually a false comparison) by people reviewing AMT albums. AMT could probably just blow their noses, & you could guarantee that some dreadful hipster somewhere would call it 'krautrock' sounding.

KAWABATA MAKOTO - HOSANNA MANTRA (C.D) (Important 2009)

This album's concept is that it is music 'inspired by' Popul Vuh's 1972 L.P 'Hosianna Mantra'. It was originally released as a vinyl album in 2006, consisting of two long tracks. The first 200 copies came with a bonus 7", containing two more shorter pieces of music.
This C.D release compiles these four tracks into a very satisfying & unified album.

As for it's musical relationship to the Popul Vuh L.P, the phrase 'inspired by' allows Kawabata, as an artist, free reign to take that 'inspiration' into whatever musical realm that leads him to. None of this actually sounds like anything on the Popul Vuh album. At a few points, it made me think of a couple of other Popol Vuh albums - 'In Den Garten Pharaos' & 'Sei Still Wisse Ich Bin'. It doesn't  sound like those albums either, but it's just that at points there's a similar feel & aesthetic.

Popol Vuh's 'Hosianna Mantra' features very different instruments than this album, it being mainly centred around piano & female vocals, whereas Kawabata's album features stringed instruments. & only has very faint vocals on one track.

I wondered if perhaps Kawabata's album was intended to be, if not a soundalike, at least 'in the spirit of' the original Popul Vuh album. However, after listening to the two albums back to back, the music on each just felt very different to me. To my ears, the only thing the two albums have in common is that both of them could be categorised under the very wide umbrella terms of  'progressive / experimental' & 'mellow' (though out of the two albums, Kawabata's one is much more mellow than the Popol Vuh one).

Perhaps the only real 'connection' is that,  I think it's reasonable to assume that, if you like Popul Vuh, you'll probably like Kawabata's album (& vice versa).

As listeners, we don't actually need to make any 'sense' of what the possible connection between these two albums is. Kawabata is obviously following the transmissions from his own musical cosmos, and that 'inspiration' has led him to make this music. We only need to appreciate that music on it's own terms.

Taken on it's own terms, I found the music on this album to be astonishing. That word 'astonishing' came into my head on the very first listen to the C.D, and after numerous subsequent listenings, I still feel that's the most appropriate word.

There are three things that astonish me about the music on this album ~

(one) The music is so gorgeous & soothing. It is a creation of great beauty.

(two) It is such a unique sonic vision. After more than three decades of actively seeking out the most obscure & original music, this still sounds to me like nothing I've ever heard before. After all this time, it's wonderful to be able to hear something that still sounds 'fresh'. The only thing it remotely makes me think of of is some other Kawabata  albums, but that in itself is a sign that, even if only to my ears, Kawabata inhabits a unique musical universe.

(three) According to the sleeve notes, this album was recorded in a mere two days, & consists only of 'electric guitar, bouzouki & sitar' (though, as I said, there is also some vocals on one track). This is a 'home recording'. I've never really known what Kawabata & Acid Mothers Temple's recording facilities are, but from having listened to a lot of their albums, I can only presume it's nothing fancy.
One of the reasons this album astonishes me is that, with a mere three instruments. Kawabata manages (in just two days) to create something that has as much depth & variety of texture as any Popul Vuh album (who had access to a vast range of instruments, & would have spent weeks in the studio making any of their albums).
This shows that Kawabata has a real musician's soul, with an incredible ear for timbre, texture , counterpoint & musical 'colour'.

In fact, if I hadn't read the sleevenotes, I probably wouldn't have guessed what the instruments were. The unique style of playing & processing the sounds makes it very difficult to recognise what instruments are being used.
The bouzouki shimmers with harmonic overtones (like a 12 string guitar), the sitar is mainly bowed (& therefore sounds more like a sarangi), and the electric guitar is  played with a metal slide through effects, giving it a constant tone, again full of rich harmonics (& if I wasn't familiar with that particular guitar sound through seeing Makoto & AMT live on many occasions, I might have just assumed this sound was coming  from some form of keyboard or synthesiser).

Playing is generally very restrained (& all the better for that), & despite the depth & variety of textures, most of this could still be classified as 'minimalist' music. In fact, the segments I like best on this album are when there's only one or two layers of sound. This album never gets 'cluttered' (at the very most, perhaps four layers at a few points) but I think the best passages are the most 'minimal'.

The first track 'Scarlet Phenomenon' (20.11) is built on that wonderfully processed sliding electric guitar tone that I previously mentioned. A beautifully shimmering stringed instrument (presumably bouzouki) shortly enters, playing a repeated motif.. After about 12 minutes, some bowed sitar comes into the mix, adding some subtle deep bass sounds. There's a graceful shift in the mix, as the electric guitar drops out & the bouzouki layer slowly returns, this time played back in reverse. This track is musical heaven for me, & is so lovely it brings tears to my eyes.

The second track - 'Hosanna Mantra' (19.29) starts with a deep multi-harmonic drone (that I presume is bowed sitar). It reminded me of something from Sheila Chandra's 'ABoneCroneDrone' album, to the point where I actually expected her voice to come in after a few minutes. Another layer of more melodic bowed sitar is added, plus an occasional  short 'twang' of high pitched sitar. There's a faint 'thud' at some points, of what sounds like a tympani drum (but almost certainly isn't).
Another wonderful track, which I could listen to again & again, & never tire of it.

The third track - 'Door Of Your Enigma' (7.04) starts with backward bouzouki (again sounding like a shimmering 12 string guitar) with some very faint abstract folky sounding vocals. Shortly into the track, I'm not even sure if the bouzouki is backwards or forwards (I think there might be two layers ?). There are occasional notes from what sounds like a keyboard or synth (but obviously isn't, given the list of instruments used).There's an air of 'mystery' about this track, that I really like.

The final track - 'You Are All Of My Love' (7.08) is just one layer of a stringed guitar instrument (whether it's the bouzouki again,or untreated electric guitar, I don't know)  playing an intricate piece that sounds like a jazz or classical guitar number. It suffers a little bit from some distortion on the recording at a few points, but is otherwise a wonderful way to end this album.

Taken as a whole, this is a fantastic album (even the cover art is perfect). I am so happy I bought this, My assessment can be summed up in the one word I used earlier. This is an astonishing album. 

            

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O - ABSOLUTELY FREAK OUT (ZAP YOUR MIND) (Double C.D) (Static Caravan / Resonant 2001)

This was the very first Acid Mothers Temple I bought, way back in 2001. Earlier that year, I'd read an article about them by Julian Cope in 'Mojo' Magazine'. It was one of these music articles that was severely lacking in facts, but instead was just a long string of ridiculous metaphors & gibberish.

That overly metaphorical approach.is something I hate in music writing. A good metaphor or poetic turn of phrase can certainly add some spice to a piece of writing.  However, if you're trying to introduce readers to a particular band or particular album, before you get carried away with flowery metaphors (e.g - 'imagine a one-legged Johnny Cash on acid playing jazz with Throbbing Gristle underwater in Albania' or 'listening to this music is like flying on a magic carpet through silver tomato bushes while 1000 glam-rock leprachauns dance the can-can'... etc ) I think it's necessary to provide certain basic facts first, e.g - is this a real band that play instruments or is this music created entirely by samples on a computer ? How many people are in the band & what instruments do they use ?  Is the music structured, melodic & rhythmic, or is it free-form & abstract ? etc. These facts don't necessarily need to be spelled out directly, but a good piece of music writing should allow the reader to ascertain them. The absence of these basic facts (as points of reference) just makes any metaphors meaningless.
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This article gave me no real sense of anything about the band. I didn't even know how long they'd been going for. I was left  with the impression that they were some long lost & obscure band from the late 1960s, who were possibly still making albums. As for the music itself, these stupid made it impossible for me to  imagine what they might actually sound like, other than it was very 'psychedelic' (which can mean almost anything these days) & also very 'strange'. My curiosity was piqued, as 'psychedelia' & 'strangeness' are two musical strands that very much appeal to me. However, I just presumed they were so obscure I'd never get a chance to hear them.

Despite this dreadful article giving me no real musical clues, the pictures of the band made a huge impression on me. They looked so otherwordly & fascinating, like a commune of wizards who lived in a cave in the mountains.

A few months later, I was amazed to see photos of this band on a gig poster. AMT were very much alive & kicking (despite me being left with the erroneous impression that they were some 'relic' from the late 1960s), and were coming to play a gig in my home town (Nottingham U.K) , Wow ! I  had to see this, despite still having no real sense of what they might sound like.

This turned out to be the greatest gig I've ever seen by anybody. Not only were AMT amazing, but Julian Cope himself was present, & joined them on stage for their last few numbers. There's something wonderful about going to see a band without knowing what to expect, & then having your mind blown. These elements of glorious 'surprise' can never be had again (for instance,the point in the gig where they stopped playing their instruments, the bass player started doing throat singing, & then the band went into an acappela rendition of a french folk song - I could never have expected that !).

I'd hate to be a 'hipster'. Hipsterish people are just far too musically informed that there's no elements of 'surprise' left for them. Especially in this internet age, I doubt if any of these 'hipsters' go to see a band without first thoroughly familiarising themselves with said band's back catalogue.
They also ruin your enjoyment of music by their constant finding of obscure 'comparisons'. No matter how original & unique you find any music, they can always tell you that it (allegedly) 'sounds like' somebody else (e.g - 'This really reminds me of The Savage Puddings'. 'I've never heard of them. Who are they ?' 'You should check them out. They were a band that were active in The Bolivian underground bebop / sludge disco fusion scene of the early 1980s, & they made all their music with pencils').

Unfortunately, I had very little money on me that night, & wasn't expecting there to be a merchandise stall (with lots of c.ds & albums). I couldn't afford to buy anything then. However, thankfully we had a really 'hip' music shop in Nottingham (now sadly shut down). There was a few AMT c.ds in there (including this one) that I bought shortly afterwards.

I've subsequently bought loads more AMT c.ds, either through Amazon or at AMT gigs. After that first gig, they went on to become more or less my 'favourite band', & I've seen them another three times since. After buying a few more of their c.ds, I filed this one away & haven't listened to it for years, as I'd since got loads more of their c.ds which I enjoyed listening to much more than this one.

However, I dug this one out for the sake of this review, & after listening to it again, I felt it's not nearly as one-dimensional as I'd previously assumed. My memory of it was that it was all 'noise freakouts', one of AMT's styles that I can only take in small doses. I thought I could just sum it up as "a double c.d that's the quintessential AMT 'Noise Freakout' release", but' after listening to it again, I realise that it's far more of an 'experimental' album (so perhaps the correct accolade would be - 'it's the quintessential AMT experimental release').

None of this sounds like the kind of thing that could be reproduced live. There's lots of jump cuts, fiddling about with the settings on analogue echo effects, playing tracks backwards, abstract & freeform sections etc. I think my earlier disappointment with this is that it just didn't have any of the great psychedelic rock style that characterised that first gig I saw by them.

In many ways, this is a continuation of the 'Musique Concrete' approach  of their self-titled first album, I just happen to prefer the first album to this one, though that's just personal taste.
This is still a  key AMT release to have.  It's an amazing fusion of psychedelia, musique concrete, avant-garde, & electronics that doesn't really sound like anybody else (despite what the hipsters claim).

Listening to it, you can sense that they were absolutely determined to make something very 'different', & explore new ways of recording & structuring tracks. It sounds inspired - as if this is totally the album they needed to make at this point, & they put their heart & soul into it (as opposed to some of their other 'experimental' albums, that sound like they've just gone into their studio for a few hours, noodled about, then given the recordings to some small label who wanted to release a c.d by them). There's a real intensity & determination infusing these recordings.
Even at it's most freeform & abstract (i.e - the majority of this album) it doesn't sound like they're just 'noodling'. It comes across that they know exactly what they want to do on each track, & manage to pull it off. No matter how 'out there' it gets, you can tell that there's a real sense of musicality at work here - an ear for variety of texture & timbre.

Most of this is 'difficult' listening, which is why I don't listen to it a lot,. Unlike a lot of AMT albums, that I could play to my friends, I don't know anybody else who might like this. In order to appreciate it, you need to have an ear for the avant garde. This album is so extreme that so far it's been a solitary pleasure, & I really don't know  who I could possibly 'recommend' it to.

I'm not going to break it down track by track, especially as each track consists of a list of different titles  (as they're obviously a number of separate pieces  pasted together). Unlike most AMT albums, I think this has to be taken as a 'whole', & not broken down piece by piece.

Despite the majority of this album being 'difficult' & extreme, there are some moments of  beauty. The second track on the first disc has a gorgeous shimmering  wall of Indian stringed instrument  (possibly tambura) that goes on for a long time before hitting a wonderful section of backwards drums & extremely trippy keyboard  (this track is very much in the vein of ' Hyper Nebulous Meditation' from the 'Wake To The Dawn Of Another Astro  Era' c.d).  The first track  on the second c.d  is built on a series of lovey psychedelic loops. Other than that though, this album is extremely demanding listening, and I rarely find myself in the 'right mood' to listen to it.

I like that it exists (it's a unique sonic document). I like that I have it -  I'm a huge AMT fan, and this is one of their 'key' releases. If you're also an AMT fan, this is probably one you should own.
However, unless your regular listening habits include noise & avant garde music, this might not be one that you want to listen to often.



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ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - WILD GALS A GO-GO (Riot Season / Swordfish 2006)

AMT c.ds almost never turn up in U.K music shops (at least not in the cities I go to), no matter how 'independent' or hipster-orientated the shop in question is. I can only presume that the tiny labels that put out AMT releases just don't have adequate distribution. Almost all the AMT c.ds I've got have either been bought at their gigs, or more recently I've been buying a lot of them through Amazon. I don't buy them randomly. As much as I'm a huge fan, I'm aware that some of their releases I'm not going to like as much as others, so I try to read as many reviews as I can, & if possible listen to their albums on Youtube in order to determine which ones I want to buy.

However, on a recent trip to Birmingham to check out the music shops there, I came across this c.d in Swordfish Records - a great little shop that also runs a label (this release appears to be a collaboration between the Swordfish label & the Riot Season label). It's a very early AMT album, first released in 1999 on AMT's own label, & this re-release is from 2006.

I bought this on sight. After all, it's so rare to find an AMT album in a shop, and who can resist that cover art ? It's one of their best ever album designs.

The concept behind this album is that it's a 'soundtrack' for an imaginary film. A good concept, but I found this album to be a disappointment.
Taking it at face value, as alleged 'soundtrack' music, this is more like abstract incidental music (that might accompany a strange dream sequence or druggy segment) as opposed to the kind of soundtrack music where tracks can stand up in their own right, even when divorced from the visuals (for instance the soundtrack to 'The Wicker Man' or the great soundtracks Goblin made for Dario Argento's films).
There are some films you watch where you want to go straight out & buy the soundtrack album, and others where the music just isn't strong enough to make an impression on you (as a purely audio experience), and if this film actually existed the 'soundtrack' would definitely fall into the second category.

Like many AMT albums, it sounds like they could have knocked this whole thing out (including the mixing & production) in an afternoon. While I have no objections per se to this 'one-take improvised' approach (& have even been in a band that recorded that way) it's not always going to result in good music, and I think that's the problem here. This just doesn't sound like it was an inspired recording session (with good ideas for tracks) & I think it just should have been shelved & not released, especially considering that AMT don't spend much time or money on recording (almost everything they release is a home recording). They could have easily put this session in the can (at no loss) & recorded a better album the next day.
That is of course only my opinion, and as with every AMT c.d, there are some people who really like this. Almost every AMT c.d on Amazon gets four or five star reviews (& is often described as 'essential'). As a fan, I try to be ruthlessly critical & objective. Any band who put out as much as AMT just can't be consistently making c.ds that are worthy of four or five stars. Their 'success' rate is surprisingly high though. Out of the forty or so albums I've heard by them, there are a lot of great ones. However, there are quite a lot that are really three star ('average' albums) & so far I've only heard one ('in Search Of Lost Divine Arc') that falls below that three star threshold & enters the realm of being a 'bad' album.

This isn't quite at the level of being a 'bad' album. However, there are a couple of bad tracks, & overall it's all just mediocre & doesn't ever amount to anything.

The first track - 'Reverse Of The Universe 1' (6.55) has a horrible one note drone (sounding like a cheap casio keyboard) backed by some acoustic guitar clanging through echo, and that's all this track consists of. It had me running to turn the volume down, as that horrible drone made me think the upstairs neighbours were going to run down & knock on my door, assuming that perhaps my fire alarm had gone off. This is the laziest track I've ever heard by AMT.

The second track - 'Space Bambino' starts promisingly - some lovely acoustic guitar (reminiscent of early Pink Floyd) & nice abstract echoing female vocals. After a few minutes though, I found myself getting bored by it. It doesn't change, develop or 'become' anything. Again, it's that failure of the 'one-take improvised approach. There's the potential of a good track here had it been worked on & developed more.
After about three minutes, it cuts jarringly into a noisier piece (which sounds like an entirely different track just pasted on) - a funky drum pattern, tightly played distorted rhythm guitar, and a crunchy synth sound (that made me think of a locust eating it's dinner). All the layers sound like loops, and overall this sounds like a 'techno' track. To my ears, this was headache inducing.

The third track - 'Sweet Juicy Lucy' (7.06) has a minimal drum rhythm & chiming guitar, both of which are reminiscent of Can, & some spoken female vocals which sound like they might be in French. Later in the track, there's a layer of treated abstract high-pitched female vocals.
This is potentially a good track, but as with some AMT tracks, there's one layer in it that's just clutter, & you just wish had been taken out in the final mix. In this case, it's a horrid keyboard sound (like the 'organ' setting on the cheapest casio keyboard) droning away repeating three or four notes without any panache or style. It sounds like someone who's never played keyboard before, but has found a few notes that are in tune with the guitar, and is just randomly alternating between them. Ouch ! That keyboard ruins this track.

The fourth track - 'Mammary Intercourse' (6.28) was described by one Amazon reviewer as being 'like a Hawkwind album being played backwards', & that's the perfect description (if you wanted to be more precise, I would say - one of the rockier tracks from 'Space Ritual' being played backwards). This is like a lot of AMT's 'noise freakout' tracks, except that it's lacking Makoto's wonderful wild lead guitar, & instead is mostly crunchy synth noises.

The fifth track - 'Hare Hare Hallelujah' (18.23) just meanders about for the first half, with everything going through a lot of effects. There's some tabla & abstract female vocals (accompanied by faint guitar & synth squidge) which sound good, but don't really 'go' anywhere. Once again I feel that, with a bit more work, this track could have been developed into something better.
About half way through, a drum rhythm comes in, & then the track goes into spacerock territory. However, it's a lot more muted & milder than AMT's usual spacerock tracks, and it sounds like listening to spacerock underwater. There's some good jazzy keyboard, but this track is lacking Makoto's fantastic lead guitar (which always elevates their rockier & noisier tracks).

The sixth track - 'Goodbye Ice Cream' (14.27) meanders about for the first few minutes, with acoustic guitar, synth & abstract female vocals. This section sounds a bit like the intro to Hawkwind's 'Space Is Deep'.
It then goes into a minimal rhythmic track, topped with a rather good slide guitar motif (& the usual AMT synth squidges). For the first time on the album. there's some (very quiet) male vocals. Though this is quite pleasant listening (& is my favourite track on this album), like many of the other tracks, it doesn't change, grow, or develop, and after a while it outstays it's welcome.

The final track - 'Reverse Of The Universe 2' (6.09) is more or less the first track again (chugging echoed acoustic guitar & a one note drone) & sounds like the band just needed a 'filler' track to make this up to the required length.

In the light of everything I've just typed (in the track by track descriptions) I'm very tempted to revise my previous assessment that this "isn't quite at the level of being a 'bad' album". I've certainly made it sound 'bad'. It's just that it isn't consistently bad from start to finish. There are some segments of this album that are okay, but even these segments are nothing special, and there's numerous AMT albums on which you can find much better versions of these kind of tracks.

If the music had lived up to the fantastic cover, this would have been one of the best AMT albums ever. However, it's just a shame that such wonderful cover art was wasted on such a mediocre & uninspired sounding album.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - MAGICAL POWER FROM MARS (Important 2008)

I've been buying a lot of AMT c.ds from Amazon over the last month, as well as going through much of their back catalogue on Youtube. In fact, as regards listening to music, I've been on an exclusive diet of AMT (& a few Makoto Kawabata solo releases) for the last 4 or 5 weeks. Their musical universe is so wide, & covers so many diverse styles, that during this time I never felt any desire to listen to anything else. Having said that, the last few c.ds I bought by them were starting to sound very much the same - all more or less in the style of psychedelic rock. As much as they're great at playing in that style, & as much as I love it, I wanted a change. I wanted to get something by them that branched into some of their other styles (ethnic / ambient / experimental etc), so when this c.d arrived in the post, it was a real breath of fresh air, and this has gone on to become one of my favourite albums by them.
This c.d really excels in these other styles, & is a reminder of the unique sound that AMT can produce when they get away from the psychedelic rock template (in my opinion, even when they're playing psychedelic rock, they still have a unique sound, though many detractors disagree, & resort to lazy comparisons such as 'Hawkwind' or 'Pink Floyd'). As human beings, when we listen to music, we seem to have an urgent need to quickly find comparisons (no matter how remote) & have 'reference points'. It's a bit like spotting 'faces' when we look at clouds (or looking at a rorschach ink block test) - we far too quickly project our own reference points into what we're experiencing.
It might also be the curse of postmodern hipsterism - everybody is so 'informed' about music, that they need to show off their alleged 'knowledge'. No matter how original & unique a piece of music is, there will always be some bloody hipster who can conjure up some bogus 'comparison', usually constructed using some dreadful cliche (e.g - 'The bastard son of band A and band Y' or 'Imagine band X jamming with band Y on the moon, whilst Sun Ra plays the bagpipes').
Of course, such comparisons are usually just based on surface fripperies (immediate over-simplified & lazy associations) & show that people aren't really listening to overall structure. If it's got overdriven guitar pyrotechnics it must be 'Hendrix', if it's got slide guitar through echo it must be 'early Pink Floyd', & if it's got some synth whooshes, it must be 'Hawkwind'. There are only a limited amount of instruments, a limited amount of notes, and a limited (though conversely - almost infinite) palette of sounds that a musician can use, and therefore any 'informed' listener can find alleged 'comparisons. However, to me, AMT  still sound unique, in that, whilst drawing on sounds from the past (& they will openly acknowledge their influences) the way they structure these sounds into a track is like nobody else, making such lazy comparisons inaccurate.
To my ears (even after 35 years of seeking out the most strange & obscure music), AMT sound like nobody else, primarily because of the way they structure their tracks. 
This C.D could be classified in the 'experimental' category.  However, none of this is freeform noodling. Instead, each track is well thought out, is based on good ideas, is played with absolute conviction, and has a clear & very original structure.

The first track - 'Ziggy Sitar Dust Raga' (19.46) starts with an 8 note ascending / descending sitar motif, running through a beautiful shimmering echo. It's backed by a keyboard drone, that sounds like a harmonium. This repeats for nine minutes, but never gets monotonous. Occasional splashes of synth & another faint layer of sitar come in subtly at points. Eventually the sitar fades out. leaving only the keyboard drone.
At this point, Cotton Casino adds some wonderful, very high pitched spacey abstract warbling. I love her vocals. Even at her wildest, she has a lovely clear & pure tone to her voice, & never sounds screechy, harsh or grating (i.e - she's not Yoko Ono). She sounds like some disembodied spirit flying about. The sitar fades back in, this time put through so much echo / reverb, it just becomes a gorgeous glittering wall of sound. This track is fantastic, a brilliant exercise in creating a unique musical structure. and is one of my all time favourite AMT tracks.

The second track - 'Diamond Doggy Peggy' (15.05) is a mid-paced psychedelic rocker. Cotton Casino adds some more warbling, which although low in the mix, sits on top of the track nicely. Her very high pitch means she doesn't get drowned out in the mix. It sounds like the guitar & vocals are going through an effect which makes them all squidgy - a bit like listening to a rock band whilst underwater. Even though they're 'rocking out', these effects make them sound like no rock band you've ever heard before.
At times, this track sounds like they're about to go into 'Crystal Pyramid Rainbow' (from the 'Crystal Pyramid Rainbow Under The Stars' C.D), and I wonder if that particular track was developed from this one.

The third track -'Aladdin Kane (14.50) is underpinned by an echoing sequence of bass keyboard notes, processed so that they're playing backwards on this recording. There are some flourishes of slide guitar, & a layer of lead guitar. I'm not as fond of this track as I am of the other three tracks, but it's still enjoyable.

The final track - 'Cosmic Funky Dolly' (20.07) is almost indescribable, & as I've already said (& like everything else on this album) AMT  really sound like nobody else. There's a shimmering, echoing synth motif, on top of which Cotton Casino adds some fantastic spacey high pitched abstract vocals, once again sounding like some mysterious spirit flying around. Synth splashes & whooshes come in. This track sounds like you've been transported to the surface of some strange planet. I've never heard anything remotely like this from any other band.

I almost didn't buy this c.d, as the picture of the cover art (that I saw on Amazon) put me off a little - 1950s style sci-fi comic art isn't my thing. However, the c.d art looks great when you see it full size, and it's a fantastic 3-D hologram. It perfectly suits the music on this c.d.

This is one of the best albums I've heard by AMT, and is stunningly original (despite any bogus 'comparisons' any bloody hipsters might make). If you're an AMT fan, or a lover of experimental & unique sounds, I wholeheartedly recommend this.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - IN SEARCH OF LOST DIVINE ARC (Important 2013)

I am a huge fan of AMT. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they're probably my 'favourite band' (or at least certainly my favourite contemporary band). I currently have about 20 of their C.Ds, and am regularly buying more. On top of this, I have listened to dozens more of their albums on Youtube. searching for the next one I want to buy.
While there are certainly some I like more than others. until this C.D, I haven't hear one I would describe as 'bad'. I bought this C.D without managing to hear it all first, and was extremely disappointed by it (& numerous subsequent listenings haven't changed my opinion). This is the very first AMT C.D I would put in the 'bad' category, and for me to describe an AMT C.D as 'bad' is something I never expected I would have to do.
The problem with this C.D can be summed up in one word - 'clutter' (a word I'm going to have to try to restrain myself from repeatedly using throughout this review).
First of all, the playing is extremely cluttered. On each track, everybody is playing their instruments (or singing) relentlessly at the same intensity from start to finish. No instruments ever 'drop out', or take a back seat, and nobody gets a chance at a solo. Tracks don't develop, change or grow. Each track just sounds like a relentless & monotonous wall of noise, with almost no variation in texture.

Presuming that these were one-take improvised recordings, a lot of this clutter problem could have sorted out in the mixing & production (making instruments fade in & fade out, or even 'dropping out' entirely) - an approach which sees to be common on AMT recordings. However, the mix here just seems lazy. The levels for each instrument  remain constant throughout each track - as if, once they were set, the 'producer' nipped out for a sandwich while the mixdown was being recorded to the master.  I can't help feeling that there might even be a good album in here, had a different approach been taken to the final mixing.
Normally I like the way AMT mix their tracks - drums, bass (& often vocals) being low in the mix. That's what gives them their unique sound. However, on this album, that approach just doesn't seem to work. Drums & bass are so low in the mix (almost inaudible) that it seems impossible to discern any rhythm in each track, and the lack of variety of texture just makes every track dull,

The first track - 'Space Speed Suicide' (5.00) is a promising start, but is really let down by the mix & production/ There's a great Led Zeppelin style rhythm guitar lick, topped with some good lead guitar  by Makoto. However, it just doesn't sound right. In order for this track to really rock, that rhythm guitar lick needs to be a lot louder,but instead it's just too quiet, & buried under too much clutter.

The second track - 'Soulful Grinning Skull' (16.48) features some really nice flute playing (reminiscent of Brainticket or Nik Turner's Sphynx). However, this just gets lost in the clutter & bad mixing. There's also a layer of 'goofy' vocals, which add nothing (except more clutter). Throughout this track, there's a hideous electric guitar clanging away sounding very 'dry' & untreated.  I presume it's trying to sound like Can, but it just ends up sounding like someone playing a really cheap electric guitar through a cheap & nasty tinny amp.The word 'chang' sums up this sound, and 16 minutes of this relentless 'chang' gave me a headache.
Had this track been mixed so that it was a showcase for the flute, it might have been a pleasant track. However, like every track on this C.D, it's ruined by clutter, clutter, and more bloody clutter.

The third track - ' Born Free Stone Free' (4.57) has a good Led Zeppelin style riff, and some strong rocking vocals, which are far too quiet in the mix. Once again, the dreadful muddy mixing & production spoil what had the potential to be a decent track.

The fourth track - 'Escape Horoscope (2,55) is a rubbish piece of filler (that sounds like the band plugging in their instruments & testing their levels) & the less said about it the better.

The fifth track - 'Babe I'm Gonna Reave You' (7.24) has a guitar sound that's as if the guitars on 'Trout Mask Replica' are trying to 'rock out'. Maybe that sounds like a good idea 'on paper', but in reality it;s just a dreadful din. As a lover of Makoto's guitar playing (even at it's wildest & noisiest) this is the very first time I've heard him playing something I don't like.  There's something about the tone of the guitar on this that is just horrible & grating.

The final track - 'In Search Of Lost Divine Arc' (19.32) starts off relatively relaxing for the first few  minutes (probably only noticeable though because of all the horrid noise that's proceeded it) before getting into some strong rock riffing. All I can say in this track's favour is that at least it contains some changes in texture that are lacking from the proceeding tracks, making it slightly more interesting & less monotonous. However, I still wouldn't count this as a 'good' track'. It's just less annoying than the tracks that have gone before.

The sticker on the sleeve says this is one of AMT's 'most written' albums (presumably meaning as opposed to being improvised). It doesn't sound like that to me. It sounds instead like the only degree of 'writing' that's gone into this is Makoto turning up to the session with a riff for each track, & him instructing the band to just relentlessly scrape, clatter & 'chang' away on their individual instruments, while he bangs out that riff for the duration of the track.

Finally, a special mention has to be made of the dreadful cover  art. Who the hell designed this ? What the hell is that image ? (It looks like a blurry grey photo of the contents of a bag of skunk in front of a tiny photo of a mountain). It looks even worse full size & it's still no clearer what it is.Given that AMT are renowned for gorgeous, colourful psychedelic cover art, what idiot thought that this horrible GREY (emphasis needed) cover picture would make a good AMT C.D cover ? Not only is this the worst AMT cover I've ever seen. It's the worst cover art I've seen by anybody ever. I doubt if even googling 'Least Inspiring Image' could come up with something as depressing & cheerless as this. The track listing  & info on the back cover is printed in tiny dark grey lettering on black, which meant I had to get out my double magnification reading glasses & strain to make out anything (& I'm still not sure I've got the track titles right)..The spine is the ugliest C.D spine ever - more of that horrible greyness, with a black bar running down it, which appears to have some writing on it (though I can't be bothered getting out my microscope to read it). I stacked this next to my other AMT C.Ds, and it didn't even look like a C.D spine. It just looked like some piece of shelf bracketing. Ugh !

As I said, I'm a huge AMT fan, but I just don't 'get' this album. It;s the worst thing I've heard by them, and it's a sad day when I have to give an AMT album a negative review

Reviews are ultimately subjective. I noticed that on Amazon, this C.D got universally great reviews (apart from the one dissenting voice from yours truly). I do sometimes wonder about the AMT fans  who review their C.Ds on Amazon, where every AMT C.D is given five star ratings, & described as 'essential' . Given that AMT have released an astonishing amount of C'Ds, it just can't be possible that every album they make is worthy of five stars  (though their 'success' rate is very high, which is why, out of the forty or so albums I've heard by them, this is the first one I've heard that falls beneath the three star- 'average' rating).
Either people are falling for some 'King's New Clothes' syndrome ('they're hip, they're obscure, they're Japanese - therefore every album they make must be  the greatest thing ever') or else - given that AMT's fan base sees to fall between fans of old school psychedelic rock & fans of 'noise' music -  maybe there's a proportion of their fans who think that 56 minutes of monotonous clanging clutter constitutes a 'great album'.

My advice is - There are dozens of fantastic AMT C.Ds out ther. Don't waste your money on this rubbish.