TACO

Very nervous, violent, aggressive atmosphere we can feel in this work. I can imagine the album "Taco" might be the life of Harumi YAMAZAKI, that was filled with talent for rock music, sexual desire, opposition against the society, and mind-expanding agents. Harumi could strike his "problematic" life onto his creation without sweeping anything. Of course, we do understand such illegal stuffs must be banned indeed, but his attitude and opinion 'for music' can be approved more and more - he easily could create such an avantgarde and controversial bizarrerie what nobody could do in those days, with much commercialism (he advertised himself and his products via his columns in an underground magazine) and lots of renowned musicians (especially Ryuichi Sakamoto and Machizo Machida). He could arouse a controversy storm in Japanese independent music scene with such a weird gem.

Listen first of all and you can find some painful groan, moan, shout with crazy, dirty mixing in the first track, maybe under withdrawal symptoms. A very cynical and straight way as he represented his silly sickness and painful life, already able to feel? And what a weird song the third track "Kirara" is ... Machizo madly and cynically sang (no, shouted) with lots of discriminatory words and phrases. Actually an anti-discrimination association has impeached the song, album, and Pinakotheca Records. But there may be not only discrimination but also criticism against some associations asking for money it sounds. They should be cynics I'm sure.

And you cannot help feeling his musical talent in "Enigram" or "Nue", a short classical cotton and a Japanese-Enka-ish tragic darkside respectively. "Vomiting Center Is The World Origin" includes some dirty, sodomic lyrics into itself (written by Lolita Junko?) but such a carnivalisque element in the song you can realize and appreciate seriously. "Hostage Funk" can be fittest for so-called Avantgarde progressive methinks ... with tape recorder effects or meaningless female whispers, based on strict funky rhythms. The second one "Cannot Get Your Patience Of A Saint Even Today" is a pop song, but the lyrics sung by a pretty singer (suppose :-P) Izumi Kurisawa are ... oh, man ... cannot explain in detail but full of illegal expression. You can easily realize that Ryuichi Sakamoto composed "Secret Emperor Magic" (lyrics by Harumi ... just criticism against Japanese Emperor as the most responsible person for the War).

As above mentioned, this album should be the most problematic and controversial in those days in Japan but at the same time I'm sure Harumi could leave one of the most impressive music production for us younger rock fans. As a Japanese RIO / Avantgarde progressive rock fan, I cannot avoid this brilliant gem.