TAIGA

Neolithic Earth; that is, prehistory of humankind, conjures up vivid, albeit generally exaggerated images of smeared body paint, unbridled bonfires, pagan sacrifices, gorilla warfare and dizzying, erotic and often-times drug-induced dance of direct nature. But despite these retroactive misgivings, tribal rites and rituals are some of the most oft-romanticized and misunderstood aspects of the Journey of Man. Enter OOIOO; an avant-garde collective of eccentric, virtuosi Japanese musicians determined to eradicate the most "sacred" dimension of modern civilization: Inhibition. Led by notorious alt-rocker Yoshimi P-We of the seminal first-wave alternative rock band Boredomes; OOIOO supposedly started out as a "fake" band appearing in a Tokyo magazine spread. Laying down her drum kit (partially) in leu of an electric guitar and vocals, they quickly evolved into one of the most bizarre, mind-altering bands performing in the Japanese underground today. Performing scantily-clad, smeared in neon body paint, the all-female avant-troupe eschew any immediate thoughts of gimmick when they begin to play their strange brew of toxic, asymmetrical guitar lines, repetitive riffs, cheerleading harmony vocals, hypnotic drumming and vocal screaming the likes of which would make even notorious warbler Yoko Ono cringe. But it is not eccentricity for the sake of eccentricity that makes OOIOO so appealing, it's the fact that they're bizarre in spite of all the highly-compressed quasi-political Green Day clones that so clog the airwaves of mainstream consumption. The very idea of dragging mankind back to the very brink of free experimentation, amoral behavior and limitless pleasure is certainly an enticing, yet ultimately unobtainable notion. Taiga, which means "big river" in Japanese and "forest" in Russian, perfectly exemplifies the bands uniform mission: wild, often-times erratic screaming courtesy of P-We; dirty, fuzzed-out guitar lines that conjure the source of Kurt Cobain's cathartic purges from both P-We and Kayan; meditative, contemplative bass lines from Aya recall perfectly the serene majesty of the 'forest' and 'rivers' of our primitive past along with repetitive, heavily African-influenced drumming from duo AI and Yo2ro Tatekawa (the latter from Boredoms) place the unyielding vision of Yoshimi P-We to life with relevant relief. Ultimately, the Journey back to humankind's beginning of harmony with the Sacred Feminine isn't one suited for every potential listeners abilities, but rewards are infinite for those brave enough to foray civility. A personal recommendation if it too isn't censored.

Download: Highlight: Additional Guests: Japan Release/US-UK Release: All SAI - Thiam Misato - additional percussion -Yes/Yes - Tonchi - additional percussion

Share this OOIOO review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to hasheten
• Report this review (#161666)
• Buy OOIOO music online with PA partners
• Show all OOIOO MP3/Stream
• Go to OOIOO page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Taiga page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for OOIOO related discussions