EX-GIRL

eX-Girl is not the band that fits the avant-prog label in the ''normal'' sense of the phrase; they seem to fit into the label pretty much like Zappa or Beefheart (or fellow countrymen Boredoms and OOIOO). This KERO! KERO! KERO! album bases itself around and has influence in the Japanese pop and rock scene, but tweaks them into something that indescribably weird and fun at the same time.

I feel that this album might be a spiritual successor to the debut of the Mother of Invention (FREAK OUT). The main riff (even if eX-Girl's is more metal) of ''Disco 3000'' is like the niece of ''Hungry Freaks Daddy''. Both albums are humorous and sound like off-tuned stabs at their country's pop/rock music at their time, and both have this off the wall, rhythm based long ender. ''Space Mushroom'' is more avant Hawkwind space rock than the near free-form ''Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet'', but I can detect the lineage.

This is a group that really doesn't take itself too seriously. Try making anything serious out of the proggish ''Hao Hao'', the speed punk ''Puyo'' or the Ruins-like oddballness of ''Spaceman, Melon''; you can't and you'd be wasting your time trying. The pop-like catchiness with these avant twist really make long lasting moments of pure enjoyment as well as strong rhythm bases like on ''Revenge of the Kero Kero Kero'' (again, sounds like a Zappa title) and ''Dazzle''.

It's silly, weird, avant and rare. If you can find this album anywhere, check it out. It's more than worth it. Gotcha out.

Well, I was intrigued enough to look them up on spotify and I liked what I found. There is no doubt this group belongs here, no matter how they may have started off. This is incredibly strange music, blending elements of zeuhl, metal, and even small elements of post-rock with sounds of the J-pop scene. The result is an album that, in my opinion, is just as experimental and frenetic as anything Koenjihyakkei has put out.

"Waving Scientist @ Frog King" establishes almost immediately what to expect from the album. With a faintly dissonant a capella section beginning the track, the song quickly develops into something that sounds like zeuhl crossed with avant-punk. Rhythmically weird drums and vocal lines play along with some strange things going on harmonically, leaving the track sounding completely nutty but also surprisingly catchy. The strangeness only increases with the introduction of some operatic style vocals, which facilitates the introduction of a brief middle section that comes close to symphonic doom metal territory. Absolute madness in a compact, four minute shell.

"Tozka" starts off sounding slightly more accessible, with a fairly standard pop-punk-ish riff and a vocal line that, while strangely delivered, isn't too far out in left field. An atonal synth solo in the middle of the track lends a little more of an air of strangeness, and there are some proggy time-signature switches, but on the whole "Tozka" is a fairly standard track with some rocking riffs and a bit of a post-punk sound.

"Aji Fry," on the other hand, is the farthest thing from pop you can imagine. Starting off with a strange instrumental section that sounds like Krautrock crossed with industrial music, there is a strong impression that you are listening to musicians gone insane. The addition of a rhythmically bizarre riff and some operatically chanting vocals do little to allay this suspicion. I can actually hear a strong thread of Henry Cow influence here (as well as similarities to Fred Frith's solo work), though there are shades of zeuhl as well.

A frenetic cover of M's "Pop Muzik" follows this up, making what was a pretty wacky song to begin with even wackier. Incorporating metal and psychedelic sounds to complement the bizarro-disco vibe the track already possessed, ex-Girl's version is exactly what a good cover should be: enhancing and adding to the track without taking anything away. It also fits in excellently with the rest of the album, thus avoiding another pitfall often experienced by covers included on albums.

"Gween-Kong-Zee" starts off with some repeated chanting before switching into a decidedly psychedelic, almost acid-rock vibe. I wouldn't be surprised if the writer of the song had been listening to the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" as they were writing this; there's a similar kind of droning ambience, though there's also a lot more strangeness than ever appeared on a Beatles release (save perhaps "Revolution 9").

"Cucumber Surrender" is every bit as strange as its title would suggest. Operatic vocals overlay drums, bass, and guitar that all seem to be playing in different time signatures. A strange, playful synth solo takes up a good chunk of the middle of the track and almost sounds like it could have come off a Genesis album, or at least it could have were there not distorted guitars going behind it. For a section after this the track eschews melody entirely, instead consisting of a droning synth track and some chanted vocals. The end of the track returns to the bizarre rhythm juxtapositions of the first section and it's on this note that the track concludes.

"Wipe-Out #3" is the shortest track on the album, but it's certainly not short on originality. This track sounds like the composer took a jazz vamp, sped it up, and then overlaid vocals that sound like a cross between J-Pop and zeuhl. The second half of the track is mostly instrumental, delving into extremely avant-garde noise experimentations and generally giving the impression that the track is imploding on itself, which is actually a very effective way to close out the track.

"Solid States Kerok'n'Roll" begins with a fairly normal riff, but quickly dives off the deep end as switching time-signatures and operatic, zeuhl-esque vocals ensure that the listener is eternally left guessing as to what is going to happen next. There's even a brief section of what sounds like sampled electronica drums, and they're incorporated so perfectly that it's both jarring and totally natural sounding. Ex-Girl has a very interesting tendency to use non- standard harmonies in a way that probably should sound dissonant, but even though it sounds a bit strange there's never any doubt in the listener's mind that these harmonies totally work. This track is probably the best example of this, proving that avant-garde music doesn't necessarily need to be hard to listen to in order to be experimental.

"Zero Gravity" has a much darker tone to it, with ominous, low guitar riffs and a sound that is much closer to sludge-metal than J-pop. Layered vocals only add to the unsettling sound of the track, as does a decidedly dissonant guitar solo. A high-pitched vocal mantra that's repeated several times towards the middle of the track with minimal instrumentation around it doesn't help either. Overall, the track is much less upbeat and much darker than most of the material on the album, and as such it really sticks out as a highlight.

"Crime of the Century" begins on a rather similar note, with slow, pulsating drones playing underneath minimal percussion and electronics that recall, ever so slightly, sections of Dark Side of the Moon. This opening section of the track is much less frenetic than most of the album; it's slow, and dreamy (or perhaps nightmarish), and unsettling rather than wacky and insane. There are brief sections where the upetempo, bizarre rhythms of the other tracks poke through, but for the most part the track is content to take its time and go for a dark, slow- burning ambience that almost has a post-rock vibe to it. As the longest track on the album, "Crime of the Century" certainly carves out its own niche on this fascinating and certainly very diverse album.

"Sasuke" closes off the album with some droning, chanting vocals before giving way to a driving bass and percussion combination with some half-spoken vocals laid on top. As a result, "Sasuke" comes off sounding far more minimalistic than most of the tracks; with an almost post-punk flavor, it's a wonderfully bleak way to end such an insane album.

This is a very good album, and one with a sound that, as far as I've heard, is fairly unique. While this is about as far away from "traditional" prog as you can get, there's no doubt that this is incredibly forward thinking, out-there music, and if that doesn't qualify as progressive than nothing does. Highly recommended for anyone looking to hear something different from the norm.

4/5

Lurking in the most unknown of territories on PA, eX-Girl on paper does not sound like a band that has something of anything to do with prog rock. I will readily admit that I hear more J-pop and J-rock than prog rock, but eX-Girl is such a warped version of those genres that I really sit back and take notice. I hear things akin to groups like Mr. Bungle, OOIOO and Koenjihyakkei in places, but eX-Girl are their own ''endangered species''.

The structure of the band a bit more than a power trio (bassist/founder Kiriola takes synth duties) with tremendous outside help from producer/creator Hoppy Kamiyama. While the basic summary of ENDANGERED SPECIES's style is a twisted spin on J-pop, eX-Girl goes for broke pulling in various music styles (I hear prog metal, noise rock, jangle pop, operatic vocals and techno), but does it in a way that doesn't sound jagged or completely nonsensical. ''Hettarkorii no Ottokotou'' is the only song that patches a bunch of genres together (ending on a prog metal excursion) in Mr. Bungle like fashion.

As for other songs, ''Dodo'' and ''Pretty You Ugly'' follow more conventional J-pop wisdom (barring the 11/8 breakdown in ''Dodo''). ''Pujeva'' harkens to Koenjihyakkei in terms of the operatic vocals alternating between techno and buzz-Zeuhl. ''Venus vs. Gas Onna'' is more of a prog track with a bassline Squire would be proud of. ''Mr. Triscuits'' is the highlight being an extended J-pop track with heavy prog overtones; the lowlight belongs to ''Pulse'', a noise tune like what OOIOO might try only more boring.

I'm very fond of this album and wouldn't mind draining my iPod's battery life over it. I choose to reserve my emotions understanding that it leans too much in the pop direction. Those that love Mr. Bungle should find the time to check the band out. Within the scope of avant-prog, eX- Girl one of the best ''fringe'' acts, but overall, they aren't that dominating or convincing of the avantness for me to extol. OOIOO is the band to seek if you want an eclectic challenge in the avant world.

"Endangered Species" is quite a bit different than any of the albums eX-Girl had done before, yet is not necessarily a drastic departure. What makes this different from their previous albums? The musicianship for one thing. If you know much about the history of eX-Girl you know that when the band first started out they were all accomplished vocalists, yet had virtually no experience playing instruments and it showed. The instrumentation, while generally very interesting (they received much assistance from producer Hoppy Kamiyama) was clumsy. The new musicians brought in to replace the original guitarist and drummer were quite skilled (Chapple's jazzy chops make a huge difference) and by now Kirilola's performance is that much tighter and more melodic having more solid surroundings.

Aside from better musicianship, this is also eX-Girl's most mature and polished release to date. Just like previous albums most of the songs are made up of simple individual parts that all fit together in a clever fashion. You'll hear 2-3 note/1-3 chord riffs just as with the previous releases but now there is a certain level of finesse that was absent from the band's recorded output up to this time. And just like before there are simple riffs that are played in somewhat awkward time signatures, giving what would normally be overly simplistic a unique and intellectual twist. And you get the same crazy, operatic, genre-bending three vocalist assault as before. Everything to be enjoyed about eX-Girl is here, it just got better.

Besides what the band members themselves bring to the table, Hoppy Kamiyama's contributions also seem that much more refined. There's the beautiful piano from track 6, the string quartet backdrop on the first track and his compositional collaborations with Kirilola (who is the main song-writer this time around) also seem that much better.

So, to summarize: If you've heard any of eX-Girl's albums and have yet the hear this (even if you liked them or not), you need to check this one out. If you haven't heard them and you want to hear quirky, semi-progressive pop music, get this. It's the best thing they put out (leaps and bounds better, believe me) and it's a shame that they have released nothing together since.

Highlights: E-Sa-Ya, Hettakorii no Ottokotou, Venus vs Gas Onna, Resonance

The tour in the United States and Europe had already been dared and the band emphasized the existence including the activity and the evaluation in foreign countries though Line-Up of an initial member was up to 2001 for their activities. The band that had already announced four albums was ensuring the music character with the producer's idea and work.

It is indeed hit that they replaced the member in this 2001. It was this time that guitar player's Chihiro seceded the band and Keiko joined newly. The band has gradually gradually dared the performance in foreign countries. It will have been existence of Mike Patton that gave them a little e sound. The evaluation in foreign countries rose by the exchange with him at this time. Or, competing of Gong and Magma might also have given some stimulation to this band.

The band had the situation in which the album was announced in foreign countries at the stage that shifted at the term of growth at the dawn. "Back To The Mono Kero" that the band announced is announced especially and said that it received the high appraisal also in Finland and Australia. The band at this time is developing it into the music character to which the expression of the music exactly established is refined further. However, the music character that has it at first of the debut might be surely followed and developed.

In Japan, this single CD that had been announced while the activity in foreign countries increased gradually along with the member's alternation was work for the commercial film. Of course, producer's Hoppy Kamiyama joins this sound source. The part of Space Rock that catches the age has the flavor refined further. This single CD is a work of the second stage as the result for the band. And, the activity of this second stage did not continue too much long. The drum player of the band has seceded the band after this single CD announcement. However, when the band exactly knows passage to which the music character is developed on the term of growth, this single CD will be able to be caught as one proof.

"Luna Rose" is a tune that straight Rock and Space Rock fuse well. The part of repeated sequence and Electronics is good and it ..Rock.. is united. Because the music character of the band is refined further, room will be felt by me. The sense of relief that Riff of an intense guitar is good is made. The sound of the band has shut further by the guitar player's alternation.

"Sckatt Mind You" is a tune with the flavor of techno and the house. Part of united rhythm with dash feeling and song and chorus. Song with sense of relief in close relation to steady rhythm. Their music characters might be gradually refined. Parts of a few Punk Rock applied on the way of tune. Or, it is partial of the complete anacatesthesia that the line of the guitar and Bass makes. There is a part where Stereolab is partially reminiscent. However, the music character that they did is digested splendidly and develops.

It might be a tune to understand the passage of this band exactly as a tune announced at time when eX-Girl develops.

After the activity of only one year, eX-Girl formed in 1997 announces the debut album. They have dared the activity in foreign countries aggressively. It was a university radio in the United States that evaluated their music characters as an activity at this time. If the age was considered, the music of the band that took charge of Prog Rock of Japan that derived in the latter half of the 90's and the avant-garde part might have had an original route.

The existence of producer's Hoppy Kamiyama might be also indispensable as the point of which this band should make a special mention. This band certainly had an original route. However, technical respect was not perfect because there was a part that had started from the amateur. However, it is also true that passage to which a music character and technical respect improved including them appeared obediently in the content of the album.

This band is announcing the debut album in 1998. Neither directionality nor technical respect had been so equipped for the music character yet at this time. However, the proposal and the idea by the producer have surely improved this band.

This album was announced from the debut album in January, 1999 only in half a year. After announcing this album, they dare the tour again in the United States. An idea concerning the music character and technical respect might greatly improve to this album compared with the debut album. The music character that they did might surely have done the challenge and the experiment in the route besides the current kind of music in the field of Avant-Prog/POP in Japan at this time. The promo word that is called "Space Age Folk Music" has adhered to this album. If the content of the debut album is exactly compared with this album, the content makes the part of the S.A.F.M improve surely and established.

"Disco 3000" is also to the drum intensely played and continues the part of complete Space Rock. The tune will rush into the part of straight Rock before long. The element of Punk Rock might be included a little. The song and the chorus are features. The introduction of the sound of an effective decoration might be calculated well.

As for "Puyo", an original sound effect that is twines round the flavor of straight Rock. This tune also has some flavors of Punk Rock. An acute angle song is twined around Riff of an aggressive guitar. The flavor of Space Rock that appears in the latter half of the tune also has expanded the width of the tune.

In "The Revenge Of Kero Kero", the song with the sense of relief and the humour that puts on the rhythm of the shuffle and is progressed is a feature. Part of melody and song that destroys harmony. Or, it is partial of a feature chorus. Original Rock is developed.

In "Tofu Song", an experimental chorus is a feature. In the part of a cappella, there might be originality. The part of Zeuhl is recollected. It is a song only of continued voice and chorus.

"Hao-Hao" is an avant-garde in Japan that is reminiscent of Koenjihyakkei. A mysterious melody twines round the development of the devised rhythm with the song. An Oriental a little part is contained. Or, the flow that is reminiscent of the part of Space Rock might be splendid. The music character including the sound of the decoration gives an original expression.

As for "Dazzle", an enchantment voice twines round the DeLay effect that the guitar does. The atmosphere of the tune recollects Can. It is a tune that gives an enchantment effect while continuing the tension. There might be a little atmosphere of an element experimental this part and Zeuhl.

"Chin Chiku Linn Part 2" plays the role of connected part of this album. Part and dash feeling of complete avant-garde. They are the parts of a few Avant-Jazz to a chaotic flow. There is an extremely experimental part. Ruins is recollected overall.

The feature in "Spaceman,Melon" is to combine seven rhythms and six rhythms. The progress of Chord of the guitar that produces a composition of aggressive Riff and a complete anacatesthesia is splendid overwhelmingly. There is no complete individuality. However, the part of aggressive Riff and refined Space Rock is expressed well.

"Space Mushroom" starts from the fanfare of a bright wind instrument. The tune rushes into the enchantment world with a chaotic flow at once. The tension is continued. And, the tune becomes complete Space Rock. Part of Riff of repeated rhythm and guitar. Part where a few Zehul is recollected. The composition might be splendid.

Pursuit and the idea of their music characters have always improved remarkably. And, the music character of the band was surely established by this album.

The band in Japan had the situation that advanced to foreign countries at this time and was known at the same time. The barrel band will have been a band that centered on Boredoms and Koenjihyakkei. The band in active Japan might also have been receiving a lot of high appraisals in foreign countries in the 70's and of course the 80's. However, the market of Prog Rock of Japan of this time was time when a very original system had derived.

In the situation, the formation of this band gave the impression that presented the aspect of the mutation and appeared. The member of the band was almost acting as an amateur at time when this band was formed as a point that had to make a special mention. However, the power has succeeded in the production of an original music character as the flavor of the band.

Mike Patton that evaluated the music character of this band described this band before as the attraction. After the activity of one year, eX-Girl formed in September, 1997 announces the debut album. And, the point that this debut album was announced as a point that should make a special mention in June, 1998. And, "Gong" and competing are accomplished in the major city in Japan in August, 1998. There might have been a fate in this band. Of course, this debut album is announced from the formation in only one year. Therefore, it is not a translation to be offering a complete technology. However, a familiar, deep existence of "Hoppy Kamiyama" and the fusion of this band have succeeded in the band that is called Pink and Daimonji known well in Japan in attempting the differentiation surely with other avant-gardes' bands.

If the debut album of this eX-Girl is considered overall, original Rock where avant-garde's flavor is included is developed. And, amateur's flavor is included a little and it is also true that their colors are expressed as individuality including the flavor. There is competing of Gong and Magma in the history of their activities. And, there might have been one charm and evaluation as a result if the part where live in foreign countries had been always dared after it debuted was considered.

"Diva" develops Rock with the sense of relief while adding flavors of a few Funk. Melody powerfully sung. Progress of Chord of heavy rhythm and peculiar guitar. And, it is partial of the chorus whom they do in all members. The avant-garde exists together to Heavy Rock.

In "Upsy Daisy Ramsy", a heavy rhythm and an acute angle song are features. Sound of metallic decoration. Sound of guitar that gives processing of effect. As for the tune, the tempo will double before long. Part of original chorus who gets on the flow. The flavor of a few psychedelic and avant-gardes has gone out well.

As for "Gyu-Nyu", an enchantment voice twines round Riff of Bass with the guitar that gradually collapses harmony. Groping and the challenge of their experimental parts might be included. After excluding the rhythm and continuing the part of sedition, the tune rushes into the world of a complete tohubohu.

"La Perla" is a tune with which the composition of the tune develops one after another. Line of sound of decoration and heavy Bass. Expression of feelings lyrics to get on avant-garde part. Especially, the progress of Chord that makes the guitar a center has a complete anacatesthesia. The melody and the composition without harmony so much might have the part of the boundary as structure of the tune. It is conversion of an intermittent tempo and a tune that gives the impression in a straight line as much as possible.

"Sex Machine" is a tune in which the work of Hoppy Kamiyama is very reflected. The arrangement of the avant-garde whom they do while leaving the melody of the tune of famous James Brown twines.

"Ghost" is Intro of the sound effect and a part of the voice. The sound in which the effect is made good use of comes in succession. It progresses while piling up the sound with diversity. Very enchantment development is given. It is likely to have aimed at development to imagine the name of a song. The part of the narration and the repeated simple sound might be one of the experiments of them. The tune suddenly moves to the following development. The part of sedition and the part where a bright chorus is alternately repeated give width to the composition of the tune.

"Chin Chiku Linn" is a part of Rock that develops intensely. Coming in succession of voice. It goes one after another in the sound in which various effects are given to the rhythm intermittently repeated repeatedly.

"Planet F" goes out ahead by the chorus and advances chaotically. There is a little this tune experimental part. The chorus gives original development.

"Space Prot" develops completely straight Rock. As for the part of the avant-garde whom Japan regards, a little original music character might be included. Part of song constructed with chorus. Straight Rock is constructed compared it.

The chorus of "Deutsche B" who is reminiscent of the music of Arab is impressive. Chord of the guitar to get on a steady rhythm produces a complete anacatesthesia. There might overall be a flavor of Post Rock. The repeated melody and chorus's effect give the gaga part.

There might already have been an established a little music character in the debut albums of them who had been formed as an amateur. Of course, the work of Hoppy Kamiyama also backed up their music characters. And, their activities were evaluated at once in foreign countries. If this respect was considered, this band might already have had the fate. It might be not easy to listen to a complete technology and directionality when thinking as a debut album. However, there might already have been individuality and existence.