Genre : Traditional Japanese folk, Japanese story-telling (Satsuma-biwa),
Experimental, Noise rock, Avant-garde
Released : March 3rd, 2023
Label : Dur et Doux
FFO : Traditional Japanese music, Frank Zappa, Jambinai, Magma, King Crimson, Squid
Going into 2023, one thing I certainly didn't have on my bingo card was medieval traditional Japanese story-telling meeting with experimental avant-garde noise rock on a record, but this is precisely what this album is.
Western abstract post-modernism meets East-Asian tradition and history; a paradoxical union which one could say would usually be separated by an uncrossable vacuum, and yet "PoiL Ueda" bridges both worlds with an entrancing sonic tapestry that feels like it was merely waiting to happen somehow.
Those of you who are partial to video-games and own a PlayStation 4 (or 5) system might unknowingly already be familiar with Junko Ueda's work if you have explored the samurai world of Ghost of Tsushima, especially if you took the time to write haïkus, which is one of the game's many features, you're bound to have a surprise as you let this album envelop you in it's stories.
As Junko Ueda begins to weave the threads that make the foundation of this album's sound, that being traditional Japanese folk story-telling with "Kujô Shakujô", a Buddhist chant meant to ward off evil spirits; the French experimental noise rock trio PoiL build around Ueda's voice a patchwork of sounds that never stays in just one place, bouncing from 70's prog rock to psychedelia or even harsher noise rock territories with even hints of mathcore and no-wave during moments in which PoiL are in charge of the reins, most notably during the second (and only other) "story" of the album, "Dan No Ura" which recounts a major historic naval battle that took place in 1185, as well as its consequences on the history of Japan.
Ueda and PoiL's dialogue always feels balanced however, even during moments where one's "voice" is more present than the other's and this odd mariage of sounds and styles, no matter how atonal and dissonant it can get, remains harmonious throughout the entirety of the album.
This is definitely one of the most outlandish and improbable albums I've had the pleasure of listening to this year so far and I can only encourage others to partake in this unique half-hour journey that is oddly hypnotising due to its mantra-like qualities and vivid performances; painting play-like mental images in spite of not understanding the language in which these stories are being sung.
Bandcamp : https://poil.bandcamp.com/album/poil-ueda