At first blush, it would seem that guitarist Haino Keiji and drummer Yoshida Tatsuya have little common ground on which to build a duo. Both godfathers of Japanese experimental rock with careers stretching over several decades, Haino has crafted an aesthetic of darkness and despair while Yoshida's take on punked-up prog with The Ruins has spawned a sub-genre. But Haino responds well to rhythm and in recent years has been more interested in song formats, creating more of a space in his usual long-form improvisations for Tatsuya's tightly controlled speed-jams.
If their duo is a surprise, the first two CDs [Until Water Grasps Flame (NoiseAsia 2001) and New Rap (Tzadik, 2006)] weren't altogether shocking. Loud, heavy, rhythmic workouts, solid, enjoyable, and predictable. But Uhrfasudhasdd is something quite different. Using the studio to create a variety of extremes, the pair created a set of 16 songs that at times sound very much like either or both of them but as a whole is quite unlike anything either has done. Multi-tracked, cut apart and pasted together, the disc has delicate acoustic moments, crazed electric rhythmic sections and, at times, dizzying sonic somersaults, even touching on the black metal they've both neared without ever reaching in the past. Yoshida's humor and Haino's gravity manage to co-exist and their vocal parts — urgent falsetto, guttural moans and full-on screams — are intermingled thoughtfully and effectively. It's not just a giant step for the duo, but it's a surprising work for each of them, and among the best in both of their extensive discographies.
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Kurt Gottschalk 2008-11-05
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