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One of the reasons I like split releases is because they often expose you to artists that you might not have come across previously or presents the bands in completely different ways compared to the rest of their discography. The former is the case for the recently released split between Japan’s OOIOO and US noise rock pioneers Lightning Bolt. Like many of you, Lightning Bolt is a group that has been on my radar for over two decades, with albums like 2003’s Wonderful Rainbow and 2005’s Hypermagic Mountain re-framing how far outward the genre could go. But OOIOO was a new one for me, despite their history going back just as far as Lightning Bolt’s. As a fan of everything weird and experimental from Japan, this split seemed like a great place to start and while the styles the two channel couldn’t be more different there’s a lot here to like for fans of everything experimental.
There is a ridiculous amount of Japanese rock music out there that’s oriented towards the avant-garde and experimental side of the house, but OOIOO seems to have really pushed boundaries throughout their career. I previewed some of their past material in preparation for listening to the two tracks on this split and found a band that sometimes sounded like a wild mix of noise and art rock with prog elements, while later efforts incorporated different world music and psychedelic influences. Each album has shifted the sound and explored different things, though here OOIOO has iterated on some of the ideas from 2013’s Gamel. On that effort the group explored the traditional Javanese musical genre gamelan but explored it within their own avant-garde framework. Where Gamel utilized instruments mostly made of bronze, this time they’ve utilized instruments made of iron and it gives things a drastically different sound.
What this means upon pressing play is you’re greeted with a slew of sounds all at once, as there is repeated percussion, bursts of electronics, and bass lines that fill in the low end. The sound is noticeably brighter and airier than some of OOIOO’s other work, but the way these tracks build really sends you on a journey. “The Horizon” feels like a gamelan take on krautrock initially with its deliberate cadence and bursts of guitar and electronics, but there are sections that give off more of a straight up progressive rock or even jazz fusion vibe. “Be Sure to Spiral” keeps the same core approach but opts for a faster tempo, and the way the percussion and other elements loop back sometimes makes it sound like they’re overlapping or in danger of totally collapsing inwards. There are a lot of little details to uncover with each listen, and that’s without even focusing on the vocal performance initially. On the vocal side you have repeated spoken word, harmonized singing, and other pitches that have a quirkier and almost Yoko Ono approach at certain points. Stylistically it reminds me of a slightly more approachable Kōenjihyakkei and Magma fused with some of the more prominent krautrock from decades past, but the injection of the gamelan and other elements continue to give OOIOO their own unique sound. It’s a lot to take in and quite melodic compared to Lightning Bolt’s side, but the way the material is layered and builds naturally kept me coming back just as often to OOIOO’s contributions.
Once Lightning Bolt’s tracks kick in the sound immediately does a 180 and you’re greeted by the frantic drumming and gnarly bass tone the duo is known for. While Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson have both been busy with endeavors within music and outside of it, this is the first new Lightning Bolt material since 2019’s Sonic Citadel and it doesn’t disappoint. The group keeps things fairly compact, as none of the five tracks crack the five-minute mark, but each one flows seamlessly into the next and makes for a cohesive listen that still has individual moments that jump out at you. “Wavers” has the type of psychedelic layering and non-stop drum freakouts that have always drawn me to the band’s material, but “Cloud Core” shifts the tonality towards something still noisy but a bit airier alongside rhythms that have more of a repetitive cadence. On the other end of the spectrum, “Wow 13” has a bit more of a metallic sheen to its tonality while “Headless Horsefolk” layers in what sounds like Middle Eastern inspired melodies over top of the noisy foundation. Brian Chippendale’s vocals continue to function as an extension of the instrumentals, coming through with a lot of reverb and higher ranges that sometimes get swallowed up by the sheer amount of noise. Compared to some of the group’s past discography, I really like the way the production on these tracks as it makes the bass and drums hit with a considerable amount of intensity and this feels like a callback to the band’s first few albums.
On the surface OOIOO and Lightning Bolt feel like bands on completely opposite ends of the experimental rock spectrum, especially given OOIOO’s sound on these tracks has more of an airier and melodic sound. But as you dive more into each side of this split, it’s clear that both acts are just as adventurous in their writing and this actually makes them more complementary than you might expect. OOIOO lets things spread outwards and brings in a kitchen sink of musical elements, while Lightning Bolt does the same thing in a more compact and faster/noisier fashion. Whether you’re a fan of Lightning Bolt’s past material and are coming to this split for that reason or are looking to discover more out-there Japanese rock, there’s plenty here that will stick with you. The Horizon Spirals / The Horizon Viral is available from Thrill Jockey Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg