最終更新 Aug 21 2010

01 雨と雪 (Trad. arr. byMiminokoto) ♪LISTEN♪
02 螺旋の軌道 (Shimura)
03 丁字路面 (Nishimura)
04 1-3-5 (Suzuki/Shimura)
05 覚えている (Suzuki−Shimura)
06 夢の向こう (Kaneko Jutok) ♪LISTEN♪
07 光の渦 (Shimura)

REVIEW:
As some part of the Acid Mothers Temple nexus of forward thinking rock musicians in Japan, Junzo Suzuki's Miminokoto keeps the psychedelic freakout tendencies in check, but the trio isn't afraid to push their folksy sound into rawer, less conventional territory. Compared to his recent Pieces for Hidden Circles , the full band setting helps to create a more diverse and rich tapestry of sound that bears his mark.

Recorded live at three different locations in Tokyo between late 2008 and early 2009, it sounds far more like a coherent album rather than live recordings in various settings. The opening traditional of "Ame To Yuki" starts mostly as rudimentary rock: basic guitar strums, sparse percussion and vocals, with melodic bass appearing later on. For the most part, it keeps mellow until the ending segments, which turns on the effects and throws a bit of chaos into the mix. "That Spiral Orbit" treads similar ground, but with some fuzzy, wah-wah'd bass that turns the funk up some, but not too much. The dynamics shift from relaxed and minimal to tenser, loud moments, but not dramatically so.

"Teiji Romen" sets sail for jazzier territories, focusing on the rhythmic pulse of Takuya Nishimura's bass and Koji Shimura's drums, with Suzuki's guitar acting more as a subtle punctuation, before all three of them launch into some great harsher moments later on. Both "1-3-5" and "Remember" go back into a more conventional rock framework, the former mixing electric guitar playing and rhythms, and even allowing for some jazz-based guitar soloing towards the end. The more somber "Remember" immediately called to mind "Another Day” from the first Cure album as a possible influence, in both its sound and emotions conveyed, later building in complexity from the interplay of instruments.

The closer "A Whirlpool of Light" takes its influence more from Tago Mago era Can than anything else. Opening slow with delicate guitar and tom-tom drum flourishes, it later morphs to a more dramatic sound, with impassioned vocals and clattering percussion leading the charge into rapid fire, but complex and dense rhythmic structures. It is perhaps the most "different" of the tracks here, and I personally think it's a brilliant closer to a great album.

Sonically this is perhaps one of the most "normal" things I've had come across my desk in recent months, but it's far from boring or overly conventional. Instead, it's a warm and inviting disc that isn't an exercise in unnecessary complexity, nor is it overly esoteric, but is just the right vibe of familiar and innovation.

(By Craeig Dunton on Brainwashed)
*

Miminokoto has been through line up changes and have a bunch of records out on PSF and Last Visible Dog, but this track comes from their 2010 release Chofu, Ekoda, Koenji: Live In & Around Toky o on Plunk's Plan Records. Dreamy psych and great guitar playing from long time Nice Pooper pal, Suzuki Junzo (you can also catch Suzuki playing with Kawabata on the Astral Traveling Unit CD on Archive ). Suzuki Junzo also creates some incredible psych folk with the Cosmic Inferno's Tabata in 20 Guilders . Whew!

Anyways, I love the weird ass bass or whatever it is on this song, almost as confusing as the first hearing of the jug on the 13th Floor Elevators' songs. A off kilter almost "Shakedown Street" wah wah plink wamp while the rest of the song reminds me of... David Crosby's "Cowboy Movie." Something of a trend in this house recently. Loose and trippy and awesome, a bit dark and still that weird hopefulness I get from the best of Japanese psych. Definitely something for fans of the more mellow side of White Heaven.

(By Andy Perseponko on Nice Pooperzine)
*

Great set of variously-compiled live tracks from the new Miminokoto led by guitarist/vocalist Suzuki Junko. Pretty much *the* archetypal Japanese underground garage band, Junzo's leadership has consolidated their take on post-Kousokuya death/doom blues and celestial guitar. The languorous, stoned pace of some of the ballads is as world-devouring as your favourite Tokyo black hole, given further emphasis by a definitive reading of the late Jutok Kaneko's “Farside Of The Dream”. Bassist Takuya Nishimura served time with Che-SHIZU and Maher Shalal Hash Baz while drummer Koji Shimura played in White Heaven, High Rise and Mainliner and they have that stately/collapsing rhythm section style down to a nod. Junzo can swallow planets just as easily as Masami Kawaguchi and his blasted vocal style does much to tease the songs apart, blowing holes in the rock/roll fabric that are wide enough to reverse ten minute solos through. Fantastic. On Junzo's own label.

(By David Keenan on Volcanic Tongue)
*

Apparently Miminokoto is the project of Koji Shimura who can boast of involvement with much of the royalty of Japanese underground psych over the past twenty years including Mainliner, White Heaven, High Rise and various Acid Mothers incarnations. That alone should give you a vague idea of what to expect from this obi-stripped import job but it doesn’t tell the whole story by any means; for while the dreamy guitar tones, occasional crazy solos and over-the-top vocals might seem familiar from his previous groups in general the feel is much more gentle and low-key than any of them.. Perhaps like Majutsu No Niwa only looser and less ‘trad’ sounding. There’s a downbeat, dirgey quality to it that also reminds me a little of the likes of Onna or Suishou No Fune. Pleasantly idiosyncratic!

(Norman Records)
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Last Updated Aug 21 2010
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