Release Date: August 16th 2024. Record Label: Various. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Shitsuren: Tracklisting
1.Anxiety & Ecstasy (I) (II) 16:53
2.Depths Of Distant Reminiscence (I) (II) (Ⅲ) 19:56
Members
Aoki Tomoyuki - Guitars/Vocals/Lyrics
Mike Vest - Bass/Mix
Dave Sneddon - Drums
Review
Shitsuren is the second full length album from Psych/Noise/Space Rock collective Tomoyuki Trio which is the band formed by famed underground musicians Aoki Tomoyuki, Mike Vest and Dave Sneddon. This record follows the same destructive path as their excellent debut album Mars. The record is full of overlapping guitars, screeching noises and prog rock cinematics whilst fusing a Drone Rock/Metal attitude within it’s Space Rock journey.
The two tracks are highly experimental with Tomoyuki Trio exploring MIddle Eastern themes and long drawn out instrumental jams. The vocals once again are handled by the legendary Aoki Tomoyuki who is the founding member and lead guitarist of visionary Japanese Psych Rockers UP-TIGHT. They have a Punk Rock aesthetic to them with them constantly being out of balance with the music but somehow it all works especially within the highly experimental and mind-expanding opening track Anxiety & Ecstasy (I) (II).
Shitruen feels like it was inspired by the works of Brian Eno, Lou Reed and Alejandro Jodorowsky within the whole creative framework that Aoki, Mike and Dave use for their respective parts of the record. I’m probably way off base with my thoughts on the record but that’s the impression I get personally from listening to the album.
The whole record is a nightmarish Noise Rock odyssey with epic amounts of frantic guitar solos and intense drum beats throughout. The warped SONIC journey continues within the excellent final track Depths Of Distant Reminiscence (I) (II) (III) where things become even heavier and even weirder with the music constantly evolving into darker sounds of the Psychedelic, Jazz and Krautrock trajectory.
If you’re a fan of Experimental Psychedelic Freakouts that’s buried under a ton of distorted Krautrock and Space Rock sounds then Shitsuren is the perfect record for you to immerse yourselves with. I may prefer their 2023 debut release Mars a little bit more but this is still a fascinating and superbly entertaining record which allows Aoki, Mike and Dave to impress yet again with their intense and incredible technical ability.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Shitsuren is available to buy now on the following formats below.
CD/Vinyl - Feeding Tube Records
CD/DD/Vinyl - Visual Volume (Mike Vest)
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