Jo Ha Kyu
To start the thread back up we begin with what might be the most experimental thing on this list, and from what it looks like this will be a doozy with 1 song over 30 minutes and another around the 20 minute mark. Based on other EAI and Onkyo that I've heard I'm expecting moderate enjoyment, but nothing mind blowing.
Track 1: Jo Ha Kyu
Starting with some crazy high pitched electronic blips and a rumbling cymbal or something in the back. The drone going on throughout this whole beginning is crazy soothing, gotta say. Few piano hits here and there, but not all that much going on. About 7 minutes in and all I can really say is this is goddamn eerie. Some sort of string instrument and a really soothing voice, this is starting to change up a little bit. Loving the **** out these vocals that keep popping up her and there. I have no clue what is being played through this entire thing besides the vocals obviously. Woah loud vocal coming in, no idea where that came from. This is actually starting to remind me of Bring The Sun by Swans in the middle section right where it transitions to Toussaint L'Oveture. Nice little tune being picked up by what I assume is a cello? I sorta wished I knew what was being scream whispered at me, but oh well. All of that completely disintegrated fast... I'm honestly lost as to where this is going now. About 20 minutes in and all that's happening is some scraping on strings and little electronic hisses, really freaky stuff. And now it's mainly silence with some drum hits here and there. Sir, please stop choking yourself that can't be good for you. Okay now we're back to some semblance of a rhythm, while some man ****s himself in the background. I do like the structure of this piece a lot, in fact that may be my favorite thing about it. This is honestly danceable at this part. Loving the electronic flourishes. Honestly, I liked every part of this except for when it all broke down, that was a little too sparse for my tastes, but overall I loved it.
Track 2: First Contact #1 With Sachiko M
Alright this features Sachiko M, so I'm sure I'll like this. Lots of electronic hisses and ticks to start this off with some sort of field recording in the background, but I couldn't tell what's going on. This is horribly unsettling for me for whatever reason. My ears are actually sort of popping, this is strange. It sounds like something being dragged in the background. Ah it was a cello the whole time, who knew. The cello is creating this hypnotic drone that I'm loving. Reminds of Set Fire To Flames a tiny bit. It almost sounds like some sort of ship sinking, like I said before this track is really really unsettling.
Track 3: First Contact #2 With Eiko Ishibashi
No idea who the featured artist is on this one. Sounds like a prepared piano and a plucked cello. Once again very unsettling atmosphere. Although I enjoy this, I wish the album weren't so goddamn long. Not to much to say about this, just piano and cello improv. This one is just leaving me empty and ****ing bored. I still have a 20 minute song to go as well, so yay for that.
Track 4: First Contact #3 With Keiji Haino
I see this one features the man himself Keiji, maybe this one will be more interesting. ****ing weird guitar tones right at the beginning here, already more interested than the last track. Weird enough the guitar playing on this track reminds me a lot of Primus' guitar work. About 8 minutes in and it's taking a dark psych path at the moment. And that ended quickly, back to sparse noodlings (just by the way I do like the noodling so I don't mean that in a bad way). Loving the hell out of the cello work about 12 minutes in, extremely drony and hypnotic. Keiji has just been getting really cool tones out of his guitar this entire song, nothing more, nothing less. Oh noise oh sweet sweet noise. Keiji's guitar work at about 18 minutes in is just amazing.
Final Veridict: I liked it. There were some sections that bordered on plain annoying and others that I think are genius. It's basically what I expected, something good, but overly long and tedious in certain areas, not something I think I'll return to in the near future, but nonetheless good.
6/10