Boredoms

Seadrum/House Of Sun

[5]Since 1986, Japan’s Boredoms have morphed from chaotic splatter-punks to channelers of sacred psych-rock, chocolate-synthesizer and tribal-drum vibrations. The group’s strange odyssey culminated in 2001’s awesome cosmic-psych trance-athon, Vision Creation Newsun. This follow-up finds Boredoms deviating into exciting new territory. The ecstatic “Seadrum” is fueled by free-spirited, swooping piano runs, beats that rumble like redwoods falling on stadium-sized drums, and Yoshimi’s rapturous chants. Boredoms attain an unstoppable momentum that’s as thrilling as anything designed by the pros at Cedar Point. This ain’t your dad’s jazz. On “House Of Sun,” Boredoms totally reverse gears into a meditative swirl of buzzing tamboura drones, deep gong resonances, violin and the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” guitar to create the soundtrack to heaven’s opium den. This is a sensational place to get acquainted with the immortal wonder of drones: 20 minutes of it is merely a tease. Nirvana (the state, not the band) awaits. (VICE) Dave Segal



ROCKS LIKE: Alice Coltrane’s Transfiguration • Rovo’s Imago • Henry Flynt’s Purified By The Fire