KILA KILA KILA

Kila Kila Kila is the only album i've heard from OOIOO and i was, unfortunately, not that impressed.

Kila Kila Kila is not a bad album by any means, but it could be so much better. First of all, there is a lot of experimentation going on, and it's not very accessible. Melody and musicality takes a backseat to sonic experimentation on most of the tracks. There is a lot of variation, in that no track sounds like the previous one, but the tracks themselves tend to drag on for a bit long in the same musical ideas. There are some very catchy parts, especially on "Siziku ring neng" and "on mani", but the bulk of the album is too cold and experimental for my ears. It almost seems like the band decided to make a really avant-garde album and then write the music inside the frame that they set up, instead of the other way around. Most of the vocal parts seem contrived and could have been skipped as well. One of the most uneven albums that i have got, quality-wise.

So why even give it three stars, you wonder? Well, as i said, there are parts of the album which are extremely catchy, and even if "ene soda" fits like an apple in a bowl of crisps and the title track is an abomination of nature, there is a slight chance that someone with more of an ear towards the avant-garde might enjoy "Kila kila kila" more than i do.

The spirit is there, and i won't be giving up on these girls too soon, but i cannot recommend this album to anyone other than the really adventurous listeners.

While not as immediately enjoyable as the pysch-rock-pop on "Feather Float", "Kila Kila Kila" will be rewarding after testing the listener's paitence- a lot. The album starts off rather slow, the first drumbeat not appearing until almost 10 minutes into the album. The title track is a short ditty with random keyboard organ notes. "Ene Soda" is an actually nice atmospheric piece, featuring windchimes, droning voices and a single chord occasionaly played to keep things moving- even just a little bit. "Sizuku Ring Neng" is what I consider the "real" start of the album, but the only problem is that this song just really doesn't go anywhere. It features a repeated discordant guitar riff, weird electronic sounds and more chanting. "On Mani" has some great trumpet work, a driving beat and features nice strings at the end. "Northern Lights" and "Niko Niko Niko" are both quieter, jazzier songs.

The highlight of the album for me is the 15-minute "Aster". It opens with very slow and beautiful contrabasss and cello lines. Eventually voices come in, culminating in excellent vocal harmonies. Some guitar lines, reminiscent of "Sizuku Ring Neng" come which eventually give way to a steady drum beat and more of Yoshimi's trademark vocal lines. The guitars return for one more run through and the song ends very much how it began. The album ends with "Anuenue Au". Yoshimi plays a lovely piano part and the band eventually gets it together for a calm outro.

"Kila Kila Kila" has a lot more jazz experimentation which may be hard for some listeners to appreciate. But through all of the obtuse twists and turns, the dedicated listener will find much to appreciate in this album.

Standout tracks: "Aster"

OOIOO are really hitting some experimental territory here, not that they were ever commercial, but with Kila Kila Kila they added enough free jazzy elements and noodlings to the point where these pieces start to lose structure and focus. Still, there's entertaining moments to be found, with some of them being incandescent.

As much as the chimes & bells tune "Ene Soda" is kinda pretty, it's not until almost a few minutes into the third track, "Shizuku Ring Neng", that things start to cook. Drummer Yuko Yoshimura really makes the difference here, connecting all the dots under her groove and providing the needed energy to keep the machine working. Yoshimi, meanwhile is coming up with all kinds of melodies and noises with various instruments while singing with a style that ranges from 'cute' to just plain 'weird'. I dig the "wona" chants going on in that tune; they induce that warm & fuzzy effect on me.

"On Mani" is another cool track, which brandishes string instruments and trumpets to carry the melodies over the funky rhythms. Aya has certainly gotten pretty good at her bass playing by this time, since when she joined she really didn't know how to play it. Then there's the epic "Aster", which would be my other favorite track just after "Shizuku Ring Neng", that starts slow and atmospheric, then swells into the wacky 'jazz over a tight beat' vibe the band seemed to be reaching for with this particular album. Other tracks don't hold my interest too well. "Northern Light" is saved by Yuko's stellar jazz drumming keeping things afloat, making her the most notable member concerning this release. She's awesome. The last track features some nice piano moments, but man does that tune takes its time to eventually go nowhere in particular.

This isn't an average affair. It's got great moments, and moments far from great, so an unsteady ride it is. And it's daring, adventurous and sometimes even fun, which certainly helps regarding its replay value. It takes a while to get there though, so patience is required.