SUPER ROOTS

In the early to mid nineties, Japan's Boredoms seemed to undergo a slow, measured, and deliberate change in musical philosophy. Beginning in the late eighties as hyper-caffeinated post-hardcore madness, with several albums fully exploring this style, they then took a relatively long break from full length recordings, in the interest of publishing several installments of the "Super Roots" series of mini-albums or EPs. Each of these volumes seemed to experiment with their sound in a different way, and each step proved necessary to bring the band from the post-hardcore heart attacks of the early 90s to the spacious, spiritual mantras of the late 90s.

This is the first of the Super Roots series, released in 1993. 14 songs in 19 minutes don't leave much of a lasting impression, especially if you're already familiar with their early style. This EP, more than anything else, resembles an early Boredoms album without the songs. That is, all of the herky-jerky transitions, sudden screams, abstract noise, and near-silence that gave the songs on prior albums their zany context are now presented in their raw form, without any song-like passages to cling to. I interpret this as the Boredoms effectively "dismantling" their musical style, the demolition process needed to move forward and build anew. As you might imagine, it's not an easy listen, but it's definitely an interesting one for fans seeking to understand their development over time.

It really is quite impressive, I must say, how the band really seemed to have a vision at this time, and they weren't afraid to take their time in realizing that vision. So baby steps are what we have here, and although they make sense in context and in retrospect, as a stand-alone piece of work, this one is really only for the dedicated.