Review: JeGong ‘Gomi Kuzu Can’
One of the many pleasures of reviewing albums is that you get exposed to all sorts of different bands you might not necessarily have listened to previously. I’ve pushed myself over the past few years to try new genres, one of which has been Japanese krautrock, and the discovery of the superb Minima Deutsch and Hibushibire, both of whom are incredible live experiences.
JeGong is the collaboration of Dahm Majuri Cipolla, drummer from Mono and Reto Mäder of Sum of R, and this is no ordinary record. It offers a more immersive variation of krautrock that’s driven by rhythm and innovative sounds, or as the band says, ‘a sonic aesthetic that sets a mood through warm tape saturation’.
It’s experimental and nostalgic for that warming ‘70s sound, juxtaposed with the basics of krautrock that we all enjoy, and it’s the repetitive beat and bass line that light up the opening of Golden Hairs Goes Back To Japan. With its minimalistic approach, I can feel myself wanting more, which I certainly get on Outright Wolf Medicines as it begins to break free of the shackles, slowly unfurling its repertoire of hypnotic sounds.
The album represents the duo opening their ‘memory box’ as they call it, ‘where you can store recollections, for example from childhood’ in their pursuit of that natural ‘70s sound. Contortion offers something more haunting, almost ritualistic in its auditory meltdown, as it feels gritty and real, with that electronica experimentation pushing boundaries further again, whereas Downed is slower paced, steady, and reliable.
darker grooves textured across built-up hooks, all the while feeling sinister and eerie…
One element that is clear across the eleven tracks is the analogue warmth they’ve crafted. The duo has stepped away from flawlessness and embraced imperfection. They recognised through playing live ‘how tight things need to be, and how far we can each step away from one another without it falling apart’and Chalk displays these facets, with more pulsating rhythms over a kaleidoscope of rattles, shakes and pinpoint noises. These are songs made on instinct, while What Ever Happened to Gene Bisi has an air of mystery attached to the curious musings.
There’s no doubt that the duo has concocted songs that are rhythmically thought-provoking whilst refusing to constrain themselves to social or musical norms, as on Sister with its weird fusion of beats and repetition. I find myself drifting off, as if staring into a Magic Eye picture, before being pulled back from the abyss by Parallel Tracks, with its darker grooves textured across built-up hooks, all the while feeling sinister and eerie.
Their sonic exploration continues with Patterns, a great dance track, futuristic in its delivery, but embracing the past, sending blissful waves swirling around your brain to get your body and feet moving. Müll Schrott Dose sounds more repressed and solemn, almost melancholy, yet those experimental sounds are still breaking through in the most spiritual of ways. They finish with more futuristic chaos, Obaachan Bingo, where kinetic rhythms shine through, combining with both melody and a blistering bass line to create an audible environment that feels both recognisable and modernistic.
Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
