OOIOO - Armonico Hewa

What if you could open your mouth and instead of words in a sentence all the sounds of modern life would come pouring out in a torrent of brilliant ideas? It would sound like OOIOO. This all female band from Japan has gone about making one astounding record after another for the last decade or so, and Armonico Hewa is no exception. Led by former Boredoms drummer Yoshimi (P-We) it is almost impossible to describe OOIOO’s music. It is largely based on improvisation, but always maintains a consistent groove or feel that gives the songs consistency. It is not chaos, in fact it is often quite beautiful. The only way to describe it is to compare it to other bands. It is equal parts trance drum guitar workouts similar to Can, squealy/skronky sound collages like early Sonic Youth and ultra modern Japano-syntho sheen like Cornelius, with a little of Yoko Ono’s understanding of the Avant Garde thrown in for good measure. Of course it doesn’t really resemble any of these, because it is its own unique flower. If you like modern music that challenges your expectations yet consistently rewards with unforgettably melodic experimentation, you owe yourself a visit to the rare world of OOIOO.

--Paul Epstein