That Boredoms were able to advance from novel noise pranksters to vibrant musical wizards has much to do with the fluid and inventive drumming of Yoshimi P-We. Moonlighting as leader of the more tribal and kinetic OOIOO, Yoshimi has been able to further hone her unique style. On Gamel, album number seven (and their first in five years), the quartet find inspiration through the percussive-heavy, traditional Javanese musical style of gamelan.
Over 11 unhinged tracks, OOIOO match their volcanic backbeats and low-end with equally rhythmic vocals: screams, screeches and moans. Songs like the dense "Shizuku Gunung Agung," the mortal "Gamel Kamasu" and the broken toy piano-aided "Gamel Udahah" open themselves up to unexplored avenues in songwriting, opting for dynamics, drama and brute force rather than melody and structure. On Gamel, OOIOO praise the traditional while eschewing the benign to create a truly original rhythmic screed.
(Thrill Jockey)Over 11 unhinged tracks, OOIOO match their volcanic backbeats and low-end with equally rhythmic vocals: screams, screeches and moans. Songs like the dense "Shizuku Gunung Agung," the mortal "Gamel Kamasu" and the broken toy piano-aided "Gamel Udahah" open themselves up to unexplored avenues in songwriting, opting for dynamics, drama and brute force rather than melody and structure. On Gamel, OOIOO praise the traditional while eschewing the benign to create a truly original rhythmic screed.