Only a year after their collaboration with Fred Firth, Totsuzen Danball teamed up with English saxophonist Lol Coxhill to record this monster of an album! Reissued on analog vinyl for the first time ever! Without DAWs and online file sharing (or really, the concept of online), Totsuzen Danball and Coxhill painstakingly sent each other tapes, overdubbing repeatedly to make the off-kilter rock and roll you hear on this album. Immediately, you can tell that every second of effort was worth it.
The opening track “Moyou” (lit. pattern) is oddly charming, with a bouncing bassline, motorik-esque drum beat, and lyrics about being on all-fours at a pedestrian crossing. But Coxhill’s improvisations bring the song to another level, and as he squeaks notes out over a repeating guitar riff, you won’t be able to stop yourself from nodding your head. Totsuzen Danball classic “Natsu wa Kagerou” (Also included on their first album, Can I?) also takes on a new dimension of freakiness when played with Coxhill, whose free improvisations seem to soar over the simple beat and vocals from Totsuzen Danball.
Combined, they create a sound that is both pop and avant-garde, if only in spirit. Reissued on analog vinyl for the first time ever, the collaboration between Totsuzen Danball and Lol Coxhill is new wave, avant-garde, and everything in between!
