Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso UFO / Them Squirrels / Fist Of The First Man / His Naked Torso - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - 29th August 2014
[Click here to read the full review at TheProgressiveAspect.net]
His Naked Torso
...certainly a name that conjures images but none that are likely to describe the music that the duo produce, unless the torso in question is bloodied and battered at the bottom of a particularly tricky staircase. Featuring guitar with drums and keys (often played concurrently by the drummer, both drumsticks in one hand) they make a semi-improvised and squally noise that is very entertaining. Tunes they don't have in abundance but they were certainly the most experimental band on the bill and some of the ideas are very good. With lashings of youthful energy behind the cathartic music they were well worth seeing.
Fist Of The First Man
...The guitars made a fine racket, speedy picking in unison a speciality, but the bass is what made it for me. I spent much of the set watching full pints of beer on the table next to me bounce merrily towards the edge and certain oblivion with each pounding bass note. There were times where I thought I might soil myself, the notes pitched perfectly to render bowel control useless, but fortunately I managed to retain a semblance of decency as the bass continued to rattle the ribcage and thump the gut in a most enjoyable way – this makes me sound like some kind of masochist but, honestly, it isn't like that... A great take on the noise genre delivered with style, confidence and plenty of variety within the ideas, Fist Of The First Men were probably my favourite non-Japanese band of the evening.
Them Squirrels
...as twinkling twin guitars and occasional violin made an impression, the sound often morphing from quaint melody into thrashing noise. There appears to be more Alt to this band than the others but another entertaining and energetic performance that was enthusiastically received by a now packed Clwb audience.
Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso UFO
...Most of the set was solid in-yer-face Spacerock but they also worked through some Blues orientated pieces and some manifestly Japanese material including throat singing and recorder from bassist Atsushi. Throughout the mostly instrumental set were songs sung in I’m not sure what language but it didn't really matter anyway as most built gradually through repetitive mantras to deafening crescendos, from simple beginnings of pleasant phrases and melodies to howling cacophony and back, sometimes a number of times within each song. The control was extraordinary and the way the songs shifted gear took the breath away. At times, as noted, the intensity was such that I could see drummer Shimura Koji flailing away pounding his kit but couldn't actually hear what he played, the all-encompassing and visceral shitstorm around it rendering it indiscernible.
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