More mind-blowing brand new “psychedelic ambient/painful noise and improvisational” moves from Tokyo’s psychedelic underground. Formed in 1999 Suishou No Fune’s name translates as The Crystal Ship and they’re assembled around the core duo of female guitarist and vocalist Pirako Kurenai and male guitarist and vocalist Kageo, accompanied by drummer Toshihiko Isogai and bassist Doronco with occasional contributions by alternate bassist Yokai Takahashi. Doronco and Yokai Takahashi are both ex-members of Les Rallizes Denudes. In Tokyo they’ve played live shows with Keiji Haino, Tori Kudo, Kan Mikami, Jutok Kaneko and Chie Mukai. In their own words: “At the beginning of the kick-off, they create a unique ‘psychedelic’ music sound. Songs with the theme of ‘darkness’, ‘light’, ‘raw’, ‘death’, ‘love’, ‘hatred’, will certainly touch your heartstrings. You can enjoy the sound of Japanese verse and its psychedelic introspections, if you don't understand Japanese. The CD has not been released yet from labels in Japan. Probably because the world of the songs of Suishou No Fune is so unique that it may not easy to be caught on with the recent music industry. Don't be disappointed! They produced a CD-R by themselves.” This is the self-released CD-R and it comes in a classic Haino-style black-on-black sleeve and disc. The music runs the gamut of massively distended nod-out treks ala the first Fushitsusha album through weird duo tracks that orbit a parallel universe where late-period John Fahey was the prime influence on Charalambides, infernal Dead C/Gate style guitar abuse and achingly beautiful comedown ballads. The twin vocalists are massively different in their approach, with Kurenai singing in a high wayward style that’s all throat and no lungs while Kageo works from the other end of the pipes with a ripped post-Yod/Morrison/Haino gutbucket approach. Simply one of the greatest out-of-nowhere slabs to come out of the Tokyo underground in days. This has been a staple on the Volcanic Tongue stereo of late, can’t recommend it enough.
(Volcanic Tongue U.K)