Anyone who mourned the passing of Otomo Yoshihide's incendiaryplunderphonic rock improv explosion Ground Zero should give 'Anode' ablast now! The opening and closing highly percussive attacks arecomparable to the middle section of Ground Zero's 'Last Concert'recording, where the duelling drums let fly, however these are morechaotic and loose, multi-layered and free. Perhaps this is no surpriseconsidering Ground Zero demolition drummers Uemura Masahiro andYoshigaki Yasuhiro are once more punishing the skins. 'Anode' wasimprovised under the conditions that the twelve musicicans do notrespond to each other, do not plot an obvious course and do not playregular rhythms or melodies. The ten and sixteen minute variations of"Anode 1" are as raucous and cacophanous as you might expect, but arealso more uplifting and joyful than anything I've heard all year. Sixpercussionists skitter and tumble thunderously foot over head as sinewaves wail, an empty turntable buzzes and electric guitar feedbacksings dissonant voids. Sandwiched between are two calm and reflectiverealisations of the 'Anode' game, which nod to John Cage's aleatorycomposition. "Anode 2" is the calm after the storm, as slow randomtrickles bounce off each other in curious lines. It segues neatly into"Anode 3" on which Nishi Yoko's prepared 17-string koto looms into theforeground pursuing a more climactic feel. Familiar names from theJapanorama tour such as guitarist Sugimoto Taku, sine waver Sachiko Mand percussionist Furuta Mari are on board, and in Liverpool a fourplayer version of "Anode 1" was the highlight. Otomo Yoshihide hasreleased a mind boggling number of CDs, usually of very high qualityand originality but some more essential than others. Alongside theI.S.O. CDs, this is the most assured and fascinating he's sounded sincethe demise of Ground Zero in 1998. Half of it's Otomo and friends attheir noisiest, and few kick up such a glorious racket.
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