Savages with Bo Ningen – Words to the Blind

Unique Is as Unique Does

In music, uniqueness is king, and in that realm of unique sound, only the best can stand alone. Among that best is the 37-minute Dada-inspired Words to the Blind by UK’s Savages in collaboration with Japanese psych-punk band Bo Ningen. There are truly few words for this brilliant one-song album. The pure and complete juxtaposition between the two present a unique compilation that has no true comparison – maybe a new-age Melt Banana – that’s sure to please the select audience of the truly unique.

Words to the Blind starts off with jumbled spoken word in a sea of silence. The pure imagery of the contrast is dark, disturbing, and slightly off-putting while being deeply resonant and beautiful in its simplicity. This builds into a grooving beat that puts Haze XXL’s Purge of Dissidents to shame. As a true one-song album should do, the intensity of this grooving beat builds and escalates bringing about an ambient drone and delay-rich wails. Finally the intensity bursts into a circus tent of depth around the 17-minute mark.

The high-flung energy proceeds in a whirlwind of droned excitement all too reminiscent of that cartoon large-eared green mouse that haunted the stage prior to the Melvins in 2007. The 22-minute mark brings another change to rhythm and eccentricity when Bo Ningen and the Savages discover the addition of feedback bursts that evolve into a sophisticated and bass-driven spaced out funk. The synchronicity of this funk is desacralized by the entrance of Taigen Kawabe’s dry vocals. This travesty works itself out after she turns back on the reverb and the entire project morphs into an ambient and cloudy dream.

Words to the Blind ends in a flurry of chaos, the encore to this grand and unique temple of music. With this album, both bands display a willingness to create truly new music with the various touches that each contributes. This is truly an album deserving of the term experimental in all senses of the word with flurries of chaos, beauty, dissidence, and order. For any fan of iconic new and interesting perspectives, this album is a must-listen.