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Bondage Fruit — III: Récit
(Maboroshi MABO-020, 1997/2005, CD)

III: Récit Cover art

One of Japan's most exciting groups, Bondage Fruit has done an utter turn around for this one, their third CD. From a highly vocal, Magma influenced band of near Koenji Hyakkei intensity, with world music influences and more, Bondage Fruit have scrapped the dense textures of their last two albums to envision a new sound, one of raw and abrasive tendencies. And they seem to have succeeded. The band is now almost fully instrumental — sounds like a basic quartet of bass, guitar, drums, and violin (so distorted it's like an electric guitar) — and from what seemed to be a highly composed music, they have moved into King Crimson like improvisational territory. Check out the 28-minute title track, an improvisation that starts with a guitar lick, a variation on a Steve Howe riff from "Close to the Edge," and proceeds into a "Thrak" like roaring jam that goes far into free territory. Breathtaking. A live version of an early track "Kinzoku No Taiji" is the coda that gives some connection to the early group, instrumental, yet losing no intensity. The semi-melodic "Frost and Fire" is one of my favorites here, featuring blistering interplay among the instruments. In summary, Bondage Fruit have taken the progressive way out, a perpendicular path to their first couple, and have actually succeeded in the outcome.

by Mike McLatchey, Published 1998-02-01

How fast things can change! It was only a couple issues ago that we reviewed Bondage Fruit's previous effort that seemed to indicate the band was moving into a more "world zeuhl" influenced direction, with interlocking vocal patterns featuring Saga Yuki and other members. Now Yuki is gone, and the band is taking a two track approach: one with a harder-edged more instrumental oriented sound powered by guitar, bass, and drums (the twelve-minute opener "Odd-Job" could at times pass for the raw bluesy power of early Led Zeppelin), and second, a more jazz infected style powered by violinist Yuji Katsui and vibraphonist Kumiko Takara. Many of the avant-garde elements are still in place, and tend to tie the two extremes together. Such a drastic change in their sound certainly wasn't expected, but indeed it shows that the band is progressing and scaling new heights. Most who enjoyed their previous releases will surely find plenty of interest here, as the spirit and fire of previous work remains intact. And as always, Katsui delivers plenty of smokin' violin solos, while four hands and four feet in the percussion department keep the rhythm busy and moving forward. In all, a fine third step that shows the band in growth mode.

by Peter Thelen, Published 1998-02-01

After Bondage Fruit II, it seemed this band was poised to continue the uphill climb to maximize their potential. II was built on a solid base of RIO/Zeuhl that fit firmly into the Japanese school of modern prog rock. So it was quite a surprise to find they've moved away from everything that they've been doing into a more experimental, avant-noise approach. After the first two killer minutes of "Odd Job" the music breaks down into heavily-improvised boring nonsense as guitarist Natsuki Kido and mallet percussionist Kumiko Takara take the dominant role, seemingly playing whatever came into their minds at the time. The rest of the album continues in the same fashion, with drummer Youichi Okabe occasionally going nuts beneath the din of the pointless improv of the instrumentalists. There is hardly a melody, theme, or even a rhythmic purpose to any of these tunes. This all culminates with the 28-minute "Récit," during which you'll swear time stands still. The live track "Kinzoku No Taiji" is more of the same. After showing so much promise with their first two albums, Bondage Fruit seem to be saying something with this album, but it falls so hopelessly short of any goals the band may have had and winds up just being a waste of time and talent.

by Dan Casey, Published 1998-02-01

Filed under: Reissues, Issue 14, 2005 releases, 1997 recordings

Related artist(s): Yuji Katsui, Natsuki Kido, Bondage Fruit

 

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