Review: Melt-Banana ‘3+5’
I genuinely don’t know where to start with this review, as I’ve listened to the album twice now, and my head is ready to explode with the sensory overload that I’ve just experienced, and I can’t quite compose myself to write in any coherent sentences!! Take a breath… as yes, it’s another Melt-Banana album with a title that has two prime numbers symbolising mathematical integrity and independence.
The Tokyo-based duo are well known for being wonderfully mad, crazy and eccentric, and they’ve produced nine new songs delivered at dizzying speeds to further illustrate their visionary musical approach. With Ichiro Agata’s glitchy, cyberpunk guitar and Yasuko Onuki’s giddy, hyperactive vocals, the music is unpredictable and always full of surprises and excitement.
It all begins with some sharp, intricate noises on Code before the screeching guitar kicks in and the vocals are let loose. It’s an utterly bonkers song, that will leave you wondering, what the fuck was that all about? The next song title sums them up perfectly, Puzzle, as I’m left scratching my head in bewilderment at what is being presented, but the riff is bang on, with the aggressive electronic drums giving the song that added power.
I love the fact that the album is awash with chaotic energy and they’ve experimented with fusing so many different genres. Case D has that punk aesthetic running through it with an electronic twist that feels like you are trapped in a game of space invaders before Stopgap rips your head off with a brilliant guitar riff that will get people moving on the dancefloor. It’s a short song at just over two minutes, but one that you’ll constantly have on repeat.
I love the fact that the album is awash with chaotic energy and they’ve experimented with fusing so many different genres…
Scar begins with a delicious solo and comes across as less manic, but, as you’ve probably guessed, that doesn’t last long, and madness ensues across the rest of the song. The opening to Flipside feels like it’s been influenced by a bouncing Tigger after he’s dropped some acid, as it’s totally manic and totally captivating in equal measure.
If these songs represent the Japanese subcultures of gaming, anime and the underground music scene, then I need to immerse myself in the culture a bit more, and as Hex explodes out of the speakers with a more metal riff and cracking bassline, it is probably my favourite song on the album. Whisperer comes and goes with a much heavier riff throughout before they end with Seeds, the ticking is planted in your head, like a bomb ready to explode while the synths take the song off to a higher place before going off like a firework.
You’ll definitely need a lie down in a darkened room after listening to this, but it’s exactly what you’d expect and have come to love from Melt-Banana.
Label: A-Zap Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
