Review: Zamboa ‘未来’
Tracing a band’s musical history is an essential step in understanding the creative journey that led to their latest offering. By digging into the origins and evolution of a group’s sound, one can get valuable insights that inform the evaluation of their most recent work. The early influences and formative years of a band often lay the groundwork for the distinctive style they develop over time as they experiment with different genres, instrumentation, and lyrical themes. This is certainly true in the case of the experimental rock duo from Kagoshima, Japan known as Zamboa.
Formerly Klan Aileen, their musical journey began in 2012 with the release of their debut album Astroride as a power trio. But they soon decided to continue onward as a streamlined two-piece, allowing them to further hone their unique musical vision. Takairo Takeyama‘s skilled work on drums and keyboards provided a solid foundation, while Ryo Matsuyama‘s emotive guitar work and captivating vocals took centre stage.
Over the years, Klan Aileen has developed a devoted following with their atmospheric, genre-defying sound, building upon the creative seeds first sown during Takeyama and Matsuyama‘s early collaborations. Their evolution from a trio to a dynamic duo has only served to sharpen their artistic focus and creative expression. As Klan Aileen they released three studio albums and a series of six captivating live albums made of truly compelling performances that showcase the duo’s impressive musical prowess and their ability to seamlessly transition between jarringly abrasive and hauntingly beautiful sonic textures.
Six years after the release of 2018’s Milk via Japanese label Hostess Entertainment Unlimited, the duo is back, not only with a new album 未来 (Future), their first studio album on their own imprint Jolt! Recordings, but also with a different name Zamboa. The reason behind their name change remains somewhat enigmatic, as their core sonic identity has remained largely consistent across these two distinct project names.
The nine tracks that make this new work shows the continuing music interstellar voyage which they undertook twelve years ago, with each track blending elements of the most experimental rock with the hazy, psychedelic atmospherics of acid folk. The stand out track この世でもあの世でも (Konoyo Demo Anoyo Demo) is slow, warm and transcendental, quite different from the more visceral live version found on their 2020 album Japanese Bush Warbler.
they spin their enchanting melodies, each note and harmony precisely placed to draw the listener deeper into the duo’s sonic landscape…
Where one can hear echoes of the most uncompromising noise-rock experimentalism, akin to the mind-bending psychedelic fury of Acid Mothers Temple’s Kawabata Makoto, yet, Zamboa’s sonic palette also encompasses a mesmerizing psych-acid folk aesthetic, oscillating between the hypnotic, ethereal qualities of Kikagagu Moyo with ひばりの朝 (Hibari No Asa) and the haunting, introspective tones of Nagisa Ni Te reminiscent closing song 旋回 (Senkai).
This seamless blending of influences coalesces into a truly unique musical genre that defies easy categorization, evoking in ムーンライト(Moonlight) the mystique and mysticism of Japan’s revered ‘psych rock cult’ band, Ghost. Zamboa has a truly captivating way of crafting their musical tapestry, weaving their distinct sound into an intricate, spellbinding web that ensnares the souls of all who listen. With a masterful command of melody and rhythm, they spin their enchanting melodies, each note and harmony precisely placed to draw the listener deeper into the duo’s sonic landscape.
Their music flows with a graceful, almost hypnotic quality, casting an alluring spell that transports you into realms of pure musical bliss. Every element – the blending of instruments, the interplay of vocals, the subtle textures and tones – combine to create a listening experience that feels almost mystical in nature, as if the artists have tapped into the very essence of the human spirit and given it voice.
With an almost supernatural intuition, they seem to anticipate the very needs and desires of those who listen to their music, masterfully guiding them through a sonic journey that stimulates the senses and nourishes the spirit. Each note, each chord progression, each subtle nuance is deliberately woven into a tapestry of sound which is driven to a profound connection of dream like atmosphere.
It’s as if the artists have an innate understanding of the frequencies and vibrations that speak directly to the human psyche, allowing them to cast an enchanting musical spell that transports the audience to realms beyond the everyday. This duo’s rare gift lies in their power to create an immersive, transcendent experience – a sonic web that envelops the listener, drawing them ever deeper into their captivating sonic world.
Label: Jolt! Recordings
Band Links: Bandcamp
Scribed by: Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Caccamo
