[.ca] Kila Kila Kila

Would you like some Sun Ra with your Amon Duul II?:
I expected something different, I suppose, than what I received. Their press characterizes the music such that you expect glistening sheets or sound with small animals peeking through the haze to chirp, bark, and tell you a story. I was expecting to, like, take a bath in this music and then never really bathe again. Luck shined down on my loved ones when this album turned out to be a little more derivative, and a lot less forward-thinking, than I anticipated. Kila Kila Kila is very good for what it is. However, that "what it is" is where, at least I, get hung up. The first track sounds like a poorly executed adaptation of an Atlantis-era Sun Ra tune. Things pick up over the rest of the album, but OOIOO never really moves beyond their very obvious love of Kraut Rock, and neo-psychedlia of such bands as Amon Duul, Ash Ra Tempel, and Neu!. In some ways, this music is to Kraut Rock what The Faint are to New Order. Kila Kila Kila is a very competent homage to some of my favorite bands, and if you want to hear a very capibly played twists on some very familiar Kraut/Free Jazz ideas then go ahead and buy it. It's definitely not a waste of money. Don't expect the 2nd coming of music, though. The press has sadly overplayed its hand with this band.

Middle of the Road (3/5):
Many times in reviews, a writer feels as though he or she has been given the same repetitive task. Review this album and try to be as precise as possible. Keep all elements in mind: originality, execution, musicianship, history, etc. Once the review has been written, the album is either placed on a shelf to disappear permanently or it will find a place in the stack of favorites. Some writers will also agree that when you compare these stacks of albums, the ones that tend to lack the above qualities always outweigh those that do. The female quartet, OOIOO, have me staring at my stacks in a decisive battle for where it will land. Therein lies one of the main disappointment of OOIOO's latest offering, Kila Kila Kila. OOIOO have made their rounds over the years by releasing all their albums on different labels. Kila Kila Kila is receiving a new release on the Thrill Jockey label for the US in 2004. While the album may be a year old already (it was released in Japan last year), OOIOO continues with their multicolored and fragmented sounds in the same fashion as we've previously heard. Fronted by Boredoms drummer/pink robot battler, Yoshimi and crew create colorful images of psychedelic pop similar to the way Pollock dripped his paintings onto canvas: in organized disarray. However, too many times it falls short of being palatable for my jaded ears. Kila Kila Kila contains numerous pristine sounds and rich textures that show subtle moments of ingenuity and progression. The second half of "Sizuku Ring Neng," for example, is a magnificent psychedelic jam session that seems to take control of its own reigns. It stands alone as one of the only moments where all the desired qualities seamlessly come together. It continues down the right path with the preceding song, "On Mani." Elegant violin strums are gently laid over dense bass lines and swift drumming. The 15-minute "Aster" is another strong moment for the album. The easiest way to describe it would be that it's basically three songs jammed into one. With its length, ability to gently ramble, and most importantly, great musicianship, it becomes the highlight of Kila Kila Kila. Particularly the last two minutes as it slowly drifts to silence. For a moment, this actually turns out to be a very good album. One could argue that "Northern Light," or even "Anuenue Au," should belong on the pile of good songs here, but as I said before, they just seem to lack the ability to connect with the listener. Things aren't totally down for OOIOO and their latest work. Even though there seems to be a connection issue for me, I'd say a good half of the album is very nicely done. However, the other half seems to focus too much on effect over function. Some songs last for well over ten minutes and can go off on several different tangents in the process. These tangents start the album off in an unneeded way, but actually become a little more fluid during the second half of the album. I'd go so far as to say this album will be warmly received by OOIOO's fans. It does a nice job of bringing to mind their previous recordings, with a fresher, and decidedly cleaner, end result.

Children at my window.:
This the first OOIOO album I have heard in full, but it is totally awesome. Every song floats into the next, and when you're done w/ the album you think to yourself ''why isn't this album already on loop.'' The first nite I got this album I listened to it on loop for several times, then fell asleep to it. It totally weirded me out in a good way. I awoke to the sound of little kids at my bedroom window, but it was just the 'Kila Kila Kila'. Bad ass!

• Kila Kila Kila
• Ene Soda
• Sizuku Ring Neng
• On Mani
• Northern Lights
• Niko Niko Niko
• Aster
• Anuenue Au