Unless you’re a Japanophile (if you are, welcome to the club), you are probably not familiar with both people involved on this record. Guilty Connector is Kohei the Fast, early 20’s, he makes some “harsh noise”. But he also likes grindcore and drone. And he has played with Jutok Kaneko (bow down you all, bunch of peasants and honour this majesty). Tabata is better known in Europe. Real name: Tabata Mitsuru. Released many solo albums. Famous as the guitarist alongside KK Null in Zeni Geva (bow down, you all, bunch of peasants and honour those who crush your bones and your ears). He has also played with Jun Togawa and Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins). And… he was the first guitarist to play with the Boredoms (bow down…).

With such background, one might expect ear-grinding music. Surprise, surprise, it is not… Well, ok, this album ain’-t quiet, granted. But it has something very “under-control” about it, which, oddly, is quite nice. And it’s nice to have a CD that is not just a 40 minutes barrage of white noise, but leaves actually some room to breath. Actually, this aspect of the music might come down to Tabata’s love for psychedelic music.

The dawn / It’s all in this, first track of the CD, serves as a perfect introduction to what you’re going to hear for the next 40 minutes. A long sustained guitar melody and various noises provided by Kohei. Tasty. Then comes the excellent Le schiaue esistono ancora. Simple guitar line, great sounds coming from Tabata’s guitar-synth, buried under noises and, most of all, cymbals inducing a very threatening feeling. No guitar on the next one, Noise goes the weasel!. Music played with toy music boxes and a toy electronic system, before being re-worked with various effects, loops and a sequencer. Feels like a toy shop refusing to surrender under the bombs. An asterias amurensis is rather ambient, despite some harsher moments, sounding like door clapping in a scary empty building. Edge of the daydream is even more ambient, with more room for the guitar. The bugs tag is a little weirder, sounding a bit like music for a cartoon, albeit a twisted one. Tempus est quaedam pars aeternitais is huge. Guitar-synths drones, noises sounding like a very violent wind, and you find yourself in the middle of nowhere with a Tornado coming towards you. Oddly enough, you are cool and relaxed, enjoying the day and the weather. Toad possession is the tornado. Your poor body is battered, one second you’re 5 miles above the ground, the next you’re crashing against the roof of a barn. And it doesn’t hurt. Once again you are cool and relaxed, enjoying the day and weather.

The debut album of Guilty Connector und Tabata is not going to be the album of the year. However, it has loads of charms. Quite puzzling but never disappointing.