Yoshihiro Kikuchi & J.Adolphe — Land Of Xenoartificial Ejaculation

Here is a sumptuous release from the dependable Geräuschmanufaktur label, arriving in a strikingly decorated flat cardboard box with an obi strip; opening the box reveals a gold tape, and a glossy, colour-printed 24-page booklet of ‘re-imaged erotomechanical collages’ by Yoshihiro Kikuchi - the images that inspired the album - with a separate art print and lyric insert. The booklet is a colourful, in all senses, set of works, blending abstract and darker images - a reasonable metaphor for the release it accompanies. Land Of Xenoartificial Ejaculation - which I have to presume references Xenophobic Ejaculation - has four tracks, titled ‘Manipulation 1,’ ‘Manipulation 2,’ and so on, and presents a skewed atmospheric take on Power Electronics.

The first piece, ‘Manipulation 1,’ which is around eight minutes long, begins with a deep, reverberating synth line, simultaneously rhythmic and droning, joined later by small clicking noises and large cavernous booms. This stealthy introduction is interrupted by small stabs of feedback, before a harsh but whispery vocal enters, moving around the stereo field. As the track progresses, the drone builds, alongside swathes of noise and percussive thuds that obliterate the piece into saturation, before dissipating into groaning synths and wash. ’Manipulation 2,’ again around eight minutes in length, has a nice melancholy synth line with a repeating melody, creating a subtle atmosphere; this peace is shattered by the arrival of noise washes, clattering percussion, and approaching synth marches. This then settles down into a deep, and brilliant, section where the original melodic line is revisited under a layer of synth textures which truly glisten; it all comes and goes very quickly, but it’s beautifully crafted and effective. The third and longest ‘Manipulation,’ at 11 minutes, commences with water sounds and eerie drones, again contributing to the sense of spaciousness on the release; wind-like sounds take over and the track builds to a blizzard of skree, before the - perhaps surprising - entry of drums and the piece breaks open, or rather overloads, into a wall of blackened noise complete with vocals, reminding me slightly of Goatvargr. The work slowly breaks down into quieter tones, with a distant low drone and whispering vocals. The final, and shortest track, ‘Manipulation 4,’ a mere four minutes, combines breathing noises, kinetic electronics pinging around, and lots of submerged background churn.

Land Of Xenoartificial Ejaculation is a very solid and adventurous take on Power Electronics - though you could just as easily call it an excellent album of drone, noise and electroacoustics, with vocals. These vocals are often somewhat reminiscent of Skinny Puppy - that kind of quiet but distorted whisper, equal parts menacing and eerie. The album itself is also equal parts menacing and eerie; rather then the tracks being dominated by grinding synth churn, and oppressive or claustrophobic tones, Kikuchi and Adolphe deploy and create space judiciously, utilising melodic synth lines and field recordings. In formal terms it’s perhaps akin to those black metal bands that have dragged the genre miles from its origins, yet still retained a black metal identity. I might have given you the impression that most of the tracks sound similar, or are structured similarly, but there’s no sense of staleness or repeating old ground; if anything, the tracks feel like they have a lot of layers and corners to explore over repeated listens. Recommended