HIMIKO "Himiko" DTRASH102 Reviews


HIMIKO "Himiko" DTRASH102 CD has got some good reviews so far, and here they all are in one place.

Chain-DLK (www.chaindlk.com)
Japanese composer/keyboardist Himiko has been living in Alberta, Canada, where she has been making all sorts of crazed music. If you read her biography you'd never imagine what she is capable of, but this is her 6th album, and probably the most extreme of them all, right at home with DTrash records (but if you know the label it should come as no surprise).
Himiko is an electronics-empowered jazz trained piano player who blends her performing skills with high-powered, fast-paced, mind bogging cut ups of sped-up beats, distorted guitars and all sorts of other saturated sources. Little to no trace of jazz is left, unless of course you consider Zornian free-jazz, which I probably is one of Himiko's influences.
It's really quite hard to describe an album where so much happens in so little time and where so many influences and sounds fight for balance and attention. Sensory overload is the name of the game and if you are prepared and trained to take it, you should give Himiko her fair chance to fuck your brain up real good! 3.5/5.  Review: Marc Urselli-Schaerer

Metal Discovery (www.metal-discovery.com)
Himiko is a Japanese born composer currently living in Canada and one hell of a talented musician. Producing no less than 5 electropop albums since 2005, this self-titled release, her debut for Canadian based D-Trash Records, takes her sounds, according to the press sheet, "into a much grittier and aggressive style of electronics". The album is comprised of 10 tracks, 7 of which were recorded last year and showcase Himiko's transition into a more experimental breakbeat/metal crossover aesthetic, while 'Asobi', 'Thunder Dance' and 'Kokoro no Omori' serve as earlier examples (from 2005-06) of her less extreme approach to innovative electronica. It is the 2007 tracks that really stand out here in terms of originality and creative idiosyncrasy. Largely uncategorisable, which in my opinion is to the album's advantage, Himiko's music is a cerebrally invigorating fusion of breakcore, speedcore, metal, and jazz. No words can do the experimental music on 'Himiko' justice as this is most definitely an album that needs to be 'experienced'. Sporadic bursts of disjointed heavy guitar riffs occasionally promise a grasp on structural 'normality' but the songs will then twist and turn through breakbeat eccentricity. The jazz on offer here, sometimes latent within the mix such as on 'Passage' and occasionally deployed as a slightly more euphonic interjection in the aural chaos like with 'Incantations' adds to the unsettling listening experience. Himiko also uses her voice effectively, from her cries of despair on 'Suck' to the sinister growled vocals on 'Genbaku' for which she used a pitchshifter set to an octave lower. Sonically aggressive in its relentless cacophony and refreshingly iconoclastic in both compositional style and execution, 'Himiko' is a challenging listen that will undoubtedly only appeal to a niche market. However, if experimental, extreme electronic music is your thing or you relish listening to music that will challenge your sensibilities beyond your preconceived norms of breakcore, jazz, or metal genres, then purchase 'Himiko' immediately for you will not be disappointed. Here is a release that perhaps forces the need to redefine what constitutes 'extreme music' as the tracks on 'Himiko' pertain to extremity in all senses of the word - extremely innovative; extremely intense; extremely eccentric,; extremely unsettling, and all from the musically genius mind of an extremely talented individual. 'Himiko' is as important a release to the metal and jazz genres, as it is to extreme electronica. Stunning - go buy it now!  Review: Mark Holmes

RegenMag (www.regenmag.com)

'Scathing and distorted breakcore with jazzy undertones, sure to appeal to fans of digital hardcore madness.'

The line between experimental electronic music and jazz can be rather thin as both rely as much on improvisation and eccentricity as they do on rigid structure. It should then come as no surprise to hear that Himiko's self-titled debut album on D-Trash is a blistering, rancid amalgam of speed-riddled breakbeats, caustic noisy textures, and fractured sample manipulations akin to the punk rock aesthetic of digital hardcore the label is known for. Given her background in fusing jazz, rock, and electronic, the abrasive mix on display here is proof of her musical ingenuity. From the opening funky beats and shuffling tweaks of "Asobi" onto the distorted high-frequency arpeggios, subsonic bass attacks, and crackling percussion of "Thunder Dance," there is an immediate sense of groove and rhythm at work that belies the complexity of the arrangements. And then to throw the listener for a loop, Himiko blasts out a vicious assault of cut-up heavy metal samples set to some pummeling electrified percussion, all the while mixing in those subtle moments of jazzy composition and topped off by her brutal (albeit altered) vocals. "Passage" follows with more heavily filtered breaks and mangled samples running the gamut from speedcore to all out electronic noise, while "Matamachete Scape" is a torturous collage of clips from fellow artist Matamachete, leading into the twisted machinations of "Phuck." True to its title, "Incantations" comes across as a malevolent procession of screams and beastly guitar chords, as guest vocalist David Axis chants and groans over the accursed soundscape. To slow the pace down just slightly, "Kokoro no Omori" marches like a funeral dirge, much more restrained though no less incendiary and disturbing than the rest of the album. "Suck" is presented in two versions here, though both would perhaps work better if combined into a single track of grating hardcore electronic noise. Of course, with the album's harsh atmospheres and oppressive volume, it seems highly unlikely that traditional jazz enthusiasts will herald Himiko's D-Trash debut as anything but an unpleasant cacophony. However, fans of harsh experimental electronic in the vein of Hecate and Atari Teenage Riot will find much to behold in Himiko and her off-kilter jazzy style.

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