Japanese experimental jazz outfit Trio 96 are, according to their label's description, alternately a quartet and a duo, and hence their respective CD titles (see also the review for their CD "Duo '03," below). The band is made up of core members Ishikawa Kenji and Tanaka Yasuhiro on guitar and drums respectively. Their CD EP entitled Quartet '99, which was recorded in 1999 as the title suggests, has Yano Tomoaki and Ejiri Hiromitu rounding out the lineup on tenor saxophone and bass. The all-acoustic, all-instrumental music is fast-paced, busy, frenzied and frenetic, making great use of each player's musical gusto, which could get to be a bit much; the song titles aren't too descriptive, either: "JB," "5 Beats," "9 Beats," et cetera.

On the whole there's not a lot for the average electronica/industrial fan to appreciate. If, however, you are at all into the off-the-wall antics of avant-jazz artists like Eugene Chadbourne, John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, or (especially) Frank Zappa, this would at the very least pique your interest. And the CD's short five-song length keeps it from becoming a tedious listen, and makes it more than worthwhile. One could best relate--let's say--to living in an ultra-urban environment with all its varieties of texture and decay, and maybe taking in some exhibit of insanely abstract modern art with this music coming through your headphones. Or, hell, even write your art history thesis on Jackson Pollock or Franz Kline to it. If I ever go back to school (or in some other way get back to using my under-utilized brain in my regular day-to-day career), count me in....

While down to just the two core members Ishikawa Kenji and Tanaka Yasuhiro (see "Quartet '99" review, above), Trio 96's Duo '03 CD has richer tonal textures, and definitely WEIRDER stylings. As you can guess from the titles, the earlier CD was indeed recorded in 1999, and this one from 2002 to 2003, both in Tokyo. This time around, Trio 96 has moved away from being a traditional-sounding jazz combo, straying into sound effects territory, and I applaud this direction. From the sampled-string-bending on track number two, "Kerenmi Afureru Pray" to the strange Hendrix-y wah-wah guitar and staccatto bass patterns on "Improvisation (Braford)" to the synth-like brooding melancholy of "Hommage à A & G," there is, ironically enough, a lot more tonal variation to sink your teeth into. Poseidon/Musea's promo sheet compares the guitarwork on this CD--a six-song EP, really--to that of eighties King Crimson, and I think that's quite right. To me, it also goes a long way toward bridging the gap between avant-jazz and works like the amazing jazz-electronica of fellow Japanese duo Boom Boom Satellites. Less is more, kids.

You may probably think of Von Magnet as a sort of super-group, where great music originates from the joint efforts of the leader Phil Von (electronics, vocals, lyrics) together with Flore Magnet (vocals, lyrics), Mimetic (electronics, percussions), the collaboration of flamenco guitarrist Sabine Van Den Oever and the additional production of sound designer Norscq (Colder, Atlas Project). Even though this album is less exciting to me than some other things I love more, it deserves five stars for its originality and beauty. Phil Von has always been a precursor, a piioneer, a researcher, and all his love for experimenting with multi-cultural sonics show through his work in "De L'Aimant", an album that he describes, sings and promotes as "electro-flamenco". For once, the description is more than appropriate and not nearly exxagerated or showing off. You get the characteristically Spanish sounding flamenco guitars, the beautiful cajon percussions and other percussive patterns, the andalusian singing and all the warmth, melancholy, sweetness and intense passion that come with them All of this is matched to electronic textures and programming, lots of samples (italian voices, english voices, arab instruments and more), beats and layers of inspiring digital sound. While still re-inventing himself after 20 years of great music (remember 1987's "El Sexo Surrealista"), the Von Magnet music collective will provide you with awesome, passionate, inspiring, poetic and truly borderless music. Highly recommended!

Ramadan, the fourth CD by Japanese-based folk trio Quikion, is a far-out flight of fancy that whisks the listener headlong through crumbling columns of the cultural divide. This disc features twelve traditional tunes harvested from such far-flung corners as England, Germany, France, Romania, Yugoslavia, and even Pakistan! There are plenty of other delightful twists and surprises to be found on this CD, beyond the diversity of sources from which the material was garnered. For starters, lead vocalist Totoki Yukiko intones these songs in a new and exciting way, singing them in her native Japanese tongue. Sasaki Emi lends her vocal talents, as well, on some of the tracks. These soothing sounds are augmented by superb instrumentation, provided by all three band members. Yukiko plays the concertina and harmonium with skill and savvy. Emi gives her all on the accordion, glockenspiel, psaltery, and, pianica. Both women provide percussion, as well. Oguma Eiji’s fingers fly across the strings of his guitar, bouzouki, and tempura. Toy instruments are also utilized with some frequency on this disc, adding a playful air to the presentation. Too many individual highlights to mention here in total, though I will give a special nod to "Moon and a Bride," the title track, "Cha-Ri-Ne," and "Spellbound," which are all exceptional. "Concertina Blues" and "Sirba D’Accordion" are also special songs, centered on charming refrains that flow freely from their namesake instruments. Enchanting and lovely, this CD makes me want to get up and dance around – what a treat!

I didn’t know quite what to expect when I popped this disc in the player. The mélange of strange items (which could pass for a mess on my bedroom floor) gracing the cover superimposed over an old analog synthesizer, beneath a green eye, topped by a brow-like feather, and capped with a pink box really grabbed my attention. Initially, I thought I’d be bombarded with straight-up, noisy experimentation a la Voice Crack or some of Nurse With Wound’s more cacophonic offerings. Instead, I discovered a wide array of styles, sounds, and all around funky weirdness from former Add N to (X) founder/member, Ann Shenton and her new comrades. This rowdy bunch includes a blind banjo player, a guitarist, a female harmonica virtuoso, former Add N to (X) drummer Rob Allum, and a veritable plethora of synthesizers and other electronic toys that have been assembled by Shenton for the purpose of producing this strangely seductive racket. To put it bluntly, this is just plain cool! Each of the fourteen tracks is its own unique entity. "The Creaky O.K." kicks things off on an uncomplicated, funky note. "Pink Jazz" defines itself with its quirky vocals about (you guessed it) Pink Jazz and its trippy, oscillator-infused meanderings are a perfect backdrop for the strangely robotic discourse. "Hunchback in the Dark" is a purely instrumental stint, as low horns frolic gently in a field of gently chirping, retro-synth sounds. "Crazy" bops absurdly along in utter merriment, the male and female vocalists trading silly lyrical lines over softly vocoded backing vocals and a wonderfully relaxing guitar theme, before a beat interrupts the flow. "Chronosynclasticinfundibulation" sounds vaguely like a trip to the video arcade circa late 70’s/early 80’. Xevious, Break-out, and a couple of others I can’t readily identify are in the mix, along with some well-placed theremin shrieks, and a spate of insistent drumbeats, some of them bona-fide wooden-stick-on-stretched-skin, and some synthetic. "Spring on Electris" begins with a song from a tiny calliope and degenerates into erratic burps and bubbles of sound backed by a light soup of snares and cymbals. "The Transgenic Banjo Player" busts some seriously freaky moves, with its sneaky bass line and jazz-induced feel underlying a lament about "my body falling into the black hole of chaos." The song proceeds to do just that, as the banjo joins in for a brief spaced-out country jam, ultimately withering away into quietude. "Lexical Synesthesia" keeps the banjo in the mix, along with the guitar and acoustic drums. The requisite synth oddities take backstage to this broth of natural instrument sounds and a few sketchy lines of vocals that give this track the feeling of a more traditional song structure. "Autumn on Electris" marks a return to this fantastic locale – if this is what is sounds like on Electris, I’m booking a ticket today! "Today, This Flea" is a modest little 40 second bit, perhaps a suitably short and tidy ode to one of this small critters? "Love in the Asylum" is a gorgeous groove, powered by an infectious harpsichord hook, replete with swooping synths and an occasional wail from the theremin. "Twenty Two Seconds" reminds me of that shuddering-vibe sound effect used so often in murder mystery movies. The mystery here is embodied in the nearly indecipherable words, spoken lightly throughout this short track until it fades away. "Emotional Life of Animals" evokes images of an alien landing on some farm. One can hear dogs barking, cattle lowing, sheep bleating, and plenty of otherworldly noises in the background. A live recording of "The Earth Has Shrunk in the Wash" closes out this totally odd but addictive musical escapade. My only complaint is the short playing time, as the disc clocks in at a mere 38:16. Hopefully next time, they’ll spray on some more sound!