The Ruins

[Yesspaz]

Ok, this is not a suggestion but a recon effort. Anyone know anything about The Ruins?


I found this tid-bit at Epitonic.

"You could call them prog on PCP. The Ruins are among the most notorious among Japan's aurally demanding noise rock exports. I mean, these guys make the almighty Boredoms look like kindergarten fare. Like virtually all Japanese noise bands, they are incredibly talented, precise musicians, which stands as part of the reason why their rhythmic onslaught is so utterly overwhelming; they play games with your head in so many other ways besides sheer crushing noise (a tactic they do resort to regularly, however). The Ruins take the cosmic complexity of classic progressive rock outfits -- Yes, Rush, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, etc. -- and turns it into psycho minimalist avant-punk. In other words, utterly chaotic and out of this world, yet astonishingly rigorous and disciplined. It's like this giant musical in-joke, these Japanese madmen transforming the humorless melodrama of '70s stadium rock into high-speed comic book nonsense punk, and while it's a bit challenging to the ear, it's also pretty entertaining."


And this tid-bit at AllMusic.

"Ruins (Tatsuya Yoshida (drums/vocals) and Hisashi Sasaki (bass/vocals)) plays a unique form of manic and twisted progressive rock for these millennial times. This duo's compositions are complex and can be disorienting to any listener who is accustomed to less innovative, dynamic, and demanding musics. Yoshida, the founding member of Ruins, formed the band in 1985. Since that time, there have been a number of different bass players, including Ryuichi Masuda, Hisashi Sasaki, and Kimoto Kazuyoshi. Bandleader/drummer/singer Yoshida credits such diverse influences as progressive rock stalwarts Magma, classical composers such as Chopin, and traditional throat singing from Tuva. Though hints of these and other influences (e.g. Bill Bruford, Rush, Pink Floyd, Gong, King Crimson, Magma, Yes, and Genesis) often come through in the Ruins sound, there is no mistaking them for anyone else. Many of their compositions employ odd time signatures, sudden tempo changes, and passages of heavily processed noise. The bass, which unlike most has six strings, is often threaded through various effects. Both members of the band sing vocables that complement one another. These vocables are meant to be nonsensical and that's how they sound and are usually improvised, as are portions of their songs. Their overall sound is chaotic yet precise, noisy yet harmonious, catchy yet repelling, frenetic yet disciplined."

[moses]

These vocables are meant to be nonsensical

"vocables" ... I like that!

[progdirjim(Admin)]

sounds like crap to me



in case you can't tell, I know NOTHING about these guys and don't really have an opinion. But, the review sounds like reviewers trying to be hip and cool while liking a band that sucks. But I could certainly be wrong.

Originally posted by progdirjim
sounds like crap to me

Hmmmmmmmmm!

I hate to say it but it does.

Still you have to be fair, I'll take a listen sometime and then say it's crap.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally posted by Yesspaz
1) aurally demanding rhythmic onslaught cosmic complexity

2) utterly chaotic and out of this world, yet astonishingly rigorous and disciplined

3) This duo's compositions are complex and can be disorienting to any listener who is accustomed to less innovative, dynamic, and demanding musics

4) influences as progressive rock stalwarts Magma, classical composers such as Chopin,
employ odd time signatures, sudden tempo changes, and passages of heavily processed noise.

5) complement one another.

6) Their overall sound is chaotic yet precise, noisy yet harmonious, catchy yet repelling, frenetic yet disciplined."

1) sounds like one of those stupid Belew lyrics (the world's my oyster soup kitchen etc!

2) see #6

3) oh play some more of that disorienting music! I'm so dizzy it's great! Actually anything outside of East Asia is by literal definition "dis-Orienting"

4) Chopin would do a Van Gogh before he enjoyed Magma. Oh boy odd time signatues, processed noise, can't wait!

5) thank you that was a really weak tune! You're welcome!

6) Good yet bad, male yet female, beautiful yet ugly, coherent yet incomprehensible. Let's cover all of our bases by being trendy!

Jim you're inital reaction is probably on target. Hey how about some Eyestrings? Oops that's another thread.

I have a friend who works for a Japanese newspaper. I'll see if he knows anything...

[zvinki]

You guys are tough!!! Is this what happens with old age? I, for one, am curious to hear what it sounds like. If it's anything like GYBE!, count me very interested.

[Yesspaz]

Sooooooo, the initial vibe is that they may not be good? I'm not sure I read you guys correctly. Could you be more precise please?

[Yesspaz]

Well folks, I just found an mp3. It's definitely complex and different, and while it'd definitely take getting used to, all I can say is, well, I like it.

The Ruins - Etymology

Check it and tell me what you think... I'm intersted to hear what you have to say.

[Rick and Roll]

I'll check it out....I did go to the site, and there's a link for a band named "Starship Beer".

Sister Bluebird, go drinking on by...

[moses]

OK I listened. Better than the Boredoms (in my opinion). At least this didn't sound like they were all playing a different song.

Actually it reminds me of a noisier Clockhammer (if anyone remembers them), although Ruins is probably more complex. Clockhammer has vocals too, and that guy could sing!

[zvinki]

I just had a listen. Interesting to the point that I'd like to hear other pieces but I have my reservations since the music doesn't seem to go anywhere in the sample. I'll keep my ears open for more.

[Yesspaz]

yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking Zvinki. If I can find one of their cds on half.com for like $3 or less I'll pick it up, but there are only about, oh, 500 albums in front of it....

[progdirjim(Admin)]

stringing together totally unrelated random samples of shit does not make for complexity.

these guys suck.

considering the old axiom "if you don't have anything nice to say" - I would guess that it does take some rehearsal to have multiple musicians playing the same shit at the same time.

any questions?

[Yesspaz]

Soooooo, if I buy their cd, I probably shouldn't consider donating it to AM, is that what you're trying to say?

[Rick and Roll]

wow jim......now I really want to hear it!

[progdirjim(Admin)]

OK, here's the problem with these guys. Imagine the polar opposite of Philip Glass' "Music In 12 Parts". In that piece, any 10 second piece sounds pretty good, but you go crazy because it NEVER changes. In The Ruins, any 3 second piece (well lots of them anyway) sounds pretty good, but it's CONSTANTLY changing to something that's unrelated. It's not complex, it's unstructured and random.

They are pretty tight. But, it's not music, IMO.

[Yesspaz]

You know how good music gets better with age? This song, I must admit, is the opposite. I listened to it a second and third time, and it interested me less and less. So, no The Ruins for me.

[Rick and Roll]

Some of the other bands and their songs are priceless -

"The Truth is a F@@###in lie"
"My Dog Has Bumps"
"Frankenbitch"
"Harry Pussy"

I like the statement that they were going to be a power trio but the guitarist didn't show.

Also the drummer is the "sole permanent member".

I just wasted three minutes of my life. but it was funny.

I feel even more secure in my "pop-ness".

Nice backtrack there Spaz, just clean up your tracks......

[Yesspaz]

No backtracking here. If it turned out that I like them, I tell you all where you could stick your musical tastes. Alas, we agree this time...

Epitonic is a great place to find a lot of indie/post rock stuff. I learned about Unwed Sailor, Tarentel, Pele, Mogwai, Billy Mahonie, Tommy Guerrero, Turing Machine, Tristeza, The Album Leaf, Oma Yang, The Roots of Orchis, The Letter E, Magnetophone, and literally dozens of other bands there.

[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

a yawn and a barf.

This sounds suspiciously like something my brother and his buddies did in our garage when they were putting together their world famous rock band. When they were in 6th grade.

Only not as clean.

Roger "Thank god for mute buttons" -Dot- Lee