This is complex, attention-grabbing music in proud post-modernist vein of Naked City. Imagine that Rova saxophone quartet used overdubbing to thicken out their sound to Ellingtonian proportions, and left ample sonic space for John Zorn to join in with squealing, honking alto madness. That might give you some idea of what to expect from this fantastic disc.
The premise here is that you take the music of a Japanese punk/prog band and arrange it for saxophone Ryoko Ono) and drums. Oh, and instrumentation for the source band is only electric bass and drums, with some vocals. For good measure, transplant the drummer from Ruins (Tatsuya Yoshida) into this new hybrid duo. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, it all turns out surprising well. Addictively well. The arrangements generally map the saxes onto the jagged, rapid fire bass parts the drives Ruins music. Vocals for the original group are often a matter of intermittent chanting that add haunting accents to the songs. Sax Ruins sax up those parts for the mix as well, although they don't translate quite as well, and so may be harder to discern for those interested in doing note-for-note comparisons.
Sax Ruins music stands fully on its own. But if the listener is interested in seeing how the songs get transformed, the title track is a good example. The original puts the listener through the paces, starting off with a quicksilver atonal melody, later fading in a more laid back rocking rhythm. This sequencing stays intact for the Sax Ruins version. But the saxes make the melody much punchier, more insistent. Plus, the wall-of-sax arrangement is harmonized, so the effect of the skittering lines is headier and more disorienting than in the original song. Sax Ruins sounds like a huge band, especially compared to the stripped down skronk of the original Ruins.
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