So oh hey France, when the fuck did this happen? And I guess the better question would be, why was I so late to notice this? It seems that somewhere along the line, all of these instrumental mathy guitar/drum duos popped up all over the country. I’m going to be talking about the band 37500 Yens, but I have a feeling that in the future I will do a review of another French duo, Cheval de Frise.
Of these French bands I have recently heard, I can honestly say that 37500 Yens is probably the most heavy and aggressive. This record opens up with a dissonant guitar arpeggio that becomes the building block for the rhythmic guitar and drum interplay that punches in and asserts itself for the remainder of the record. This band sounds more like A Minor Forest hopped up on super cool then it does Hella. Jumping from here to there, but never sounding overly bombastic or riffy. From the first song on, you’ll realize that though 37500 Yens is only guitar and drums, they use loops and samples to fill in space when it is needed. Even a saxophone pops up to spread some free jazz love. “Astero” ends with a moment that is the complete opposite to how the record begins. Almost as if the whole album is a build up to that moment. Listen for yourself.
If you are into A Minor Forest, Don Caballero (Mike Banfield era), Hella, Tera Melos, or pretty much any heavy mathy instrumental bands, I highly recommend this album.
-matthew st.
Personal album highlights:
-Carnard Boiteux
- The Sullivan's Quartet
If you like this album, please try to buy it from your local independent record store
This is excellent.
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