Pop

バウハウスとラヴ&ロケッツから生まれた
伝説のバンド、トーンズ・オン・テイル1stがリマスター再発!

バウハウスのメンバーであるダニエル・アッシュとケヴィン・ハスキンズがラヴ&ロケッツのグレン・キャンプリングと活動をともにした伝説のバンド、トーンズ・オン・テイルが1984年に残した唯一のスタジオ・アルバムが最新リマスターを施し、アナログ盤再発決定。
ダニエル・アッシュが「僕らは本当に新境地を開拓していたと思うよ。今聴聞き直してみると、まるで先週録音されたように聞こえるようで、どのジャンルにも当てはまらないからね。僕がそのバンドでとても誇りに思っているのは、まるで別の惑星から来たかのように聴こえることだよ。」と語る通り、バウハウスのゴシックな世界観を受け継ぎながらも、ダブやフリー・ジャズ、ファンキーなハウス・ビートを取り入れた作風は"ドゥーム・アンド・ダンス・ポップ"と呼ばれ、世界中のニッチなニューウェーヴ・ファンやDJたちから熱い支持を集めた。
今回のリマスター再発にあたり、オリジナルのアナログ・マスターからカットされており、UKのRSD2020で完売したことを受け、待望のスタンダード・エディションとして世界流通が解禁となる。

The trio's one actual album is an impressive, wide-ranging effort collaging a range of influences into an inspired, often unpredictable experience. With their former band's generally gloomier shadows left behind, what Ash and Haskins draw from their time with Bauhaus is that group's melange of styles -- their most underappreciated strength. Ash, with his breathy purrs and slinky all-around singing, works absolute magic on the quieter numbers, while more strident pieces like the nervous tension of "War" benefit from his abilities at more upfront projection as the need arises. Campling isn't quite as strong a bassist as, say, David J, but he is more than fine. In the simple but effective work he does on the opening "Lions," for instance, his deep, fuzzy but not fuzztone effort locks the samba feeling of the song into place perfectly. Haskins, meanwhile, is as in form as Ash, offering up everything from minimal tapping and textures to full-bodied slams. Variety is clearly the spice of Pop's life; the goofy, jazzy swing of "Happiness" and catchy, dark shimmer of "Performance" are miles from "Real Life" and its brittle, bitter acoustic/electric sentiments. Though one could call the album schizophrenic in form, it's all still clearly the work of one group with a set vision rather than a bunch of musicians chasing after any number of styles. One of the most hilarious, truly trippy songs ever recorded by anyone is right in the album's middle -- "Slender Fungus" -- consisting of Ash's nonsense main lyric, weirdly soothing backing vocals, and an utterly strange percussion loop that sounds like people clicking their tongues more than anything else. Pop ends on a fine high note with the ambient-into-slow-paced-rock of "Rain." Ash's crooning has rarely been finer, while the sheets of organ and e-bowed guitar that introduce and then continue throughout the song are as atmospheric as it can get. ~ Ned Raggett