Our Latest Number＜限定盤/Black & White Half-and-Half Vinyl＞

ポストロック界で長く愛されてきた日本の音楽グループ、toeの2018年リリースのEP「Our Latest Number」がアナログレコードでリイシュー。限定BLACK & WHITE HALF-AND-HALF VINYL。

Since 2000, Japanese quartet Toe have been making highly intricate post-rock music that sounds like it was produced by an advanced, ultra-precise machine, yet feels earthy and organic. Their songs are typically characterized by clean-sounding guitar melodies working in tandem with eternally fluctuating drumbeats. The band has been known to dabble in hip-hop and electronic elements, and releases such as 2015's Hear You have contained a heavier presence of vocals, but superhuman drumming and ornate guitar plucking remain the core of the group's sound. Released in 2018, Our Latest Number EP provides four examples of Toe at their finely tuned best (although fans should be aware that a limited Japanese CD pressing appends a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," which is surprisingly faithful except for the fragile vocals by pop singer Kotringo). "The Latest Number" features a slightly stilted but danceable rhythm along with hushed yet alert vocals, with bits of electronics and vibraphones stitching the guitars and rhythm section together during the bridge. This is certainly Toe in pop mode, but even when they concentrate on showcasing their musicianship, they're still quite accessible. "Etude of Solitude" begins with a lumpy bang-bang-bing-boom riff that sounds like it might've been happened upon by accident, yet it's smoothed out and incorporated into the song in a way that makes sense. The drums get particularly complex during the middle, but it all maintains a logical balance, and the song's ecstatic feeling elevates as it progresses. "F_A_R" is the EP's most melancholy moment, working an elegant mini-procession of strings and snare drums into a wistful piano ballad. ~ Paul Simpson

3年ぶりのオリジナル作となるミニ・アルバム。前作同様にアコースティック・ギターとピアノを活用しつつ、鉄琴や木琴、シンセなども導入。歌モノとインストゥルメンタルが半々で、精密なリズムで構築された美しいアンサンブルはやはり彼らの真骨頂だ。ストリングスがメランコリックに響く"F_A_R"があれば、コトリンゴをフィーチャーしたブラック・サバスのカヴァー(初回盤のみに収録)という驚きの試みも!
bounce (C)鬼頭隆生