Much-anticipated 4 CD box set packaged in a card slip case with CDs and a booklet in a chunky 4 panel fold-out sleeve documenting the early work of one of the most legendary psychedelic/noise units to come out of the Japanese underground. CCCC - Cosmic Coincidence Control Centre - were formed by Hiroshi Hasegawa (who now records under the name Astro amongst others), Fumio Kosakai, Ryuichi Nagakubo and Mayuko Hino (best known as an actress in 'pink violence' movies such as Koji Wakamatsu's The Rapist Of 13 Girls Successively, which also featured the late Kaoru Abe). Early on their sound was based around analog keyboards, homemade sound generators, guitar, metal plates, rhythm machines and vocals and their performances were highly ritualised events that combined subterranean clank with AMM-style (circa The Crypt) electro-acoustic overload, almost Yod-esque group hypnotics, S&M/gore theatrics and assaultive Industrial rock ala Throbbing Gristle. As they progress across the space of the four discs their sound becomes more overtly psychedelic, factoring in wildcard influences like the monolithic Krautrock of Faust, Kluster and early Tangerine Dream as well as the black nightmare sound of live Hawkwind. There are also some supremely advanced takes on classic Japanese noise modes ala Hijokaidan, Merzbow, Aube et al as well as rock moves that shadow early Fushitsusha. CCCC are most commonly described as a 'Japanese noise' group but this set pretty much explodes that kind of one-dimensional caricature, with strategies that run from wild psychedelic action through Industrial ceremony and tranced guitar oblivion. Indeed, at points it feels like a condensed history of the modern Japanese underground. The set features the debut CCCC show by the duo of Hasegawa and Hino from 1990, a run of staggeringly primitive four-piece shows from 1991, a New York performance from 1992, a long live track from Tokyo in 1992 that was previously only available on an Endorphine Factory cassette and a Hasegawa/Hino duo that was originally released on a compilation by Freak Animal in 1997. Comes with a booklet featuring excellent liners and reminiscences from Fumio Kosakai. Highly recommended.
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PAST TIP OF THE TONGUES
