d o m

Symphonica is Ruins' second band release for John Zorn's Tzadik label. Here, they augment their usual drum/bass duo with a keyboard player and two female singers. If ever you doubted that Tatsuya Yoshida is a Magma fan, shame on you. On this album, they perform old Ruins songs, but with the new ensemble. To make a long story short, most of the songs sound a lot better (and definitely a lot more 'proggy'). If you've heard Hundred Sights of Koenji (Yoshida's other band), this is not as funloving. For Ruins fans, this CD is easily the most distinctive in their canon. And for Magma fans, prepare to smirk. Representative songs: "Graviyaunosch" - this song was first featured on the duo's 1993 album of the same name. Here, the added keyboards, singers, and beefed-up production give the tune a metallic, 'zeuhl-ish' edge. For newcomers, this is probably the place to start, even if it's rather unrepresentative of their career. "Praha in Spring" - Keyboard heavy tune that sounds oddly like Frank Zappa in places. For a few tunes on this album, Ruins downplay the more chaotic elements of their sound for a grandiose group sound. Again, keyboards change everything! review by Dominique Leone — undated —

s e a n

Ruins are a Japanese band led by the prolific Yoshida Tatsuya, and on this album play a ferocious brand of Zeuhl with a strong keyboard presence. There are two vocalists along with Tatsuya, who is, fittingly enough for the leader of a Zeuhlish band, the drummer. There is somewhat of a symphonic flair to this on top of what one might normally expect from a Zeuhl effort, as it sounds at times like a bit of Kenso or Ain Soph has crept into the sound. There are also fairly inaccessible tracks like "Thrive", where shouting voices battle with electronic effects for control over Tatsuya's percussive explosions; almost like the Kobaians at war with Tipographica. This release, despite its name, is not for the symphonic prog fan. It sure grabbed me on first listen, though, and while parts of it can be a challenge I think it shows that when it comes to the progressive scene today, a lot of the best stuff is coming out of Japan. I hope to be able to explore more of this area in the future, and I'd recommend this album without hesitation to fans of the avant-garde. review by Sean McFee — undated —

j o e

Symphonica represents the grandest prog rock effort to date from Ruins, the bandchild of drummer/vocalist/leader Yoshida Tatsuya. Here the traditional Ruins duo format of drums and bass is augmented to accommodate two female singers and a keyboardist. The album consists of remakes of old material, and the obvious influence of course, more notable than ever with the female vox on board, is Magma. The presence of keys makes all the difference in elevating this at the top of the Ruins discography, especially when the ace in the cockpit is Kenso's Oguchi Kenichi, who conjures with ease kamikaze moog and jumpy piano lines where none had existed previously. Although perhaps it's a tad too long, there is some dynamite stuff on Symphonica, and I hope Tatsuya continues in this vein. My favorites: "Thebes," "Graviyaunosch," "Praha in Spring," and "Brixon Verromiks." review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —

b r a n d o n

Like much RIO and avant-prog, I found this to be completely unlistenable at first. It has, however, grown on me - at least, the first half of it. To get an impression of the music found here, one might try to imagine Happy Family playing even more aggressively and with even fewer catchy and melodic hooks. Throw in a healthy dose of Magmaesque weird vocals in a made-up language and you get something of a clue. This stuff is, to say the least, very difficult to listen to for an hour straight - it becomes headache-inducing after about half that time. I have, however, definitely come to like the first half of the album - "Graviyaunosch" is probably the most accessible song on the album, and has a great vocal/keyboard interplay section in the middle. "Big Head" has some really cool, almost funky vocal work. The rest sounds like organized chaos - musical noise, if you will. If this sounds like your cup of tea, you know who you are. Go for it. review by Brandon Wu — undated —