Hyper Gal – Pure (SkinGraft Records) –  They’re a beautiful challenge, a noise, relentless, not an onslaught, always inviting, like they want to pull you in rather than chase you away. They’re almost beguiling, almost, actually no, there’s no almost about it. Springing from Osaka, Japan’s cultural centre and historical heart, a two-piece band consisting of visual artist Koharu Ishida on vocals and noise artist Kurumi Kadoya on drums. “The minimalist duo make maximum impact” so it says here, they certainly do, they’re like two wasps or two cats running on giant hampster wheels, around and around, they’re kind of hypnotic, right now they’re sounding like a slightly frantic, slightly off-hinge ice cream van. Kind of stripping music down but it is more than that, it is full bodied, there is lot in there with the ice cream vans and the musical washing machines on delightfully mechanical cycles, Charm indeed. Glorious and yes I guess it is hard not to mention Deerhoof (and maybe Melt Banana) but only in the most positive of complimentary ways. Hyper Gal do sound other worldly, or at least a world on another warp, a whole other world that you know if you do get into their enticing ice cream van that once inside there you will fall into their other world – oh yes, there will be a whole other world, another warp that you might never (want to) escape from. And how good was that change of gear just there in the middle of closing track  Transparent New Living and this is all as thoroughly brilliant as the advance tastes and teaser tracks had promised it would be. The vital thing is, as experimental as it is, as noise-fuelled as it is, as abrasive and hard-boiled as it is, Pure is always an utter delight – yes it does shimmer, yes you can dance, you will dance, it is like the best bag of fairground rides ever, it does make you want to paint what you hear, and yes it does sound like a classic SkinGraft release – this is the perfect label for this album, this is classic SkinGraft. That bit there sounds like a Sunday morning peel of church bells, the kind of church you might actually want to go to.

Joyous, that’s the word that was needed (alongside a new paragraph), this is a joyous album, a mad joyous bounce that will of course go beyond that bounce, that will seriously go off and things (things will be left on the floor), and yes, as someone just shouted from over there, it sounds like some of Zach Hill’s more experimental stuff, Deathgriping you, hella thing! That beautifully mad Bygones creativity and now they’re sounding like a (beautiful) mechanical pressing plant, a joyous one, These are intensely good joyous joyous joyous pieces of music, this uniquely rewarding high art, this is pure. (sw)

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