CoC : Kenji Siratori - Humanexit : Review

Kenji Siratori - _Humanexit_
(T'an! Kaven!! Ash!!!, 2007)
by: Quentin Kalis (2 out of 10)

Cut from the same cloth of tinnitus-inducing cacophony as brethren Merzbow is Kenji Siratori. The template remains the same throughout the albums ten "mantras": oscillations of noise overlaid by Kenji's spoken word. Whether he is reciting original works, classic Japanese texts or the ingredients in his morning bowl of cornflakes is unknown, and won't make a difference to anyone outside the Far East archipelago. The cacophonous oscillations do differ from song to song, but Siratori's ominous rants do not let up and often override the more interesting inharmonious rumblings. The question that needs to be considered is whether this repetitive motif works, and if it works, whether it can be sustained over the course of the album. The answer to the latter is no -- ten tracks of this is simply too much, and Siratori would have been better off with an EP, or perhaps incorporating with some of his other work.

Contact: http://www.kenjisiratori.com

(article published 4/7/2007)