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New House Of Tapes: Trip Science

That Nagoya’s House Of Tapes’ debut album Trip Science is an enjoyable experience at all is a small miracle. That sounds harsh, the darkest shade one could throw, but I don’t mean that in a dismissive or ironically surprised way. House Of Tapes’ music has always sounded like a sonic endurance test, the dance-music equivalent of being forced to watch every Gasper Noe film in succession. He’s always categorized his music as “house,” but that has always ben too simple a description. This music is heavy, blasted-out stuff that often sounds crushing.

Yet Trip Science works as an album, mostly because of how committed to his often pummeling sound Hose Of Tapes is. It’s not entirely a heavy affair – bell chimes pop up on “Chaos Tape” while late track “Faint Light” is the one moment on the album where House Of Tapes opens the shades a bit – but the bulk of this release focuses on hard-hitting beats and electronics that sound like they are being sucked into a black hole. Previously released songs like “Starting Point” and the appropriately titled “Noise Attack” still carry the same impact they did when they appeared last year, but now sit comfortably within Trip Science’s frame. This is challenging stuff, but not a challenge to listen to. Get it here.

New House Of Tapes: Trip Science

名古屋のHouse Of Tapesのデビューアルバム”Trip Science”はとても奇妙で、初めて聴く時は少し戸惑うかもしれません。皮肉でも何でもないのですが、この激しく至って暗いサウンドは凄く独特なのです。House Of Tapesの音楽はいつでもまるで耐重力訓練のようで、Gasper Noeの映画を全て通して観ているようなダンス・ミュージック。単純に”House”とカタゴライズできる程シンプルでないのです。

でも”Trip Science”はアルバムとしての完成度が高い事は確かです。“Chaos Tape”に使われたチャイムの音が繰り出す美しくポップな不気味さはHouse Of Tapesらしいギミックですし、“Faint Light”での激しいビートや打ち込みはまるでブラック・ホールに吸い込まれて行くような感覚。去年リリースされた“Starting Point”や分かりやすいタイトルの”Noise Attack”は未だに新鮮さを失わず、アルバムにも違和感無く収録されています。凄く挑戦的な音楽ですが、聴くのは決して挑戦にはなりませんよ。ダウンロードはこちらから