Here is Mathew Clark soaking up all the reptile vibes.

First let's view the contrasts between this show and their last New York appearance. Last time was a free outdoor concert in a picturesque setting, staged on 7/7/07 at 7 pm with 77 drummers. It was essentially a sun worship ceremony which took place next to the river in Brooklyn, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The band was also in the center of a circle of mass-audience for that event. This time, four main Boredoms played onstage (attended by a very diligent guitar tuning technician) in a huge indoor venue, vaguely resembling a maximum security prison, on a quite regular, early Spring evening, with tickets priced at $30. Two towering levels of balcony, running 3 of the venues 4 walls, contributed to the prison feel and made the event seem almost futuristic as well. In both situations the Boredoms were completely in control of the vibe from the offset. In both situations the band was able to teleport the audience to other dimensions and tap into the primordial forces of the universe.

The beginning of the show at Terminal 5 had Yamataka Eye, wearing some sort of light bulb mittens and scatting glossolalia towards the roof of the venue while passing his glowing hands through the energy field of some insane modified theremin, which issued forth harsh and beautiful edgy tones. This was followed by some awesomely choppy drum punctuations, more yelling in some alien language, then crescendoed until Eye's special 7 necked guitar instrument, dubbed Sevena was introduced.

This custom instrument was similar to the one used in last summer's "drum orgy", but was actually made of one solid body, like 7 guitars melted together. It was an improvement on an amazing concept, which creates a mammoth and ethereal sound in various odd tunings. This "percussive guitar" is played with thick sticks or else various staffs of different weights and made of different materials. The previously mentioned tuning tech spent the whole night tuning and retuning these guitar necks all night while Eye beat the living hell out of them. It seemed a Sisyphusian task for which this bloke deserved props. By the end of the show, the instrument was in total disarray, after some heavy climaxes, which left many a string broken and flying in every which direction.

Eye's presence throughout the whole night was epic. He truly is channeling some heavy shit. At one point he did the "rock and roll thing" where he encouraged all in the room to do the overhead clap to a steady beat. It felt like one thousand poly-rhythms at once and I saw him smile a very curious smile. He beamed completely and his face morphed into that of the Buddha. I swear I saw him for about 5 seconds in an incarnation which was more than human. I was further impressed, at the end of the spectacle when i noticed him limping off stage in a foot-boot-cast. Hardcore! Eye, along with the rest of his crew, has tapped into some cosmic space. He seems to be a medium, a messenger. They all are. The Boredoms are deeply spiritual and have a particular affinity for Sun Worship. On this particular night, using their drums, voices, triggers, turntables, synths, percussive guitars, samplers, cowbells etc. as vehicles, they tapped into the night energies, exposed the beauty of dark matter, and reflected the natural element of the human, bouncing their sound vibes off the audience.

The drumming was the part which truly floored me. Compared to the drumming of the "77 BOA DRUM" performance, the beats were more ferocious and fleet-of-foot: unencumbered by the extra weight of the 74 mortals who helped them out last time. There was times where the three drum kits in unison where churning out beats which seemed to me impossible. How could three humans interact so precisely and soulfully with such complicated patterns of poly-rhythms. I found myself screaming the "F" word uncontrollably as a reaction to my disbelief, while dancing, twitching and shaking my head like I was possessed. The rhythms were incredibly danceable, certainly tribal, and often had no frame of reference. I would consider some passages of their two hour set to be "alien rhythms". Drummers, Yoshimi, Senju and Yojiro all deserve "superhuman performance awards" as well. In his 2004 article about the Boredoms in the Village Voice Jason Gross, with a scholarly approach, dissected the art and origins of Boredoms drumming, "At times, the result evokes Taiko drumming, marching bands, funk, Latin disco, or gamelan and West African drum ensembles: Many Japanese today embrace the religious idea of syncretism, where many different beliefs are accepted at once..." This statement from 4 years back is still relevant, but I feel that the drumming mastery has come even further since. There are more influences mixed in and greater intensity: more improbable beats which work to lube the mind and open the heart.

In this era of war and ecological crisis, it is important for shamanistic groups like the Boredoms to exist. Most people are thoroughly disillusioned with institutions. In this scenario, sacred musical events can and should act as bridges between the people and the higher powers. Meaningful ceremony in our culture has been replaced by the ceremony at the end of the reality TV show when one unfortunate contestant is sadly sent home. Artists and musicians are magicians and provide portals for the imagination. The Boredoms are the most adept at bridging this gap. They are now and have been considered hip. The fact that they are channeling spiritual potency legitimizes feelings which are often dismissed. Something is brewing in the Zeitgeist. I recently attended an underground music event in Brooklyn, with hundreds of folks in attendance, mostly college aged. The bands were of the metal, dance punk and avant garde ilks. Before the first band kicked off, we enjoyed a solid hour of Grateful Dead hits. In between each band that night was heavy dub reggae. Before the Boredoms was 30 minutes of Mbira (African Thumb Piano) music through the house PA. I feel something going on. I remember when the Grateful Dead was the kiss of death for cool kids. Ha ha ha ha!

words by Matthew Clark

thanks to Trent Wolbe for the photos...check out his Flickr and homepage for more....

for the nerds...
Boredoms U.S.A. • Spring 2008

* 15/Mar/2008 (Sat) : SAN DIEGO, CA Cane's
* 16/Mar/2008 (Sun) : LOS ANGELES, CA Henry Fonda
* 18/Mar/2008 (Tue) : SAN FRANCISCO, CA Fillmore - in the round
* 20/Mar/2008 (Thu) : PORTLAND, OR Crystal Ballroom
* 21/Mar/2008 (Fri) : SEATTLE, WA Neumos
* 25/Mar/2008 (Tue) : MINNEAPOLIS, MN First Avenue - in the round
* 26/Mar/2008 (Wed) : CHICAGO, IL Logan Square - in the round
* 29/Mar/2008 (Sat) : BOSTON, MA Paradise
* 30/Mar/2008 (Sun) : NEW YORK, NY Terminal 5 - in the round
* 02/Apr/2008 (Wed) : PHILADELPHIA, PA Starlight
* 03/Apr/2008 (Thu) : WASHINGTON, DC 9:30 Club

Alex Schein's 2006's "Speed Of Light" CD, released on Schein's own SkyHunter Music imprint,
is written, performed, and produced by Schein. Schein himself is truly a modern testament to positivity. While many contemporary artists stake claim to holding the torch of the positive,
few can even begin to match Schein for authentic, pretense-free, vital-spirit communication.
Schein is on a path of giving and searching. He gives us his view of "the universal"
and the need for all of Planet Earth to unite, overcoming differences and embracing the congruity and similitude amongst us all. Schein is searching for "a timeless place" that is a manifestation of light, with light being the central image and concept for Schein's CD.

Alex Schein - Audio Collage
Audio Collage
Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

This ain't some Hip-Hop bullshit. This is elevated music for elevation. Frank and honest lyrics combine with stripped-down rhythm tracks that buoy Alex's "sense of awe of himself and the world around him". Minimal melodies reinforce the clarity of the vocal messages and the notion of the "self-awareness" we all possess. Schein shares the themes of "personal reflection and spiritual renewal" and "deeper levels of understanding with ourselves and the world around us".
The 11 songs on "Speed Of Light" are smooth and rooted in nature. Tracks such as "Knot Poetry", "Gift Of Gabriel", "Mind Of The Maker", "On Your Side", and "Rise Up" are particularly nice and exhibit Schein's style and method.

Schein's "Speed Of Light" was recorded at Monkeyclaus Studio in Nelson County, Virginia, with Abel Okugawa engineering and mixing the record. Additional recording and mixing was done at
Playback Recording Studio in New York City. The CD was mastered by Mike Wells in San Francisco.

Schein earned a B.A. in Religion & Philosophy from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg,
Virginia. Schein has spent time in Durban, South Africa, and Mali, West Africa. Schein also acted as management for the Bosnia Peace Project Tour with The Dave Matthews Band. Additionally, Alex has worked for non-profit organizations focusing on youth development. He is a member of
Hip-Hop Congress, performing at the Midwest Hip-Hop Congress Summit in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

Schein has been working closely with climbing and bouldering filmmaker Josh Lowell recently.
Lowell, who runs Big Up Productions, has featured Schein's music in the films "Pilgrimage", "Dosage III", and "Dosage IV". Schein has said he is very appreciative of the support he received from the rock climbing community. Lowell also produced a music video for "Rise Up", which is the first single from the new "Speed Of Light" CD. The video is to premier this Fall. It features breakdancing in caves. And that's Fresh. Schein will be performing this Fall on the Reel Rock Tour.

"Speed Of Light" is available at alexschein.com and also through iTunes.

Initial ideas for the group
began with Tom Greenwood in New York City around 1992. In 1993, Tom moved to
Portland with a case of reel-to-reel tapes, that served as the catalyst for
JOMF. After many years and a rotating cast of musicians from both the US and
Canada, with the group sometimes numbering as deep as 12 or more performers,
JOMF currently is one of the very best improvisational bands of today. The
album "Flags Of The Sacred Harp", their most recent release, despite featuring
the previous line-up as opposed to the current line-up, is highly critically
acclaimed.

Vocalist Eva Saelens also performs as a solo artist under the name
of Inca Ore. Eva Saelens is brilliant. Her presence with JOMF is incredible. Inca Ore is unbelievable. 5RC is slated to release an Inca Ore record later this year. JOMF, like say The Magik Markers, is really attaining greatness with improvisation, something that many improvisational groups currently feel they are approaching or touching, but in reality, are hardly achieving. JOMF once described themselves as: "JOMF are indisputably self-aware and muse at length upon their process and goals, but in the end, instinct overrules calculation. The yield is a rich, multivalent music that reflects and refracts the larger world."

Check out JOMF at:
http://www.atpfestival.com/atp_recordings/artist_biography.php?view=20
http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/jackie.o.motherfucker.html