Kayo Dot : Coffins on Io

My introduction to Kayo Dot was through their 2003 album Choirs of the Eye which instantly, upon first listen became a sort of revelation. I connected to the album. It had a broadening effect upon my palate. It opened my eyes. It cleansed me. It was a significant album to me is what I am trying to say and has remained special in that way. The following year after first discovering Choirs of the Eye, Kayo Dot released the ravishing beast Hubardo, which again, left me in awe. I was in love. There are albums which become immediately special to your personal world and you keep them close like a secret because sharing it feels like you are sharing a piece of yourself and you aren't sure if anyone else in the world would understand, especially when the album is committed to exploration beyond the borders of conventionality. I wanted to talk about Choirs of the Eye and Hubardo with friends but I knew I would resent them if they were not as enthusiastic about the two records as I was, so I kept them to myself and I cherished them alone. Coffins on Io is like a gift from Toby Driver and company to Kayo Dot fans and is a fine contrast to Hubardo in its structure. To me the two distinct albums could act as complimentary companion pieces, for the former is brilliantly chaotic in form accentuating the latter's dedication to an unearthly order. Where Hubardo shape-shifted continuously throughout its play so as never to be identified Coffins on Io adheres to repetitious hypnotic spirals and crisp haunting melodies that ripple softly on the surface. Hubardo is a growing organic explosion in the wilderness while Coffins of Io is more of a synthetic cold cityscape conjuring up a gothic Terry Gilliam sci-fi future spewing with creepiness as a serial murderer stalks the night. The accompanying liner notes in the album site an assortment of musicians as inspiration for it's visionary shift, such as Peter Gabriel, Robert Smith and Peter Steele, so Coffins on Io does have a realm within which it finds much of its gravitational orbit around. Unnerving fragments of lyrics occasionally jump out from the theatrical vocals that feel appropriately placed among the gothic themes, retro-futurist instrumentation and spacey noirish vibes, such as they do on the foreboding standout song "Offramp Cycle, Pattern 22". All the lyrics seem meticulously written and are as provocative and cinematic as any Kayo Dot record before. Building to its apex through synth heavy, ghostly grooves, "Library Subterranean" stands out to me as the most electrifying track, swirling initially in lean churning melodies the song lines up into a pattern that hammers in a pulsating funk that nearly discombobulates before centering around a railing bass line for its final launch into the dark. Coffins of Io is a surprising addition to the Kayo Dot discography deviating from its predecessors in a stylistic reconfiguration that is both titillating and inspiring without having to resort to redundancy or "jump the shark" which is always the fear with such an experimental group. Thank you for another awesome ride.

An amazing and different album. I can listen to it over and over and hear something different each time. Plus, it's perfect for me to revise my writing to!

I'm amazed nobody has put a review of this excellent album yet, so I had to put something. This album is heavily influenced by the eighties sound of 'The Cure', they're very open about that too with comments on the inner sleeve.Fortunately it's done in an original way, after all this is still Kayo Dot but a friendlier Kayo Dot, no less original though. The change of direction is a welcome one, after the amazing Hubardo, it was probably the right time to do something new. There are still signs of the original sound here and there, so it's still Kayo Dot, slightly more accessible maybe.It had to be four stars after the Hubardo album but this is an excellent addition to any collection, especially if you're into Prog Rock.

２０１３年に怒涛の変態メタル作品『Hubardo』を産み落とし、この次はどこへやら、というか「もうコレ、彼らの最終地点でいんじゃね？」と思わされた１年後、やってきたのがコレである。『Coffins on Io』だ。''It combines influences of The Sisters of Mercy, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and, though more of a stretch, Scritti Politti.''（オフィシャルサイトより）との言葉の通り、今までの音楽性のどれとも異なる、なんとToby Driverの歌がメインのアルバムだ。しかしビートは単調で、シンセはくぐもった音色、ヴォコーダー越しの声は無気力さと官能の気配を匂わせる。２０１４年に懐古するにはちと早い気もするが、ニューウェーブ風、ダークなシンセポップといった雰囲気が全編に渡って展開される。「アルバム毎に音楽性が一貫していない」ということが一貫しているkayo dotだが、一・二作目辺りをマストと感じていた聴き手からしてみると、正直近作の路線は厳しいものがある。ただ４曲目「Library Subterranean」の盛り上がりなどでは、暗い雰囲気の中にもハイライトが――さながら表ジャケットのような、まったく別の惑星から月を見上げた感慨にも似た――思わぬ所を突いてくる感動もあるにはあるが、しかし総量としては物足りないところだ。今回はバンド、というよりToby Driverの懐古趣味ということで及第点。次作でまたリスナーの想像もつかない異次元に突入してほしいところだ。