Karakuchi [LP] (Turquoise/Black Smoke Vinyl)

Kaleidobolt – Karakuchi [LP] (Turquoise/Black Smoke Vinyl)

KALEIDOBOLT’s fifth album is pungent to the ears – KARAKUCHI out in MarchKarakuchi is one record you can judge by its cover. The first time Kaleidobolt’s faces haveadorned an LP, they have been fused into a torpedoing biomechanical vehicle. Echoing TheBirthday Party’s Junkyard or Motorhead’s Orgasmatron (… on acid?!), the illustrationepitomises perfectly Kaleidobolt’s agenda of “hyperkinetic rock”. Their feverish, psych-progsound is full of motion. It jerks around at different speeds, threatening to spin out of controland crash into flames at any given moment.What’s more, it isn’t taken too seriously. This is heavy and intricate music, yes. But as bassistand co-singer Marco Menestrina puts it, the Kaleidobolt attitude is “an ugly smirk more thanan angry face with a fist.”On their fifth album since forming in 2014, the Helsinki-based outfit lean into their strengthsas a formidable power trio. With their previous two records, 2019’s Bitter and 2022’s This OneSimple Trick, they had thrown everything at their disposal into the recording with no expensespared on overdubs, effects and kitchen sinks. Produced again by Niko Lehdontie (OranssiPazuzu), Karakuchi comes from tightly rehearsed, live-in-the-studio takes. Kaleidobolt realisethat greater sparsity can be a strength, and they’ve allowed their instruments extra space tobreathe. It makes for their earthiest, purest and perhaps most authentic record to date.Karakuchi’s exuberant style emerges from the individual members’ contrasting listeninghabits. These span classic prog, Japanese city pop, noise rock, post-hardcore and historicalpodcasts. One record they can all agree is a masterpiece, the centre of the Venn diagramwhere all three members meet, is King Crimson’s Red.As for their new album’s title, that’s as suitable as the cover art. “Karakuchi” is the slogan ofthe Japanese beer brand Asahi Super Dry. Translated literally, this means “pungent to themouth”. As drinkers of that product, Kaleidobolt acknowledge its parallels to their songs. “It’svery intense, right at the front, like at the first bite,” explains Menestrina. “And then it leavesyour mouth feeling refreshed. The flavour doesn’t linger in your mouth, basically. It has aquick, hard finish. With a bit of a stretch, we thought that that could also be said of ourmusic.”TracklistSIDE A1. Tinkerbell2. Lights On, Nobody Home3. Coping4. Astro Boy/OchanomizuSIDE B1. Duuude2. Friends of Fire3. A Chance of a Lifetime4. Turn of Luck