View The Review
7 out of 10
With the release of this (Their twelfth) album, Tokyo's 'pogo punks' Polysics continue the Japanese tradition of putting pop music through some kind of Anime-mechanix and seeing what comes out the other end. In the case of We Ate The Machine, it's a sandwich. If you're the kind of person who cuts off their crusts or discards the bread altogether before gorging yourself, this album's for you. Topped and tailed by tracks which sound like either French (Or perhaps Ukrainian) entries for Eurovision, or Blur pumped full of helium and LSD, it is tracks three to ten which provide the real, hearty filling. Just hope your stomach's ready.
Rocket's blasting bass peels back the ears and is pure Melt-Banana goes pop, with the kind of bonkers joy only Japanese bands seem to be able to manage. The title track has a robot playing along to glitch-metal of quite insane pace, with a carpentry set. DNA Junction bursts open on autistic piano and a catchy chant of 'rather bad than be uncool!'. Pony & Lion is pure Manga-Zep, complete with OTT solo and Brontozoid riff. Irotokage shoves a 1970s disco full of amphetamines and Mind Your Head soundtracks a circus of the insane, ringmastered by Max Headroom and with acrobatics by Erasure.
Exhausting, life-affirming, mind-blowing stuff - to be honest, you may find the closing tracks a relief in their Banzai tweeness. And why the hell are they only playing one gig in this country? Honestly, it's enough to make you buy an orange boiler suit and pogo in frustration.
Listen: www.myspace.com/polysicsjp
Tracklist:
1. Moog Is Love
2. Pretty Good
3. Rocket
4. I ate the machine
5. DNA Junction
6. Kagayake
7. Pony & Lion
8. Arigato
9. Irotokage
10. Mind Your Head
11. Digital Coffee
12. Boys & Girls
13. Blue Noise
14. Dry or Wet
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