Ooioo

This side project from Boredoms drummer Yoshimi, three other Japanese women, and a selection of guest stars (Julie Cafritz of Pussy Galore, Keigo Oyamada of Cornelius) may not come from the same planet as Yoshimi's original group, but it is still not of this earth. Mixing punk and garage instrumentation with experimental noisemaking, OOIOO's self-titled album even errs on the side of dark beauty; you won't find all-out thrashing here, despite the guest appearance by Yamataka Eye ("Speaker"). What you will find is what Yoshimi has brought to the Boredoms: a sense of play backed by a wild rhythmic pulse. "Ring a Ring a Lee" boasts watery Fall-esque guitars and a crawling pace, ending abruptly with an abused sinewave and early electronics; "50102" is a rocking chant; and "In O" mesmerizes with a vocal that loops over a guitar riff, repeating "deep and down" or words to that effect. While not as coherent as the Boredoms' finest albums, this provides enough to chew on for the fan.