Yume Bitsu - The Golden Vessyl of Sound
(K)
Yume Bitsu's new album, The Golden Vessyl of Sound find Yume in a sort of transitional state. Jay Anderson (drums) and Alex Bundy (synthesizer) have taken a step back, leaving the reins in the capable hands of Adam Forkner and Franz Pritchard. Since their last album, Auspicious Winds, both Adam and Franz have moved back to the northwest (from NY and Japan, respectively), and seem to have rethought the approach they usually take with their music. While sounding unmistakably like Yume Bitsu, they have re-invented their sound to some degree. Heavy drum beats (at one point), spaced out horns, handclaps, guitar lines wandering into some modal territory and more focused, concise songwriting all pop up throughout the album.
In fine psychedelic tradition, Yume Bitsu have a mythos by which they function. Theirs is of a tree city in the sky called Drystyyn. Until now, specifics about Drystyyn have always been vague fantastical ramblings about mothmen and vessyl songs. However, the liner notes for The Golden Vessyl of Sound are a story explaining what the album is named after. Though it's extremely pretentious, it's a fitting (not to mention very well written) description of the origins of the sounds Yume Bitsu create. To make a long story (really) short, the golden vessyl of sound is a wind instrument, which is played by the "the winds moved by joined minds."
These songs show a shift and expansion of the Yume Bitsu musical perspective. Any of the Mogwai comparisons that had been thrown their way in the past (while off base before) are completely unfounded now. An older, warmer, psychedelic/prog feeling edges into the way as they push the synth/organ/piano tones to the fore at certain points and in the bursts of rhythmic focus.
The clarity in the songwriting follows the progression they've been tracing from "Truth" (second album) and "Sharp, Twisted" (third album) to the new album, with a short and sweet (2:00) third track, an epic tale of the death of a Drystonian Prince (track 7), and the ninth and last track. (Sorry, this album has no song titles). This last track is a shocker, because it's driven by a very un-space rock drum machine beat—almost a dance beat. This song is Adam's finest lyrical moment, where he repeats the line, "We have pronounced all of the difficult to pronounce." This song ends the album on a very strange tone, one I would have never expected to hear (much less appreciate). On the other end of the spectrum, this album has it's share of epic psychedelia and drone. An 18 minute Track 6 centers the album, shifting between slow horn tones to a driving synth pulse jam to gentle noises, and ending with a straight forward classic Yume guitar-based instrumental part—easily their best since "Team Yume." Also, if you get the vinyl version of this album, it comes on two records. The fourth side is a live recording from this past January, and it's a heavy and deep improvisation that is well worth buying the vinyl for even if you already have the CD.
The Golden Vessyl of Sound reworks Yume Bitsu's sound in an exciting way, tossing out convention and the rules of space rock. I mean, no one in their right mind would have thought, "I think we should record an epic record about the Moths of Ruin using some trumpet, saxophone, drum machine, and guitars and stuff." Well, I guess Yume Bitsu did think this, and somehow took what sounds to me like a bad idea, and recorded what could just be my album of the year.
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