Abandon All Words At A Stroke, So That Prayer Can Come Spilling Out

Released

This two-CD set from 2001 consists of two long tracks with typically Keiji-esque titles. The first, on which he plays the hurdy-gurdy, a stringed instrument played by turning a crank, is called “Whereto Can I Cast Away This Fragment Echo Called The End, So That I May Summon An Awakening From The Other Side?” and consists of layers of drone with monklike groaning on top. The second is called “I Have Decided to Tear You to Pieces. Whether You Become Light or Darkness Depends on You. I Wonder, Which Shall You Choose?” and is performed on electronic percussion with rage-filled vocals. It sounds like he’s hitting an upturned plastic bucket at times, while at other times he’s creating a “cymbal” sound like a giant piece of sheet metal vibrating in a windstorm, as he growls and sputters. This is ritual music for a religion that hasn’t yet been codified.

Phil Freeman