When it comes to hearing an OOIOO album, you loosen the seat belt and comprehend what’s about to come through. When it comes to hearing a new OOIOO album, you get quite loose and be certain that there will be uncertainty. On Gamel (Thrill Jockey), the abrasive freakiness that was once a part of their being has been replaced somewhat by meditative chanting as if they decided to pray in Indonesia, enjoy the atmosphere of the outdoors, bring their guitars and have a festival musical and cultural orgy.
For the most part, this is not a rock album in a traditional sense. It’s cultural and ethereal, as if Yoshimi decided to open another door or two and immerse herself somewhere else to find a new joy and comfort. Is it meant to be a prayer of sort, or another freaky soundscape, as heard by unknown outsiders? It could be a bit of both but I’d like to think the foreignness of what may sound new could become familiar and thus a joy to the outsider who’ll find comfort inside.
The interesting about listening to this is that while there are some gaps of silence in between the songs, the entirety of Gamel sounds cohesive, as if it’s a Broadway or soundtrack album, or a concept album where you’re left trying to figure out what it all means. By the time some sense of rock finds its way into the mix with song #4 (“Gamel Ninna Yama”), it’s obvious that this is an all new world, but it’s an OOIOO world, and you can’t help but be delighted with it.
If you only knew of Yoshimi through her work with Boredoms, this new album by OOIOO is very much like the transformation she and Yamatsuka/Yamantaka Eye has gone through from wicked bursts of noise to exploratory beauty. The exploration she has made throughout her career continues here in this variation of OOIOO, and I can only imagine what their shows will be like for this album. I expect for them to be interactive with the audience for it.
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