Motor Humming - Musical Aluminum (1999)

Musical Aluminum is the debut recording of Motor Humming, a tough guitar-bass-drums trio from Japan who can sonically rip up the floor, tearing away diagonal strips, and toss them out to the world's hungry, hard music-loving crowds. This band's eclectic instrumentals have occasional moments reminiscent of labelmate Kletka Red's clamped guitar strings and second-long bits of traditional Eastern European dance themes whipped in a blender of complex punk and hard rock. Every few songs a more deconstructed rock tune appears that sounds like part segmented-Primus, and part like a less patient U.S. Maple. The klunkier moments of disjoint are combed over with the clean production sound and upfront, unstoppable drumming from Morimura Hiroshi. Yamanaka Atsushi's bass playing slides from palpitating heavy metal rushes to wah-wah pedal, fretless funk. Hioki Shimpei's guitar sounds alternately crumple, distort, and tear through the band's rocking numbers. Put together, Motor Humming fuse into a tight, hard, experimental rock band that at times calls to mind post-rock and experimental rock bands including Slint, Don Caballero, the aforementioned bands, and a bit of Fishbone too. © Joslyn Layne