PoiL Ueda
Breathtakingly exciting encounter between traditional Japanese singing and French prog rock
Collaborations that on paper seem least likely to succeed often turn out in practice to be the best. PoiL Ueda is a striking example of that. On the one hand, we have Junko Ueda with her Buddhist chants, accompanying herself on the biwa (Japanese lute). On the other, there is the French prog rock quartet PoiL, always ready to depart from the beaten tracks and, if necessary, to let loose. Together they form PoiL Ueda, five musicians who create an incomparable atmosphere. The music is hallucinating, filmic, ideal for closing your eyes and letting yourself be transported to unknown worlds. Yet it is also packed with big eruptions and moments of complete craziness. They also carry you off to another world, one you’ve never been to before. This is music that you must be open to, music you have to undergo: the intriguing rhythms that gradually nudge you into a trance, the uncommon yet exciting group sound and, not in the least, Junko Ueda’s virtuoso playing and mature vocals.
