Japanese noise purveyors Nisennenmondai—who in the past have worked with the likes of Sonic Youth and Battles—have just upped the proverbial ante by teaming with English dub and EDM producer Adrian Sherwood for their upcoming album, #N/A. The recordings have been somewhat shrouded in mystery, as word of the collaboration has been floating around the internet since spring with live performances of the pairing in Europe and Japan and a Boiler Room taping, but no proper songs have been made available to hear until now. “#5” might not sound like what you’d expect from the pairing, but it makes absolute sense. The sheer power of the instrumental three-piece has been filtered into short, beat-driven bursts. The drummer is a metronome, while the strings provide the ebb and flow. This EDM pace is then combined with dub’s consistency, as “#5” never reaches for a high or low, simply existing in it’s 12-minute bubble. Meditating, you’re left to wonder if this is the fifth song on the album and what endeavors may lie before or after it.
Nisennenmondai’s #N/A, produced by Adrian Sherwood, will be released September 15 via Japan’s Beat Records. You can stream “#5” below.
