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This is the second release for Tadashi Goto and it launches
with a bang. Here’s the short story on him…born in 1976, spent
most of his formative years listening to classical music…recorded
his first album Soundscape (2005) while living in Australia…the
album got rave reviews. This time around Goto (keyboards,
drums) has assembled quite a cast of characters including;
Ty Tabor, Sean Conklin and Chris Poland on guitars and Tony
Levin, Tony Franklin and Randy George on bass. So as you might
imaging the performances are top-notch.***
Innervisions consists of twelve tracks all in the four
to five minute range and each is loaded with tons of notes.
Most of the tracks tend to be faster paced, heavy guitar,
double kick-drum and blazing keyboard runs. However every-so-often
we get a slower track like “Inner Circle” (4:16) or “Werther
Effect” (5:06) but even in the slower tracks Goto finds room
to perform busy keyboard runs sometimes on piano and other
times on synth. You get the feeling that Goto has a problem
staying slow and is just dying to pick up the tempo. There
is this sense your watching a steam compressor that’s building
in pressure with every second and it’s about to blow at anytime.
Most of the tracks tend to not veer too far from the core
melody and rhythm established, although some of the compositions
do make radical starts and stops, including the afore mentioned
slower tracks that change course about three times during
the performance. Sprinkled here and there are some interesting
ethnic musical touches, a bit of Middle-Eastern or some Asian
motifs. The overall tone is quite aggressive throughout this
disc and captures a kind of Emerson Lake and Palmer performance
style. The songs don’t sound at all like ELP, but the way
they’re played has that same intense, busy quality that ELP
was famous for. Goto’s keyboards are everywhere as to be expected,
but you’ll also hear plenty of crunchy guitar and driving,
rumbling bass work throughout. Some of these tracks get so
intense they become a cacophony of sound, even discordant
before returning to the central melody. It’s an exhausting
listen.*** Tadashi Goto shares a lot in common with Japanese
bands like Gerard or the already mentioned ELP but he has
his own sound and style. If you’re looking for a dynamic instrumental
workout with a high level of aggression I can certainly recommend
you listen to Innervisions, you won’t be disappointed.***
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