Vincent Atmicus "Vincent II" (Glamorous Records) 2004

Taisei Aoki (Trombone, Pianica, Bamboo Flute, Organ)
Osamu Matsumoto (Trombone)
Yuji Katsui (Violin, Effects)
Keisuke Ota (Violin, Voice)
Hiroaki Mizutani (Contrabass)
Kumiko Takara (Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion)
Yoichi Okabe (Rrap Drums, Percussion)
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki (Trap Drums, Percussion)
    

Uniqueness is a tough quality to come by these days. With thousands of choices in instruments, rhythms, styles and structures, most groups still stick to the predictable. Vincent Atmicus, however, does not. They truly sound like no one else, in the best sense of that phrase. Jazz band? Jam band? Experimental minimalism? Neo-rock? They transcend these distinctions to create their own unique sound.

The music is hard to describe. It rambles, stretches out, locks into tight grooves, springs into odd meters, and cavorts in its own way. Every tune feels like a loose jam at first, with the musicians getting into the flow, but on second listen, the songs are careful, clever constructions. Drummer-percussionist Yoshigaki wrote most of the tunes, with help from Aoki. The flexible song structures offer room for all eight musicians to express their own voices—often all at the same time. The trombones move at marching tempo, the violins soar, the vibraphone raps out rhythms and harmonies, while the percussion pounds below—to create a dense maze of intriguing patterns.

Each song has its own flavor. "Mbir-va" has an African, Middle-eastern feel to it that builds slowly to a rollicking climax. "Oferere/Azoth" starts with an austere directness that soon bursts into a charging rock-ish round of chords offset by bizarrely filtered vocals. "2 Stars and Moon" moves like a symphony: first a section with funky bass and joyful pianica, then tricky, bouncing rhythms, a section with trombone, twin violins and Afro-Cuban drumming, and finally, an explosive, wild take-out. "Re-Baptizum" stretches the farthest out, putting free flourishes astride a pulsing beat. Every song draws on a rich storehouse of sounds with tantalizing variety.

All of this might seem intentionally eclectic, but Vincent Atmicus knows how to enjoy themselves with their music. They work at intriguing tensions, but then come together into a good-time vibe. The music is not just quirky for quirky's sake, but instead has a naturalness to it that makes its unpredictable character extremely likeable. Most importantly, though, the band plays hard and wild, with an enthusiasm and liveliness that is deeply and genuinely appealing.