Photo courtesy Howlin' Wuelf Media
Melt Banana
If deep, underlying philosophical tenets lie at the heart of noisy Japanese duo Melt-Banana's extreme sound... well, so what? Their surges of often deceptively tuneful cacophony are simply too fun for it to matter much. For a guitar-based twosome without a drummer, they put on a compelling visceral show Tuesday night at the Cactus Club. The bar was nearly packed for this rare evening in Milwaukee for the prolific cult band from the other side of the world.
Though nobody was beating on a set of skins at the pummeling pace that defines so much of their material, it's not as if Melt-Banana were without percussion. From something looking like a small tablet computer or large smartphone with an apparently unchanging multi-colored screen, singer Yasuko Onuki appeared to be commandeering a variety of blast beat iterations and electronics with the waves of her arm. Those actions in tandem with her already animated stage presence gave the impression something between a half-body tai chi session and a Wii game for casting spells.
Donning a mask that may have covered his mouth for medical as well as sartorial reasons, guitarist Ichirou Agata affected an intimidating appearance to match his corrosive, bulldozing sonic assaults. Amid the copious effects and occasional noodling, actual melodies weren't all that difficult to discern. This dimension of Melt-Banana marks some evolution of their sound from that time in the '’90s when their more atonal offerings made them a favorite of late BBC Radio One DJ John Peel.
Though still hardly pop-save, perhaps, in an alternate universe where Napalm Death and Merbow are international chart-toppers-the shift toward slightly more accessibility works. That observation becomes especially clear when they assayed remakes found on their latest album, Return of 13 Hedgehogs (MxBx Singles 2000-2009). Toots & The Maytals' reggae chestnut "Monkey Man " benefits from Onuki's sprightly delivery, whereas their take on Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge" let Agata maximize the spasmodic dimension of his axe wielding.
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If Melt-Banana bring an overall friendly face to harsh metallic sounds, Milwaukee/Madison opening act Zebras create a more menacing specter. Guitarist/singer Vincent Presley, with his lengthy locks and exquisitely coiffed beard giving him a resemblance to Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl as a stoner occult high priest, is responsible for much of that foreboding air. But Shane Hochstetler’s drum kit assault and Lacey Smith's fevered, meticulous manipulation of her analog synthesizer, which provided the low end a bass otherwise would and more, contribute their shares to the fearsome impression, too. The trio made a brilliant lead-in to Melt-Banana's crazed antics.
The cheeky, sonically scuzzy electro-disco proffered by Milwaukee's Rio Turbo may seem like an odd way to start a night. It made sense, really. Dancers of mixed gender (the female ones in leopard print lingerie) supported a rapper/singer commending his sexual excess and prowess fueled by cocaine and probably other street pharmaceuticals. Behind all that spectacle stood a tall dude in a ghostly mask manning their laptop. Regardless the air of degeneracy, their sound has a left-field commercial potency that could conceivably land them radio spins between Icona Pop and LMFAO. They seem to know they're a salable commodity, too, at least ironically: One of their tapes is titled Kiss FM.
