0

After the disappointing and not particularly substantive “Utabiko”, I was very delighted to see the following record “0 having such massive track lengths, as one of my main complaints with Ichiko’s first few records are that a lot of its ideas could’ve been further expanded upon through longer song durations. While not every track on “0” could successfully justify its length, such as the improvised, 11 minute long “Iriguchi Deguchi”, this is certainly the most expansive, ambitious, and rewarding Ichiko Aoba album in her discography up to this point. Previously Ichiko’s music had always been very down-to-earth, but some of the songs on “0” could quite literally feel out of this world, despite the fact that she’s still mostly just using guitar and voice. Part of it is because of the lyrics, which conjures outer-space, sci-fi, and apocalyptic imagery, but sonically we see Ichiko at the most daring she’s ever been. She introduced elements of field recordings, which she would come to use more and more in her later work, to give the music a much more immersive feeling. She also became more adventurous with her guitar playing, switching up tempos, rhythms, and key more frequently than ever before in her music. “Mars 2027” is easily the most experimental thing she’s ever done, and the first Ichiko song that I would not describe as being “soothing”, but rather the opposite. The first half of this song is incredibly intense, Ichiko’s guitar playing is hollow but rough. She plucks at the strings with so much force it’s like they’re on the verge of snapping, and the tension that is created from that is incredible. I’m still not completely sold on the dissonance of the song but the creativity of it is very commendable.

But of course, Ichiko Aoba’s biggest strength is still her ability to craft the most beautiful melodies. The americana-infused opener “We the survivors”, the slow and serene “I am pod (0%)” and the vast 13-minute track “Clockword universe” are my absolute favourites. Some of the tracks I felt couldn’t sustain my attention throughout the entirety of the song, I would zone out after a bit and get pulled back in after hearing an interesting riff or vocal melody. But the songs are beautiful nonetheless and contribute to the incredible atmosphere that this album creates. Despite being flawed, “0” is very much worth a listen and her best output up to this point in her discography.

Favs: We the survivors, I am pod (0%), Clockwork universe
Least Fav: Iriguchi Deguchi