OOIOO - Armonico Hewa

Across the mountains and over the hills, there is a band that is now experienced beyond their youthful looking years, as they boast a back catalogue of layered minimalist electro pop. Days gone past have proved the fiery female foursome to be a little ‘left of centre’ from your average pop outfit.

’Armonico Hewa’ Is the new record from Japanese Alt rockers OOIOO and it is certainly an album to bend your ears around. With their latest effort they have managed to create a bold experiential pop album packed full of hidden repetitions and natural progressions. Uncovering an undiscovered side of electro that’s being boldly explored, whilst countlessly veering off to create not just their own sub genre, but a journey of the girls travel through the alternative music spectrum. They are indeed a band that that must be heard to be understood as the quirky and unique blend of Japanese pop culture and intense rhythmic beats creates a wild storybook journey for the lucid listener.

Opening track 'SOL' possesses the ceaseless drone of machinery ridden samples and drums of death. Booming effortlessly with a sense of 'seek and destroy' into the superb guitar progressions on 'UDA HAH'.

Track 6 'POLACCA' has a real anthemic groove, very familiar to the new wave Indie blast to hit our radio waves, reminiscent of The Ting Tings' with a healthy dose of delay and chorus.

Stand out song 'NIN NA YAMA' is a fast paced odyssey, braking only for the scenic balcony of the ‘sing along’ chorus and an incredibly soulful vocal harmony, hypnotizing the outer reaches of your brain, before exploding into the similarly structured but more vocally appealing 'HEWA HEWA'. Heading for the finishing post with ’HONKI PONKI’ a nursery rhyme style pop song with a real sense of psychedelic purpose.


’Armonico Hewa’ contains moments of clarity and self realisation, but don't be fooled as the record unfolds “oh-oh-eye-oh-oh” will unravel an artichoke chocked full of chord formations, time changes and a uniquely youthful spirit. Another fine effort from the outfit headed by founding member Yoshmi P-we. A tightly coiled package of percussive polyrhythm's and a musical attitude that’ll keep the cult band a big part of the underground music scene for years to come…