Silence the phone, draw the blinds and zone out to some experimental rock delights.
Essential for its rhythmic heartbeat, the drum has held few leading roles in musical history, often settled upon as mere foundation, or sometimes self-indulgent solos in live settings, giving the guitarist a chance to finish his beer. Yet On Ryonen, the drum and its associates are given center stage, producing impressive results.
Oneida member Man Forever and drumming outfit So Percussion make up the whole of Ryonen. The collective use wooden planks, teacups, flowerpots and more traditional percussive methods create long winding passages of tight, concise and at times psychedelic journeys of tantric drumming goodness.
Ryonen’s stamina across the board is stunning, not once relenting or taking rest. Drumming patterns weave in and out revealing an elaborate attention to detail through relatively simplistic means.
Despite having their hands in constant motion the group bobs up for an occasional hymnal vocal passage, a nice detour amongst the two 15 minute-plus tracks, often working in tandem with directional shifts in the rhythmic pattern of the songs.
