Boris Get Totally Cult with BXI Collaboration
You could probably throw darts at oddball combinations of rock bands for six years before you came up with Japanese experimentalists Boris and lead singer Ian Astbury of The Cult, so wouldn’t you know that would have to be the one that actually happened. It’s strange on paper and kind of strange in the hearing, but taking it from the perspective of Boris, who’ve done more collaborations and experimental pieces than I care or am able to count in their 18 years together, it’s just one more wacky thing to add to the list. In your best sitcom-mom voice: “Oh, that Boris. What will they get up to next?”
What they get up to with BXI (Boris x Ian, get it?) is some rock of varied tempo and approach; the EP is a self-titled sampling of what the two distinct personalities have to offer when combined. Four tracks in 20 minutes, it’s a short release, but Boris and Astbury, though it’s certainly an unexpected grouping, doesn’t really sound awkward — and if that seems like a contradiction to the last paragraph where I said it’s strange, you’re unfamiliar with Boris. For a band who so consistently strives to put themselves out of their element, doing something like making a record with Ian Astbury is no crazier than many of the other moves they’ve made. If you’re a Cult fan, that’s just a bonus.
The EP BXI (unsurprisingly released through Southern Lord) starts with “Teeth and Claws,” and right away we understand the idea is to meld a more atmospheric side of Boris’ riffy approach to Astbury’s gruff, classic rock vocalizing. His voice adds an almost Meat Loaf-style teen melodrama to the track, and of course it wouldn’t be Boris if that wasn’t completely turned in its head with the next song. “We are Witches” is driven most by its riff, and there’s a killer solo from either Wata or Takeshi Ohtani, but the bass, the drums of Atsuo Mizuno and Wata’s backing vocals (one could hardly hold being overpowered by Astbury against her) do just as much as any other element to make the song the highlight of the EP. With its oft-repeated title line, the song balances catchy and straightforward with unique and experimental in a way that best encapsulates BXI. If you’re going to sample a song before you decide whether or not to make a purchase, let it be “We are Witches.”
And of course the most Boris-like move Boris could make would be to make a record with Ian Astbury, do a Cult cover, and not have him sing on it, so following “We are Witches” comes “Rain,” from 1985’s Love. Not surprisingly, it does well to change up the BXI approach, as if to say there’s more to the collaboration than just Ian Astbury throwing down vocals over leftover Boris riffs, and as the third of the four tracks, it’s placed just where it needs to be to most stave off monotony. Closer “Magickal Child” is the longest cut at 5:40 and highlights the atmospheric side of Boris’ musicianship with far-away guitars and crashes. It might be Astbury’s best vocal performance on the EP, and as a complement to “We are Witches,” it fills out BXI giving listeners a new context for Astbury’s voice and Boris’ music alike. The best of both worlds, as they say.
No doubt a few loyal followers of Astbury’s work in The Cult (or his live appearances with The Doors, for that matter) will transform into Boris fans after hearing BXI, but there are a lot of Cult fans out there, and I wouldn’t want to put money down betting on crossover percentages since The Cult is so straightforward in their songwriting and some of those people are bound to find Feedbacker first. Nonetheless, BXI, should they continue the project, has a strong foundation on which to build, and if their only limitation is going to be the creative whims of the entities involved, it’s anyone’s best guess where they’ll go from here. Nice to know Boris still have more surprises in store.
Tags: Boris, BXI, Japan, Southern Lord
