I didn’t even know Citizen Kane had entered the public domain, but that’s probably to the general benefit of humanity, what with the cautionary tale of oligarchical excess and capitalistic exploitation. True its culture-shifting impact is more about the filmmaking itself than the sociopolitical commentary — funny how that happens — but it’s a classic either way. If you’ve never watched it, it’s like doom: long, slow, rhythmic, repetitive in parts. You’ll love it. Watch out for that screaming bird.

To the matter at hand, France’s Yojimbo have an April 25 release date set for their debut album, Cycles. Today, in addition to the cover art below, the band are unveiling the first single in the driving groove of “Rosebud,” which of course takes its title from the ending of Orson Welles’ ultra-classic. Footage from the movie is spliced in among live shots of the band, and a good time is had by all, despite Welles’ own stern countenance.

From the PR wire:

Carried by a cosmic energy, fuzz tones with progressive hues and powerful vocal flights, the ship YOJIMBO sails through massive and catchy stoner grooves, abyssal depths of doom and explores the ethereal landscapes of post-rock.

After releasing their first EP in 2022, which allowed the quartet to share the stage with bands like IAH, GEEZER, and Villagers Of Ioannina City, YOJIMBO continues its interstellar journey and is determined to conquer new universes with the release of their debut album on 04/25/2025.

In its quest for power and wealth, capitalism breeds monsters willing to do anything. But in the face of death, what remains when regret replaces glory?

Inspired by Citizen Kane (1941), Orson Welles’ masterpiece, Rosebud is the lead single from the debut album, “CYCLES”, set to be released on April 25, 2025. A raw sonic journey where power and fragility collide.

Music by YOJIMBO
Recorded @Kawati Studio by Florent Herrbach
Mixed by Clément Adolff & Théo Seemann @Studio La Turbine
Direction & Video recording by Dom Pichard / P-MOD
Movie’s content from CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles – 1941- public domain)
Live footage filmed by Résigraphies’crew (Clélia Wang, Christine Fey, Fred Ergenschaeffter, Stéphanie Dillmann, Greg D’Haillecourt), trained and supervised by Marc Linnhoff as part of Yojimbo’s residency at Espace Django.
www.resigraphies.fr

Snowball created by AnneK Lejeal – Atelier M33
Live lighting scenography: William Roussel
Video editing by Dom Pichard & Marc Linnhoff

https://www.facebook.com/yojimbomusicband
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https://yojimbostonerband.bandcamp.com/

Yojimbo, “Rosebud” official video

Based in Strasbourg, France — which is a hometown they share with Los Disidentes del Sucio Motel — the rolling four-piece Yojimbo made their debut last year with their self-titled five-song EP. Fuzz and echoing vocal command, light progressive metal flourish, and atmosphere were the order of the day, with each song offering something different, be it “Kingdom” moving from its sample and acoustic to a brooding build and sprawling solo payoff, “Battlefield” layering its verse melody amid fervent, boogie-tinged push, longer centerpiece “The Far Still Grows” with its atmospheric focus and later-Truckfighters breadth, “Devil’s Dance” resolving the question of whether to slow down or push itself over by doing both in succession, or closer “Last Mile” with vital tension released in a particularly massive stomp. Being their initial public offering, all it did was bode well.

The track “Doomsday Clock” takes some of the tonal scope hinted at in the short release and expands on it with two guitars intertwining. The band has undergone some lineup change since that came out, though I’ll confess I’m short on details there. But as it stands, Yojimbo bring palpable growth to bear in the standalone single, the video clip for which was filmed as an ‘M33 Session’ — named for the triangulum galaxy; it’s in the local group — as part of a residency at Strasbourg’s M33 artist workshop. No word on a follow-up to the EP just yet, but you can stream the clip at the bottom of this post, and if you’re looking for big crash, big melody and vast vibes, they’ve got that ready to roll. All you gotta do is click play. When/if I hear more, I’ll post accordingly.

Info from the PR wire and YouTube page:

Self-proclaimed Intergalactic Stoner Rock, the French quartet YOJIMBO has given its first cries in the spring of 2019. Carried by vocal flights nourished by fuzz tones with progressive floydian accents, the ship Yojimbo sails through massive, catchy stoner grooves, to abyssal invocations of doom and the spatiality of post-rock.

A first self-produced eponymous EP is released in 2022, hailed enthusiastically by the specialized press. YOJIMBO pursues his journey with a promotional tour where it shares the stage with bands such as IAH, Geezer or Baron Crâne.

2023 marks a new milestone: new line-up, new identity; YOJIMBO continues his interstellar journey, ready to conquer new worlds.

Video recorded @ Atelier M33, Strasbourg April 2023 – as part of our creative residency
Mixed by Florent Herrbach
Direction: Marc Linnhoff

https://www.facebook.com/yojimbomusicband
https://instagram.com/yojimbo_stoner_band
https://www.youtube.com/@yojimbostonerband
https://yojimbostonerband.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/yojimbo

Yojimbo, “Doomsday Clock” M33 Session

Yojimbo, Yojimbo (2022)