Japanese noise veterans Boris have become well known for their dramatic genre shifts between albums as well as their collaborations with other artists. Their album with Sunn O))), Altar, successfully blended the sounds that both groups had always harnessed. The relentlessness of Sunn O)))'s signature extended noise pieces made room for the softer segments brought into the mix by Boris, and the album ended up coming across as a somewhat "lite" version of the music both bands had been famous for at the time. This isn't to say that Altar was a compromise for Sunn O))) and Boris - it was in fact a sensible starting point for anyone unfamiliar with their sounds and would bode well for weaning listeners onto their respective back-catalogues.
BXI, the new four-song collaboration between Boris and The Cult vocalist Ian Astbury, is a little different. It finds itself more in line with the bizarre 80s glam-rock revival sound Boris have recently associated themselves with at times on their latest full length, Smile. Hence, Astbury's vocal contributions are well suited here, and much of the material sounds like long lost Cult recordings. It feels as if there is a conscious decision on the part of Boris to make BXI sound this way, which is no bad thing. These vibes are directly revisited on the only track Astbury leaves untouched, a cover of the 1985 song he wrote, "Rain", with Boris guitarist Wata's whispers replacing his trademark croon. The song is given a blackened yet gentler makeover here, and would make an interesting comparison for fans of The Cult.
The rest of this short twenty-minute set is strong overall. It's filled with moody 80s guitar riffs and crashing drums. A collaboration of this nature may seem unsuited as a concept, but Astbury taps into Boris's sound very well and the music seems to be built for his performance. His vocals here retain the power that they had on The Cult's classic singles, and the nostalgic sonics explored by Boris closely mimic a familiar alternative rock sound. Even better, Boris do not come across as negatively as they have on some of their patchy and over the top recent work. The length of this EP also means that the songs can progress without feeling like a retread of what has just come before. BXI is another successful collaborative Boris effort. It is a nice little addition to their back catalogue and is recommendable to fans of both Boris and The Cult. Think about that for a second - it's an unlikely marriage of crowds.
"BXI" will be released on 16/8/10 on CD from Southern Lord. A vinyl version will follow in September.
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