Hái! very much marks the beginning of
a new era for The Creatures. If their 1998 album Anima
Animus was the first album from Siouxsie and Budgie
following the break up of Siouxsie & The Banshees
two years earlier, Hái! was recorded
immediately following the end of the Seven Year
Itch tour, the last ever with the Banshees in 2002,
and is also the first album entirely produced by Budgie
and Siouxsie.
The Creatures first appeared back in 1981 with the Wild
Things EP, and, two years later, with Feast,
which was recorded in Hawaii. Defined by Budgie’s
intense percussions and Siouxsie’s unmistakable
vocal style, The Creatures became the tribal alter ego
to the Banshees’ post-punk sound. Their second
album, Boomerang, recorded in Spain, offered
a more delicate and varied soundscape. With Anima
Animus, The Creatures experimented with industrial
and electronic structures for the first time, giving
their project an up-to-date sound.
The main body of Hái!, (yes in Japanese)
was recorded in just under an hour and a half during
a spontaneous improvisation session between Budgie and
former Kodo taiko drummer Leonard Eto. Fascinated by
the style of the Japanese ensemble and their mix of
tradition and modernity, The Creatures jumped at the
opportunity to work with Eto after Budgie bumped into
him and they decided to collaborate. The result is utterly
imposing and incredibly organic. Hái!
offers an impressive range of atmospheres and musical
tones, from the incandescent Say Yes!, Around
The World, Seven Years and Godzilla!
to the more refined Imagoro, Tourniquet or
Tantara! Following on from the industrial soundscapes
and electronic textures of Anima Animus, this
new album marks a welcomed return to the raw, stripped-down,
sound of Feast and Boomerang. As Budgie
and Eto progressively build powerful patterns over the
first half of the album, Siouxsie appears to withdraw
in the background, reducing her lyrical inputs to sharp
words and short sentences. Talking about the fusion
between Budgie and Eto, the press release quotes her:
'I was enthralled as I watched the coming together of
these two kindred spirits. Words and melodies came to
me immediately., but mindful of breaking the spell,
I had to store my inspiration until we got back to France'.
As she progressively regains her place, on Seven
Tears and more so on Godzilla!, the symbiosis
between drums and voices appears more complete than
ever. On the second half of this album, the songs become
incantations while the percussions appear to retreat
to leave Siouxsie in full control of the mood. The stunning
Imagoro, Tourniquet and Tantara!
reveal the sonic depth of The Creatures as the mood
gently wax and wane, progressively bringing this album
to its logical conclusion.
With this fourth album, The Creatures continue to cast
their unique sound over the music scene with vision
and class. Hái! combines dense atmospheres and
creative approach and shows The Creatures at their most
confident yet.
4.7/5 |
