The dearth of solid debut post-rock albums so far in 2008 has been bemoaned quite frequently of late (and not without good reason), so I am happy to announce the rise of a band that can begin to fill this gaping hole - Manchester's Ryoga. The group makes music that sounds like they need an exclamation point at the end of their name, so that's how I will refer to Ryoga! throughout this review. Ryoga!'s self-titled release is a chemistry set of genre-based elements, mixed and matched to create explosions of music most broadly defined as electro-retro-post-rock. Yes, the band has set upon the path laid over a minefield by 65daysofstatic and they never look back. Don't be fooled, this is no cheap imitation, as Ryoga! instead blends the infectious exuberance of bands like Magyar Posse with the aforementioned explosiveness of compact electro-post rock – a winning combination if I've ever heard one.
The release opens with its most obviously post-rock track, “Miss Erasmus,” which begins, well, as you'd expect a post-rock track to open. The large amount of synth usage and distorted drum beats do set Ryoga! apart from the pack here, but the thing that really prevents the band from falling in line is the energy on display – clearly, you don't have to be as sad as people from Texas to use the post-rock structure effectively. The climaxes of the track are formed by the addition of electronic elements to the mix, rather than the more obvious hail of distortion, adding a creative finale to a solidly-built track – honestly, you can't ask for much more out of the post-rock structure than this.
The other two longer tracks, “I Don't Know What I Did Last Summer” and “I Still Don't Know What I Did Last Summer” try to bring more atmosphere to the release, with a heavy electronic element, but aren't as effective as “Miss Erasmus” because they miss out on most of the energy and excitement of the track. The first one comes back to the old standby of the obliterating climax and, while well done and though it gradually picks up momentum as the track builds, it takes too long to build up on a fast-paced release as this one. “I Still Don't Know What I Did Last Summer” takes a synth-based approach, which is definitely welcome, and almost develops a blissed-out fuzz by the track's conclusion, but, once again, it is so sedate that I just want to go back and hit up “Ricky Got A Girlfriend” again. But more on that later – the track does serve as an excellent closer, winding down the release with style.
Ryoga! still has some tricks up their collective sleeve, however – I have saved some of the most surprising parts of the release for last. First up is “Delorian Daze,” which is so brilliant and ridiculous and seemingly obvious (yet never, to my knowledge, done before) that a summary is difficult to put down – the track sounds like an electro-post-disco song. You read that right – post-disco. The beat is pounding, the bass is thumping, the vocoder is wailing, everything comes together to revel in the ridiculous fun of it all. Is it cheesy? Some might call it that, but they'll come back for a second listen, and a third, and a fourth... I, for one, can't get enough, I am proud to admit. Last, but not least, comes “Ricky Got a Girlfriend,” which opens innocently enough, reiterating the energy already demonstrated throughout the release. At the 28 second mark, Ryoga! debuts perhaps the biggest surprise of them all – the flute, which comes out of nowhere and takes the song as its own. The instrument takes the place of a vocalist would have in more “conventional” acts, to an extent, but the absence of lyrics allows the rest of the quartet to shine, rather than merely “backing up” the flute. The synth and electronic work here is particularly good, coming together in a controlled craziness that simply delights the ears. The combination is nothing short of addictive, and frequent listeners will understand my hesitancy to move on to “I Still Don't Know What I Did Last Summer” - I'm having so much fun here that I don't want to get to the end!
Ryoga! is evidence that we need not give up on new post-rock bands just yet. The release has variety, creativity, and energy, all the while maintaining a consistently high standard of quality. If you've gotten this far in the review, you'll know if you want to listen to the release or not, but once more, I implore you – give Ryoga! a few minutes of your time. Whether you're looking for a refreshing twist on contemporary music or for a new lens to turn on the old, there is something here for you. It's safe to get excited about post-rock again – let's hope the next release by the young band builds on this already solid achievement to reach the heights of those who have come before them. I'll be ready for it when they do.
-Zach Mills