Yoshimi is best known as the percussionist whose steady propulsion drives the Boredoms' krautrock-inspired chaos. That particular style carried over briefly to OOIOO, Yoshimi's side project, whose Feather Float contained some of that galloping, Can-like motion. Those looking for that quality on Kila Kila Kila might be disappointed - though they're thrown a bone with tracks such as "On Mani" and "Sizuku Ring Neng" (which is like the Boredoms re-imagined by a northern Ainu tribe). The rest of Kila Kila Kila, however, finds Yoshimi cavorting in a playground of instruments like a gentle child with ADD. Instead of propelling songs forward with percussion, she allows the open gaps to breathe, and occasionally sprinkles them with notes and sounds. Those sounds are similar to the ones found on Yoshimi's collaboration with Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto), in that natural acoustics are prevalent - acoustic instruments, wind chimes, wood blocks, strings, and the twittering of birds all appear, either in isolated moments or as layers of rhythm. Compared to Feather Float, Kila is very minimalist, less frenetic yet somehow more complex; overall it provides an interesting counterpoint to OOIOO's other experiments as well as the Boredoms' recent output.

By James Hayashi-Tennant
May 3, 2004